Colorado State University to Hold Dry Bean Field Day August 24

Agriculture producers will have the opportunity to get up-to-date on dry bean developments during the Colorado Dry Bean Field Day. Colorado State University and the Colorado Dry Bean Administrative Committee will hold a Dry Bean Field Day at three sites in eastern Colorado on Aug. 24.

The program starts at 8:30 a.m. on a farm near Lucerne. This site features one of the two Colorado dry bean trials featuring 36 different pinto bean varieties and experimental lines from the western United States. The varieties are from Colorado State University, University of Idaho, North Dakota State University and four private seed companies.

Participants will see the newest dry bean varieties, tour research plots and hear the most recent information on agronomic, disease and pest control practices for dry bean production in Colorado.

The Colorado Dry Bean Field Day is an opportunity to view the most recently released varieties in one location in replicated tests. Area Extension agronomists and dry bean Extension specialists from CSU will present brief updates on breeding, pathology, irrigation management and agronomy.

At 10:30 a.m., the field day will move one mile west to the USDA-ARS Limited Irrigation Research Farm to visit bean production and research under drip and limited irrigation.

A free lunch will be provided courtesy of Northern Feed and Bean in Lucerne. After lunch, the field day program will move to Yuma to visit the second Colorado dry bean variety trial. Refreshments will be provided courtesy of Trinidad Benham in Sterling.

The Colorado Dry Bean Field Day is sponsored by CSU Extension, Colorado State University Agricultural Experiment Station and Colorado Dry Bean Administrative Committee.

For more information, contact Howard Schwartz at (970) 491-6987, Jerry Johnson at (970) 491-1454 or Mark Brick at (970) 491-6551.

Directions to the sites:

Greeley Site 1 (8:30 a.m.): Steve Kelly farm: From Lucerne, which is north of Greeley on Highway 85, go east on Highway 392 4 miles to Weld County Road 47. Turn south and go 3 miles to Weld County Road 62. Turn west to a dead end at the Greeley airport runway, turn south and follow the farm road for 300 yards.

Greeley Site 2 (10:30 a.m.): USDA-ARS Limited Irrigation Research Farm: From site 1, return to Weld County Road 47 and drive 2 miles north to Weld County Road 66. Turn west to Weld County Road 45 then turn south to the intersection of Weld County Roads 64 and 45. The plot is on southeast corner of the intersection.

Yuma Site 3 (4 p.m.): Richard Wacker farm: From Yuma, drive north on Highway 59 one mile to County Road 40. The field plots are in the northwest corner of this intersection.

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