Agronomy Days continues with Stairway to Yield, other events for producers
Agronomy Days 2026 at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign continues with events scheduled into October, teaching Illinois growers the latest breakthroughs in productivity, profitability, and sustainability. Events hosted by the College of Agricultural, Consumer and Environmental Sciences and Illinois Extension showcase new research findings and demonstrate updated management practices.
The remaining events of the series can be found on the Agronomy Days website. Just around the corner, on July 15, is the Orr Agricultural Research and Demonstration Center Field Day, where experts will discuss crop disease risks, insect and weed management, and weather forecasting, among other topics.
“Stairway to Yield,” a field day focused on crop physiology, will take place on Aug. 6 at 4202 S. First St. in Savoy. It features eight presentations from researchers on topics ranging from fertilizer management strategies to high-yield corn and soybean insights.
“This year marks our fifth annual Crop Physiology Day,” said Connor Sible, research assistant professor in the Department of Crop Sciences, part of the College of ACES. Sible will discuss management factors and their impacts on soybean yield. “We can’t wait to share our research with the people we do it for: Illinois growers.”
The free event will kick off at 8 a.m. at the Crop Sciences Research and Education Center with breakfast. Throughout the day, attendees will hear from researchers in the Department of Crop Sciences while also enjoying sponsor visits, snack breaks, and lunch.
Other Agronomy Days events include Monmouth Field Day on July 22, Ewing Agronomy Field Day on July 23, a discussion on the upcoming Alma Mater Plots on Aug. 11, an Insect Management Field Day and Plot Tour on Aug. 12, and the First International Miscanthus Summit on Oct. 26.
“We’ve had great participation so far in our early-summer events, and we look forward to welcoming even more growers as the series continues,” said Agronomy Days organizer Nick Seiter, an assistant professor and faculty Extension specialist in crop sciences. “The best part, from our perspective, is learning from growers about the challenges they’re facing. A huge part of our land-grant mission is responding to the needs of our stakeholders, and this is a great way to get to hear from folks. Come on out!”