Milan No-Till Field Day set for July 27
Crop variety trials and equipment demonstrations will be among the highlights of the 24th Milan No-Till Crop Production Field Day, scheduled for July 27 at the University of Tennessee Research and Education Center at Milan.
The field day is among the best known and most attended no-till events in the nation, and is expected to attract no-till production advocates and agribusinesses from across the region. The field day, which is sponsored by the Tennessee Agricultural Experiment Station, will feature 13 tours covering a variety of topics from switchgrass, cotton and soybean production to pest and weed control and forestry and wildlife management.
Experts from a variety of universities and government agencies will be on hand to discuss the latest information and technologies. Representatives from Martin Planter Attachments and MMS Equipment will demonstrate their no-tillage equipment. Also, representatives from various seed companies, including Delta and Pine Land Company, Monsanto, and UniSouth Genetics, will present several no-till crop varieties of corn, cotton, and soybeans.
Other tours will include soil and nutrient management, enhancements in beef cattle production, and profitable irrigation of row crops. A brief overview tour will be offered to field day visitors as an introduction to the UT Agricultural Experiment Station system. This mini-tour will highlight various research projects along a route covering the expanse of the Milan Research and Education Center.
Tours will be provided upon request from 10 a.m. through 2 p.m. Pesticide applicators will have the opportunity to sign up for recertification points, and certified crop advisors may earn continuing education units. Sign-up sheets will be located at the assembly areas for each tour.
Registration begins 6 a.m., with tours running from 7 a.m. until 3 p.m. Food and refreshments will be available throughout the field day in front of the museum. UT’s Research and Education Center at Milan is one of 10 uniquefacilities in the UT Agricultural Experiment Station system. More information about the Center and the Milan No-Till Field Day is available online at http://milan.tennessee.edu or give us a call here at the Extension office.
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PRUNING SUMMER FLOWERING SHRUBS
An often-stated rule for pruning flowering shrubs is to prune spring flowering shrubs after flowering. These shrubs develop flower buds on the wood that grew the previous year and therefore need time to grow and produce flower buds before next springs bloom.
To keep it simple, you can prune those plants that bloom before the first of July after bloom but wait until next spring before pruning any plant that blooms during the summer or after July 1. Summer flowering plants such as crape myrtle, rose of Sharon, and butterfly bush are examples of plants that are flowering now or in the next few weeks that produce flower buds on wood that grew back in the spring. These plants need to be pruned in late winter or early spring.
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RECORD KEEPING WORKSHOP OFFERED
The Extension Service will sponsor a financial record keeping workshop for nurseries and small businesses. This workshop will be held at the TSU – Nursery Crop Research Station in McMinnville on July 25-27. The time will be 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.
The workshop will cover topics such as basic bookkeeping practices, payroll preparation, inventory management, invoicing and accounts receivable, accounts payable, and marketing information management.
The workshop will be hands-on in nature, with each company having the use of a computer during the workshop. This allows participants to enter transactions and to analyze these transactions for financial management and marketing purposes. Participants will receive a workbook detailing the procedures for company setup and entering the various transactions commonly used in a small business. The record keeping system used for the workshop will be QuickBooks Pro 2006.
There will be ample opportunity during the workshop for questions pertaining to particular business situations. There will also be time during and at the end of the workshop for questions and problems regarding individual business practices. Due to the attention given to individual companies, space will be limited and participants will be accepted on afirst come, first served basis. The cost of the workshop will be $150 per company (for one representative) and an additional $75 for a second company participant. For further information or reservations contact the Warren County Extension Service at (931) 473-8484.