The 48th annual Ag Expo returns Wednesday to the Owensboro Convention Center, again offering both educational seminars and a trade show of local businesses and regional companies that serve farmers in the area. Arlan Suderman, chief commodities analyst for the Stone X Group, will be the featured speaker, addressing the audience during lunch. Suderman was selected 45th in the World’s Top 100 Most Influential Economists.
Doors will open to the trade show at 7:30 a.m. The first educational session begins at 8:30 a.m. followed by another hour period to visit with trade show sponsors.
Clint Hardy, Daviess County’s Extension agent for agricultural and natural resources and a member of the Ag Expo’s planning committee, submitted the following letter with more details on what to expect:
On behalf of the Ag Expo planning committee, we are excited to announce the 48th annual event will occur this Wednesday, Jan. 26, at the Owensboro Convention Center. The program is known in western Kentucky as one of the premier agricultural events of the winter and we are glad to be back in person after hosting the program virtually last year. Despite meeting in person, the planning committee acknowledges and respects the increasing COVID-19 case numbers. We highly recommend visitors follow the Owensboro Convention Center guidelines and utilize face coverings as a precaution. Lunch will occur downstairs in Expo Hall 1 to increase space and reduce table seats. We have also created a QR code that can be scanned with your phone for registration to reduce standing in a registration line.
Ag Expo is a hybrid of educational seminars focused on topics that address production and management topics specific to the previous year and a trade show of local businesses and regional companies that serve farmers in our area. We greatly appreciate the trade show sponsors as they are who make Ag Expo financially possible.
Doors will open to the trade show at 7:30 a.m. The first educational session begins at 8:30 a.m. followed by another hour period to visit with trade show sponsors. With high fertilizer prices, more emphasis than ever has been placed on the financial value and improved utilization of poultry litter. Two sessions are focused on this important resource including how to better manage the nitrogen in litter and how to compare the price of litter to commercial fertilizer sources. Corn fertilizer, specifically nitrogen, is at record high prices and will be a hurdle to overcome in corn profit this year. Corn nitrogen sources, timing, and application methods will be a session topic.
Weed and disease control are annual challenges. Managing resistant weeds, soybean disease updates, and corn disease updates, specifically tarspot and Pythium, are also session topics.
Slugs have become more common in our reduced tillage systems. The University of Kentucky has conducted research on the control of slugs over the past three years. Slugs and seedcorn maggot control in emerging soybeans will be a covered topic.
Grain markets are strong right now and the yield trend is increasing, as well as input prices. A look at budgeting and estimating profitability this year will be discussed. We’re very excited that Arlen Suderman, Chief Commodities Analyst with the Stone X Group, will speak to the entire audience at lunch. Arlen, who has been selected 45th in the World’s Top 100 Most Influential Economists, will discuss how the monetary policy we are experiencing is affecting commodity markets.
After lunch, a session will be held pertaining to the increasing use of drones in crop production. From scouting to the application of fungicides, drones are going to become more widely used for specialized activities. This session is one you won’t want to miss.
There is no preregistration and Ag Expo will occur regardless of the weather. An agenda with additional details is available on my website at daviess.ca.uky.edu/2022agexpo.
Grazing Forages Workshop
Excessive fertilizer expenses have beef cattle budgets also stressing this year. In addition to fertilizer, the higher commodity prices that help grain farms directly relate to higher animal feed costs, which drives beef cattle profitability lower. Extension Forage Specialist Dr. Chris Teutsch will speak at the Daviess County Extension Office at 6 p.m. on Feb. 1 regarding the best pasture management practices to increase yield and lower costs this year. Soil testing, weed control, renovating with clover, and rotational grazing management are only a few of the concepts he will spend time discussing. For those needing to renew Beef Quality and Care Assurance certification, a training will be held at 4:30 that afternoon at the Extension Office. We can check the status of your BQCA certification if needed. If you have any grazing animals, not just cattle, you should plan to attend this meeting. A meal is planned so please call the Daviess County Extension Office at 270-685-8480 to register.
Private Pesticide Applicator Training
Private Applicator Certification will be held at the Daviess County Extension Office on January 27 at 6:00 p.m. and January 28 at 8:00 a.m. If you need to check the expiration date of your current certification, call the Extension Office at 270-685-8480.
