THE FOLLOWING IS A U OF I EXTENSION RELEASE
COVINGTON, IN – Farmers across two states can get a jump on next year’s growing season by drawing knowledge from experts in Illinois and Indiana at the annual Bi-State Crops Conference happening December 5 at the Beef House in Covington, Indiana. Boasting an impressive panel of speakers discussing topics from nutrient loss to weed control, this year’s meeting promises to extend new ideas and detail exciting research from University of Illinois and Purdue.
“The crops conference has been a mainstay of the Bi-State ag group’s offerings since 2009. This year’s program promises to be an interesting showcase highlighting various crop production topics. Getting that kind of timely information from two universities with such impeccable agriculture programs with cutting-edge research is a tremendous opportunity for farmers in the area,” says Crops Conference Chair and Purdue Extension Educator Jon Charlesworth.
Dr. Bill Johnson, Purdue Professor of Weed Science, Dept of Botany and Plant Pathology, kicks off the event with a weed management update and information on how to plan for the 2024 growing season, followed by Illinois agroecologist Dr. Carmen Blubaugh with an introduction to the Diverse Corn Belt Project, a multi-disciplinary research project exploring opportunities beyond corn and soybeans and investigating the real-world impacts of diversified farming systems.
Purdue Extension Educators Kurt Lanzone and Adam Tyler close the morning session with Managing the Storm, Farm Stress for Producers.
After lunch, Dr. Andrew Margenot, Associate Professor at the University of Illinois, will discuss overlooked non-ag but non-point sources of nutrient losses: why they matter for achieving nutrient loss targets in Illinois and Indiana. Adam Shanks, Digital Agriculture and Natural Resources Curriculum Lead, Purdue Extension, closes the conference with More than just scouting with a drone.
The cost of $30, which covers the entire conference and a delicious meal, will be collected at the door on the event day. Registration is limited to 75 participants this year, so don’t wait to get your name on the list. Visit go.illinois.edu/BiStateCrops for more information and to get signed up.
Source: Ryan Pankau, rcpankau@illinois.edu
Writer: Mindy Jefferson, mindyj@illinois.edu
About Extension: Illinois Extension leads public outreach for University of Illinois by translating research into action plans that allow Illinois families, businesses, and community leaders to solve problems, make informed decisions, and adapt to changes and opportunities. Illinois Extension is part of the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign College of Agricultural, Consumer and Environmental Sciences.
