Program – 2026

Schedule Overview:

7:00 a.m. – Registration Begins

8:00 a.m.-1:00 p.m. – Commercial and Educational Displays

8:00 a.m.-12:00 p.m. – Research Tours (Tour A-M)

12:00-12:30 p.m. – Antique Tractor Parade

12:30 p.m. – Drone and Airplane Demonstrations: Located in the field adjacent to the grassy area in front of the center’s office.
Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) – Simer Virk, Auburn University
Manned Aircraft – Brycen Rainey, Rainey Aerial Ag Service Inc.

Field Day Activities:

Traditional Skills Demonstrators

Sponsored by CAP of Rutherford

This year, there is a new addition to the events of the day. Under the shade trees to the east of the West Tennessee Agricultural Museum, eight different traditional skills will be demonstrated to remind us of how far we have come in our industry.
Demonstrations will be located in the area behind the Ag Museum from 8:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m.

• 1900 Hay Trolley – Allen Leitherland
• Bee Keeping – Bob Hathcock
• Blacksmithing – Tennessee River Artist Blacksmith Association
• Cotton Ginning – Don Gibson, Darol Copley, Bob Hayes Crochet, Knitting, Spinning – Stephanie Welch
• Grist Mill – Doug and Gerald Davis
• Sorghum Making – Jim Baier
• Wood Turning – Randy Pitts

Antique Tractor Show & Parade

Sponsored by Tennessee Farm Bureau

In the lawn across from the West TN Ag Museum, two different clubs: Shade Tree Antique Tractor Club – Dyer County and West TN Antique Engine and Tractor Association, and several individuals will display their antique tractors to remind us all of days gone by. The antique tractor show will be on the lawn across from the Ag Museum between 8:00 a.m. and noon, and the parade will begin at noon on the paved driveway between the Ag Museum and shop area.

AgResearch and Education Center at Milan Overview Tour

Visitors to the Milan No-Till Field Day are invited to participate in the AgResearch and Education Center at Milan overview tour for a brief introduction to UT AgResearch. Participants will be given a tour of the center. Various solution-oriented research projects along the tour route will be described. Participants will board the Overview Tour Trailers located at the east end of the outside commercial display area. This tour will last approximately 20 minutes and will be available from 8:00 a.m. through 12:00 p.m.

West Tennessee Agricultural Museum

The West Tennessee Agricultural Museum will be open throughout the No-Till Field Day events from 7:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. Large displays of antique farm equipment and tools used by early West Tennessee settlers are featured. The museum is located on the field day site. Admission is free.

Celebrating America’s 250th Birthday

Sponsored by Wintersteiger

In celebration of America’s 250th Birthday, the first 250 people who register on site will get a free barbecue lunch. Lunch will be served in the food shed by Latham’s Meat Company

Research Tours

This year, thirteen research tours will be featured. Tours will start at 8:00 a.m. (CDT), Thursday, July 23. The final tours of the day will start no later than 11:00 a.m. Tours are 1 hour in length. Those desiring to take several tours should plan to arrive early.

Time	Shed 1	Shed 2	Shed 3	Back of Shop	Ag Museum Conference Room
8-9 a.m.	Tour L: Disease Management in Row Crops	Tour H: Irrigation/Drought Management	Tour D: Endangered Species Act (ESA) Changes to Pesticide Labels & Requirements	N/A	N/A
9-10 a.m.	Tour A: No-Till Corn Production	Tour G: Managing Soil Health for Productive & Resilient Cropping Systems	Tour F: Adopting Mehlich III Extraction for Phosphorus & Potassium Recommendations in TN	Tour J: Precision Agriculture	N/A
10-11 a.m.	Tour C: No-Till Soybean Production	Tour J: Precision Agriculture	Tour I: Planning Today for Tomorrow’s Farm	Tour K: No-Till Canola Production	Tour M: Growing Your Legacy – Strategies for Planned Giving
11a.m.-12p.m.	Tour E: Herbicide-Resistant Weed Management	Tour B: No-Till Cotton Production	Tour K: No-Till Canola Production	Tour C: No-Till Soybean Production	N/A

Tour A: No-Till Corn Production

Tour A will be presented in Shed 1 at 9:00 a.m. This tour will require 1 hour.

Insect Control in Conventional Corn
Sebe Brown, UT Department of Entomology and Plant Pathology, Associate Professor

Trends From 10 Years of Corn CST’s
Ryan Blair, UT Extension Specialist II, Grain and Variety Testing

Advancing Nutrient Management Using Fertilizer Recommendations Support Tool
Nathan A. Salon, University of Arkansas Agricultural Experiment Station, Interim Chair, Professor and Associate Vice President for Agriculture

Tour B: No-Till Cotton Production

Sponsored by Crockett Gin Company and Bemis Gin and Warehouse
Tour B will be presented in Shed 2 at 11:00 a.m. This tour will require 1 hour.

Investigating Apical Dominance Loss and Mitigation Strategies in Cotton Production Systems
Gabriella Marotta, UT Department of Entomology and Plant Pathology / Department of Plant Sciences, Graduate Research Assistant

Assessment of Cotton Cultivars with Different Maturity Levels Under Smart Irrigation and Water-Limited Regimes
Smirti Shahi, UT Department of Plant Sciences, Graduate Research Assistant

Investigating the Damage Potential of Clouded Plant Bugs in ThryvOn Cotton
Nathan Arey, UT Department of Entomology and Plant Pathology, Graduate Research Assistant

Yield Robbers Below Ground–Seedling Diseases and Nematodes
Kayla Reid, UT Department of Entomology and Plant Pathology, Graduate Research Assistant

Tour C: No-Till Soybean Production

Sponsored by Tennessee Soybean Promotion Council Inc
Tour C will be presented in Shed 1 at 10:00 a.m., and in the back of the shop at 11:00 a.m. This tour will require 1 hour.

Weed Management in Vyconic Soybeans
Gavin Sparks, UT Department of Plant Sciences, Graduate Research Assistant

County Standardized Soybean Trials
Jake Mallard, UT Extension Agent III and County Director – Gibson County

UT Soybean Breeding: SCN Resistance and Variety Update
Chris Wyman, UT Department of Plant Sciences, Assistant Professor

Tour D: Endangered Species Act (ESA) Changes to Pesticide Labels & Requirements

Tour D will be presented in Shed 3 at 8:00 a.m. This tour will require 1 hour.

Weed Management Implications with New Herbicide Labels
Sally Reed, UT Department of Plant Sciences, Graduate Research Assistant

ESA Pesticide Label Requirements
Chad Hayes, Tennessee Department of Agriculture

Practical Implementation of Label ESA Changes for Growers and Pesticide Applicators
Kim Brown, Acre Blitz Co-Founder

Tour E: Herbicide-Resistant Weed Management

Tour E will be presented in Shed 1 at 11:00 a.m. This tour will require 1 hour.

Herbicide-Resistant Weed Management
Larry Steckel, UT Department of Plant Sciences, Professor
Hayden Love, UT Department of Plant Sciences, Graduate Research Assistant

Tour F: Adopting Mehlich III Extraction for Phosphorus & Potassium Recommendations in Tennessee

Tour F will be presented in Shed 3 at 9:00 a.m. This tour will require 1 hour

Interpreting Soil Test Results for Fertilizer Recommendations
Robert Florence, UT Soil, Plant and Pest Testing Center, Director

Using Melich III Extraction for Phosphorus and Potassium Fertilizer
Nutifafa Adotey, UT Department of Biosystems Engineering and Soil Science, Associate Professor

Panel Discussion: Role of Grower Input in Refining Mehlich III Based Fertilizer Recommendations
Robert Florence, UT Soil, Plant and Pest Testing Center, Director

Tour G: Managing Soil Health for Productive & Resilient Cropping Systems

Tour G will be presented in Shed 2 at 9:00 a.m. This tour will require 1 hour.

Utility of Chicken Litter in a Corn–Soybean Rotation
Jake McNeal, UT Department of Plant Sciences, Assistant Professor

Do Conservation Practices Add Up? Stacking Soil Conservation Practices for Soil Health
Debasish Saha, UT Department of Biosystems Engineering and Soil Science, Associate Professor
Facundo Lussich, UT Department of Biosystems Engineering and Soil Science, Postdoctoral Scholar

Cover Crop Nitrogen Calendar
Resham Thapa, TSU Department of Agricultural Sciences and Engineering, Assistant Professor

Management Effects on Biological Nitrogen Fixation in Legume Cover Crops
Facundo Lussich, UT Department of Biosystems Engineering and Soil Science, Postdoctoral Scholar
Sindu Jagadamma, UT Department of Biosystems Engineering and Soil Science, Professor
Debasish Saha, UT Department of Biosystems Engineering and Soil Science, Associate Professor

Tour H: Irrigation/Drought Management

Tour H will be presented in Shed 2 at 8:00 a.m. This tour will require 1 hour.

Making Every Drop Count: Deficit Irrigation for Sustainable Corn Production
Kendall Sheldon, UT Department of Plant Sciences, Research Associate
Avat Shekoofa, UT Department of Plant Sciences, Associate Professor

The Scientific Logic of Farmland Water Management
Xi Zhang, UT Department of Biosystems Engineering and Soil Science, Assistant Professor

Advanced Irrigation Management for Profitable Returns
Wesley Porter, University of Georgia, Professor and Extension Precision Ag and Irrigation Specialist

The Economics of Cover Crop, No-Till, and Water Management
Le Chen, UT Department of Agricultural and Resource Economics, Assistant Professor

Tour I: Planning Today for Tomorrow’s Farm

Tour I will be presented in Shed 3 at 10:00 a.m. This tour will require 1 hour.

Why Succession Planning?
Charles Martinez, UT Department of Agricultural and Resource Economics, Associate Professor

The Family Discussion
Eryn Bell, UT Department of Agricultural and Resource Economics, UT Farm Management Specialist

Taking Stock of Your Estate
Les Humpal, UT Department of Agricultural and Resource Economics, UT Farm Management Specialist

Tour J: Precision Agriculture

Tour J will be presented in the back of the shop at 9:00 a.m., and again in Shed 2 at 10:00 a.m. This tour will require 1 hour.

Optimizing Your Planter Setting and Technology for Stand Establishment in Corn and Cotton
Wesley Porter, University of Georgia, Professor and Extension Precision Ag and Irrigation Specialist

Targeted Herbicide Application: A See and Spray Approach
Lauren Lazaro, University of Georgia Department of Crop and Soil Sciences, Assistant Professor and Extension Precision Ag Specialist

Pesticide Applications with Spray Drones and Manned Aircraft
Simer Virk, Auburn University Department of Biosystems Engineering, Associate Professor and Extension Precision Ag Specialist
Brycen Rainey, Rainey Aerial Ag Service Inc., Owner/Operator

Integrating Drone Thermal Imagery into Plant-Based Irrigation Strategies
Charles “Munga” Muiruri, UT Department of Plant Sciences, Graduate Research Assistant
Nazir Ahmad, UT Department of Plant Sciences, Postdoctoral Fellow
Avat Shekoofa, UT Department of Plant Sciences, Associate Professor

Tour K: No-Till Canola Production

Sponsored by Corteva Agriscience
Tour K will be presented in the back of the shop at 10:00 a.m. and again in Shed 3 at 11:00 a.m. This tour will require 1 hour.

Canola 101 – Let’s Talk About Where We Are with Canola in Tennessee
Mitchell Richmond, UT Department of Plant Sciences, Associate Professor

Experiences with Research on Canola in Tennessee Over the Past 15 Years
Brad Fisher, UT Department of Plant Sciences, Research Associate

Not Too Early, Not Too Late – Finding the “Just Right” Timing for Fungicide in Winter Canola
Claire Cooke, UT Department of Entomology and Plant Pathology, Graduate Research Assistant
Heather Kelly, UT Department of Entomology and Plant Pathology, Extension Specialist and Plant Pathology Researcher

Corteva Research Findings in Tennessee and the Mid-South: What Works, What Doesn’t
Kyle Holmberg, Corteva, Field Agronomist

Bunge Updates
Alex Hibler, Bunge, Winter Canola Commercial Manager

Tour L: Disease Management in Row Crops

Tour L will be presented in Shed 1 at 8:00 a.m. This tour will require 1 hour.

Foliar Disease in Soybeans
Lucas Marques, UT Department of Entomology and Plant Pathology, Graduate Research Assistant

Modeling Disease Risk – Crop Disease Forecasting Tool
Wade Webster, North Dakota State University, Assistant Professor and Extension Plant Pathologist

Best Practices for Fungicide Applications with Drone
Terry Spurlock, The University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture, Professor and Extension Plant Pathologist

Tour M: Growing Your Legacy – Strategies for Planned Giving

Tour M will be presented in the conference room of the West Tennessee Agricultural Museum at 10:00 a.m. This tour will require 1 hour.

Growing Your Legacy: Strategies for Planned Giving
Ashley Eshleman, Esq.
UT Office of Advancement, Director of Planned Giving

Commercial Displays

ADM
Advanced Agrilytics
AgLaunch
Agricenter International
Agroliquid
AgXplore
Alliance Ag Equipment
American Irrigation
Baling Green Cotton Wrap
BASF/Stoneville
Bayer
Beck’s
Brandt
Corteva AgriScience
Farm Credit Mid-America
First Choice Farm & Lawn
GreenPoint Ag
H&R Agri-Power
Helms Motor Co. Inc.
MacDon – Short Line Sales
Mallard Metal Buildings
Martin-Till
MiLink
Newton Crouch Company, LLC
Poston Family Garlic Farm
Purple Wave Auction
Rea Agri Service
Southeastern Seed Company, LLC
Syngenta
Tennessee Farmers Cooperative
Tennessee Soybean Promotion Board
Tennessee Tractor, LLC
The KBH Corporation
Thompson Machinery
Titan Ag, LLC
Tyson Local Grain Services
UniSouth Genetics, Inc
Walk-In Urgent Care
Wintersteiger

Educational Displays

Crop Protection Network
Gibson County Farm Bureau Women
Kentucky Department of Ag & Raising Hope KY
Tennessee Association of Rescue Squads (TARS)
Tennessee Corn Board Association
Tennessee Department of Agriculture – Ag Inputs
Tennessee Forestry Association
Tennessee Soybean Promotion Council Inc.
TN AgrAbility/TN AgVols
USDA Gibson County Farm Service Agency Tennessee
USDA NASS (National Agricultural Statistics Service)
USDA-NRCS Soil Health Booth
USDA Soil Health Trailer
USDA Tennessee Farm Service Agency
UTIA AgResearch
UTIA Extension
UTIA Marketing and Communications
UT Martin – College of Agriculture and Applied Sciences
West Tennessee Healthcare Milan Hospital

Point Signup and Recertification Requirements for Commercial and Private Applicators

Individuals who currently have a valid commercial or private applicator certification card must accumulate credit (points) during the three-year certification cycle to retain their certification into the next cycle. For more information concerning point requirements, please visit psep.utk.edu.

Commercial and private pesticide applicators MUST SIGN the sign-up sheets located at the shed where the tour is held to obtain credit. Remember to include as much information as possible, sign the roster sheet legibly, and include your certification number.

Rosters containing attendee information will be forwarded to the Tennessee Department of Agriculture so attendees may receive recertification credit.

Tennessee’s pesticide coordinator has assigned recertification points for categories listed in the following table.

Tour	C1	C2	C12	Private
Tour A	1	1	1	1
Tour B	1	1	1	1
Tour C	1	1	1	1
Tour D (one point will be given in each Category 1-16	1	1	1	1
Tour E	1	1	1	1
Tour J	1	1	1	1
Tour K	1	1	1	1
Tour L	1	1	1	1

Certified Crop Adviser Program Continuing Education Units

The Tennessee Certified Crop Adviser Board has approved the following Continuing Education Units (CEUs): 2.5 Crop Management, 2.0 Soil and Water Management, 4.0 Integrated Pest Management, 1.0 Precision Ag, 1.5, 2.0 Professional Development and 1.5 Nutrient Management. According to information available on the International CCA Program website, Tennessee approved CEUs are recognized by local boards in all states.

Certified crop advisers MUST SIGN the sign-up sheets located at the tent where the tour is held to obtain credit.

Category	Tour
Nutrient Management	A,F,G
Soil and Water Management	F,G,H
Crop Management	A,B,C,K
Integrated Pest Management	B,C,D,E,L
Precision Agriculture	J
Professional Development	I, M

Amenities

Field Day Parking

Sponsored by GreenPoint Ag

The general parking area will be at the No-Till Field Day site near the West Tennessee Agricultural Museum. Follow the signs.

Handicapped persons will have a special designated parking area near the Registration Tent to facilitate needs.

To request an accommodation for accessibility, please contact us at: 731-686-7362.

Food and Refreshments

America’s 250th Lunch

Sponsored by Wintersteiger

Food and drink will be available throughout the No-Till Crop Production Field Day. The food shed will be located at the end of the gravel lot across from the Research Tour sheds. Lunch items may include Tennessee barbecue, slaw, chips, baked beans, and soft drinks. There will be other food vendors available in the parking lot of the West Tennessee Agricultural Museum.

Water coolers and restrooms will be available at many locations over the Field Day site.

Medical Assistance

Emergency medical care and treatment by trained staff will be available near the registration tent.

Aviation Information

The Gibson County Airport is located six miles west of Milan. Asphalt runway 1/19 is 4,800 ft. x 75 ft. Call 731-686-1524 for information.

The McKellar-Sipes Regional Airport is located 30 miles south of Milan in Jackson, Tennessee, on Airways Blvd./ Highway 70. For information, call U.S. Aviation Services – FBO at 731-427-0191, Jackson Control Tower – FAA at 731-425-9430, or Airport Authority at 731-423-0995.

Memphis International Airport is approximately 100 miles southwest of Milan, in Memphis, Tennessee. For more information, call 901-398-3900.

Nashville International Airport is located approximately 145 miles east of Milan, in Nashville, Tennessee. For more information, call 615-275-1675.

Maps

Sponsorships

We would like to thank all of our sponsors that partner with us to make this event possible.

Community Partners – $250

American Irrigation
ATA Firm
Blake and Lisa Brown
Carrol Bank and Trust
Edward Jones
Jason and Dana Williams
Milan Chamber of Commerce
Quality Fence
Security Bank and Trust Co.
UniSouth Genetics, Inc.

Supporting Partners – $750

Robinson and Belew Inc.
Titan International/Carlstar

Location Partners – $1,000

CAP of Rutherford – Traditional Skills Demonstration
GreenPoint Ag – No-Till Soybean Parking Lot
Tennessee Farm Bureau – Antique Tractor Show

Research Shed Partners – $1,500
Corteva Agriscience – Shed 3
Crockett & Bemis Gin Company and Warehouse – Shed 2
Tennessee Soybean Promotion Council Inc. – Shed 1 and Shop ($2500 level sponsor)

Meal Partners – $2,500

Nutrien Ag Solutions – VIP Breakfast
Syngenta – VIP Breakfast
Wintersteiger – America’s 250th Lunch