AMES, Iowa – Nitrogen management, the use of unmanned aerial vehicles in agriculture and a grain market outlook will highlight the March 12 annual meeting of the North Central Iowa Research Association, which owns the Iowa State University Northern Research and Demonstration Farm.
The annual meeting and educational program will be at the Duncan Ballroom, which is located just south of Highway 18 in Duncan. The address is 2337 Nation Ave., Britt.
Registration and refreshments will be at 9 a.m. and the meeting will start a 9:30 a.m. It will adjourn at 2 p.m.
The meeting is open to the public and at no cost. Persons who plan to attend are encouraged to pre-register by March 6, to plan for numbers of meals and handout materials. To register, call the Hancock County Extension office at (641) 923-2856 or the Wright County Extension office at (515) 532-3453.
Dennis Schwab, North Central Iowa Research Association president, will begin the morning program with an update on recent activities of the association.
Micah Smidt, farm superintendent, will provide a season review. Matt Schnabel, farm ag specialist, will discuss results from the On-Farm Cooperator trials and how farmers can get involved. Reports of results from farm research in 2014 will be distributed.
Zach Vanderleest and Ryan Bergman, ISU agricultural and biosystems engineering staff members, will discuss unmanned aerial vehicles, including legal standards, advice for selecting one and ownership of precision ag data.
Angie Rieck-Hinz and Paul Kassel, extension field agronomists, will discuss current issues with nitrogen management including nitrogen rates, timing and water quality issues.
Chad Hart, extension economist, will provide an outlook for grain markets in 2015. Hart also will discuss crop insurance decision-making.
The Northern Research and Demonstration Farm in Kanawha is the oldest of Iowa State’s network of research farms, with origins dating from 1930. The North Central Iowa Research Association owns the farm’s land, provides advice and rents the land to Iowa State, which operates it and conducts research.