|
2014 AGMasters Conference Takes Shape: Plan To Attend
DR. MICHAEL GRAY
URBANA, ILL.
The line up of speakers for the 2014 AGMasters Conference, December 15-16, is beginning to take shape. The 2-day conference will take place at the I Hotel and Conference Center in Champaign, Illinois. The conference begins with a general session that features speakers covering a variety of topics including: potential water protection rules and standards, implications of the new Farm Bill, agrichemical/agribusiness/industry education initiatives, and the practical implications of evolutionary principles regarding resistance development by insects, plant pathogens, and weeds.
Following the general session, the program will be devoted to 16 specialized sessions, each repeated once. Topics offered include the following: cover crops, managing big data, refining herbicide application techniques, Palmer amaranth biology/ecology, western corn rootworm resistance to Bt, phosphorus and nitrogen management, understanding and managing Pythium, split applications of nitrogen and phorphorus, white mold and soybean production, Fusarium head blight of wheat, use of drones for aerial scouting, advance in corn genetics, management of insects in stored grain, and soybean management with pollinator considerations. Speakers from a variety of land grant universities will be featured such as: Iowa State University, Michigan State University, Ohio State University, Purdue University, University of Guelph, University of Illinois, University of Minnesota, University of Nebraska, and the University of Wisconsin.
Specialized sessions are designed for classroom instruction and participation per class is typically limited to 40-45 students. Each session lasts 1 hour. Instructors are encouraged to promote as much participation with the students as possible. The overall number of registrants is limited due to space constraints within the specialized sessions. So, please look for future announcements in this Bulletin regarding registration specifics. This information should be forthcoming in October and an on-line registration site will be provided.
For now, mark your calendars and stay tuned to future announcements. My fellow Department of Crop Sciences co-chairs (Dennis Bowman, Carl Bradley, Aaron Hager, Sandy Osterbur) and I believe we have an outstanding slate of topics and speakers for the 2014 AGMasters! We look forward to seeing you in December. ∆
DR. MICHAEL GRAY: Crop Sciences Extension Coordinator & Assistant Dean for ANR Extension Programs/Professor, University of Illinois
|
|