The University of Nebraska South Central Agricultural Laboratory (SCAL) Field Day is on Thursday, August 7, from 8:30 a.m. to 3:10 p.m. at the SCAL research farm. Through interactive topics, growers will gain insights into practical applications they can consider incorporating into their own operations. Attendees can tailor their schedule by selecting from various presentations and interactive demonstrations.
Lunch will be provided, and attendees can earn Continuing Education Units (CCA credits). Preregistration is appreciated by Thursday, July 31, to assist with lunch planning. Visit go.unl.edu/scalfieldday to register and for program details.
Registration, coffee, rolls and visits with sponsor tables begin at 8:30 a.m. with the welcome and opening remarks by sponsors kicking off at 8:45 a.m.
Dan Snow, Director of Laboratory Services at the University of Nebraska Daugherty Water for Food Global Institute, is the keynote speaker during lunch and will discuss nitrate challenges in groundwater. This talk will cover findings from a study with the Upper Big Blue NRD and UNL focusing on nitrate and agrichemical levels in the vadose zone across 12 water quality management zones. Lunch talks also feature a farmer panel discussion, providing an opportunity for attendees to engage and interact at the local level.
Timely topics include:
- Strategies for irrigation scheduling
- Corn and soybean disease management, including tar spot management and white mold
- Cover crops for weed suppression in corn and soybean: planting green and intercropping
- Insect management in crops and tours of conservation features in prairie strips
- Sensor-guided fertigation: Demonstrating real-time Nitrogen management. Fine-tuning Nitrogen: timing and rate strategies for maximum impact.
Growers can also check out AI-Enabled Targeted Weed Management with the "See-N-Till" robot.
"See-N-Till" is an advanced autonomous field robot developed to detect, differentiate, and mechanically manage weeds while simultaneously performing shallow tillage. Leveraging cutting-edge AI, computer vision, and precision actuation, it offers a sustainable alternative to chemical weed control and reduces soil disturbance.
The SCAL Research Farm is located at 851 Hwy. 6 near Harvard, NE. Directions: 13 miles east of Hastings on Hwy. 6 or 4.5 miles west of the intersection of Hwy. 14 and Hwy. 6 north of Clay Center. Field day GPS coordinates: 40.575256, -98.137824. For more information, call (402)762-3536 or email shachtel1@unl.edu.
