AMES, Iowa – Faced with challenging weather, tight profit margins and low commodity prices, today’s farmers must do everything in their power to reduce risk and manage returns.
That’s the goal of this year’s Integrated Crop Management Conference, to be held Dec. 4-5 in Ames, as farmers and agribusinesses prepare for 2020 and beyond. Now in its 31st year, the annual event is hosted by Iowa State University Extension and Outreach and the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences.
This year’s conference will feature 39 workshops to choose from, along with presentations on new planter technology, cover crop interseeding, glyphosate and cancer findings, nitrogen recommendations and global changes in the fertilizer industry.
“With nearly 1,000 attendees each year, the ICM conference is a great opportunity for farmers, industry, ag retailers, agronomists and educators to network with each other and interact with their university specialists,” said Mark Licht, conference chair and assistant professor in agronomy and extension specialist at Iowa State University.
- Peter Kovács, South Dakota State University, will discuss agronomic implications of new planter technologies.
- Scott Wells, University of Minnesota, will present on the evolving use of cover crop interseeding.
- Charles Lynch of the University of Iowa will share information on glyphosate and cancer and the findings of the Agricultural Health Study.
- Anita Dille, Kansas State University, will review integrating cover crops for weed suppression in corn-soybean systems.
- Justin McMechan, University of Nebraska, will discuss the ecology and management of soybean gall midge.
- Damon Smith, University of Wisconsin, will share information on smartphone-based apps used to predict and manage plant diseases.
- Newell Kitchen, from the USDA-ARS, will take a look at the history, and future, of corn nitrogen recommendations.
- Robert Mullen, with Nutrien, will discuss the global nature of the fertilizer industry and how the changing landscape is affecting US farmers.
Additional highlights will include weather and crop market outlooks, hemp as a cash crop, fertilizer application technology, harvest crop quality, budgeting for pest resistance, and weed and crop disease management updates.
The conference is approved for up to 14 continuing education credits for Certified Crop Advisors. Iowa commercial pesticide applicator recertification for 2019 is also available in categories 1A, 1B, 1C, 4 and 10.
To register, visit the ICM Conference website www.aep.iastate.edu/icm. Space is limited for the event and requires pre-registration. Early registration is $225 and ends midnight, Nov. 22. After Nov. 22, the fee increases to $275, and registrations will be accepted, as space allows, until noon, Dec. 2. No registrations will be accepted at the door. For registration questions, contact ANR Program Services at anr@iastate.edu or 515-294-6429.