[DEC. 19, 2000]  The founder of Save Our Illinois Soils (SOILS), the Illinois Department of Agriculture’s new conservation tillage demonstration project, was among the employees honored recently at the department’s 22^nd annual employee awards ceremony. Alan Gulso of Lincoln received the Director’s Achievement Award, the department’s highest honor, for creating SOILS.

[Alan Gulso]

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[Illinois Department of Agriculture news release]

[DEC. 19, 2000]  Results from the first year of an Illinois Department of Agriculture field study that is testing a new method of producing corn will be announced at a series of five tillage seminars.

Crop yields and other data gathered at each of the 12 farms participating in Save Our Illinois Soils (SOILS) will be presented during the seminars, which begin Jan. 4 at Rend Lake Community College and end Feb. 2 at the DeKalb County Farm Bureau in Sycamore. Other seminars are scheduled Jan. 11 at the Holiday Inn in Urbana, Jan. 18 at the Jacksonville Inn and Feb. 1 at the Holiday Inn Brandywine in Peoria.

SOILS is studying the effectiveness of fall strip-till, an alternative production method that, according to preliminary research, produces the same or higher yields than conventional tillage and reduces soil erosion similar to no-till.

Each seminar will run from 8:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. and include an explanation of the SOILS project, a discussion of strip-till equipment and management basics, and the release of the 2000 results, as well as presentations about tillage issues that are specific to the local area.

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Registration costs $10. To reserve a seat, write a check for that amount payable to the University of Illinois Extension and mail it to the county extension office that is hosting the seminar. A complete list follows. The registration fee includes a lunch and is due one week before the date of the seminar.

The tillage seminars also will feature exhibits from a variety of Illinois agribusinesses and qualify for continuing education credit hours in soil and water conservation for certified crop advisors. In addition to the Department of Agriculture, sponsors include the University of Illinois Extension, U.S. Natural Resources Conservation Service and state soil and water conservation districts.

[from www.agr.state.il.us/newsrels/r1205001.htm]

[DEC. 11, 2000] 

Last month the first class of Extension Master Gardeners was graduated. This group of 20 people attended nine daylong training sessions that covered everything from composting to tree fruits. Those attending received a total of 63 hours of training, which covered most aspects of home horticulture.

The second part of being a Master Gardener is to volunteer service hours back to the Extension Office in any horticultural area. Each trainee must volunteer 60 hours. If you have specific requests for community improvement projects, public training sessions or programs for community groups, please contact John Fulton or Don Miller at the Logan County Extension Office, phone number 732-8289. The only restriction is that all programs have to involve horticultural topics.

A full-day conference of presentations and panels has been scheduled for Feb. 1 at the Crowne Plaza in Springfield. This area program has replaced many of the local agronomy days that were offered in past years. Registration is $30 if made by Jan. 5 and $45 after that date.

Program highlights include Mike Gray on "Transgenic Hybrids, Seed Treatments, and Soil Insecticides," Kevin Steffey on "Aphids in Soybean and Grape Colaspis in Corn," Christy Sprague on "Is There a Yield Penalty From Post-Emergence Soybean Herbicides?," Darrel Good on "Evaluation of Market Advisory Services," Bob Hoeft on "Put N and P In the Crop, Not the Water," and Emerson Nafziger on "Stalk Quality, Yield, and Corn Hybrids: Was the Nightmare of 2000 a Fluke?" Other presentations will cover corn diseases in 2000, soybean diseases and tillage system comparisons. Information and registration applications are available by contacting the Extension Office at 732-8289.

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The first session of private applicator pesticide training is now history. The other session scheduled for Logan County is Feb. 20. Training will begin at 8:30 a.m. at the Extension Office. Reservations are required and seating is limited. Call the office to reserve a spot.

For producers needing to certify or recertify as Certified Livestock Managers, the session closest to Logan County will be at the McLean County Extension Office on Feb. 20. Registration for the program begins at 8:15 a.m. You must preregister at least three days in advance for the limited seating. Registration cost is $36.50 and includes the program and manual. Registration information is available by calling the office.

[John Fulton]

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