No-Till Field Day Celebrated in Milan
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MILAN, Tenn. – 50 years ago, the University of Tennessee at Knoxville chose to locate an agricultural field station in Milan and hired Tom McCutcheon as it’s first superintendent. The decision led to a drastic innovation in farming. Thursday, the UT Institute of Agriculture hosted the 27th biannual Milan No-Till Field Day. “50 years ago, no one had heard of no-till and no one was doing it,” said Ginger Rowsey of the UT Institute of Agriculture. “Now, 75% of our state’s farmers use no-till. So that’s a testament to the impact that the center has had on West Tennessee and the nation.” Milan’s No-Till Field Day allows top researchers at UT and other regional universities, as well as agricultural companies, to present information and technology to producers. With 17 different tours, including weed control and precision farming, leaders hope farmers can use information to make their practices more efficient, more cost effective, and environmentally friendly. Some tours will also address the issues farmers face with this year’s devastating drought. “We do discoveries that provide solutions to people,” said UT President Dr. Joe DiPietro. “And so we have the solutions we’re providing to farmers problems from the stand point of growing corn, cotton, soybeans, or raising cattle for that matter.” Field day brings attention to the size of the agriculture industry in Tennessee, drawing leaders from across the state. “We communicate with our farmers,” said Julius Johnson, Commissioner of Agriculture. “We can’t operate the Department of Agriculture sitting in Nashville. We’ve got to get out into the field on the farms, in the research centers, to make sure we understand the issues farmers are facing.”
