Ohio State University to offer "Soybean School"

Soybean farmers can learn tips to increase their yields from Ohio State University Experts at the March 7 Soybean School.

The daylong workshop is part of the Conservation Tillage and Technology Conference and will begin at 8:30 a.m. Presenters will offer strategies for growers on "everything you'll need to know to improve your yields and to have a great soybean production year," said Harold Watters, an Ohio State University Extension agronomy field specialist and coordinator of the university's Agronomic Crops Team.

"We want to increase soybean yield in Ohio in an economical fashion," said Watters, who will moderate Soybean School. "Growers have told us that we're not getting the increases in soybean yields that growers are seeing in corn yields, so we've brought in experts to help growers find innovative ways to increase soybean yield. That means taking a look at how to get rid of pests, disease and weeds, and also taking a look at what's next in soybean breeding."

Sessions will include:

• "The Impact of Weeds on Soybean Yield" by Mark Loux, an OSU Extension weed specialist, who will discuss how weeds such as glyphosate-resistant marestail and giant ragweed negatively affect yield.
• "New Products from Plant Breeding" by
 Leah McHale, a soybean breeder with joint appointments with OSU Extension and the Ohio Agricultural Research and Development Center. McHale will discuss, from an industry perspective, whether there are new twists on soybean output that will bring growers more dollars per acre.
• "Soybean Fertility and the Tri-State Recommendations " by Ed Lentz, an OSU Extension soybean fertility specialist, who will give tri-state recommendations on soil fertility needs for soybeans.
• "Insect Impacts on Soybean Yield" by 
Ron Hammond, an entomologist with joint appointments with OSU Extension and OARDC, who will discuss insects, particularly possible yield reduction from slugs.
• "Plant Disease Impact on Yield" by Anne Dorrance, a plant pathologist with joint appointments with OSU Extension and OARDC, who will discuss genetic disease resistance, including soybean cyst nematode.
• "A History of Ohio Soybeans
" by Jim Beuerlein, a retired OSU Extension soybean specialist, who will offer a historical view of Ohio soybeans and future prospects for growers.

"Soybean school offers an in-depth look at soybean production from multiple experts in which participants can gain insights from faculty that present studies based on real data," Dorrance said. "That offers growers a significant advantage because once you know what the problems are, you can design the management strategies for that production region in the state."

The workshop also will include information from experts at Purdue University, the University of Illinois and the University of Missouri.

The Conservation Tillage and Technology Conference is sponsored by OSU Extension, OARDC, Northwest Ohio Soil and Water Conservation Districts, the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Natural Resources Conservation Service and the Ohio No-Till Council.

The full schedule and registration information can be found at http://ctc.osu.edu . Participants may register online or by mail. Registration for the full conference is $80 (or $60 for one day) if received by Feb. 24. Information also is available in county offices of OSU Extension.

 

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Did they think about getting Kip or Ray to discuss the programs that each
use in their respective areas?