Research farm to host field day event June 16
Contact: Ken Dashiell
Phone: (605) 693-5201
Friday, May 29, 2009
The Eastern South Dakota Soil and Water Research Farm will host its annual field day Tuesday, June 16.
The event begins at 3:30 p.m. at the farm, located one and one-half miles north of the U.S. Highway 14 bypass on Western Avenue, Brookings. Green signs mark the turn to reach the farm.
The event focuses on integrated crop and pest management systems and improving the use of distillers grains.
Kenton Dashiell, research leader for the North Central Agricultural Research Laboratory in Brookings, said the main topics to be covered include
- The soil as a teacher: What you can learn from digging a hole
- Developing host plant resistance to soybean aphids
- Managing the corn rootworm without GM crops using predation and cover crops
- Diversified rotations and weed management
- New uses for distillers grains
Scientists from the USDA's Agricultural Research Service and the Natural Resources Conservation Service will present information on these topics.
The farm is a collaboration of the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Agricultural Research Service and Natural Resources Conservation Service and, South Dakota State University, and 15 soil and water conservation districts.
A free dinner will conclude the event and is scheduled for 5:30 p.m. In case of rain, the event will take place at the North Central Agricultural Research Laboratory, located one mile north of U.S. Highway 14 on Medary Avenue.
For information, call Kenton Dashiell at (605) 693-5201, or at (605) 693-3241. You can reach him via e-mail at Kenton.Dashiell@ars.usda.gov.
Jarett C. Bies, Associate Writer
AgBio Communications Unit
South Dakota State University
ACC, Box 2231, Rm 200
Brookings, SD 57007
Telephone: (605) 688-4642
Jarett.Bies@sdstate.edu