The Louisiana State University’s AgCenter will hold a crop production and pest management field day expo, June 19, at the Tom H. Scott Research, Extension and Education Center in Winnsboro.
The expo represents a new field day model intended to highlight sectors of the agricultural industry as well as feature field tours, a horticulture seminar, and ongoing agronomic and pest management programs at the center, AgCenter regional director Tara Smith says.
“Our goal is to provide a more efficient, robust and valuable experience for our clientele,” she says.
Registration opens at 8 a.m., with the industry expo starting at 8:30 a.m. Field tours and horticulture seminar breakout sessions will follow at 10 a.m. A sponsored lunch will be provided, followed by an interagency agent training program at 1:30 p.m.
Louisiana Department of Agriculture state wildlife veterinarian Dr. Jim LaCour will be the keynote speaker. He will discuss chronic wasting disease and whitetail deer.
During the expo portion of the program, the public is invited to discuss technologies, products and equipment options with industry representatives.
The horticulture seminar will feature LSU AgCenter Super Plants and presentations by Louisiana Master Gardener members and AgCenter experts.
Field tours will highlight:
— Drift rate effects of commonly used herbicides on soybeans at different growth stages.
— Corn insect management strategies.
— Soil-borne and foliar disease management in soybeans.
— Foliar disease management in cotton and corn.
— Soybean seeding rates and planting dates.
— Hill drop versus drilled cotton production
Horticulture seminar topics include:
— Attracting birds to your garden and landscape.
— Gardening with native Louisiana plants.
— Lawn and weed issues common to North Louisiana.
— Louisiana Super Plant varieties.
The afternoon program will offer additional integrated pest management field crops training opportunities for AgCenter agents and other professionals from various state agencies, federal organizations and industry.
Plans are to rotate the expo event each year among AgCenter research stations in the Northeast and Central regions, while individual stations will host several smaller, more focused, educational programs throughout the year, Smith says.
Louisiana State University’s AgCenter contributed this article.