Extension specialists from University of Illinois will present some of the latest research information on critical crop production issues at four regional crop management conferences this winter.

"These two-day conferences are designed to address a wide array of crop production and pest management issues in a format that provides for in-depth discussion and interaction between participants and the researchers," said Robert Bellm, University of Illinois Extension crop systems educator and conference organizer.

Topics include fungicide research on corn, soybean and wheat; an update on Japanese beetle and soybean aphid; saturation and flooding effects on soils; cover crop management; corn nematode identification and management; soil fertility; effect of crop rotation on yield; population, stand uniformity and row spacing effects on corn yield; wheat fertility management; and water quality update.

Advance registration can be completed online at http://web.extension.uiuc.edu/edwardsvillecenter/.

Registration up to one week prior to each conference is $130 per person. Late and at-door registration is $150. The fee includes lunch, refreshments and handouts for both days. There is no one-day registration option.

The 2010 conference dates and locations are as follows:

• Tuesday, Feb. 2, and Wednesday, Feb. 3, Rend Lake Resort and Conference Center, Whittington. Contact: Dennis Epplin, 618-242-9310, depplin@illinois.edu.
• Feb. 3 and Thursday, Feb. 4, Northfield Conference Center, Springfield. Contact: Robert Bellm, 618-692-9434, rcbellm@illinois.edu.
• Tuesday, Feb. 16, and Wednesday, Feb. 17, I Hotel & Conference Center, Champaign. Contact: Dennis Bowman, 217-333-4901, ndbowman@illinois.edu.
• Feb. 17 and Thursday, Feb. 18, Kishwaukee College Convention Center, Malta. Contact: Greg Clark, 815-772-4075, gmclark@illinois.edu.