Iowa State University Extension will host a Crop Advantage Series meeting in Sheldon on Jan. 4 at Northwest Iowa Community College, just west of Sheldon. Registration begins at 9:30 a.m. The program will be conducted from 10 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.

There are 14 meetings to be held throughout Iowa starting Jan. 4.

The workshop in Sheldon will be hosted by Joel DeJong, Extension field agronomist. Alison Robertson, ISU Extension plant pathologist, will lead the morning program. She will discuss soybean sudden death syndrome, a common problem found in 2010, and which was new to Northwest Iowa during the 2010 growing season.

A second morning keynote speaker will be Chad Hart, an ISU grain marketing expert, who will present the marketing outlook for 2011.

Optional afternoon workshops include new and emerging corn disease issues, the new COMBO crop insurance product, nematodes in corn, manure management issues, nitrogen fertilizer products and additives, glyphosate resistant weed management, managing farm energy costs, and a review of recent Northwest Iowa on-farm research results. Afternoon attendees will get to choose three of these workshops.

Advance registration, at least one week before the meeting, is $35 and includes lunch, refreshments and a copy of the series proceedings book. Private pesticide applicators will be able to obtain their continuing instructional course credits at this meeting, if they attend the entire day.

An additional fee of $20 applies. The program will adjourn at 4:15 p.m. for those attending this pesticide course.

Contact Joel DeJong, ISU Extension field agronomist, at (712) 546-7835 for more information on this program. The workshop topics are different at each of the 14 meetings in the series.

Additional information is available on the Crop Advantage website at www.cropadvantage.org.

Other sites within the Farm News coverage area include:

• Jan. 11, in Ames, from 8:15 a.m. to 4:15 p.m. at Quality Inn and Suites in Starlight Village. For specific information visit: www.aep.iastate.edu/cas/flyers/ames.pdf.

• Jan. 12 in Mason City, from 8:15 a.m. to 4 p.m., in the Beem Forum on the North Iowa Area Community College campus. For specific information visit: www.aep.iastate.edu/cas/flyers/mason.pdf.

• Jan. 13 in Spirit Lake, from 9:30 a.m. to 4:15 p.m, in the Dickinson County Community Building, 1600 15th St.. For specific information on this meeting visit: www.aep.iastate.edu/cas/flyers/spirit.pdf.

• Jan. 18 in Storm Lake, from 9:30 a.m. to 4:15 p.m,. in the Siebens Forum on the Buena Vista University campus. For specific information on this meeting visit: www.aep.iastate.edu/cas/flyers/storm.pdf.

• Jan. 20, in Fort Dodge, from 8:30 a.m. to 4:15 p.m., in the Best Western Starlight Village Inn and Suites. For specific information on this meeting visit: www.aep.iastate.edu/cas/flyers/dodge.pdf.

• Jan. 24, in Le Mars, from 9:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. at the Le Mars Convention Center, at 251 12th St., S.E. For specific information on this meeting visit: www.aep.iastate.edu/cas/flyers/lemars.pdf.

• Jan. 25 in Carroll, from 8:30 a.m. to 4:15 p.m. at the Carrollton Inn, 1730 Highway N. For specific information on this meeting visit: www.aep.iastate.edu/cas/flyers/carroll.pdf.