Upcoming field crops webinar on selecting wheat inputs wisely
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EmailJoin us March 6, 2017, for a webinar on timely, research-based advice on managing wheat production in Michigan in economically challenging times.
Field crop producers and agribusiness professionals who are unable to attend Michigan State University Extension’s traditional winter crop and pest update meetings have no need to worry. On Monday evenings from Feb. 13 through March 27, 2017, MSU Extension will offer the 2017 Field Crops Webinar Series addressing key production points for the coming growing season in a condensed virtual format.
These live webinar programs will run from 7 p.m. to 8 p.m. EST and can be viewed independently online over a high-speed internet connection. Pre-registration is required for all participants at a cost of $15 for the full series of six webinars or $5 per individual webinar session. Registering for the full series will give you access to all previously recorded sessions. One MDARD Pesticide Recertification Credit will be available through each event for application to the Private Core, Commercial Core or Field Crops categories. The webinar session on March 6 will feature MSU Extension wheat systems specialist Dennis Pennington on the topic of Selecting Wheat Inputs Wisely.
“Wheat is a crop that is very responsive to management,” said Pennington. “When I grew up, we planted wheat in the fall, broadcast urea in the early spring, then came back to combine in July. We rarely scouted and rarely put out extra nitrogen or fungicides. It was a lower income crop that we didn’t intensively manage. With today’s genetics, we are finding that paying closer attention to fertility levels and controlling disease through fungicides significantly improves grain yield. When crop prices were high, we could afford to try increasingly higher inputs to see how far we could push the crop. Today, with lower commodity prices, we have to be selective and make solid management decisions that are economically based.”
During the March 6 webinar, Pennington will share data from several “ramp-up” studies to show the yield response. “It will be grounded with an economic analysis so that growers can understand what inputs make them the most money,” he said.
The 2017 MSU Extension Field Crops Webinar Series represents a unique opportunity to access the expertise of MSU’s field crop specialists from the comfort of your own home or office. Further webinars in the series include:
- Field Crop Soil Fertility Management with Kurt Steinke, March 13
- Soil Fertility for Forage Production with Kim Cassida, March 20
- Cover Crops for Potato and Soybean Systems with Erin Hill, March 27
To register for one or more webinar program in the series, visit 2017 Field Crops Webinar Series. Once registered, you will receive an email containing a link to connect to the webinars.
For additional information or assistance, contact James DeDecker at 989-734-2168 or dedecke5@msu.edu.
