July 16, 2014
www.gfb.org
Vol. 32 No. 28
EXPO FIELD DAY SHOWS RESEARCH, SPOTLIGHT STATE GROUNDBREAKING About 400 farmers attended the annual Sunbelt Expo Field Day held July 10 where they got a look at crop trials researchers are conducting at the Expo Farm and heard from company representatives whose products are being tested in the field. Growers saw and heard about variety trials for cotton, corn, peanuts and soybeans, as well as fertilizer management research in row crops and forages, water conservation programs and much more. Sunbelt Expo Executive Director Chip Blalock welcomed attendees to the annual Field Day saying, “Field Day is a great opportunity to get a sneak peak of Expo. You get to see the crops in their growing stages and all the technology we use here that can help life on the farm. Technology has really revolutionized what we do and in the next 10 years we’ll probably see more technology changes than we’ve seen in the last 36 years.” Georgia Farm Bureau President Zippy Duvall spoke at the Field Day breakfast saying, “On behalf of the more than 300,000 Farm Bureau families who make up Georgia Farm Bureau, we are excited to be a part of Expo. I’m excited to see where the industry’s research and technology continues to take agriculture.” A groundbreaking ceremony was held during Field Day for the new Expo Spotlight State building. The permanent 40 x 75 foot building will be constructed in time for the 37th Annual Sunbelt Expo, to be held Oct. 14-16. Numerous Georgia ag organizations and businesses are funding the building’s estimated $75,000 cost. Georgia will be the 2014 Spotlight State with a theme of “Always in Season, Georgia Agriculture.” Dr. Glen Harris, UGA Extension soil fertility specialist, gave farmers an update on research his team is doing to study fertilizer management. Harris and his team are looking at how the use of fertilizer side dress materials and foliar potassium can help improve crop quality. “Nitrogen is very mobile [through the soil]. That’s why we recommend putting some on at planting and some at side dress between the first square and first bloom in cotton,” Harris said. Thrush Aircraft, an Albany, Ga.- based manufacturer of planes for application of crop management products, displayed their 510G aircraft and gave a demonstration after lunch. Eric Rojek, Thrush vice president of sales, said farmers are seeing the advantage of aerial applications over ground sprayers as they plant larger fields and rely more on GPS to make crop management decisions. “We can get more done in one hour than a ground crew can get done in a day,” Rojek said.