1.) Provide farmers and agribusiness personnel hands on experience in crop pest detection and management, IPM principles, & problems related to plant health via a series of field days held throughout the growing season highlighted by three diagnostic field days scheduled during the month of June.

2.) Expand and improve comparisons between the existing high, typical, and low input plots including evaluation between cultural/mechanical pest control measures versus chemical control.

3.) Teach farmers and agribusiness personnel the principles and use of prescription farming technology including the refinement and interpretive techniques concerning the use of infra-red photography to detect crop growth problems and to relate this technology to IPM principles.

4.) Provide accurate, relevant data to farm managers to aid in arriving at those decisions that yield the most optimum combination of economics, increase in yield, and environmental quality.

5.) Teach farm decision makers those principles of crop pest management that will effectively control pests with the least amount of chemical application as possible, therefore protecting the quality of the environment.

Extension Program Implementation:

Three major diagnostic field days held during the month of June included the following:

1.) June 21 - Pioneer Seed Diagnostic Field Day.

Eighty-five Pioneer dealers and guests attended sessions on corn and soybean growth and development, crop insects, disease, scouting, and herbicide performance. Following is an evaluation summary from those attending done by Pioneer.

A. TOPICS: PLEASE RATE THE VALUE OF THE PROGRAM CONTENT.....

B. SPEAKERS: PLEASE RATE OVERALL SPEAKER EFFECTIVENESS....

C. PLEASE RATE YOUR EXPERIENCE AT THIS OUTDOOR LABORATORY.....

2.) June 22 - Southern Ohio Crop Diagnostic Field Day:

One hundred thirty-five producers and agribusiness people attended sessions on: Corn Growth and Development by Dr. Peter Thomison, OSU Extension Agronomy Specialist; Soybean Growth and Development by Dr. Jim Beuerlein, OSU Extension Agronomy Specialist; Herbicide Performance Properties & Weed Control by Dr. Mark Loux, OSU Extension Weed Science Specialist; Crop Insects Including Soybean Cyst Nematode by Dr. Hal Willson, OSU Extension Entomologist and Troy Putnam, Highland Co. Agriculture; Field Crop Diseases by Dr. Wayne Ellett, OSU Professor Emeritus in Plant Pathology; Principles of Effective Field Scouting by John Gruber, Ag. consultants, Inc.; Evaluating Sprayer Performance by Tony Nye, Clinton Co. Agriculture Agent; Site Specific Farming by Larry Lotz, Fayette Co. Agriculture Agent.

3.) June 23 - Countrymark Diagnostic Field Day:

Forty-five Countrymark personnel attended sessions on precision farming, corn and soybean growth and development, insects and disease, and fertility.

On August 18 the Southwest Ohio Corn Growers and Fayette Agronomy Field Day was held at the Fayette Co. plot site. Approximately 450 people attended. Wagon tour stops included:

Corn Fertility Plots
Herbicide Adjuvant & Rate Demonstration Plots
27 Corn and Soybean Herbicide Plots
Insect Identification and Sweeping
Effects of Seasons Weather on Corn Growth
Watershed Quality
Roundup Resistant and STS Soybeans
Corn & Soybean Planting Date & Population Plots
110 Corn Hybrids

The site was also used by a number of individuals and groups for tours and informal teaching activities during the year. A five year summary including many data charts is printed for distribution in December, In addition, 120 aerial infrared photographs were taken of the plots and farm fields around the county, which were used to diagnose crop problems.

Return to Ohio IPM Home Page.