June 29, 2018

Learn about crop protection, weed and insect management during 2018 Belleville Field Day

by Hannah Erickson

CARBONDALE, Ill. — Cover crops, weed and insect management and nutrient loss reduction are all on the agenda for the 52nd Belleville Field Day, an annual event hosted by Southern Illinois University Carbondale College of Agricultural Sciences.

The field day is scheduled to begin at 8:30 a.m. on July 12. The event does not require pre-registration, and will end with a noon lunch. The program will continue through rain or shine, and will be held at the SIU Belleville Research Center on Illinois 161.

Explore the latest research on crop production and protection

Jason Bond, the field day organizer and SIU professor of plant, soil and agricultural systems, says the event provides information on a variety of important topics.

“We have two themes we try to touch on. Crop protection, so protecting our crops from weeds, insects and diseases. And then also we try to have an economic focus,” Bond said.

The program is open to the public, and often draws a high number of local farmers, researchers and agricultural industry professionals. The focus is to impart valuable information to each participant, Bond says.

The event has grown over time with the last two years boasting the largest numbers ever, averaging 250 participants.

Media Advisory

Reporters, photographers and news crews are welcome to cover the event, and may find interview possibilities from speakers and visitors regarding the region’s agriculture industry. The Belleville Research Center is part of the SIU College of Agricultural Sciences, and is located on Illinois 161, south of Scott AFB’s Mascoutah Gate. For more information, contact Ronald Krausz at 618/566-4761.

This event will allow local farmers and other agricultural industry professionals to hear the latest research on a variety of research topics surrounding crop production.

Cover crops, pest management, biofuels and more to be covered

Program topics and presenters include:

  • Cover crops and integrated weed management of marestail, with Karla Gage, SIU professor of weed science and plant biology.
  • Optimizing double-crop wheat in a crop rotation, with John Pike, research agronomist at Pike Ag LLC.
  • Insect pest management in southern Illinois fields, with Nick Seiter, University of Illinois Extension specialist.
  • Illinois Soybean Cyst Nematode Coalition, with Nathan Kleczewski, University of Illinois Extension specialist.
  • Statewide nutrient loss reduction strategy, with Lauren Lurkins, Illinois Farm Bureau director of natural and environmental resources.
  • Biofuels information, with John Caupert, National Corn to Ethanol Research Center executive director.

Organizers have applied for 2.0 continuing education units for the field day. The SIU Belleville Research Center is on Illinois 161, south of the Scott Air Force Base-Mascoutah Gate. For more information, contact Ronald Krausz at 618/566-4761.