Rain, heat and mud made for a memorable Farm Science Review

by | Sep 22, 2017 | Ohio Country Journal

Despite a daylong drench and the mud that followed, this year?s Farm Science Review drew eager attendees who came to learn about the latest innovations in agriculture and tote home a bag of freebies.

A record-number of exhibitors, 642, intrigued attendees with farm machinery, varieties of seeds and fertilizers, weed killers and crop advice at the three-day agricultural trade show.

?The attendees who visited us, despite the rain and muddy parking lots, were still able to find ways to make their farming operations more efficient,? said Nick Zachrich, manager of the Review. ?Exhibitors had new equipment, small and large, for all sizes of farmers. Those with just a few acres or a few thousand acres could find something to improve their businesses.?

The event at the Molly Caren Agricultural Center near London attracted a total of 113,836 visitors over three days. The first day, the appealing temperate weather turned into a downpour, but many still stayed to catch some advice and later slide through muddy parking lots on their way out.

?We were happy to help farmers test-drive their 4-wheel drive vehicles in the parking lot,? Zachrich said.

There was plenty of discussion about 2017 crops at the event.

?This hot weather is really going to bring on some of this crop, but there is a lot of corn out there still above 30% moisture. The lowest I?ve heard is 22%. It is going to be a long, drawn out fall, there?s no doubt about that,? said Dan Fox, with Seed Consultants, Inc. on Thursday of the show. ?The corn overall is a pretty good crop but there are areas that were drowned out and those holes are still out there.?

There was plenty of hopeful discussion about soybean yields as well.

?I have been talking to some guys who are thinking they may have 40- or 50-bushel double-crop beans and maybe 70-bushel first crop beans,? Fox said. ?The beans are podded up nicely with all the rains we?ve had and it could be a heck of a crop for beans.?

Fox also urged caution to make any rash decisions based on the unusual weather in 2017.

?When you have those hard three- or four-inch rains there is really nothing you can do about that. Even with weed control programs, don?t get too excited,? Fox said. ?How many summers do we get an inch or two of rain every week to make herbicide programs so challenging? I?ve been telling our growers not to make major changes based upon what they saw this summer.?

This year?s Farm Science Review also included talks on safety tips for the farm, field demonstrations on drones and drainage tile, advice on applying fertilizer and enough combines, tractors and planters to interest even those typically indifferent to machinery. A ride and drive area offered rides on utility vehicles and Zero Turn mowers, which allow for tight turns (and some fun in the mud). Demonstration plots showed pesticide drift potential, nutrient management and new soybean herbicide technology.

The largest turnout at the Review was on Wednesday when 50,880 visitors arrived. Tuesday drew 37,812 visitors, and the final day of the farm show attracted 25,144 people.

Next year?s Review will be Sept. 18, 19 and 20, 2018.