Presented by: Dr. Sarah Lancaster – PM, 1A

This presentation will discuss updates in best practices to manage Palmer amaranth in row crops, with an emphasis on corn and grain sorghum. Recent data from KSU herbicide evaluation trials will be shared.

Dr Sarah Lancaster, Assistant Professor, Weed Science, Department of Agronomy, Kansas State University. Sarah conducts approximately 40 herbicide evaluation trials each summer and shares that information with Kansas farmers through various Extension outlets.

Presented by: Dr. Romulo Lollato – NM

This presentation will highlight results from the last several years on wheat response to fertility management. Some of the explored results will cover fertilizer rates, fertilizer timing, nutrient-to-nutrient co-limitations, and fertilizer by variety interactions. Wheat grain yield and grain protein as function of fertilizer management will be discussed. Possible implications for future fertilizer management of wheat will be discussed.

Dr. Romulo Lollato got his D.S. degree in Agronomy from Londrina State University (Brazil), M.S. in Plant & Soil Sciences from Oklahoma State University, and Ph.D. in Crop Science from OSU.  Currently, Romulo is an associate professor of Agronomy at Kansas State University & Extension Wheat and Forages Specialist.

Presented by: Logan Simon (PhD candidate) – SW

Dryland cropping systems of the semi-arid High Plains rely on soil water storage during fallow periods to supplement growing season precipitation for stable grain production. However, low-intensity cropping systems that include long fallow periods have low precipitation use efficiency and are associated with long-term soil degradation. Cover crops have the potential to increase precipitation use efficiency, regenerate soils, and suppress weeds. Despite these benefits, the costs of establishing cover crops (seed, machinery, labor, and fuel) and potential reductions in subsequent grain yields because of reduced soil water at planting, present major barriers to cover crop adoption in dryland cropping systems. Replacing fallow with grazed or hayed cover crops may have the potential to balance goals of environmental and economic sustainability in the semi-arid High Plains. Additionally, flexible cover crop management systems could take advantage of available soil water in wet years to produce more biomass and increase residue cover while minimizing negative effects in dry years by saving soil water for the main grain crop.

Logan Simon is a PhD candidate and in-coming Assistant Professor and Southwest Area Agronomist with Kansas State University. He holds an MS in Agronomy (2021) from KSU and will complete his PhD in Agronomy from KSU in spring 2024 before starting his new position. Since coming to KSU in 2019, Logan has been studying cover crop management strategies for the water-limited High Plains through a combination of small-plot and on-farm experiments across western Kansas. The core of his research is the investigation of 1) grazing and haying cover crops as forage for livestock in integrated grain and forage production systems, 2) the interaction of cover crops and tillage system (no tillage or occasional tillage every three years), 3) the influence of cover crop mixture diversity, and 4) the flexible replacement of fallow with cover crops based on available soil water and seasonal climate outlooks.

Presented by: Dr. Jonathan Aguilar  -SW

• Overview of irrigated agriculture
• Choosing the right irrigation technology
• Results of center pivot survey
• Results from irrigated research fields

Dr. Jonathan Aguilar is an Associate Professor and the State Irrigation Specialist of K-State stationed in Garden City, Kansas at the SW Research-Extension Center.  He received his doctorate degree in Biological and Agricultural Engineering in 2009 at K-State.  Aguilar’s current research is focused on water resource issues, particularly as they pertain to the irrigated agriculture in western Kansas. The major emphasis of his work is in technology development and management related to irrigated agriculture.  He has been involved in multiple multidisciplinary research projects some of which were funded by NSF, USDA, USGS, AFRI, FFAR, and K-State Global Food Systems, among others.

Presented by: Dr. Ana Carcedo & Dr. Ignacio Ciampitti  – CP

• Introduction to corn-soybean & their historical changes.
• Management decisions affecting yield.
• Management decisions affecting quality.

Dr. Carcedo is a post-doctoral fellow with expertise in corn, soybean, and sorghum production and growth/development.

Dr. Ciampitti is a Farming Systems Professor at K-State with great expertise in major field crops.

Presented by: Dr. Rachel Veenstra – CP

This presentation will cover the basics of recent field-based research completed across different Kansas environments exploring how tillers impact corn yields, what causes them to develop, and what to expect when tillers appear in fields – including tassel ear development and tiller numbers.

Dr. Rachel Veenstra is an Assistant Professor of Crop Science in the K-State Agronomy Department with teaching and research responsibilities. Her area of interest and expertise is crop ecology and crop production. She received her PhD from K-State in Agronomy in 2022, and her B.S. in Crop Science from Missouri State University in 2018.

Presented by: Dr. Lucas Haag – CP

This presentation will give an update regarding crop production throughout Northwest Kansas.

Dr. Lucas Haag is an associate professor in the KSU Department of Agronomy.  He received his BS in Agriculture Technology Management at Kansas State University, him MS in Agronomy at KSU, and his PhD in Agronomy at KSU.

Presented by: Dr. Andres Patrignani – SW

– Using and interpreting soil moisture from the Kansas Mesonet

– New efforts for statewide soil moisture mapping

– Rainfall partitioning of winter wheat

Andres Patrignani is from Venado Tuerto, Argentina. In 2008, he graduated from Universidad Nacional de Rosario with a degree in Agronomic Engineering and in 2015 he obtained a doctoral degree in Applied Soil Physics from Oklahoma State University. Andres joined the Department of Agronomy at Kansas State University in May 2016.

Presented by: Chip Redmond – SW

– Discussion on recent weather and drivers

– A look into what to expect for the coming winter and early growing season weather/climate wise

– How this ties into long term trends and variability

– How can producers better prepare in advance of these fluctuations

Chip Redmond is the Kansas Mesonet manager at Kansas State University. He operates the 85+ weather station network and provides producers decision support tools. He also routinely provides current and future weather/climate assessments to better anticipate variations and periods of stress as it relates to agriculture.

Presented by: Dr. Maria Duffeck – PM, 1A

• Available strategies to manage Tar spot of corn and Sudden Death Syndrome in soybeans (SDS)
• Review of fungicide properties and modes of actions
• Factors associated with low efficacy of fungicides.

Dr. Maira Duffeck is an Assistant professor in the Department of Entomology and Plant Pathology at Oklahoma State University. She earned her B.Sc. in Agronomy and her Ph.D. in Plant Pathology from universities in Brazil. During her Ph.D., she worked for two years as a visiting scholar at Pennsylvania State University (PSU). After finishing her Ph.D., she joined Ohio State University as a postdoc. Her research focused on epidemiology and integrated management of plant diseases.

Presented by: Dr. Walter Fick – CP

This presentation will cover basic grazing management principles, bruch & weed control, prescribed burning, ect.

Walter H. Fick received a B.S. (1973) and M.S. (1975) in agronomy from the University of Nebraska and the Ph.D in range science from Texas Tech University (1978).  He is currently a professor and extension rangeland management specialist in the Department of Agronomy at Kansas State University.  Dr. Fick has research/extension responsibilities and interest in prescribed burning, grazing management, and invasive species. With over 45 years of experience, Dr. Fick is responsible for teaching grassland monitoring & assessment, range ecology, and range management planning.  He has conducted research on invasive species including musk thistle, sericea lespedeza, roughleaf dogwood, saltcedar, common honeylocust, and Old World Bluestems.  He has trained 3 Ph.D candidates and 12 M.S. students.

Presented by: Dr. Brian McCornack – PM, 1A

This presentation will focus on digital ag as it relates to entomology but include some of the newer species that we are dealing with across the state (wheat stem sawfly, dectes, soybean hall midge, etc.)

Dr. Brian McCornack received his B.S. in Biology from Luther College, M.S. in Entomology from Michigan State, and Ph.D. in Entomology from University of Minnesota.  He is a professor and department head of KSU department of entomology.