Producers faced another challenging crop growing season this year with dry weather and added weed pressure. “The short yet intense periods of drought this year, although mitigated by timely rainfall, made for an interesting growing season,” stated Kathryn Seebruck, U of I Extension Crops Educator, “it taught us a lot about the importance of setting the crop up for success in defense against these types of adverse conditions.”

To address these growing season challenges and more, the University of Illinois Extension is pleased to announce the annual Northwest Illinois Agronomy Summit that will be held at Highland Community College Conference Center in Freeport, IL, on Wednesday, January 31, 2024, with the program running from 10 a.m.- 2:30 p.m.

The theme for this year’s conference is Updates in Nutrient, Weed, and Soil Health Management, with University of Illinois and University of Wisconsin-Madison specialists discussing strategies for weed, nutrient management, and plans to build soil health.

Topics for the day include Practical Nitrogen Management for Corn, presented by Giovani Preza Fontes, Field Crops Agronomist, U of I Extension. Connor Sible, a Postdoctoral Research Associate with the Crop Physiology Department at the University of Illinois, will present Understanding Biologicals for Row Crops. Navigating the Inevitability of Herbicide Resistance will be delivered by Kathryn Seebruck, Crops Educator, U of I Extension.  Dan Smith, Southwest Regional Specialist, Nutrient and Pest Management Program, University of Wisconsin-Madison, will discuss Building Soil Health in Northern Climates. Highland Community College Agriculture Instructor Justin Ebert will be on hand to talk about the Highland Community College research plots and the results from this past growing season.

To register or for more information about the Northwest Illinois Agronomy Summit, visit us online at go.illinois.edu/jsw or call U of I Extension at (815) 235-4125. Registration is required to attend. Registration cost is $25.