2010 U of M Field School for Ag Professionals Registration is Now Open

Specific first day topics will include: 

·          Herbicide Mode of Action and Crop Injury Symptoms

·          Soil Properties and Soil Structure

·          Corn Rootworm Stacks, Refuges & Insecticides

·          Crop Diagnostics for Corn, Soybean and Wheat                                                                                                                                                          

Students will attend each of these 1.5 hour hands-on sessions. Certified Crop Advisor CEUs in the areas of Soil & Water, Pest Management, and Crop Management will be offered. Instructors will include University of Minnesota State Extension Specialists, Regional Extension Educators, Research & Outreach staff, and selected industry representatives. The educational emphasis for ag professionals will be on core principles for each discipline area.

The second day program held on July 21 will consist of multiple concurrent one-hour sessions, allowing participants to obtain one Certified Crop Advisor CEU per session. Students can self-select up to six different sessions from a menu of ten session topics, ranging across all of the four major agronomy disciplines which are designed to be timely, cutting-edge topics for today's ag professionals. Detailed session descriptions and online registration can be found on the Institute for Ag Professionals website.  

The second day program topics include:

·         Stand Establishment for High-Yield Corn

·         Corn Nematode Biology and Management

·         Corn Aphids

·         Starter Fertilizer for Corn & Soybeans

·         Minimum Soybean Populations for Maximum Yields

·         Drought-related Insect Issues: Soybean Aphid and Two-Spotted Spider Mites

·         Management Strategies for IDC in Soybeans

·         Understanding Root Infecting Fungi & Nematodes

·         Herbicide Off-Target Crop Injury Potential

·         Principles of Weed Seedling Identification

The Field School is offered as a hands-on, in-field program emphasizing crop and pest management diagnostic skill building in field crops. This program is targeted toward agronomists, crop production retailers, seed sellers, consultants, Extension educators, agriculture government agency personnel, farm managers, and summer scouts.

Participants will have the opportunity to enhance their troubleshooting and crop management skills in specially-designed plots that display actual cropping situations. A key feature of the Field School is the small learning groups to enhance the learning experience. Each subject is led by experienced instructors offering personalized instruction and small group activities.

Questions about the 2010 Field School can be directed to David Nicolai, IAP Program Coordinator, via e-mail: nico0071@umn.edu or by calling 612-625-2778.