By rwschmidt
What are the six most critical stages in the life of a corn plant? Why is variety selection important to soybean yield? During what growth stage are crops most susceptible to disease? What is in a routine soil test? How can I manage weed and insect resistance issues? Can a sponge be used to demonstrate soil moisture?
Everyone agrees that the more you know about farming, the more successful you will be. Growers combine both experience and science to make management decisions. But who has the time to read textbooks or long journal articles? Wouldn’t it be more efficient if someone just took the time to carefully explain the University of Wisconsin research and science related to field crop management in a video you could watch or listen to? Wouldn’t it be great if you could access this information on a smartphone or a tablet?
Well, University of Wisconsin Extension specialists in agronomy, entomology, plant pathology and soil science have just done that! They have recorded the most up-to-date presentations explaining the fundamentals of crop production, pest management, soil and water conservation and nutrient management. The videos present over 18 hours of valuable information. You can watch a little or watch a lot. It’s your choice!
Bryan Jensen of the UW Integrated Pest Management program (IPM) helped organize the recordings and says the videos should be useful to anyone involved in field crop production. As it relates to IPM, he says, “This content can help build or bolster a strong integrated pest management program on a farm or in a crop advisor’s career. While just being posted on the internet in January, the videos have already been used by dozens of agronomists to help with self-study for the Wisconsin CCA (Certified Crop Advisers) exam.”
Look for the videos on YouTube at: https://www.youtube.com/user/uwipm/playlists
You can also use the free UW IPM Toolkit app to access the videos: http://ipcm.wisc.edu/apps/ipmtoolkit/
The new crop science series is organized into three playlists.
WI – Soil science fundamentals for field crops 22 videos
WI – Field crop and forage fundamentals 10 videos
WI – Weed, insect, disease IPM for field crops 20 videos
Please feel free to contact Bryan Jensen (bryan.jensen@wisc.edu) with any questions or comments.