AMES, Iowa — Iowa State University Extension and Outreach is offering a Field Scouting Basics Workshop on Tuesday, May 17 at the Field Extension Education Laboratory near Boone, Iowa. Designed for beginning-level crop scouts, the course provides hands-on, in-field experience to crop scouts for the 2016 growing season.
The Field Scouting Basics Workshop is a course for beginning corn and soybean crop scouts. The workshop builds on the fundamentals of crop scouting covered during the February Field Crop Scout School by adding more hands-on identification, exercises and in-field activities at FEEL. Primary topics include soybean growth and development, and disease, insect and weed identification.
“The goal of the workshop is to provide a hands-on learning opportunity at the field lab, and help participants feel confident when they’re scouting for farmers in 2016,” said Warren Pierson, program specialist with Iowa State University Extension and Outreach. “It also serves as a refresher course for those who attended the February Field Crop Scouting School before they head out into the field.”
ISU Extension and Outreach specialists and field agronomists provide instruction on the principles of integrated pest management with an emphasis on weed, insect and crop disease identification in Iowa corn and soybean production. An overview of basic field scouting skills including sample collection, observation and documentation is also offered.
The half-day Field Scouting Basics Workshop presentation topics and instructors include:
Crop scouting tips and tools – Angie Rieck-Hinz, extension field agronomist
Corn and soybean growth and development – Mark Licht, extension cropping systems agronomist
Weed identification – Bob Hartzler, extension weed specialist
Disease identification – Alison Robertson, extension plant pathologist
Insect identification – Erin Hodgson, extension entomologist
Registration check-in opens at 12:30 p.m. The program starts at 1 p.m. and adjourns at 5 p.m. Pre-registration is required and must be completed before midnight, May 11. Registration is $65. Attendees of the Feb. 27 Field Crop Scouting School receive a $20 discount. Additional workshop information and online registration is available at www.aep.iastate.edu/feel/scout.
For assistance with registration, receipts, cancellation or questions on the status of your registration contact ANR Program Services at 515-294-6429 or anr@iastate.edu.
— Warren Pierson and Brent Pringnitz, Iowa State University
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