8/25/97

Contacts:
Robert Hartzler, Agronomy, 515/294-1923
Susan Anderson, Agriculture Information, 515/294-0705

AGRONOMY DAY '97 SCHEDULED SEPT. 11

AMES, Iowa -- Because of increased interest in the concept of site-specific farming, Iowa State University's annual Agronomy Day '97 focuses on precision agriculture. "Field Variability in Precision Agriculture" is the theme for the Sept. 11 event. More than 50 research and demonstration projects on a wide range of topics will be highlighted at the event, held on the Iowa State University Agronomy and Agricultural Engineering Research Center west of Ames.

The field day is open to the public at no cost. It begins at 9 a.m. and continues until 3 p.m. Lunch will be served 11 a.m. to 1 p.m., provided by the Agronomy Club.

There will be five tours of research and demonstration plots on the agronomy farm. Each of the five tours will leave every hour, on the hour, throughout the day.

The first tour will cover six weed management projects. Corn and soybean breeding and genetics research will be highlighted in the second tour, and crop and pest management projects will be the focus of the third tour.

Precision agriculture will be featured in the fourth tour. Equipment requirements and options for precision agriculture and a review of work being done at ISU on precision agriculture will be some of the topics covered. The fifth tour will be a visit to the Till Hydrology Field Laboratory and will include a review of water quality initiatives.

Three tours at nearby locations will be available at special times. Vans will leave at 9:30 a.m. and 12:30 p.m. for tours of the North Central Regional Plant Introduction Station where the facility's controlled pollination and seed storage programs will be shown.

Vans will leave for the Field Extension Education Laboratory at 11:15 a.m. and 12:15 p.m. This 25-acre crop problems diagnostic laboratory is used to train agribusiness personnel about disease and pest problems farmers face.

At the Dennis Morgan farm near Ogden, the role of tree shelterbelts on corn, soybean and small grain yields will be discussed. Morgan has worked with ISU since 1992 on this project. Buses will depart at 9:15 a.m., 10:30 a.m., 11:45 a.m. and 1 p.m.

Agronomy Day '97 also will feature posters describing additional research projects; exhibits of special equipment used by researchers; several commercial exhibits; and a climatology display.

Agronomy Day '97 will be at the ISU Agronomy and Agricultural Engineering Research Center is located six miles west of Ames on U.S. Highway 30.

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