The University of Kentucky College of Agriculture’s annual wheat field day is set for May 18 at the UK Research and Education Center in Princeton.

Every year, the event provides information on new and existing wheat varieties as well as research projects being conducted by UK specialists and others. The day generally attracts about 100 farmers and crop consultants.

A new demonstration this year will be on the intercropping of soybeans into standing wheat. Work in this area has been conducted at the University of Missouri and Kelly Nelson, a research agronomist at Missouri , will be on hand to discuss the project. A plot has been planted at the UKREC for this demonstration.

Another demonstration will look at the GreenSeeker precision nitrogen applicator. This research looks at a variable rate nitrogen application system developed at Oklahoma State University and similar work done in Virginia to determine if it will work in Kentucky , or if it needs to be modified for Kentucky producers to successfully use it to apply varying rates of nitrogen within fields. UKspecialists Lloyd Murdock and Greg Schwab along with technician John James will direct this demonstration.

Other topics will include an update on fungicides and application methods; wheat planting date study; final results of skip study in no-till wheat; head scab nursery; Italian ryegrass herbicide resistance survey and control options; and the variety trial data.

The field day begins at 8:45 a.m. CDT and concludes with lunch provided by the Kentucky Small Grain Growers Association. Displays will be set up near the registration area and include topics such as “Fumigation and Bin Safety Equipment,” weed identification and more.

The program has been approved for 1 hour of integrated pest management, 2 hours of crop management and 0.5 hour of nutrient management educational credits for certified crop advisors. It has also been approved for two general hours and one specific hour for categories 1, 10 and 12 for commercial pesticide applicators.

For more information, contact Dottie Call, Wheat Science Group coordinator, at 270-365-7541 ext. 234 or dcall@uky.edu.                                  

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