December 24, 2008

Workshops work to improve yields and gain global opportunities

The educational workshops, co-sponsored by the Indiana Soybean Alliance and the Indiana Corn Marketing Council, will provide farmers with information about global demand, where opportunities exist and production management in terms of agronomics, as well as the economics.

The first workshop will be held Jan. 6 at White Linen Hall in Portland and will be followed by the Jan. 7 workshop at The Pines Restaurant in Seymour. The Jan. 8 workshop will be held at the Beck Agricultural Center, located at Purdue University's Agronomy Center for Research and Education in West Lafayette.

All three workshops will be held from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m., and lunch will be provided. Pre-registration is due by Jan. 2.  There is no charge to attend, but individuals need to register online at the Indiana Soybean Alliance's Web site, http://www.indianasoybean.com  by clicking in the center of the page on Educational Workshops on Identity Preserved and Specialty Grains."

Featured speakers include Tony Vyn, Purdue Extension cropping systems and tillage expert; Jim Camberato, Purdue Extension soil fertility and plant nutrition specialist; and Emerson Nafziger, University of Illinois Extension crop sciences expert.

During the first two workshops, Vyn will discuss the importance of crop rotation, tillage, plant population and fertility management to help growers attain higher corn yields.

"Corn farmers in parts of Indiana have been surprised at their high yields," Vyn said. "I want to go through the research that's been done and show participants the benefits of crop rotation and tillage and explain how it can produce better yields."

Camberato will join Vyn on Jan. 7 to discuss optimum nitrogen rates for corn.

"Nitrogen, and fertilizer in general, is one of the most expensive inputs for corn production and also has the most impact on corn yield," Camberato said. "Finding the optimum rate is important because it can cost farmers if they apply too much or too little, and applying excess nitrogen negatively impacts water quality.

"Optimum nitrogen rates vary by soil type and production system. For corn following soybeans, the optimum nitrogen rate is 150 pounds of nitrogen per acre at $3 corn and 60 cents per pound of nitrogen."

Camberato explained that the optimum rate will vary depending on the price of corn and the price of nitrogen.

The workshop agenda includes:

* 8 a.m. Registration.

* 8:40 a.m.  Global situation and outlook, SunOpta representative.

* 9:45 a.m. Managing identity preserved crops and marketing, Joe Taft of Delong Co.

* 11 a.m.  New tillage technologies and fertilizer and input applications, Purdue Extension and University of Illinois Extension specialists.

* Noon. Lunch.

For questions and more information, contact Emily Otto-Tice at (317) 644-1317 or Cathy Arthur at (317) 644-0980.

Writers: Elizabeth Fritz, (765) 494-8402, elfritz@purdue.edu

Julie Douglas, (765) 496-1050, douglajk@purdue.edu

Sources: Tony Vyn, (765) 496-3757, tvyn@purdue.edu

Jim Camberato, (765) 496-9338, jcambera@purdue.edu

Ag Communications: (765) 494-2722;
Beth Forbes, forbes@purdue.edu
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