July 1, 2011 issue 26

Agronomy Research Center Field Day hosted by the U of I Department of Crop Sciences on Thurs- day, July 28. “Every cropping season presents unique chal-

lenges, and 2011 is no exception,” said U of I Ex- tension educator Robert Bellm. “Crop production research conducted at centers such as Brown- stown is locally relevant to growers. The research represents the unique soil types and growing con- ditions in the area.” This year’s field day will consist of a five-stop field tour. The tours will begin at 9 a.m., with the

Attend The 2011 Brownstown Agronomy Center Field Day U

URBANA, ILL.

niversity of Illinois Extension specialists and researchers will share the latest findings in agronomic research at the 2011 Brownstown

last tour departing at 9:20 a.m. Nutrient management topics include “Do Insec-

ticide Seed Treatments and Foliar Fungicides Af- fect Corn Response to Nitrogen?” by Steve Ebelhar, U of I research specialist. In addition, Fabian Fernandez, U of I Extension specialist in soil fertility, will inform producers about soil test- ing variability. Pest management will be discussed in “An intro-

duction to Palmer amaranth, a pigweed that con- cerns producers,” by U of I Extension weed specialist Aaron Hager. Also, “Fungicide Resist- ance: Coming Soon to a Field near You?” will be presented by Carl Bradley, U of I Extension spe- cialist in plant pathology.

Producers will also discover soil and water man-

agement tips from Emerson Nafziger, U of I Exten- sion agronomist, who will discuss how much tillage corn really needs. Participants are encouraged to attend the field

day rain or shine. Following the tour, attendees will receive a free lunch. In addition, Certified Crop Advisor credits have been applied for. The research center is located on Illinois Route

185 south of Brownstown. Call 618-427-5239 to arrange for accommodations.

schedule, visit http://cropsci.illinois.edu/re- search/rdc/brownstown.

For more information and to download the tour ∆

VIEW UPCOMING AUCTIONS www.mafg.net

Earlier Irrigation Can Push Growth, Stave Off Drought Stress

E LITTLE ROCK, ARK.

arlier irrigation can help push maturity in late- planted cotton, said Tom Barber, extension cot- ton agronomist for the University of Arkansas

Division of Agriculture. Barber said accurately timed management deci-

sions are crucial in a year where the window of op- portunity was narrowed by this spring’s flooding, which also stressed the crop, causing shallow root- ing. In some fields, taproots may have been per- manently damaged from cool soil temperatures and seeding diseases. In those fields, irrigation will be critical. “With weeks of 90-plus degree weather and little

rain in the forecast, irrigation comes to the top of that list of critical management decisions,” he said. “Remember, we are trying to speed this crop up to maturity and remove stresses that will lead to fur- ther delays.” Cotton growth stages are described in part by

“nodes,” the places where leaves begin to branch off the stem. Barber said that in four years of research in irri-

gation, “we have been able to gain an extra node at flowering by watering one week earlier.” “The cotton was approximately nine to 10 nodes

when we initiated the early irrigation treatment, and at flowering, the early-irrigated cotton was 10 inches taller and bloomed with nine nodes above white flower,” he said. “Where irrigation was de- layed for one week, bloomed with only seven nodes above white flower.” Once the cotton plants begin to produce flower

buds – known as squares – the demand for water goes from less than a tenth of an inch per day to about a quarter inch a day. “Because we are behind this season, it is impor-

tant to keep this seedling cotton growing and buy some time that we lost early on,” Barber said. “With current temperatures, cotton can grow a new node every 2.5 to 3 days. Monitor your fields closely, and if the seedling cotton is not growing a new node at this pace, supplemental irrigation is needed.” Irrigation will also be needed in many fields to ac-

tivate residual herbicides and move nitrogen into the soil solution. Nitrogen applications into dry dirt or dust will not be available for plants to use.

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