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Producers and others will have an opportunity to learn more about tile drainage during an online tile drainage design and management webinar North Dakota State University Extension is holding from 8:30 a.m. to noon March 25. "This tile design educational event is intended for agricultural producers and those interested in understanding basic design principles and agronomic practices for tile drainage, including utilizing subirrigation and managing the water table with control boxes," says Hans...
North Dakota growers continue to be the No. 1 producers of sunflowers in the U.S., harvesting 715,000 acres of the crop in 2020. Sunflowers are harvested for oil, confection uses and bird food. Each sunflower variety has distinctive agronomic characteristics that producers should consider when selecting a hybrid to grow. "Choosing a hybrid and using proper agronomic practices are important decisions a producer makes in raising a successful crop," says Hans Kandel, a North Dakota State...
Winter and early spring calving can lead to health risks for the newborns, North Dakota State University Extension livestock specialists caution. This winter's mild weather has created calving conditions that are favorable to the producer and the livestock. However, colder temperatures and wind are still a risk to newborn calves. Hypothermia can result, which leads to delayed nursing, frozen ears, frozen feet and an increased risk of infectious disease. Calving indoors can alleviate some of...
Producers and crop advisers will have an opportunity to learn more about canola production during the Getting it Right in Canola Production online conference that North Dakota State University Extension, with support from the Northern Canola Growers Association, is holding from 8:30 a.m. - noon Tuesday, March 16. Canola is a major oil crop in the northern Great Plains, particularly in North Dakota. In 2020, North Dakota accounted for nearly 1.5 million harvested acres, approximately 83% of all a...
Soybean producers and crop advisers will have an opportunity to learn about soybean production management issues during the 2021 Getting it Right in Soybean Production online conference that North Dakota State University Extension, with support from the North Dakota Soybean Council, is holding from 8:30 to 11 a.m. Wednesday, Feb. 17. “Crop production depends on many decisions, and new research-based production information is generated annually,” says Hans Kandel, Extension agronomist for broadleaf crops. “Therefore, it is important for produ...
The North Dakota State University Extension projected crop budgets for 2021 are available for the state’s producers, says Ron Haugen, NDSU Extension farm management specialist. The 2021 projected profits vary by region and crop. “The budgets are guides for large multicounty regions,” says Haugen. “Returns and costs can vary considerably between producers within a region. Also, the budgets estimate returns to labor and management with no consideration of price and yield variability or risk. A perfect comparison of crops is not achieved because...
On Feb. 11, the North Dakota 4-H Foundation will participate in the Dakota Medical Foundation's annual Giving Hearts Day, a 24-hour online fundraising event for charities in North Dakota and northwestern Minnesota. The North Dakota 4-H Foundation is a nonprofit organization that secures and manages financial resources to support and expand North Dakota's 4-H programs and educational opportunities in areas such as healthful living, engineering and technology, animal and plant sciences,...
Soil samples in North Dakota indicate lower levels of overwintering wheat midge larvae (cocoons) for the 2021 season, says Janet Knodel, North Dakota State University Extension entomologist. A total of 2,050 soil samples were collected from 22 counties in the fall of 2020 to estimate the statewide risk for wheat midge in the 2021 field season. The distribution of wheat midge is based on unparasitized cocoons found in the soil samples. "The majority of the soil samples, 86%, had zero wheat midge...
North Dakota State University Extension has updated the Crop Compare program, which is a spreadsheet designed to compare cropping alternatives. The program uses the direct costs and yields from the 2021 projected crop budgets for nine regions of North Dakota, but producers are encouraged to enter the expected yields and input costs for their farm. The user designates a reference crop and enters its expected market price. Depending on the region, a broad selection of nine to 18 crops are...
Irrigation provides more consistent crop production on a year-to-year basis, allows growth of longer-season crops, diversifies the farm enterprise and provides a consistent supply of forage for animal operations. "However, managing an irrigation system around variable rain events can sometimes be a challenge for busy farmers," says Tom Scherer, North Dakota State University Extension agricultural engineer. To provide producers with some assistance, NDSU Extension is holding a virtual irrigation...
The Oliver County 4-H range judging team placed first in the senior division of the North Dakota 4-H and FFA range judging contest at Center. Team members are Breanna Hosman, Hebron; Olivia Klein, Max, and Reanna Schmidt, Katie Frank, Breanna Vosberg and Rylee Hintz, Center. Hosman received the Head of the Herd Award as the top-scoring individual in the 4-H division. The Oliver County team is coached by Rick Schmidt. The team will represent North Dakota at the National Invitational 4-H Range...
North Dakota producers need to be vigilant about keeping Palmer amaranth, a particular noxious weed, off their land, according to North Dakota State University Extension specialists. This weed has been found in new North Dakota counties every year since 2018, and 2020 was no exception. One source of introduction in 2020 was through contaminated grain screenings. Samples pulled from a pile of sunflower screenings detected up to 1,000 Palmer amaranth seeds per pound of screenings from one source....
The Oliver County 4-H range judging team placed first in the senior division of the North Dakota 4-H and FFA range judging contest at Center. Team members are Breanna Hosman, Hebron; Olivia Klein, Max, and Reanna Schmidt, Katie Frank, Breanna Vosberg and Rylee Hintz, Center. Hosman received the Head of the Herd Award as the top-scoring individual in the 4-H division. The Oliver County team is coached by Rick Schmidt. The team will represent North Dakota at the National Invitational 4-H Range Judging Contest in Oklahoma in the spring of 2021....
Rainfall ranks as one of the most important factors that influence ranchers' management decisions, according to North Dakota State University Extension specialists. This year is no different. Parts of North Dakota are experiencing severe dry weather while others have adequate to plentiful moisture. This situation drives management of native pasture, crop residue and cover crop acres. Typically, even with good moisture at this time of the year, the nutritional value of native pasture is in declin...
Changes in federal grazing and harvesting rules on prevented-planting acres could help North Dakota livestock producers in select counties replenish forage supplies, or at least offset shortages in perennial forage production, according to North Dakota State University Extension livestock specialists. The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) will allow producers to graze, hay or cut cover crops on prevented-planting acres beginning Sept. 1. Counties included in the change are: Barnes, Benson,...
Several hundred thousand head of cattle are on U.S. roadways every day, and given the volume of cattle being transported, the likelihood of a truck being involved in an accident is high. However, first responders and law enforcement officers aren't always trained in how to handle an incident with cattle. As a result, North Dakota State University Extension specialists joined university and Extension faculty from across the country in developing the Bovine Emergency Response Plan (BERP) and...
The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has released regulations for direct payments under the Coronavirus Food Assistance Program (CFAP). "CFAP provides vital financial assistance to producers of agricultural commodities who have suffered a 5% or greater price decline due to COVID-19 and face additional significant marketing costs as a result of lower demand, surplus production and disruptions to shipping patterns and the orderly marketing of commodities," says Ron Haugen, North Dakota State...
Yellow patches of leafy spurge are beginning to pop up in road ditches across North Dakota. "Leafy spurge is the most recognized noxious weed in the state, infesting approximately 750,000 acres," says Miranda Meehan, North Dakota State University Extension's livestock environmental stewardship specialist. "Canada thistle tops the state at over 800,000 acres, with absinth wormwood the third most common at over 600,000 acres," she adds. "These species are the most common noxious weeds found on...
Providing adequate water to livestock is critical for animal health and production. "Good-quality water can have a major impact on your cattle's intake and weight gain," says Miranda Meehan, North Dakota State University Extension livestock environmental stewardship specialist. Canadian studies have shown the quality of water accessible to livestock is directly tied to the amount of forage they consume. Studies report improved gains by as much as 0.24 pound per day in yearlings and 0.33 pound...
Spring turnout to the pasture is a good time for producers to review their cow-calf health management plans, according to North Dakota State University Extension livestock experts. They note that a number of factors can impact cow-calf health, including slow grass growth and moisture conditions that may delay grazing readiness and result in prolonged feeding. Other factors are cooler, wet conditions that create a variety of challenges for young livestock, particularly for those in dry lots or areas with high concentrations of livestock. “The p...
The first step in dealing with stress is to recognize the early symptoms. Poor growing and harvesting conditions, low commodity prices, trade wars and a shortage of livestock feed for winter all have been stressful for North Dakota farmers and ranchers. North Dakota State University Extension has developed a number of resources to help farmers and ranchers cope with the stress resulting from the uncertainties in their profession. The first step is to recognize the early symptoms of stress,...
Field peas may be an alternative to distillers grains as a protein source in cattle feed if the field peas are at a low enough cost, according to a North Dakota State University Extension livestock systems specialist. Distillers grains are a coproduct of producing ethanol from corn. "Distillers grains are a very palatable feed that usually has a feed test of 30% crude protein dry-matter (DM) basis," says Karl Hoppe, who is based at NDSU's Carrington Research Extension Center. "Typically, dried...
Sheep producers need to keep their marketing options open during the COVID-19 outbreak, says Travis Hoffman, North Dakota State University Extension sheep specialist. "We are undoubtedly in a different time than expected for livestock producers in today's COVID-19 situation," he says. "Breeding decisions were made, we put in the effort to get calves, piglets, lambs and/or kids on the ground and growing well. However, we are facing an unprecedented challenge for harvesting the fruition of our...
"Providing the correct mineral supplement is necessary to ensure optimal health, performance and reproduction," says Janna Block, Extension livestock systems specialist at North Dakota State University's Hettinger Research Extension Center. The costs of mineral supplementation vary widely, but most estimates are from $20 to $50 per cow per year. "Due to the importance of minerals and the investment required, it is imperative for producers to develop a good understanding of mineral supplement...
A sump pump is the first line of defense for many homeowners to prevent water from seeping into the basement. "Last spring, many sump pumps hadn't run much in the previous years, but with snowmelt last spring and excess rain in the fall, they ran quite frequently and, in some houses, the sump pump has been running almost all winter," says North Dakota State University Extension Agricultural Engineer Tom Scherer. "However, before the snow starts melting this spring, homeowners should check their...
