On Wednesday, Aug. 26, The K-State Research and Extension Agricultural Research Center in Hays will be hosting their annual Fall Crop Seminar. The event will be held at the Agricultural Research Center, 1232 240th Ave, in Hays. Registration will be held from 8:30-9 a.m. with the Program from 9 a.m.- 12 p.m.This is your chance to talk with several specialists that will be on hand, and to listen to up to date information on their varying expertise. Some of these topics will include information about the Sugarcane Aphid, Managing Iron Deficiency Chlorosis in Grain Sorghum, and Managing Glyphosate-Resistant Kochia and Palmer Amaranth among other topics. There will be a lunch served immediately after the presentation with the event wrapping up by 1 p.m. If you are interested in a ride to the field day, I am planning on taking a van up to Hays and can take a few producers with me. Call 620-793-1910 or e-mail aboor@ksu.edu for more information or if you are interested in a ride there.
There are also several Pre Plant Wheat Schools that will be occurring in our area this coming week as well. There will be several specialists on hand to cover Wheat Varieties, production practices, disease prevention, and insect management to help you have the information and resources to give your wheat crop a great start this fall.
There is a school planned for Ness County on Aug. 24, at the Ness County 4-H building starting at 12:30 p.m. with a lunch and programs from 1 to 3 p.m. In Ellis County, there will be a meeting the evening of the 24, starting at 5:30 p.m. with a light supper and concluding at 9 p.m. at the Ellis County Extension Office Back Meeting room. Smith Center will host one at the courthouse basement meeting room including a breakfast from 8 to 11 a.m. on Tuesday, Aug. 25, and at Mitchell County at the Guaranty State Bank in Beloit from 2 to 5 p.m. For more information, you can contact me, or call the corresponding number below for each Extension office.
Please preregister by 9 a.m. on Aug. 24, to ensure a meal and for a head count. Each location must have 10 participants to hold the meetings.
Ness County: 1-785-798-3921
Ellis County: 1-785-628-9430
Smith Center: 1-785-282-6823
Beloit: 785-738-3597
I have one last note for sorghum producers. The Sugarcane aphid has been confirmed in Pawnee County as of last week. Now is the time to scout your fields to look for their appearance. Preliminary threshold on the boot or milk stage grain sorghum is 50 aphids per leaf colonizing 20 percent of plants in the field. These aphids do produce very quickly and can quickly go past the threshold, so timely scouting and control methods are essential. If you have any questions or concerns, you can call me at 620-793-1910 or e-mail me at aboor@ksu.edu
Alicia Boor is the Agriculture and Natural Resources agent for Barton County K-State Research and Extension. You can contact her by e-mail at aboor@ksu.edu or calling 620-793-1910