Organizers of the Central Kansas Warm Season Forage Field Day, scheduled for Aug. 18, said the event will showcase work being done in central Kansas to improve forages for cattle producers in the state.    

Cade Rensink, the director of the Central Kansas Extension District, staff in his office and the Saline County Conservation District have established an on-farm demonstration of annual forages available in that part of the state.    

The goal of the program, he said, is “to increase awareness about the agronomics and systems-use of warm and cool season forage crops.”    

The project is funded by the Kansas Department of Agriculture’s Division of Conservation. Rensink said other key cooperators include Saline County rancher Mike Henry, Star Seed, and Phillips Seed Farms.    

The Aug. 18 field day begins at 8 a.m. and is free to the public. The event will be held at 3421 E. Water Well Road in Salina. Reservations are not required to attend.    

The field day agenda includes:  

• Tours of plots consisting of hybrid pearl millet, teff, crabgrass and photoperiod sensitive BMR sorghum-sudangrass.  

• A discussion on identifying, concerns about, and controlling sericea lespedeza.  

• Presentations by Henry as well as representatives of Star Seed and the Central Kansas Extension District. 

For questions or more information, call the Central Kansas Extension District office at 785-309-5850.  

Alicia Boor is the Agriculture and Natural Resources agent with K-State Research and Extension – Cottonwood District. Contact her by email at aboor@ksu.eduor call 620-793-1910.