Fungicides, harvest intervals and manure are among the topics that will be discussed Feb. 16 at the Shawano County Forage Council’s annual meeting.
The meeting will be held from 10:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. at The Main Event, 206 N. Lemke St., Cecil.
The day will start off with Damon Smith, University of Wisconsin-Extension field crops pathology specialist, discussing the use, timing and economics of using fungicides on forages in Wisconsin.
Kevin Jarek, Outagamie County UW-Extension crops, soils and horticulture agent, will share his local research on the impact of harvest intervals on forage quality for traditional and reduced-lignin alfalfa varieties. He will also provide a multi-county update on the impact of alfalfa seeding rates on stand quality after two years of data collection.
Jamie Patton, Shawano County UW-Extension agriculture agent, will discuss the results of a northeast Wisconsin project studying the impact of manure applications on soil microbial activity and the implications on soil health and nutrient cycling.
Starting about 1:45 p.m., the forage council will host its fundraising seed auction and annual business meeting. Everyone is welcome to bid on auction items. Proceeds from the auction are used to support youth participating in forage and dairy activities at the Shawano County Fair, county silage dry-down days and educational field events.
Attendees are asked to make reservations by Feb. 9 by calling the Shawano UWEX office at 715-526-6136. You don’t need to be a forage council member to attend. The cost is $15 for lunch only, $35 for lunch and forage council annual membership, and $65 for lunch, county and Midwest Forage Council annual memberships.
Registration forms can be found at http://shawano.uwex.edu/events/forage-council-meeting.