Field Advisor Forum is coming

The Field Advisor Forum is an annual winter event funded by the Illinois Soybean Checkoff program that brings together farmers, Certified Crop Advisers and industry partners for a day of learning and collaboration. The event highlights practical agronomic information, research and tools to help improve on-farm decision-making. CCA credits will be available.

The 2026 Field Advisor Forum will be held on January 15 at the Atkins Golf Club at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign.

AGENDA:

8:00 AM: Registration and Breakfast

8:30 AM: Welcome – DeLoss Jahnke, RFD Radio Network

8:45 AM: “Thriving in Economic Chaos,” Dr. David Kohl, Professor Emeritus, Virginia Tech 

9:30 AM: “ISA On-Farm Trial Network Sulfur Update,” Stephanie Porter, CCA, Outreach Agronomist, Illinois Soybean Association

10:00 AM: Break

10:30 AM: “Updating Liming Recommendations for Illinois Croplands: Buffer pH Tests and Lime Rate Calibrations,” Dr. Andrew Margenot, Associate Professor of Soil Science, Department of Crop Science, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign

11:00 AM: “Stress Tested: What Makes or Breaks Soybean,” Dr. Shaun Casteel, Associate Professor of Agronomy, Agriculture and Natural Resources, Purdue University

11:45 AM: Lunch & Field Advisor Award Ceremony

1:00 PM: “The Final Drive: Tackling Late-Season Soybean Challenges,” Dr. Rachel Vann, Associate Professor of Cropping Systems, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign

1:45 PM: Jacob Dickey, Meterologist, WCIA 3 News

2:15 PM: Break

2:30 PM: University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign IPM Panel with Dr. Boris Camiletti, Assistant Professor Plant Pathology, Dr. Aaron Hager, Professor of Weed Science, and Dr. Nick Seiter, Field Crop Entomologist