Penn State Extension will hold a workshop Sept. 4 at Thiele Dairy Farm in Cabot to discuss soybean management and weed control.

During the 2018 growing season, many producers thought “If we can get through this year, next year will be better,” extension officials said

However, 2019 brought many of the same challenges and setbacks farmers faced in 2018 and, looking forward, 2020 may present many of the same.

A very wet spring trailed into a wet summer with the potential for a hot and dry late summer, and is expected to return to a wet fall. Producing grain crops is and will always be a challenge, but weather conditions are certainly not helping.

Many producers in the western region of Pennsylvania struggled to get all of their soybeans planted this year, extension officials said.

If they did get crops planted, they had issues with seed emergence leading to low stand counts, early season weed management for annual grasses and broadleaf weeds, or pest pressures like slugs and bean leaf beetle.

Moving to the late summer and fall, the potential exists for issues like late season diseases such as white mold, sudden death syndrome, brown stem, and others.

Other potential issues include harvesting if weeds like marestail are prominent in soybean stands, soybean moisture being too high when it is time to harvest, or if the fall is as wet as last year and soybeans stay on the plants through the winter.

Workshop details

This workshop will hear farmers' concerns and problems in a producer discussion.

- Dr. Paul Esker, an extension specialist who is an epidemiologist and field crops plant pathologist, will discuss issues related to integrated management of crop diseases.

- Dwight Lingenfelter, extension associate in weed science, will discuss herbicide programs, ways to reduce resistance in weeds, and the pros and cons of using different herbicide systems.

- Del Voight, senior extension educator for Lebanon County, will address research conducted as part of the Pennsylvania Soybean On-Farm Network.

- There is also an herbicide demonstration plot at Thiele Dairy Farm. This plot consists of 10 different trials ranging from a nonselect burndown, all the way up to multi-herbicide residual programs. This plot designed is to allow participants to view different herbicides in use and their effectiveness of control while having access to Penn State Extension resources to discuss the pros and cons of each.

The workshop will be from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Sept. 4 at the Thiele Dairy Farm, 753 N. Pike Road, Cabot. Cost for the workshop is $15 and includes lunch.

Register by calling 1-877-345-0691 or visit https://extension.psu.edu/soybean-management-workshop-and-herbicide-demonstration.

Two Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture pesticide category credits are pending.

For questions or comments, contact Justin Brackenrich at the Butler Extension Office at (724) 287-4761 or jub1489@psu.edu.

WHAT: Soybean production and weed control workshopWHEN: 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Sept. 4WHERE: Thiele Diary Farm, 753 N. Pik Road, CabotCOST: $15, includes lunchREGISTER: Call 1-877-345-0691 or visit https://extension.psu.edu/soybean-management-workshop-and-herbicide-demonstration