May 17, 2024

Highland celebrates agriculture with Research Day at the plots

The summer crop scouting class is pictured, including Jared Bergeman (from left), Carter Daws, Dylan Greenfield, Cole Becker, Sophia Hughes and Cheyenne Mapes.

The summer crop scouting class is pictured, including Jared Bergeman (from left), Carter Daws, Dylan Greenfield, Cole Becker, Sophia Hughes and Cheyenne Mapes.

FREEPORT, Ill. — The Highland Community College Agriculture Department invites the public to the 2023 Agriculture Research Day.

The event will begin at 9 a.m. on Wednesday, Sept. 6 at the Highland Community College Research Plots, 3579 W. Stephenson St., Freeport.

The annual event showcases some of the projects the Highland agriculture students have worked on throughout the growing season.

Highlights this year include corn and soybean variety trials, fungicide application trials, planting population studies, planter technology trials and some partnership projects with the University of Illinois.

Throughout the morning, industry professionals will be on hand discussing seed traits, chemical properties, agronomic insights and equipment technology.

New this year will be a planting demonstration using the Highland Agriculture planter that was recently upgraded this past spring with Precision Planting DeltaForce, FurrowForce and CleanSweep.

A drone demonstration using the college’s DJI T10 aerial application drone that was used this year to apply cover crops will also be included at the event. To finish off the day, lunch will be provided to all attendees.

“The day is sure to be full of useful agronomic information and networking among students, producers and industry leaders,” said Justin Ebert, an agriculture instructor at Highland.

The following businesses supported the Highland Agriculture Department efforts at the research plots this year: Highland Community College Foundation, Stephenson Service Company, Pearl City Elevator, Baker Precision Planter Works, Prairie State Tractor, Cornelius Seed, Firehouse Seed and Service, Renk Seed, Nutrien Ag Solutions, Mark Feed & Seed, Channel Seed, Bayer Crop Science, BASF, Wyffels Hybrids, Taranis, Climate Fieldview, Sheffey Farms, Becker Farms, Hinrichs Family Farms, Champion Seed, Brevant Seeds, DyanGro Seed, Dairyland Seed, Croplan, DeKalb Seed, Alloy Seed and Genesis Seed.

For more information and to register for the free event, visit the Highland Community College Events page at https://highland.edu/event-calendar/.

BayerCornDronesFarm EquipmentFungicidePrecision PlantingScienceSeedSoybeansUniversity of IllinoisWyffels Hybrids