2009 Pennsylvania Agronomic Education Conference

(Formerly called the Lime, Fertilizer and Pesticide Conference)

Schedule of Events

2009 Conference Schedule and Registration Form (PDF)

DAY ONE — Tuesday, January 20, 2009

8:00 a.m.	Registration
9:30 a.m.	Welcome/Opening Comments. PAES President Craig Altemose
9:40 a.m.	Farm Bill Update. Barry Franz, NRCS - .5 Soil And Water CCA credit
10:10 a.m.	Herbicide Resistance. Mark Loux, Ohio State - .5 CCA credit and 1.0 Pest Management Pesticide credit
10:40 a.m.	Efficacy of Fungicides for the Control of Diseases in Wheat, Corn and Soybeans. Erick Stromberg, Virginia Tech - 1.0 Pest Management CCA credit and 1.0 Pest Management Pesticide credit
11:30 a.m.	2009 Economic Update. Lou Moore, Dept. of Ag. Ec. and Rural Sociology, Penn State - .5 Professional Development CCA credit Current economic status of agriculture and what might be expected in 2009 will be discussed.
11:50 a.m.	Group Lunch (part of conference registration fee)
1:00 p.m.	Breakout Sessions (Choose One) The Plant Density Opportunity — Get the Most Out of Every Acre. Markus Jones, Monsanto - 1.0 Crop Management CCA credit As growers aspire to increase yields, they will often find that they can increase their seeding rate to achieve this goal. Today’s elite genetics, coupled with stress-mitigating insect traits allow for more plants per acre for higher yields. Herbicide Product Update. Mark Loux - 1.0 Pest Management CCA credit and 1.0 Pest Management Trends in No-till Equipment. Brinkley and Hirst - 1.0 Soil and Water CCA credit
1:50 p.m.	Transition to Next Break-out Sessions
2:00 p.m.	Breakout Sessions (Choose One) Selection of the Appropriate Fungicide for Disease Control in Intensive Wheat Management and Control of Gray Leaf Spot of Corn. Erick Stromberg, Virginia Tech - 1.0 Pest Management CCA credit and 1.0 Pest Management Pesticide credit Nutrient Use Efficiency: What, When, Where, How?. Doug Beegle, Dept. of Crop and Soil Sciences, Penn State - 1.0 Nutrient Management CCA credit Using nutrients efficiently to maximize the agronomic and economic benefit while minimizing the environmental impacts has always been important, however, with high fertilizer prices and greater attention being focused on environmental issues it is critical that we maximize nutrient use efficiency (NUE). There is no simple technological solution to improving NUE. Approaches to smarter use of existing products and practices in a program of adaptive management practices will be discussed. Refuge in a Bag — Is it a Reality?. Del Voight, Lebanon Co. Cooperative Extension, Penn State - 1.0 Crop Management CCA credit and 1.0 Pest Management Pesticide credit This discussion will center on the current refuge requirements and focus on any new developments that may be available related to refuge in a bag. This method would reduce the amount of acres required to have in a non Bt acreage.
2:50 p.m.	Break and Transition to General Sessions
3:10 p.m.	Legume as Cover Crops. Sjoerd Duiker, Dept. of Crop and Soil Sciences, Penn State - 1.0 Crop Management CCA credit Leguminous cover crops fix nitrogen during a period when the land would otherwise be unused, which has a nitrogen fertilizer value to the following crop. The cover crop may also have a ‘rotation effect’ above and beyond its nitrogen value. The latest research on this topic will be reviewed.
4:00 p.m.	What’s Happening with Ethanol and its Impact on the Crop Markets — John Urbanchuk, GECG, LLC, Wayne, PA - 1.0 Crop Management CCA credit Edamame Market Development in the Northeast; Chesapeake Fields Project; Researching Crop Genetics to Add Value in the Market; Winning the Game - A Grain Marketing Overview
4:50 pm	Announcements/Adjourn - PAES President Craig Altemose
5:30–7:00	Social Hour — Industry Sponsored Reception
7:00 pm	Student Industry Workshop

DAY TWO — Wednesday, January 21, 2009

7:30 a.m.	Registration
8:00 a.m.	2008 Weather Update. Paul Knight, Penn State - .5 Crop Management CCA credit A discussion of weather patterns experienced during 2008 and a look forward to predicted possibilities for 2009.
8:30 a.m.	Global Perspective on Agriculture. David Blandford, Dept. of Ag. Economics and Rural Sociology, Penn State - 1.0 Crop Management CCA credit In the last few years we have witnessed major changes in the economic environment facing U.S. Agriculture. This presentation will examine the forces that will shape the future environment and assess their implications.
9:30 p.m.	Break
9:50 a.m.	Breakout Session (Choose One) Cover Crop Species Selection Sjoerd Duiker, Dept. of Crop and Soil Sciences, Penn State - 1.0 Soil and Water CCA credit Cover crops play an important role in sustainable crop production. They are an important component of no-till systems. We will review species selection as determined by producer’s objectives, climate, soils, and crop rotation. Ethanol Materials, Technologies, Economics and Markets - John Urbanchuk, GECG, LLC, Wayne, PA - 1.0 Crop Management CCA credit Vertebrate Pest Control — Groundhogs, Deer & Geese Norm Conrad, Union Co. Cooperative Extension, Penn State - 1.0 Pest Management CCA credit This discussion focuses on the biology, range, feeding patterns of groundhogs, white tail deer and geese. Participants will receive copies of the Penn State Wildlife Management Factsheet series. Integrated control measures and state and federal rules and regulations shall be discussed.
10:40 a.m.	Transition to Next Break-out Sessions Global Perspective on Agriculture Continued. David Blandford, Dept. of Ag. Economics and Rural Sociology, Penn State - 1.0 Crop Management CCA credit A Detailed Analysis of the Global Influences on Commodities, Seed, Pesticide, and Fertilizer Markets. Management of Beneficial Insects - John Tooker, Dept. of Entomology, Penn State - 1.0 Pest Management CCA credit and 1.0 Pest Management Pesticide credit Insect predators and parasitoids can provide significant levels of pest control if they are allowed. We will consider various types of beneficial insects and situations when they can be helpful in field crops suppressing insect pest populations. We will also address pest control tactics that are compatible with natural enemies so that growers can consider integrating natural enemies into their IPM programs. Impacts of Soils on Crop Production Patrick Drohan, Dept. of Crop and Soil Sciences, Penn State - 1.0 Soil And Water CCA credit
11:45 p.m.	Luncheon and Business Meeting with Member-of-the-Year Presentation
1:15 p.m.	The Value to Manure Doug Beegle, Dept. of Crop and Soil Sciences, Penn State - 1.0 Nutrient Management CCA credit A very common question these days is what is manure worth? It depends: Are you buying or selling? Do you have extra or you need nutrients? Do you need all nutrients or just N? Where are you located? Is the manure on a regulated farm? and many more. Considerations for looking at the value of manure in a variety of situations will be covered.
2:05 p.m.	Opportunities in Nutrient Management DEP and Red Barn Consulting - 1.0 Professional Development CCA credit
2:00 p.m.	New Renewable Energy Technologies and Their Impact on Agriculture Tom Rich Engineering, Penn State and Greg Roth, Dept. of Crop and Soil Sciences, Penn State - 1.0 Crop Management CCA credit This presentation will discuss new technologies such as cellulosic ethanol, gasification, pyrolysis and other technologies that can impact the development of next generation biofuels and modify the impact of future biofuel production on our agricultural systems. We will also discuss some new feedstocks that are emerging and the potential impact on crop producers.
3:45 p.m.	Announcements/Closing Comments
3:55 p.m.	Adjourn - Have a safe trip home and see you next year!