Illinois Farm Bureau is partnering with the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign to share “Breaking Down Biologicals,” an eight-part educational series exploring biological products and their role in modern agriculture.
The series is hosted by Connor Sible, a research assistant professor in the College of Agricultural, Consumer and Environmental Sciences. He completed his bachelor’s, master’s and doctorate degrees in crop sciences from the U of I.
Sible’s research focuses on categorizing biological and biostimulant products and understanding where, how and why they work to improve fertilizer use efficiency and increase crop yields. He also studies agronomic inputs and crop residue management strategies to enhance nutrient release and improve soil nutrient supply.
His work has emphasized the categorization and implementation of biological products in soybean and corn production systems. This research path led him to study with Fred Below in U of I’s Crop Physiology Laboratory, where they examine management practices and production factors that optimize soybean and corn yields.
During the next few months, Sible will share research findings with a goal of providing clarity and offer a farmer-first filter to cut through marketing noise. Sharing research findings in this series should help growers determine where these tools offer a reliable return on investment and where they may fall flat. Specifically, he will discuss:
- June 1: Bio-what!? A review of biologicals, biostimulants and biofertilizers
- June 15: Want to use a biological? Answer these 4 questions first
- June 29: Know your options, what’s “that” biological?
- July 13: What is making biological headlines today?
- July 27: Got nitrogen? These microbes do, but do they share that with our crop?
- Aug. 10: Reduce, reuse, recycle…your residue
- Aug. 24: Carbon as an input? Maybe so with humic acid or sugar-based products
- Sept. 7: Wrap-up/Understanding the physiology
With each new article, IFB members will have access to supporting presentations, videos, radio interviews and more on FarmWeekNow.com.
IFB’s environmental team welcomes members’ questions, feedback and suggestions on topics to discuss in the future. Email environmentalteam@ilfb.org.
Content for this story was provided by FarmWeekNow.com.