COLUMBIA, Mo. – Leading agricultural experts will give updates to improve the bottom line at the annual University of Missouri Crop Management Conference, Dec. 4-5 at a new location, the Columbia Hilton Garden Inn and Conference Center.

One timely topic at the event is changes in the requirements for commercial and private pesticide application licenses. MU Extension agronomist Rusty Lee will give an overview of these changes set by the Environmental Protection Agency with the Missouri Department of Agriculture as the lead agency in Missouri.

Under these rules, there is a national minimum age for certified applicators and those working under their direct supervision. Changes also require additional certification for specific application methods such as fumigation and aerial application.

MU Extension weed scientist Kevin Bradley, longtime organizer of the event, says final plans are still being made for the annual conference, but previous attendees might want to “save the date” and note the new location.

Bradley and his graduate students will discuss findings from new and ongoing weed management projects. They will share new herbicides and weed management techniques for pastures and give updates on spraying and spreading with drones.

MU Extension plant pathologist Mandy Bish will share strategies on two diseases found in Missouri for the first time in 2024: corn stunt disease and red crown rot in soybean. She’ll also give updates on how to manage tar spot, a growing concern for corn growers.

MU Extension climatologist Zachary Leasor will review how weather affected Missouri crops in 2024, and economist Ben Brown will give an outlook for crops in 2025. Brown will talk about MU Extension’s 2025 production budgets, concerns about 2025 fertilizer prices and Missouri wheat acreage, which decreased 5% last year.

Information about other sessions and registration details will be available soon.

For questions, contact Bradley at bradleyke@missouri.edu.