MU Pest Day on July 16 adds waterhemp plot tours

COLUMBIA, Mo. – University of Missouri Pest Day, July 16, just got bigger. Plot tours showing control for resistant waterhemp are added.

“Waterhemp is Missouri’s worst weed,” says Kevin Bradley, MU Extension weed specialist and head of weed research.

The after-lunch program moves off-site from MU Bradford Research Center, east of Columbia. The new plots are 9 miles south of Moberly, Missouri.

“The new plots show effective herbicide treatments, cultural practices and crop systems,” Bradley says.

The off-campus plots are on a farm field infested with resistant weeds not found on the MU farm.

The regular field day starts with registration at 8 a.m. Wagon tours roll at 8:45 a.m.

Bradley has hundreds of weed-control plots at Bradford, part of the MU College of Agriculture, Food and Natural Resources.

Current herbicides on corn, soybean and grain sorghum will be shown. New herbicides, not yet released, will be previewed. New controls are expected in 2015.

Examples of drift and tank contamination damage will be shown.

Updates on current plant diseases will be given by Laura Sweets, MU Extension plant pathologist.

Developing insect problems will be shown by Wayne Bailey, MU Extension entomologist. Three invading stink bugs are on the state borders. They may appear in Missouri fields this season. Scouting tips will be given.

The off-site tours start at 2 p.m. Driving direction to the waterhemp plots, 27 miles north of Columbia, will be given at Bradford.

Pest Day enrollees must sign up by July 9. Call 573-882-7945 or send email to [email protected]. Tell of plans for one or both parts of Pest Day.

A $10 registration fee covers lunch.

To reach Bradford Research Center, go east 6.5 miles from the Broadway exit on Highway 63 to Rangeline Road and turn south 2 miles. The MU farm is at 4968 Rangeline Road.

An MU signs mark the intersection.

An Ag Technology field day will be held the next morning, July 17, at Bradford. Devices include high-speed forage measurements, nitrogen-loss sensors and precision maps for corn planters. The final event shows unmanned aerial vehicles for on-farm crop scouting.