University of Kentucky College of Agriculture specialists are hosting a series of early bird meetings to provide grain crops producers with research-based information to help them get ready for the 2012 growing season.

Meetings will be Wednesday, Dec. 7 at the Feed Mill Restaurant in Morganfield; Thursday, Dec. 8 at the Sedalia Restaurant in Sedalia and Friday, Dec. 9 at the Christian County Cooperative Extension office in Hopkinsville. Each meeting will begin at 9 a.m. CST and end around 2:15 p.m.

To help producers get the most from their pre-pay dollars, UK specialists will be discussing fertilizer strategies, marketing strategies and the crop profitability outlook for 2012. They will also discuss important crop production issues for the upcoming season including refuge in a bag, Western corn rootworms, invasive stinkbugs, resistant weeds, narrow-row corn, high plant populations, kitchen sink soybeans, soybean cyst nematode and corn seed treatments.

At lunch, a UK specialist will give a presentation on farm energy audits. The Kentucky Corn Growers Association, Kentucky Small Grain Growers Association and the Kentucky Soybean Board will provide lunch at each meeting.

Event organizers have applied for 3.5 continuing education credits for Certified Crop Advisors, including 0.5 in nutrient management and 1 each in pest management, crop management and professional development. The event is approved for 1 general and 1 specific hours for pesticide applicators in categories 1A, 10 and 12.

For more information, visit the UK Grain Crops Extension website at http://www.uky.edu/Ag/GrainCrops/Briefs/EarlyBird2011.htm or contact the following UK Cooperative Extension agents: Rankin Powell in Union County at 270-952-2092, Kenny Perry in Graves County at 270-247-2334 or Jay Stone in Christian County at 270-886-6328.