8/10/98

Contacts:
Greg Tylka, Plant Pathology, 515/294-3021
Greg Ehm, Iowa Soybean Association, 1-800/383-1423
George Cummins, ISU Extension, 319/228-1453
Susan Thompson, Agriculture Information, 515/294-0705

SITE-SPECIFIC AGRICULTURE IN THE SPOTLIGHT AT FOUR FIELD DAYS

AMES, Iowa -- Precision agriculture is the focus at four field days in August. Three of the events will be held on private farms, with one on an Iowa State University Research and Demonstration Farm.

A project funded by the Iowa Soybean Promotion Board has ISU research teams collecting and analyzing data from corn and soybean fields on three private farms. The information gathered throughout the growing season is then matched with yield data after harvest, in an attempt to show how field and weather conditions impact yield.

A field day at each location will cover the research being conducted there, plus topics related to site-specific crop management and precision farming technologies. Participants can earn Certified Crop Advisor credits by attending.

Each field day begins at 5:30 p.m. A complimentary meal will be served. Dates and locations:

Aug. 24 - Barry & Phyllis Kusel -- held at the Manning Community School. The school is on the north side of 10th Street in Manning. The field day will be held in the school parking lot.

Aug. 26 - Ron & Carole Heck -- held at the Heck farm, 437 290th Street, Perry. Take Highway 169 south of Highway 30 five miles to E57. West on E57 two miles to F Avenue, south on F Avenue one mile to 290th Street, west on 290th 0.5 miles to the Heck farm.

Aug. 27 - Don & Barbara Keiper -- held at the Keiper farm, 1926 Young Road, Palo. Take Highway 30 west of Cedar Rapids to Sisley Grove Road. North on Sisley Grove 2.5 miles to Ellis Road, east on Ellis 0.5 miles to Young Road, north on Young Road 0.2 miles to the Keiper farm.

A similar research project will be showcased at a special field day Aug. 25 at the ISU Northeast Research and Demonstration Farm, one mile south and 1.5 miles west of Nashua. This is the second year of a three-year precision agriculture demonstration project on the farm, sponsored by ISU and Hawkeye Community College.

The event begins at 1:30 p.m. and will include wagon tours with stops at four locations on the 40-acre project site. Speakers will discuss lessons learned so far in the project, new technologies and fertilizer applications.

All four field days are free and open to the public. No pre-registration is needed.

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