Ohio State University Extension to Offer Personalized Crop Advice at Farm Science Review

2016 Farm Science Review attendees will have an opportunity to learn about the best ways to manage soybean and corn pests and diseases.
2016 Farm Science Review attendees will have an opportunity to learn about the best ways to manage soybean and corn pests and diseases.

Crop producers from Ohio and surrounding areas can attend the 2016 Farm Science Review from Sept. 20-22 to talk face-to-face with The Ohio State University (OSU) Extension’s Agronomic Crops Team about everything from planting cover crops to weed control.

OSU Extension is the outreach arm of The Ohio State University’s College of Food, Agricultural, and Environmental Sciences. Harold Watters, an agronomist for the college, is expecting most of the discussions at the event to be focused around nutrient management and soil quality.

“Nutrient management is driving a lot of our training right now, with concerns surrounding water quality,” Watters said. “There’s also a high interest in soil quality, because of efforts to improve soils so that water soaks in rather than running off. We are not conducting research here, but our demonstration plots illustrate the research we are conducting elsewhere. We can talk with farmers about what we are seeing in the research and how it applies to their operation.”

The nutrient management demonstration plots will compare the placement and timing of fertilizer and manure applications, while the soil quality demos will analyze various residue, cover crop and additive approaches.

The Agronomic Crops Demonstration plots will be located just east of the primary review grounds.

There will also be a series of Agronomic Crops Presentations (10 a.m. and 2 p.m. daily) that will cover nitrogen management, choosing the right sprayer tips, and soil quality sampling.

The Farm Science Review is entering its 54th year and as always, there will be plenty of farm equipment on display for visitors to see up close. Tickets to the Review are $7 in advance, $10 at the gate, and free for children 5 and younger.