Milan No‑Till Field Day set for July 23 with 13 research tours and public demonstrations

Tate Cronin of the University of Tennessee Institute of Agriculture and Jason Williams of the AgResearch & Education Center in Milan previewed the 34th annual Milan No‑Till Field Day on July 23.

“It’ll be July 23 from 8AM to 1PM at the AgResearch and Education Center in Milan,” Cronin said, adding that attendees can register on‑site and that the program includes 13 research tours covering topics such as herbicide application, disease management and farm financial management.

Williams said the event combines technical presentations for producers with demonstrations for the general public, including an antique tractor show and parade and a spray‑drone demonstration in the field at 12:30 p.m. Organizers also said they will give a free barbecue lunch to the first 250 on‑site registrants in recognition of America’s 250th anniversary.

Speakers placed the field day in historical context, noting widespread adoption of no‑till and conservation tillage in Tennessee. “Since the adoption [of] no‑till in the early eighties across all row crops, we’re about 95‑plus percent no‑till or some conservation tillage,” Williams said, and he recounted earlier high erosion rates before conservation practices were widely used.

Organizers invited producers and members of the public to attend; the center’s museum will also be open, and demonstrations will include beekeeping, cotton ginning and blacksmithing. The Milan AgResearch & Education Center will host the event and said details and on‑site logistics will be available at the center the day of the field day.