Crop and Dairy Day meetings held last week in Mac

Two University of Minnesota Extension events were held last week at the McIntosh Community Center. The 2017 Polk County Crop Improvement Association meeting was held on Monday, March 6th where local area crop producers were able to hear presentations such as ‘2017 Wheat Variety Selection: Scab Outlook , ‘Remote Scouting for Soybean Aphid’, and a demonstration by local Soil Conservation Technician, Luke Klawitter during a day of information for farmers.

Minnesota Crop Improvement Association (MCIA) is the exclusive marketing agent of new and improved crop varieties developed by the University of Minnesota. MCIA collaborates with the College of Food Agriculture and Natural Resource Sciences (CFANS) and the Office for Technology Commercialization (OTC) at the University of Minnesota.

Plant breeders in the Department of Agronomy & Plant Genetics are developing new varieties of wheat, barley, oats, soybeans, wild rice, turf grasses and forages. The overall goal of MCIA's Variety Licensing program is to get the products of CFANS' research into the hands of individuals and companies that can best utilize the newly developed technologies. MCIA is the connection between CFANS and agribusiness providing maximum benefit to the University, Minnesota agriculture and the world.

On Tuesday, March 7th, dairy producers gathered to discuss robotic dairy, dairy precision technologies and disaster preparedness with Chad Carlson. 

This event is an opportunity for dairy producers and advisors to learn about the latest University of Minnesota research and recommendations held each year in the late winter.