Released: June 13, 2001

Agronomy Field Day Organizers Plan New Format for Sept. 6

MANHATTAN, Kan. – Every year about the same time, the north side of Manhattan is a little more bustling than usual. No, it’s not a football game that brings people to town that day, but the Kansas State University Agronomy Farm Field Day – a chance for Kansans to visit and learn about the latest on the crops and agricultural issues they care about most.

But there’s a new twist to the format this year, said Paul Ohlenbusch, K-State Research and Extension agronomy state leader.

"For the first time, our format will allow participants to ‘Make Your Own Tour,’" Ohlenbusch said. "There will be at least 20 stops, demonstrations and talks to choose from, with transportation available to the different sites. The new format allows people to pick the topics that interest them the most."

The field day – "Doing the Right Things - New Opportunities" – starts at 8:30 a.m. on Sept. 6. The tentative plan calls for stops to include:

* Alternative Crops – tan plant food grade sorghum; cotton; sunflowers; canola; and an informational site about the Kansas Center for Sustainable Agriculture and Alternative Crops.

* Alternative Cropping Systems – No-till crop rotation research; no-till fertility; Integrated Agricultural Management Systems [IAMS]; and carbon sequestration.

* Environmental Issues – On-farm composting; efficient nutrient management; livestock waste application and runoff.

Other stops will feature a crops garden, weed garden, and a weather station.

Displays on Sericea lespedeza control; grazing land water quality issues and solutions; agricultural equipment; and displays by various commercial firms round out the day’s offerings.

Lunch will be available on site.

For more information on the Agronomy Farm Field Day, interested persons can visit the Website http://www.oznet.ksu.edu/agronomy/ which will be posted by June 18.

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K-State Research and Extension is a short name for the Kansas State University Agricultural Experiment Station and Cooperative Extension Service, a program designed to generate and distribute useful knowledge for the well-being of Kansans. Supported by county, state, federal and private funds, the program has county Extension offices, experiment fields, area Extension offices and regional research centers statewide. Its headquarters is on the K-State campus, Manhattan.

Story by:
Mary Lou Peter, Communications Specialist
mlpeter@oznet.ksu.edu
K-State Research& Extension News