Farmers in southwestern Wisconsin will hear from university teams on weed management and new ways to improve soil and water quality. Reports will be displayed at Lafayette Ag Stewardship Alliance’s annual meeting, scheduled from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. on March 1.
Attendees will explore these topics through presentations by:
Rodrigo Werle is an Assistant Professor and Extension Cropping Systems Weed Scientist in the Agronomy Department at UW-Madison. His research and extension program (WiscWeeds) focuses on agroecologically-based approaches to address sustainable weed management in corn, soybeans and small grains in Wisconsin and beyond.
During a presentation with Nick Arneson and Dan Smith, the UW-Madison Cropping Systems Weed Science team will discuss their latest research and Extension efforts on the management of cover crops for effective suppression of troublesome Wisconsin weeds.
Nick Arneson is the WiscWeeds Outreach Program Manager at UW-Madison. Arneson oversees the extension & outreach arm of the Cropping Systems Weed Science Program. He also works with graduate students on their projects and assists with research trials. He has worked with cereal rye as a cover crop for the last five years.
Dan Smith is the southwest outreach specialist for the Nutrient and Pest Management Program. He is responsible for supporting county-based UW-Extension, USDA Natural Resource Conservation Service and Land and Water department staff, producers, industry representatives and agronomists on nutrient and pest management to improve water quality while protecting farm profitability. Smith’s key programming includes nutrient and pest management in the southwest region while assisting with statewide research and outreach on cover crops, particularly interseeding, herbicide resistance and waterhemp management.
Shawn Wesener, data collection specialist for Farmers for Sustainable Food, works directly with farmers to help track conservation practice outcomes. He supports farmer-led groups in their conservation efforts by working directly with farmers and crop advisers to capture the data needed to drive sustainability projects and support continuous improvement. He will present the findings from LASA’s 2022 survey results on member conservation practices.
Kory Stalsberg, a Farm Business and Production Management Instructor, will be giving an update on the LASA Sustainability Project — on-farm sustainability and impact on local water resources results. The presented data will highlight the project’s first three years and a glimpse into 2022 production data.
Josh Kamps is the Regional Extension Crops and Soils educator for southwestern Wisconsin. He serves the agriculture sector by delivering unbiased research-based solutions through cropping systems-based recommendations. His educational programming focuses on decision-making metrics for extending cropping rotations to increase soil health and reduce pest resistance.
In a presentation with Smith and Renz, they will share about an alfalfa/corn interseeded system and how it can improve soil and water quality. They will also share the benefits of including a perennial forage from a weed management perspective (controlling herbicide-resistant and tough-to-control weeds in annual crops).
Mark Renz is a professor and extension weed specialist with UW-Madison. He researches and extends information about the biology and management of weeds in perennial cropping systems and natural areas. Current efforts have focused on weed management in alfalfa, alfalfa interseeded into corn and in pasture-based systems.
The annual meeting will be at the multi-purpose building at 11974 Ames Rd in Darlington.
Leave a Reply