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May 4, 2016
CIRCLEVILLE, Ohio – Growers can learn the results of Ohio’s wheat trials during a Wheat Field Day on June 1 as well as take a tour of several of the trial test plots.
The event will feature presentations by several small-grains experts from the College of Food, Agricultural, and Environmental Sciences at The Ohio State University and will offer growers a perspective on multiple wheat-management techniques, including how to identify and manage wheat diseases, said Laura Lindsey, a soybean and small-grains specialist with Ohio State University Extension.
The event is from 8:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. at a farm owned by Jeff Minor at 19076 Florence Chapel Pike in Circleville.
Researchers with OSU Extension and the Ohio Agricultural Research and Development Center have some four acres of test plots at the farm, where they conduct the Ohio Wheat Performance Trials, Lindsey said. In addition to comparing the performances of several wheat varieties, the trials also focus on seeding rates, plant pathology and soil fertility, she said.
OSU Extension and OARDC are the outreach and research arms of the college, respectively.
The advantage of field days is that they give growers a chance to see live examples of what CFAES researchers are describing during the classroom portion of the programing, Lindsey said.
“People get more out of field days because they can gain the visual examples of what the data provides, so that people can see what we are talking about when we are describing, for example, different types of wheat diseases and what various seeding rates look like,” she said. “The hands-on portion of the workshop offers a more meaningful learning opportunity for farmers.”
The performance trial results for the 2016 winter wheat crop will be available in August, after the June-July harvest, Lindsey said. Participants will be able to discuss the results of last year’s trials during the workshop, she said.
As of the week ended May 1, 82 percent of winter wheat is in good to excellent condition, according to the May 2 Ohio Crop Report from the U. S. Department of Agriculture’s National Agricultural Statistics Service.
Other topics to be addressed during the field day include:
- How low can you go? Wheat freeze tolerance.
- Minimum wheat stand to maximize profits.
- Soil fertility considerations for improved efficiency.
- Wheat disease identification and management.
The deadline to register for the event, which is free and open to the public, is May 20. The event, which includes lunch, is sponsored by the Ohio Small Grains Marketing Program, an Ohio Wheat Checkoff program, and by Keynes Bros. Milling, a Logan-based grain milling company.
To register, contact the Pickaway County Extension office at 740-474-7534 or estadt.3@osu.edu. For more information on the field day, contact Lindsey at 614-292-9080 or lindsey.233@osu.edu.
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