Summer Field Day for Soils Lab August 16
The 2012 Summer Field Day for the North Central Soil Conservation Research Laboratory in Morris will be held on Thursday, Aug. 16.
This year's theme is "Research - The Key to the Future of Agriculture" and celebrates 150 years of the U.S. Department of Agriculture.
The day begins at the Soils Lab in Morris with coffee at 9:30 a.m. The tour begins promptly at 10 a.m.
Speakers for the event include:
Dr. Dan Humburg is a professor of Agricultural and BioSystems Engineering at South Dakota State University. His area of specialty in terms of research and teaching is "Machine Systems and Power Hydraulics" for production agriculture. He and his recent graduate student, Corey Lanoue, designed and built the beta-test version of the Abrasive Grit Applicator for postemergence weed control in corn.
Dr. Sharon Clay is a professor of Plant Science at South Dakota State University. Her area of specialty in terms of research and teaching is "Weed Science." She currently is President of the 7500-member American Society of Agronomy. Dr. Clay is one of the principal investigators on the SARE grant for the development of the Abrasive Grit Applicator for postemergence weed control in corn.
Dr. Shannon Osborne is a Research Agronomist with the North Central Agricultural Research Laboratory, located in Brookings, S.D. Dr. Osborne has been conducting research on incorporating cover crops in current production systems for the past 10 years. Her presentation will focus on the benefits of cover crops and the additional management considerations needed when utilizing cover crops. The title of the presentation is "The Agronomic Benefits and Considerations when Incorporating Cover Crops".
Dr. Marisol Berti, is an Associate Professor, in the Dep. of Plant Sciences, located at North Dakota State University, Fargo, N.D. Her expertise is in forage and biomass production research as feedstocks for biofuels. Production research on annual cool- and warm-season grass (forage oat, barley, sorghums, millets, and others) productivity in North Dakota and also perennial legumes (alfalfa) and grasses (switchgrasses and wheatgrasses).
Dr. Marv Boerboom, Corn Breeder, Monsanto Olivia, Minn.
There will also be tours of the Soils Lab as well as lunch, provided by the Barnes-Aastad Soil and Water Conservation Research Association.
The USDA-ARS Soils Lab is located at 801 Iowa Avenue in Morris.
The Soils Lab is internationally recognized as a leader in research to develop new oilseed crops for food, bioenergy and industrial products.
The mission of the lab is to develop agricultural systems in the Midwest that are environmentally, economically and socially sustainable by providing knowledge and technologies for proper land, crop and weed management to enhance the biological, chemical and physical properties of soils and to improve environmental quality.
For more information visit http://www.ars.usda.gov/main/site_main.htm?modecode=36-45-00-00 .
