Register for the Missouri Crop Management Conference

COLUMBIA, Mo. – Registration is open for the state’s premier agricultural conference for farmers and ag industry professionals, the Missouri Crop Management Conference, hosted by the University of Missouri.

The two-day conference provides timely topics from leading agricultural experts, says MU Extension weed scientist Kevin Bradley. Specialists from MU Extension, University of Georgia, Iowa State University and Purdue University are among the speakers who will share information to help growers improve yields and efficiency.

The event is Dec. 9-10 at the Stoney Creek Hotel in Columbia. Registration deadline is Nov. 28. Details and registration. Contact Heather Bowden at 573-882-4303 or Nicholshn@missouri.edu for more information.

Economics. Ben Brown, MU Extension agricultural business and policy state specialist, kicks off the event with a look at economic forces shaping Missouri agriculture in 2026. He will offer practical economic insights and market updates and review updated crop enterprise budgets.

Corn. In a session by Mark Licht of Iowa State University, corn growers will hear how short-stature hybrids are gaining traction. He will share research-based management practices.

Soybean. A panel of soybean farmers will discuss practical ways to boost yields. MU Extension soybean agronomy specialist Andre Reis will share the latest research on cultivar maturity group, plant population and row spacing to help growers make decisions based upon local conditions and yield potential.

Nutrient management and soil health.Tim Reinbott will touch on a hot button in agriculture: soil health. He will tell how to manage crops for more drought resilience. The director of MU’s soil testing laboratory, Rasel Parej, will compare soil-test-based preplant fertilizer programs with dynamic in-season approaches that respond to crop needs and field variability. He will outline how preplant recommendations are developed and adjusted under shifting input costs, commodity markets, and high-yield conditions. USDA Agricultural Research Service agronomist Lori Abendroth will examine cropping systems.

Weeds. Bradley will present new information on waterhemp resistance and potential solutions. He shares his years of experience with this weed that has become increasingly resistant to control. Bradley and graduate students Trace Thompson, Jesse Young and Zach Ury will also give brief summaries and results from weed management projects at MU.

Weather. MU Extension climatologist Zachary Leasor reviews 2025 weather and describes tools to monitor drought, including new soil moisture datasets, rainfall monitoring and drought reporting.

Disease. MU Extension plant pathologist Mandy Bish shares management updates on some of the plant diseases that have infected Missouri crops this past year, including red crown rot disease and soybean cyst nematode. She’ll share results of a statewide foliar disease rating effort and how it can affect future grower management decisions. Purdue University doctoral student Morgan Goodnight will tell how timing of chemical control is critical to managing tar spot of corn in the Midwest.

Insects. MU Extension crops entomologist Ivair Valmorbida talks about new pests to watch for and ones that persist across the seasons.

Forages. MU Extension state forage specialist Carson Roberts explores key strategies for turning hay production into a profitable enterprise. Topics include timing your cuts for maximum value, wise fertilizer decisions, reading market signals to determine agronomic action, managing equipment costs and effective hay marketing. Rob Myers and Kaitlyn Dozer of the MU Center for Regenerative Agriculture tell how virtual fencing has grown in 2025 and review its pros and cons. They will also talk about cover crop grazing.

Technology. Marcelo Barbosa of University of Georgia offers technology updates to bump yields and ease the workload, including a session on “Integrating Cutting-Edge Technologies for Crop Monitoring and Management.”