PALMYRA, Mo. – Row crop and livestock producers can hear the latest disease, insect and forage updates at the fourth annual University of Missouri Extension Crop and Forage Chat on Aug. 14 at Hall’s Hall in Palmyra.

Doors open at 5 p.m. with dinner at 5:30 p.m. Presentations run 6-8:30 p.m. The event is free, but registration is required.

MU Extension agronomist Nick Wesslak said speakers will cover current corn and soybean diseases, stink bug and Japanese beetle updates, how to build a drought-resilient cattle farm, winter forage options for livestock and stockpiled tall fescue use.

Speakers and topics:

• MU Extension state plant pathologist Mandy Bish will give updates on current corn and soybean diseases, including tar spot, red crown rot disease and corn stunt disease.

• MU Extension agronomist Nick Wesslak will talk about Japanese beetle and stink bugs and their potential impacts on corn and soybean yields.

• Alan Perry, a Kirksville bison producer and member of the Missouri Forage and Grasslands Council, will discuss building resiliency into livestock operations.

• MU Extension agronomist Rusty Lee will speak on winter forage options. Lee has been successful in strip-grazing milo as a money-saving alternative winter feed plan for livestock.

• MU Extension livestock specialist Daniel Mallory will talk about why stockpiling tall fescue saves producers labor, time and money.

Register online or call Wesslak at 573-470-3435.