New challenges and issues discussed with farmers at annual Delta Center Field Day

The theme for Wednesday's Fisher Delta Research Center's 55th Annual Field Day in Portageville was, "Focus on Delta Agriculture." The day was filled with informative talks from congressmen, legislators, and professors who spoke on various issues from the research center's new agricultural programs to the EPA's overreaching regulations that will have a negative impact on not only the farmers, but the nation as a whole.

FDRC Director Trent Haggard welcomed everyone to the event. After the invocation given by Scotty Smothers, research associate, the crowd grew silent with a moving presentation of the colors, conducted by Billy Becker, VFW commander Post 4680 and uniformed military personnel.

Senator Roy Blunt speaks about the EPA challenges facing farmers, both large and small during the annual Farmer Appreciation Breakfast held Friday at Rone Hall at Lee's Farm. -Scott Seal photo

Senator Roy Blunt speaks about the EPA challenges facing farmers, both large and small during the annual Farmer Appreciation Breakfast held Friday at Rone Hall at Lee's Farm. -Scott Seal photo

The event took place in Rone Exhibit Hall and the very witty MU Vice Chancellor and Dean Tom Payne was the emcee for the day and introduced all of the speakers that included U.S. Senator Roy Blunt, U.S. Congressman Jason Smith, Interim Chancellor Hank Foley, State Auditor Nicole Galloway, Director of Missouri Department of Agriculture Richard Fordyce and Missouri Soybean Merchandising Council President Matt McCrate.

As Blunt spoke to the group, he emphasized the importance of agriculture and he said that the world food demand would double sometime between now and 2070. "This is an unbelievable challenge and it is an unbelievable opportunity, and no one is in a better position to take advantage of that then we are here, in Missouri where we live," said Blunt. "The Mississippi River Valley has the best farmers, the best ranchers, the best agricultural research institutions, public and private, in the world, and it has the best way to get products to anywhere in the world."

"The ports along the Mississippi river serves farmers within a 300 miles radius all around them with the access of roads and rails."

Blunt talked about the advantages of living in the Southeast Missouri area and agriculture, but that was not all he and others talked about. They also discussed the constant vigilance that was needed to fight the war on utilities by the Environmental Protection Agency and the ones it would hurt, including the farmer.

After the speakers finished addressing the group, the farm tours began which covered various areas of research. The tours and talks were about the center's research in the following areas:

Soybean Tour - Five New Conventional Varieties for the Mid-South, Grover Shannon;

Responsible Management of Current and Future Dicamba Products, Kevin Bradley; and

An IT Platform for Agriculture, Moneen Jones

Cotton Tour - Demonstrating the Effects of Simulated Dicamba & Enlist Drift at Multiple Growth Stages in Cotton, Andrea Jones;

Precision Ag Approaches for Improving Cotton Irrigation, Earl Vories; and

Effect of Pre-Emergence Herbicide Treatments on Stressed Cotton, Jim Heiser

Corn Tour - New Precision Agriculture Tools for Corn, Gene Stevens; and

Using Surge Valves & Phaucet to Improve Water Management, Zach Straatmann

Rice Tour - Rice Variety Trials and Using DD50 for Improved Crop Management, Matt Rhine;

Phone Apps for Managing Nitrogen and Irrigation in Furrow Irrigated Rice, Johanna Nelsonp; and

Using Gypsum as Sulfur Additive for Crop Management, David Dunn

Right is Matt McCrate, president of the Missouri Soybean Association, making a presentation to Jason Bean, on behalf of the Delta Center and its advisory board. This was presented at the Farmer Appreciation Breakfast Friday prior to the annual field day tours. -Scott Seal photo

Right is Matt McCrate, president of the Missouri Soybean Association, making a presentation to Jason Bean, on behalf of the Delta Center and its advisory board. This was presented at the Farmer Appreciation Breakfast Friday prior to the annual field day tours. -Scott Seal photo

Students from area schools including Portageville and New Madrid County Central attended their own event on Field Day. High school students learned about career opportunities in all areas of the agricultural field, along with other fields taught at the University of Missouri. They were also counseled in ways to finance their college from scholarships to A+ programs, and afterward they took the tours and learned about the agricultural progress being made at FDRC.