Need tips to tackle field ruts? Tune into Field Crops Virtual Breakfast on March 28!

Christine Charles<charl122@msu.edu>, Michigan State University Extension -

Join the Field Crops Virtual Breakfast Series on March 28 for an engaging conversation on handling (and preventing) field ruts and compaction this upcoming season.

Deep ruts in soybean field.
Deep ruts created by harvesting soybeans in wet soil conditions. Photo by Mike Staton, MSU Extension.

A wet fall in 2023 led to harvest delays and equipment ruts for many producers across Michigan and the upper Midwest. Repairing ruts before planting this spring will be crucial to prevent erosion and establish a productive crop. Ian McDonald, crop innovations specialist from Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs, will join the 2024 Field Crops Virtual Breakfast Series on March 28 to discuss how to prevent and repair rut-impacted fields this season.

After the presentation, a 15-minute weather outlook and forecast will be provided by Michigan State University Extension's climatologist, Jeff Andresen. The session will also include a question-and-answer period where other Michigan State University Extension specialists and educators will be available.

The Michigan State University Extension Field Crops Virtual Breakfast Series is live via Zoom every Thursday morning from 7 – 8 a.m., March 21 through Sept. 19. Topics are flexible and loosely established at the beginning of the season and can change to address rapidly changing concerns such as flooding and drought. Each year brings different challenges, and this series is designed to meet the needs of our field crop producers no matter what the conditions may dictate.

Each week, restricted-use pesticide recertification (RUP) credits and certified crop advisor (CCA) continuing education unit credits will also be available. To receive recertification credits, participants must be on the live Zoom session.

After RUP and CCA credit information, attendees can leave or stay on for a less formal Q&A discussion with farmers, educators and specialists that lasts until 8 a.m. In addition to the scheduled speaker for the day, other MSU Extension campus specialists and educators with field crops responsibility are frequently part of the call and are available to answer any question related to relevant circumstances happening in their area of expertise.

Participating is easy and free! Participants must sign up to receive an email notification with instructions for joining the Virtual Breakfast Series. You only need to do this once to receive the Zoom link and call-in phone number in the weekly email reminders that are sent every Wednesday and Thursday. Participants receiving emails can opt in or out at any time.

Sign up for Field Crops Virtual Breakfast Series 

If you cannot participate in the live session at 7 a.m., you can view the recorded version at any time. However, only the live session will be eligible for RUP and CCA credits. Recordings will be closed-captioned and available at the Field Crops Virtual Breakfast webpage and the MSU Extension field crops team social media platforms: Facebook, Spotify, YouTube, Apple Podcasts and Twitter. 

If you are unable to sign up online, call the Lapeer County MSU Extension office at 810-667-0341.

Follow us on Facebook, Spotify, YouTube, Apple Podcasts and Twitter for breaking news.

 

This article was published by Michigan State University Extension. For more information, visit https://extension.msu.edu. To have a digest of information delivered straight to your email inbox, visit https://extension.msu.edu/newsletters. To contact an expert in your area, visit https://extension.msu.edu/experts, or call 888-MSUE4MI (888-678-3464).

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