By Emily Hansen
Illinois farmers, ag professionals, and community members gathered recently for the Oglesby Agronomy Summit, an educational event hosted by University of Illinois Extension. The summit featured research-based presentations on agronomic management, regulatory updates, weather extremes, and farmer well-being.
The program opened with “Bio‑what? Biostimulants, Biologicals, Biofertilizers: Reviewing the Market and Tips to Their Use,” presented by Dr. Connor Sible, University of Illinois Urbana‑Champaign Crop Sciences Researcher. Drawing on nine years of corn and soybean field trials, Sible reviewed how bio-based products differ, what research tells us about their effectiveness, and the key questions farmers should ask before adopting them on their operations.
Dr. Giovani Preza Fontes provided a nitrogen and sulfur management update, summarizing past and current Illinois research and highlighting considerations for nutrient management decisions in changing production and environmental conditions.
The summit also addressed the regulatory dimensions of agriculture. KJ Johnson, Illinois Soybean Association Director of Governmental Affairs, presented a Pesticide Regulatory Update for Illinois Farmers, outlining significant upcoming changes, including EPA herbicide and insecticide strategies, the influence of updated Endangered Species Act labels on on‑farm decisions, and anticipated changes to applicator license renewal and continuing education requirements.
Source : illinois.edu