Nearly one out of every three dollars generated by South Dakota agriculture starts in a corn field. The state’s most-planted crop, corn is also a strong partner in livestock and ethanol production. In January, SDSU Extension’s Crop Hour webinar series will dedicate a full week to cover everything in corn, from the latest research to best management practices for improved performance and profitability.
“I think the real opportunity that people have this year is they can attend the programs that fit their situation,” says Paul Johnson, SDSU Extension Weed Science Coordinator. “Obviously on corn week, all of the topics are related to growing corn, where SDSU will be talking about all the latest research in the area of corn, whether it’s dealing with weeds, insects, diseases or fertility, and we’ll give farmers a lot more targeted opportunity to see specific information relating to corn.”
Held just prior to the South Dakota Corn Annual Conference, the SDSU Extension Crop Hour corn week is slated for January 12 -15 from 10 to 11 a.m. CST each day and will cover the following topics:
- January 12: “Updates on Weed Control in Corn,” Paul Johnson, SDSU Extension; “Corn Herbicides and Cover Crops,” Gared Shaffer, SDSU Extension Weeds Field Specialist
- January 13: “What Insects Do We Manage in Corn?” Adam Varenhorst, Assistant Professor and SDSU Extension Field Crop Entomologist; “New and Emerging Diseases in Corn,” Emmanuel Byamukama, Associate Professor and SDSU Extension Plant Pathologist and Connie Strunk, SDSU Extension Plant Pathology Field Specialist
- January 14: “Corn Nitrogen Update – Tillage and rotation effects,” Chris Graham, SDSU Extension Agronomist, Jason Clark, Assistant Professor and SDSU Extension Soil Fertility Specialist, and Anthony Bly, SDSU Extension Soils Field Specialist; “Testing the SDSU Corn P, K, and S Recommendations,” Jason Clark, SDSU Extension
- January 15: “Planting Early Corn Early – What I learned in 2020,” Jonathan Kleinjan, SDSU Extension Crop Production Associate; “Corn Costs and Market,” Jack Davis, SDSU Extension Crops Business Management Field Specialist
Each week SDSU Extension’s Crop Hour will cover a different area of agronomic production, from field crops and forages to water and weather. The webinar series begins January 5 and will conclude March 26.
There is no fee to attend but participants will need to register for the weekly webinars on the SDSU Extension Crops page (https://extension.sdstate.edu/agriculture/crops). Confirmation Zoom links and reminders will be emailed to attendees.
Educational credits (CEU’s) will be available for Certified Crop Advisers for each session.