Registration Site Open For 2014 AGMasters Conference
DR. MICHAEL GRAY
URBANA, ILL.
The registration site for the 2014 AGMasters Conference is now open! Space in the breakout sessions is limited and those with interest in this conference are strongly encouraged to register at their earliest convenience to help ensure the availability of specialized classes of most interest. The conference will take place at the I Hotel and Conference Center, Champaign, Illinois, December 15 to 16. The registration fee for this event is $250.00 through December 5. Continuing education credits (CCA) are offered in the following categories: professional development (1.5), crop management (4.0), IPM (10.5), nutrient management (1.5), and soil & water management (3.5). The conference begins the morning of December 15 with a general session followed by 16 specialized sessions. Each specialized session is offered twice. Participants will be able to enroll in only eight sessions on a first-come, first-serve basis. Early registrants are most likely to get the eight classes of greatest interest to them.
General Session
• Marcia Willhite (Illinois EPA) – Illinois Nutrient Loss Reduction: Current Activities-Future Directions
• Jonathan Coppess (University of Illinois) – Farm Program Decisions in the 2014 Farm Bill
• Jean Payne (Illinois Fertilizer and Chemical Association) – Reducing Nutrient Losses in Illinois: Owning the Issue to Ensure Non-Regulatory Approaches
• Rick Weinzierl (University of Illinois) – Evolutionary Principles and On-Going Pesticide Resistance Challenges in Agriculture
Specialized Sessions
• Scott Shearer (Ohio State University) – Big Data: Discovering the Value of an Underutilized Asset
• Maria Villamil (University of Illinois) – Working with Cover Crops in Illinois
• Dean Malvick (University of Minnesota) – Management and Biology of Brown Stem Rot: A Persistent Drag on Soybean Yields
• Bill Johnson (Purdue University) – Experiences with Palmer Amaranth in Indiana
• Marty Chilvers (Michigan State University) – Making Every Seed Count: Who’s Responsible for Stand Loss in Corn and Soybeans?
• Mark David (University of Illinois) – The Science Behind the Illinois Statewide Nutrient Loss Reduction Strategy
• Matt O’Neal (Iowa State University) – Improvements to Soybean Pest Management: Will this Help Stop the Decline in Bees?
• Terry Brase (Kirkwood Community College) – Unmanned Aerial Systems: Beyond the Hype
• Peter Sikkema (University of Guelph – Ridgetown) – Glyphosate Resistant and Problem Weeds in Ontario, Canada-Distribution and Control
• Damon Smith (University of Wisconsin-Madison) – Integrated Management of White Mold in Soybean
• Joe Spencer (University of Illinois, Illinois Natural History Survey) – Western Corn Rootworm Resistance: Past, Present and Future
• Carl Bradley (University of Illinois) – Management of Fusarium Head Blight of Wheat and Associated Mycotoxins
• Greg Kruger (University of Nebraska) – Back to the Future: Applying Herbicides with Drift in Mind
• Linda Mason (Purdue University) – How to Get the Most from Your Stored Grain Management Plan
• Joe Lauer (University of Wisconsin) – Selecting Corn Hybrids in the Transgenic Era
• Emerson Nafziger (University of Illinois) – Within-field and Within-season Management of Nitrogen for Corn
One of the most popular features of this 2-day event is the opportunity to interact with instructors from many universities in small classroom-style sessions. The instructors have been encouraged to solicit input and questions from the participants. So, please come loaded up with questions for these researchers to address. If you have any questions concerning registration procedures, please contact Sandy Osterbur (saosterb@illinois.edu), one of the Co-Chairs for this year’s program. For additional information about the 2014 AGMasters Conference, please refer to the home page for the event.
I look forward to seeing everyone in mid-December! ∆
DR. MICHAEL GRAY: Crop Sciences Extension Coordinator & Assistant Dean for ANR Extension Programs/Professor, University of Illinois