Soil health, corn disorders, weed management topics of Soil and Water Field Night

PIKETON - Soil health, corn disorders, and weed management are topics set to headline the upcoming Soil and Water Field Night, hosted by The Ohio State University South Centers.

This free educational opportunity, presented by OSU South Centers in partnership with Pike Soil and Water Conservation District and Pike County Solid Waste Management District, will take place Thursday, Aug. 16 with registration beginning at 5 p.m. A light supper will immediately follow, then attendees will depart on a wagon tour and attend field research presentations by OSU faculty and staff.

Ohio is among the top-10 producers of corn in the United States, having grown the crop on more than 3 million acres, and it plays a major role in the state and nation's economy.

"With the changing climate, we are experiencing more frequent extreme weather conditions. These natural stresses and poor management can cause some physiological disorders in corn." explained Dr. Rafiq Islam, who heads the Soil, Water and Bioenergy program at the Ohio State University South Centers.

"And weeds, which are a problem for all of us, steal away water, nutrients and light from our crops. Increasing weed pressure and the emergence of herbicide-resistant weeds in corn-based systems is becoming a bigger issue for farmers. With a wise soil and crop management, we can keep these problems under control.

"We are fortunate to have two of the most respected experts in their fields joining us for this Soil and Water Field Night, to provide attendees with invaluable information on these important topics."

Professor Peter Thomison, Corn Cropping Systems Extension Specialist with OSU Horticulture and Crop Science Department, will present Reading Corn Ears: Understanding Causes of Ear Disorders. Dr. Thomison's areas of expertise include field crop production, corn hybrids, agronomic performance and grain quality of specialty corns, and nutritionally-enhanced corn.

The other featured presentation will focus on current weed management issues in Ohio and will be given by Dr. Mark Loux, also a professor in the Department of Horticulture and Crop Science at OSU, who specializes in weed management in field crops.

The tour will conclude with an in-field soil health demonstration and test on long-term tillage and cropping diversity experiment by OSU Extension Educator Alan Sundermeier from Wood County. Soil health is the foundation of sustainable and productive agriculture.

All presentations will take place outdoors in the fields.

The event is free, but those interested in attending must register by Aug. 10. You can register by contacting Sarah Swanson by phone at 740-289-2071 x112, or by email at swanson.345@osu.edu. If you would like more information regarding the event visit go.osu.edu/soilevent or call Darlene Brewster at 740-947-5353.

OSU South Centers is located at 1864 Shyville Road in Piketon. Attendees should register upon arrival in the large auditorium inside the Research and Extension Building. Soil and Water Field Night Agenda:

5 p.m. - Registration

5:15 p.m.- Dinner

6 p.m. - Wagon tour ? Wayne Lewis, OSU South Centers Farm Manager

6:15 p.m. - Reading Corn Ears: Understanding Causes of Ear Disorders ?Professor Peter Thomison, OSU Corn Specialist

7 p.m. - Current Weed Mangement Issues in Ohio ? Professor Mark Loux, OSU Weed Specialist

7:45 p.m. - In-field Soil Health Demonstration ? Alan Sundermeier, OSU Extension Educator

8:30 p.m. - Door Prizes

9 p.m. - Adjurn