URBANA, Ill. — The center of the world on International Agronomy Day will be in the heart of central Illinois. On Aug. 31, agricultural production scientists and producers will meet at the University of Illinois in Urbana to talk about global food production.

This unique forum will attract people around the world from agronomy, weed science, crop production, pest management, agricultural economics and other related fields to share new developments.

International visitors also will have the opportunity to tour the Department of Crop Sciences’ facilities as well as attend the annual Farm Progress Show in nearby Decatur, explained Aaron Hager, International Agronomy Day chair. He’s been working with Germán Bollero, head of the department, to host the event.

"Whether you produce soybeans in Champaign or Brazil, we all face similar challenges in producing food and feedstuffs," Bollero said. "We want to provide information based on sound scientific research to help improve global food production."

The idea is to spur what Bollero calls an "international discussion."

The U of I’s department is playing host for this event based on the quantity of requests from international visitors to learn more about its research and facilities. "This is our way of meeting that demand by creating an annual event with targeted messages to answer their most pressing questions while helping them achieve their goals," Hager explained.

The first International Agronomy Day in 2012 attracted attendees from Argentina, Brazil, Bolivia, China, Germany, Mexico and Uruguay, he said. Since then, conference topics have included plant density response, evolution of herbicide-resistant weeds and managing corn pests.

This year’s program will include discussions on corn yield inputs, harvest-time weed seed control, mitigating herbicide-resistant weeds, agricultural water quality improvements and cover crops. The in-field discussions are designed to promote questions.

While invitations have been sent worldwide, local producers and researchers are also encouraged to attend, Hager said. Activities on Aug. 31 run from 8 a.m.-1 p.m. at the U of I’s South Farms. The 2015 Farm Progress Show takes place Sept. 1-3 in Decatur.

The agronomy day is purposely planned before the opening of the Farm Progress Show to help attract more international visitors, Hager said. The show attracts more than 500 vendors and nearly 400 acres of demonstration plots, its website states. The show has expanded to feature three more streets, allowing for 100 more exhibitors.

Agronomy Day registration is required by Aug. 19, at www.international agronomyday.org