COLUMBUS, Ohio -- Ohio farmers interested in launching sweet corn production or looking for advanced production techniques have the opportunity to attend one of two Sweet Corn Management Schools in June.
Ohio State University Extension, in conjunction with the U.S. Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services, will offer the school at the Ohio Agricultural Research and Development Center Western Ag Research Station in South Charleston on June 16, or the OARDC North Central Ag Research Station in Fremont on June 18. A catered lunch will be provided.
"By holding the schools early in the season, growers should be able to put into practice some of the knowledge they acquire," said Jim Jasinski, an OSU Extension educator for Champaign County.
Both schools will offer a similar program of basic topics in the morning and advanced topics in the afternoon. In addition to the presentations, two new resources will be given to each attendee: a sweet corn pest identification and management pocket guide and a DVD of nine regional specialists who presented at the 2008 Great Lakes Expo
The basic session in the morning includes such topics as producing early sweet corn and stand establishment, fertility management, using pheromone traps to monitor corn earworm and plan a spray schedule, insects affected by hybrid selection, Stewart's wilt and rust hybrid selection and management, how to control specific weeds, and major factors that affect yield and quality.
Topics offered during the afternoon advanced session include identifying corn earworm, fall armyworm, European corn borer and Western bean cutworm; expanding trapping programs to include fall armyworm and European corn borer; herbicide carryover concerns and variety sensitivity; and raccoon and black bird control.
The sweet corn school will also include tours of field demonstration plots of Stewart's wilt screens, row covers, transplants, herbicide screens and Bt corn.
Growers can sign up for the entire day, or select just the basic or advanced sessions for either location. Full-day registration is $45, which includes lunch and all resource materials. Registration for the basic session, from 9:30 a.m. until noon, is $25 and includes all resource materials. Registration for the advanced session, from 1 p.m. until 3:30 p.m., is $25 and includes all resource materials. To purchase an extra pocket guide, the cost is $15. To purchase an extra DVD, the cost is $5. For additional farm members to attend the full-day session, the cost is $25, which includes lunch, but no resource materials.
Space is limited for each school to the first 35 registrants. For more program details and to register for either school, visit http://champaign.osu.edu/ipm.htm, or contact Jim Jasinski at (937) 484-1526 or e-mail jasinski.4@osu.edu.