Oklahoma State University: OSU Field Day Events Deliver Research Directly To Oklahomans

Press release from Oklahoma State University:

2022-02-18

Oklahoma State University Ag Research and OSU Extension are strengthening their ties
to each other and communities statewide by broadening the scope of field days. The
educational events are open to the public and designed for all Oklahomans.

“There is an interconnectivity between ag research and Extension, and we want to build
on that interconnectivity,” said Scott Senseman, associate vice president of OSU Ag Research. “Our field days programming highlights OSU’s land-grant mission by bringing Extension
and research together.”

Chris Richards, director of the Field and Research Service Unit, said OSU Agriculture uses field days at its experiment stations to showcase targeted
developmental and applied research conducted across the state.

“The work we are doing in all our locations is often designed for specific application
to the livelihoods of people living and working in those regional areas,” Richards
said. “These events give us opportunities to showcase agricultural methods and products
that have stemmed from our research, so people can apply it to their own homes and
businesses.”

Richards and Josh Massey, FRSU research program manager, said as they move through
2022, they are looking for ways to make their events more inclusive with both attendees
and researchers.

“We want to give people the understanding that research and its developments are not
only for ag producers and businesspeople, but for homeowners and the general public
as well,” Massey said.

Alongside field research, the lineup of OSU Agriculture Field Days will also highlight
the research of laboratory scientists, such as microbiologists and geneticists and
some of the social and economic analysis that goes into agricultural research and
rural issues.

“It’s an opportunity to connect with an audience and demonstrate the work being done
by our faculty and staff,” Senseman said, adding that another goal is to build trust
in science.

 “It’s about being intentional in reaching the non-scientific community and relaying
what we are doing with our science. I think our field days can be an effective way
of conveying how science works and what can stem from it and the value of it.”

Extension is the bridge that connects agricultural and rural research to the world,
and it’s important to strengthen the relationship between the two entities, and expanding
the diversity of both participants and researchers is part of that, Senseman said.

OSU Extension is also on board with this new initiative to build even stronger ties between Extension
and ag research.

“The obvious thing to me is that Extension relies on research. We are taking research-based
information out to the public. That research is an integral part of everything we
do,” said Randy Taylor, assistant director of OSU Extension, adding that the existence of the two entities
relies heavily upon each other.

In a sense, research and Extension are really one, Taylor said.

“For me, I see this as an exciting time for research and Extension here at OSU, because
we’re trying to get back to our roots a little bit and open up that communication
pathway,” Taylor said. “Researchers at the land-grant university need to hear from
the public to help drive some of the research topics, and one of our roles is to facilitate
that communication between researchers and the public.”

OSU Agriculture Field Days in 2022 will include:

Presentation topics will include wheat varieties, wheat breeding, disease updates,
nutrient management and weed control.

Focuses on wheat production and new varieties. An informational event for wheat producers,
covering topics like weed and disease management, variety selection, fertilization
and markets.

Presentation topics will include irrigation, the Testing Ag Performance Solutions
(TAPS) program, cotton, regenerative agriculture in semi-arid ecosystems, cover crops,
forage systems and soil stewardship.

Presentation topics will include peanut varieties, irrigation, weed and disease management,
cotton varieties and cotton production practices.

Presentation topics will include irrigation, cotton and wheat establishment.

More information about these events will be available on the Field Days website.

OSU Agriculture is comprised of the Ferguson College of Agriculture and two state agencies: OSU Ag Research and OSU Extension, which are dedicated to
improving quality of life for the people of Oklahoma through science-based information
and education.

This press release was produced by Oklahoma State University. The views expressed here are the author’s own.