By Julie Harker

The annual field day at the University of Missouri’s Graves-Chapple Extension and Education Center in northwest Missouri is August 27. Three tours will take place in the morning, followed by lunch. The tours will focus on pest management, technology and crop management. MU Extension specialists and others will present at this free event.

“The amount of data that can be collected using drones and autonomous robots is staggering,” said Jim Crawford, Graves-Chapple director. “Assisting producers on how to utilize this collected data to make good decisions for their operations is the next important piece of this puzzle. We believe using this data can help producers increase their productivity and profitability.”

The field day starts with breakfast at 7:30 a.m. The first tour begins at 8:15 a.m. The last tour leaves at 11:15 a.m. Lunch will be served at 12:00 noon.

Presenters and topics include the following: Kevin Bradley, Weed Management Considerations for 2025 and Beyond; Mandy Bish, Tar Spot, Southern Rust and Other Diseases of Corn and Soybeans; Wayne Flanary, Biological Product Research; Michelle Maile, USDA Crop Research Using the EarthSense TerraSentia Robot; Trace Thompson and Jesse Rogers, Herbicides and Drones: Are We There Yet?; Kent Shannon, AI in Agriculture – What Does It All Mean?; Zack Leasor, Weather Outlook and Real-Time Local Monitoring; Ben Brown, Ag Economy – How Bad Is It Going To Get?; Leon McIntyre, How Hybrid Corn is Produced; Andre Froes de Borja Reis, Soybean In-Season Management Tool: Yield Estimation & Growth Reports; Juo-Han Tsay, Outlook for Missouri Farmland Prices and Rents.

“It’s important to see what technology is out there and what can make or save you money,” said Steve Klute, Graves-Chapple advisory board chairman.

Mizzou’s Monarch auton-omous electric tractor will be pulling a tour wagon as a demonstration of its capabilities, said Crawford.

Graves-Chapple Extension and Education Center is located along I-29 at 29955 Outer Road, Fairfax, Missouri (at Exit 99, turn east, then turn north on the outer road and proceed three miles north). For questions, contact Jim Crawford at 660-744-6231, crawfordj@missouri.edu.