SDSU Extension will host the 2022 IPM Field School at the SDSU Volga Research Farm south of Volga, South Dakota on July 26 from 9 a.m. until 4 p.m. CDT. The farm is located about 2 miles south of Volga (21200 - 21298 464th Ave., Volga).
The IPM field school will feature four sessions, lasting about one hour and fifteen minutes each, covering soil health, insects, weeds and diseases along with a climate presentation during the lunch hour (see descriptions below). Between sessions and during lunch, stop by and talk with Connie Tande, SDSU Extension Plant Diagnostician, about plant sample issues, identification of pests or field problems. There will also be a demonstration, black-light tent showing the importance of proper PPE when working with pesticides and a table with SDSU Extension publications and handouts. CCA/CEU Credits will also be available for each session and the lunch presentation.
Session 1: Weed Field Plot Discussion and Demonstration -- Presented by Philip Rozeboom, SDSU Extension IPM Coordinator. Participants will be part of a discussion and demonstration, within simulation plots, on the effectiveness of pre-emergent herbicides during this late and wet spring and learn what weed management strategies may be useful during the rest of the growing season.
Session 2: Insect Scouting and Identification -- Presented by Dr. Adam Varenhorst, Associate Professor and SDSU Extension Field Crop Entomologist. Insects can be major pests of crops in South Dakota crops, but one of the challenges associated with insect management is determining when the insect populations are present in the field. Scouting is an integral part of a successful insect management plan. Routine scouting can ensure that insect populations are detected before thresholds are reached, and before yield loss occurs. Aside from just determining if insects are present, it's also important to be able to identify the common insect pests. This session will focus on scouting techniques for major South Dakota crops and identification of insects collected while scouting.
Lunch: A Goldilocks Year in Volga? -- Presented by Laura Edwards, SDSU Extension State Climatologist. The 2022 growing season has seen areas with too much moisture and areas with too little, with Brookings County somewhere in between. Cool temperatures started the spring, but warmth came at the right time. The derecho on May 12 was the most notable event of the spring season, with infrastructure damage as a result, but little in the way of crop or field impacts. By many accounts, Volga has been "just right" as far as its climate for the season so far. An overview of the 2022 growing season will be presented, with an outlook for remainder of the summer and fall seasons ahead for east central South Dakota.
Session 3: Biological Agronomy meets Tradition? -- Presented by Anthony Bly, SDSU Extension Soils Field Specialist, David Karki, SDSU Extension Agronomy Field Specialist, and Jim Ristau, Sustainability Coordinator for SDCORN. This session will review the biological agronomy approach and discuss why microbiological diversity and other soil health principles must be in place before biological benefits can contribute to crop production. Participants will see differences between biologically diverse soil samples and conventional.
Session 4: Crop Root Diseases -- A Close Diagnosis -- Presented by Connie Strunk, SDSU Extension Plant Pathology Specialist and Dr. Febina Matthew, Field Crops Pathologist. This session will focus on identifying and diagnosing disease issues in corn and soybean. Attendees will practice scouting for disease, rating for disease incidence and severity, and digging for soybean cyst nematodes.
Onsite registration will open at 8:30 a.m. the day of the event, or register online using the form below. Registration costs $20 to cover meals and setup costs. For more information, contact Philip Rozeboom, SDSU Extension IPM Coordinator, at philip.rozeboom@sdstate.edu or (605) 699-4377.
Categories: South Dakota, Crops, Education