MSU Extension Forage In-Service Training

May 22, 2024
9 a.m. -  3 p.m.

MSU Agronomy Farm | 4450 Beaumont Road | Lansing, MI 48910

Learning Objective: Bring (mostly) new educators up to speed on current MSU Extension recommendations for harvested forage management

Cost: no charge to participants except their travel to get here. Registration required for lunch count and materials.

In-service session speakers include:
Dr. Kim Cassida, MSU Forage Agronomist
Dr. Erin Burns, MSU Weed Scientist
Dr. Erin Hill, MSU Plant Diagnostics Lab
Dr. Chris DiFonzo, MSU Field Crops Entomologist
Phil Kaatz, MSU Extension Forage Educator
Christina Curell, MSU Extension Cover Crop Educator
Jim Good, MSU Dairy Farm Manager

Audience:

• NEW MSU Extension educators - (field crops, animal ag, FIRM team, anyone who is interested)
• Experienced MSU Extension Educators - to pass on their experience, or learn more
• NRCS - USDA Personnel 

Planned topic areas include:

•  Overview of forage industry in Michigan, US, world - Cassida 
•  Forage Species ID – Cassida, Kaatz, Hill
•  Weed Species ID – Burns, Hill
•  Forage insect scouting - Difonzo
•  Forage establishment considerations – [at plots or a campus field either about to be planted or newly emerged]
•  How to set up and use the tabletop rainfall simulators & curriculum - Curell
• The Yield-Quality tradeoff and why it matters – Cassida, Good (with handout)
• Methods for determining alfalfa and grass harvest timing (PEAQ, GDD, scissors cut, height, calendar, maturity staging) – Kaatz, Cassida
• Methods for evaluating forage stands i.e. stem/crown counts, root health, biomass, doing transects for weed counts or forage species – Cassida, Kaatz

Lunch (Jimmy Johns) – sponsored by AABI