December 6, 2013

Plan now to attend one of these sites for a day packed with information you can put into practice.

From resistance management to financial management to precision agriculture, the 2014 UNL Extension Crop Production Clinics will cover timely topics for Nebraska growers, said Lowell Sandell, Extension Educator and CPC coordinator.

Nine clinics will be held across the state in January to  provide valuable information to help crop producers and agribusiness professionals improve their profitability and sustainability.

Recertification for commercial and private pesticide applicators will be available. (For more information see 2014 Pesticide Safety Education Program Schedule.)

Pesticide Sprayers and Effective Application

Featured in this year’s line-up of speakers is Bill Gordon, application and drift management consultant from New South Wales, Australia. A number of factors can affect pesticide performance, including sprayer application. Gordon will examine sprayer technologies and practices and how to assess and improve their performance.

“Understanding the factors that influence spray deposition, and how to identify these in the field can assist growers (and advisors) to recognize if there is a problem with the application technique. It is only when a problem is identified that it can be fixed,” Gordon writes in his CPC article.

Another speaker, Extension Precision Ag Engineer Joe Luck, will look at the benefits and limitations of pesticide application equipment, including automatic section control (ASC) technology on applicators. He'll look at how to use ASC to avoid over-application and ensure more consistent coverage. ASC systems combine global navigation satellite system (GNSS) with geographic information systems (GIS) to monitor field coverage in real-time and turn boom sections on or off automatically as they pass in or out of previously sprayed areas.

Programs have been customized for each location and will soon be available on the Crop Production Clinic website.

Also featured will be presentations on integrated pest management research and new products. Other presenters will cover these topics:

• You saw the trials, now see the results. Several presentations will look at findings and yields from field trials conducted for the Soybean Management Field Days and Herbicide-Resistant Weed Field Days. Growers who viewed the research plots earlier this year can view final yields and learn what worked and what didn’t in the treatments studied. (All but the Gering meeting.)
   
• A "Farmland Management Update" with Extension Educator Allan Vyhnalek will feature information on land values and cash rent trends and expected future trends.
   
• A "Crop Insurance Update" with Extension Educator Monte Vandeveer will look at how crop insurance will fit in with potential programs in the new farm bill. There were large insurance payouts for Nebraska wheat in 2013. For all crops in 2014, crop prices, revenue guarantees, and premiums should be lower.

Check the Crop Production Clinic website or watch CropWatch later this month for more information about the clinics.

Registration, CEUs, and Information

Online pre-registration is strongly encouraged. The cost is $60 and includes a noon meal, refreshments, the "2014 Guide for Weed Management in Nebraska", and the "2014 Crop Production Clinic Proceedings." Cost for registering on-site the day of the event is $75.

Certified Crop Advisors may earn CEUs in the following categories: Integrated Pest Management (CEUs), Soil and Water (CEUs), Nutrient Management (CEUs), Crop Production (CEU) and Professional Development (CEU). Attendees can earn a maximum of six CEUs at a location. Certified Crop Advisors are required to bring their CCA number to apply for CEU credits.

For more information about a specific CPC program, contact your local extension office or call 402-472-2811 (Department of Agronomy) or 402-472-1632 (UNL Pesticide Education Office).

Lowell Sandell
Extension Educator and CPC Coordinator