ACES Agronomy Days series returns to University of Illinois
With summer just around the corner, Agronomy Days will soon return to the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. The season-long series teaches Illinois growers the latest breakthroughs in productivity, profitability, and sustainability. Hosted by the Department of Crop Sciences, the College of Agricultural, Consumer and Environmental Sciences, and Illinois Extension, Agronomy Days will begin in June and continue through August.
“We are carrying forward our decades-long tradition of Agronomy Day, with an emphasis on reaching a wider audience,” said Adam Davis, crop sciences department head. “We’ve intentionally scheduled events across the growing season and in multiple locations to highlight what’s happening in the field and to help growers and other attendees fit these educational opportunities into their busy schedules.”
Agronomy Days 2026 kicks off with a Small Grains Field Day on June 4 at 8:30 a.m. at the Agronomy Seed House, 2102 S Wright St. in Urbana. There, experts will cover wheat pathology, wheat breeding, oat breeding, and oat-pea intercropping research. Register for the event.
On June 11, a Summer Horticulture Field Day will take place from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. at Rader Family Farms at 1312 Ropp Rd in Normal, Ill. With a fourth-generation family farm of corn and soybeans now stretching more than 2,400 acres, the Rader family has expanded into multiple specialty crops and evolved their land into an agritourism destination.
At the field day, the Rader family will discuss their business, and ACES faculty — Mohammad Babadoost, Kacie Athey, and James Santiago — will update attendees on best practices in disease and pest management, focusing on specialty crops. Other specialty crop industry researchers, suppliers, and industry partners will also be on site to answer questions throughout the day. Coffee, donuts, and lunch will be provided. Register upon arrival.
On June 24, Aaron Hager’s team will lead a Weed Science Field Research Tour. Registration starts at 8 a.m., and the tour begins at 9 a.m. at the Department of Crop Sciences’ field research location — also known as the Clem Farm, located at 1114 County Road 1200 East in Champaign. During the tour, attendees will see the research plots, compare corn and soybean herbicide programs, and view new agricultural products.
Field days and tours continue throughout the season, giving attendees a chance to peek behind the scenes at ACES’ research farms and hear from experts about emerging agricultural developments. Organizers will continue to add new events throughout the season, so make sure to bookmark the Agronomy Days calendar and connect with ACES’ social media.
“This series lets folks see the forefront of crop sciences research in action,” said Nick Seiter, assistant professor and faculty Extension specialist in crop sciences. “We’re excited to welcome everyone to learn with us during Agronomy Days 2026.”