Whether it’s breeding new drought-tolerant crops, innovating systemic weed control strategies, or exploring better ways to integrate forages and livestock, the research at Kansas State University’s Agricultural Research Center–Hays is grounded in the needs of farmers and ranchers in western Kansas.
That boots-on-the-ground focus will be front and center at the 2025 Fall Field Day on Tuesday, Aug. 26, beginning at 9 a.m. The event will feature a morning session of field plot tours and technology demonstrations, followed by lunch and a series of short indoor presentations. You can register for the field day and learn more at www.wkrec.org.
Morning tour stops will include demonstrations of See-and-Spray precision technology for targeted herbicide application, as well as a harvest weed seed destructor, a newer tool in integrated weed management being evaluated for Palmer amaranth control in western Kansas. Other stops will highlight nitrogen fertility management in sorghum, annual forage rotations, and integrated livestock and crop systems, with practical insights for producers managing wheat-sorghum-fallow rotations or seeking to improve grazing resources.
The tour will also feature K-State’s expanding pearl millet breeding program, which includes more than 200 experimental hybrids under evaluation. Researchers at Hays are working to position this climate-resilient, drought-tolerant cereal as a promising grain and forage option for dryland production in the central Great Plains.
Following the morning tours, guests are invited to a complimentary lunch and an indoor poster session featuring current research from graduate students and faculty. Afternoon presentations will cover topics such as cover crop adoption, herbicide efficacy, tillage effects on soil health, and drought-tolerant crop development.
The Agricultural Research Center is located at 1232 240th Ave., Hays, Kan. No RSVP is required, and lunch is provided.
For more information, contact wkrec@k-state.edu or visit www.wkrec.org
Tags: Western KS Fall Field Day