EAST LANSING, Mich. — Frigid weather and ice sheeting took a toll on many alfalfa fields this winter, and producers are encouraged to scout their fields to assess any damage. To learn more about this topic, join the Field Crops Virtual Breakfast at 7 a.m. on Thursday, May 16, 2019, via Zoom with Michigan State University Extension forage specialist Kim Cassida. She will discuss how to evaluate winter damage and decide if an alfalfa stand should be held onto or replaced, and then present options for extending or replacing stands.
Participants will have the opportunity to ask questions during the meeting. A weekly weather outlook will also be part of the meeting with MSU agricultural meteorologist Jeff Andresen.
Participating is easy!
You can join using your computer or mobile device (audio and visual) following the Zoom link: https://msu.zoom.us/j/552324349. Or, call in from your phone (audio only) by dialing 669-900-6833 and enter meeting ID 552-324-349.
To receive a weekly email reminder of the Virtual Breakfast, sign up at http://eepurl.com/gm-PIv. Participants receiving emails can opt in or out at any time.
Can’t make it Thursday morning? Watch the recording!
For those who cannot join on Thursdays at 7 a.m., the Virtual Breakfast sessions will be recorded for later viewing with closed-captioning on the Field Crops Virtual Breakfast webpage. Podcasts are also available on the following platforms: iTunes, Soundcloud and Spotify.
Don’t forget to follow us on social media. Stay up-to-date on what is happening in Michigan field crops by liking the MSU Extension Field Crops Facebook page or following @MSUEFieldCrops on Twitter.
Scheduled topics and dates
Note that these may change to cover breaking pest and weather situations.
- April 25 – Early season weed control with Christy Sprague
- May 2 – Corn and soybean planting with Manni Singh
- May 9 – Early soil fertility with Kurt Steinke
- May 16 – Alfalfa seeding and cutting management with Kim Cassida
- May 23 – Fusarium head blight control in wheat with Dennis Pennington
- May 30 – Insect management with Chris DiFonzo
- June 6 – Late season weed control with Erin Burns
- June 13 – Identifying mid-season soybean issues with Mike Staton
- June 20 – Managing tar spot with Martin Chilvers
- June 27 – Irrigation scheduling with Steve Miller and Lyndon Kelley
- July 4 – No call, Fourth of July
- July 11 – Nematode management with Marisol Quintanilla
- July 18 – Cover crop management with Dean Baas
- July 25 – Managing sugar beet pests with Daniel Bublitz
- Aug. 1 – Insect management with Chris DiFonzo
- Aug. 8 – Plant disease update with Martin Chilvers
- Aug. 15 – Industrial hemp with Kurt Thelen
- Aug. 22– Corn silage disease and quality management with Manni Singh
- Aug. 29 – Harvesting weed seeds with Erin Hill
- Sept. 5 – Calibrating yield monitors with Dennis Pennington
— Philip Kaatz, Michigan State University Extension
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