UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. -- Whether you’re a born farmer, or can’t tell alfalfa from arugula, you’ll appreciate the free bus tours at Penn State’s Ag Progress Days, Aug. 14-16 at Rock Springs. Providing insights on the future of food production and natural resources in the Keystone State, the tours give visitors a glimpse of what takes place at the 1,500-acre Russell E. Larson Agricultural Research Center.

Once again, Penn State-sponsored research tours and conservation-related tours sponsored by USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service will leave from the same location, offering a centralized departure point for all tours.

“Every one of us is touched by the food system, whether we grow food as our livelihood or visit our favorite grocery store or restaurant,” says Bruce McPheron, associate dean for research and graduate education in Penn State’s College of Agricultural Sciences. “Our university has a 150-year history of conducting research that brings the latest ideas and technologies together with pressing issues of how to produce safer and more nutritious foods in an environmentally responsible manner, and how to contribute to the well-being of rural, suburban and urban communities.

“The research tours at Ag Progress Days provide a glimpse into the work behind the answers and recommendations that we provide to our stakeholders,” McPheron says. “The agricultural research we do permits us to be the filter that helps answer these questions in the correct context. The science that underlies those answers is the key.”

Many of those answers can be found on the General Research Tour, a 40-minute overview of research conducted by Penn State's Departments of Crop and Soil Sciences, Entomology, Horticulture, and Plant Pathology, as well as the USDA Pasture Systems and Watershed Management Research Lab. Buses leave daily at the top of the hour from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Tours run until 6 p.m. Wednesday.

The High Tunnel Tour (1.5 hours) shows how using clear, plastic tunnels to grow vegetables, small fruits, and cut flowers in combination with other techniques can extend the state's growing season to almost 12 months. Buses leave daily at 9:30 a.m. and 1:30 p.m.

The Potato Research Tour (2 hours) offers commercial potato growers and small-scale vegetable producers an update on new potato varieties, as well as disease and weed control strategies. The tour runs Tuesday at 1 p.m.

The Deer Research Center Tour (2 hours) will present information on general deer biology and current research being conducted at the facility. Members of the Quality Deer Management Association will assist with the tours and will provide information on deer management philosophy and practices. Buses leave daily at 9:30 a.m. and 11:30 a.m. with an additional tour at 5 p.m. on Wednesday.

The Forest Stewardship Tour (1 hour) will present information and strategies to help improve Pennsylvania's forest health. Buses to this walking tour will leave daily at 10 a.m., noon, and 2 p.m., with additional tours at 4 p.m. on Tuesday and Wednesday.

The Warm-Season Grasses for Forage and Fuel Tour (1 hour), offered by the USDA-ARS Pasture Systems and Watershed Management Research Unit at University Park, will feature warm-season grasses that can be used for renewable fuels and forage. Featured topics include crop rotations for bioenergy and management of warm-season grasses for forage and biofuels. The bus departs daily at 1:30 p.m.

The Soil Quality and Agronomic Management Tour (1 hour) reveals how the use of intensive agronomic practices can conserve soil, reduce nutrient loss, improve water quality and soil health, and enhance farm profitability. Buses depart daily at 10:30 a.m. and 2:30 p.m.

The Stream Corridor Management and Riparian Buffer Tour (1 hour) explains the benefits of forested and riparian buffers, how to install and maintain them and how the process can improve a community’s water quality. Buses leave daily at 11 a.m., with additional tours on Tuesday and Wednesday at 3 p.m.

Penn State's Ag Progress Days is held at the Russell E. Larson Agricultural Research Center at Rock Springs, nine miles southwest of State College on Route 45. Hours are 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Aug. 14; 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. on Aug. 15; and 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Aug. 16. Admission and parking are free. For more information, visit the Ag Progress Days Web site at http://apd.cas.psu.edu.

###

Gary Abdullah Writer-Editor 814-863-2708 gxa2@psu.edu