Learn Management Strategies for Row Crop Pests and Pathogens
MILAN, Tenn. – Row crop producers are invited to learn the latest disease and insect management strategies at the annual Soybean Disease and Insect Field Day. Hosted by the University of Tennessee Institute of Agriculture (UTIA), this free event is scheduled for September 9 from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. at the AgResearch and Education Center at Milan. On-site registration begins at 8:30 a.m., with no preregistration required.
Guided field demonstrations will provide attendees with hands-on experience identifying soybean diseases that could impact yield, including frogeye leaf spot, target spot, septoria brown spot and others. Additional topics include results from UT variety trials and ongoing research on fungicide effectiveness, pesticide selection, crop defoliation and more.
“Our team is excited to share recommendations formulated through decades of research,” says Heather Kelly, Extension specialist and plant pathologist. “We especially want to highlight newer diseases such as taproot decline, which we first identified in Tennessee in 2017. It causes severe rot of the plant’s taproot system, and staying informed is critical for managing any diseases you might encounter.”
Insect control topics, such as how to identify aphids, loopers, spider mites, stink bugs and more, will also be addressed throughout the day, including predictions on late-season infestations. Harvest aid demonstration plots will be showcased as well, courtesy of Extension specialists Sebe Brown and Jake McNeal.
Pesticide recertification and Certified Crop Adviser points will be available, along with a complimentary boxed lunch at the conclusion of the tour.
The AgResearch and Education Center at Milan is located at 3 Ledbetter Gate Road in Milan, Tennessee. For up-to-date information on row crop diseases and pests, please visit utcrops.com or contact your local county Extension office.
The University of Tennessee Institute of Agriculture is comprised of the Herbert College of Agriculture, UT College of Veterinary Medicine, UT AgResearch and UT Extension. Through its land-grant mission of teaching, research and outreach, the Institute touches lives and provides Real. Life. Solutions. to Tennesseans and beyond. utia.tennessee.edu.