The University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture will present the latest in Arkansas corn research during an online corn field day Sept. 3. It will be the second of four commodity events held online to provide Arkansas growers safe, two-way interaction with division researchers and extension specialists during the COVID-19 pandemic.
The online field day is free, but registration is required to connect. Register online at http://bit.ly/ArkCornOnline.
Videos from the Aug. 20 rice field day are available online on the Arkansas Agricultural Experiment Station’s field day website: https://aaes.uark.edu/field-days.
“The virtual field day will be a great opportunity to see what research is being conducted on corn in Arkansas,” said Jason Kelley, Division of Agriculture professor and wheat and feed grains Extension agronomist.
“This won’t be the typical field day that many are accustomed to,” Kelley said, “but holding it virtually will allow producers to view the program from nearly anywhere, ask questions live, and still have the opportunity to view at a later date if they wish, all from the cab of a combine, on the turn-row, or in the comfort of your home.”
“We want to deliver the latest research-based information to Arkansas corn growers in a convenient and interactive format. A safe and innovative approach is required during the pandemic,” said Nathan McKinney, associate vice president for agriculture and assistant director of the Arkansas Agricultural Experiment Station.
Certified crop advisors and Arkansas agricultural consultants may receive 1.5 continuing education units for participating in the online field day.
McKinney will open the field day at 6 p.m. with a welcome address on behalf of the Division of Agriculture. Then Jacob Appleberry, chairman of the Arkansas Corn and Grain Sorghum Board, will share a message on behalf of the board.
Division scientists will give research and extension presentations via pre-recorded videos:
• Tom Barber, professor and Extension weed specialist, will discuss weed control in corn.
• Terry Spurlock, associate professor and Extension plant pathologist, will discuss corn disease identification and management.
• Trent Roberts, associate professor and Extension soil fertility specialist, will discuss late-season nitrogen management in corn.
• Larry Purcell, distinguished professor of crop physiology, will describe his research using drones and imaging to determine nitrogen needs in corn.
• Jason Kelley, professor and Extension agronomist, will summarize his multi-year crop rotation study.
Following the presentations, the research and extension scientists will answer participants’ questions during a live online panel discussion. Field day participants will have an opportunity to interact with scientists and learn more about how the research applies to their crops and operations.
Online field days will be broadcast for soybeans on Sept. 17 and for cotton on Oct. 1. For more information about the online field days and to register for the later commodity events, visit the 2020 virtual field day website: https://aaes.uark.edu/field-days. A recording of each field day will be available on demand from the website after the live broadcast. The field days are free, but registration is required to connect.
The University of Arkansas contributed this article.