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Every summer I receive calls asking, “Can I prune trees now or when is a good time to prune?” Unfortunately summer is not the most ideal time. The preferred time is late winter or early spring while the trees are still dormant. This is true for deciduous and coniferous woody plants. In North Dakota, March is generally the best time to undertake this work to minimize excessive sap flow. Exceptions to this would be trees noted for heavy sap flow such as maples and birches. Pruning of these spe...
Canola growers in Williams County are being urged to participate in the election of a county representative for the North Dakota Oilseed Council. All canola growers who have a definite interest in the membership of the council are encouraged to participate in the election at 10:00am on Wednesday, March 11. This will be held at the Williams County Extension Office in Williston. This is located at 302 East Broadway. Each person, landlord, tenant, husband and/or wife, who planted canola in 2014 or...
Every three years both private (farm operators) and commercial applicators must be re-certified to legally purchase and apply herbicides, insecticides, fungicides and fumigants. For private applicators the certification applies only to those pesticides that are classified as “restricted use”. For commercial applicators certification is a “must” for all pesticides. To assist in the certification process we have scheduled a training meeting for private applicators on Wednesday, March 18, 9:30 a.m....
Last week I promised to explain why I prefer pine, specifically ponderosa trees over blue spruces. The answer is they are more drought tolerant, native to parts of North Dakota, more specifically to the southwest. Because of this, they are more commonly planted in the northern plains. Ponderosa pine has similar growth patterns as compared to blue spruce. They both can grow upwards of 50-70 feet and have a crown width of 15-30 feet. The crown width of the spruce may tend to be a little narrower t...
One of my very favorite parts of the Wheat Show has been the photo contest. I look at the photos as art seen through the eyes of other people. The photos are placed into four categories; a) landscape, b) people, c) equipment/buildings and d) animals. Any photo that does not fit into one of these four is put into the miscellaneous group. The photos are also grouped by the experience of each exhibitor. The "Advanced" division is for people who have been a member of a camera club for two years or...
Lately, gluten and wheat have been presented as “dietary villains”. While those with celiac disease must avoid gluten for health reasons, others are following gluten-free diets for various reasons that lack scientific basis. Julie Garden-Robinson, a food and nutrition specialist and professor with the NDSU Extension Service, will discuss the myths and facts related to gluten in our diets and in our food supply. She also will describe current recommendations for grain foods and the role of grains...
For several years Andrew Swenson and Ron Haugen of the NDSU Extension Ag. Economics Department have been providing yearly crop budgets for individual regions of the state. These have provided an estimate of revenues and costs for selected crops grown in the region. They acknowledge there is considerable variation in soil type, productivity, weather conditions, as well as management and production practices within each region. These profitability budgets account for full economic opportunity...
One of my very favorite parts of the Wheat Show has been the photo contest. I look at the photos as art seen through the eyes of other people. The photos are placed into four categories; a) landscape, b) people, c) equipment/buildings and d) animals. Any photo that does not fit into one of these four is put into the miscellaneous group. The photos are also grouped by the experience of each exhibitor. The “Advanced” division is for people who have been a member of a camera club for two years or...
There has been great interest in a new variety name Joppa which was developed by the NDSU Durum Breeding Program. It was released by the North Dakota Agricultural Experiment Station in 2014 but production problems prevented its release in time for the 2014 growing season. As a fresh release for the 2014 planting season there is an above normal amount of Foundation seed available for 2015. Some of the people in-the-know tell me there is approximately 10,000 bushels available statewide to be...
Last week I described two new varieties of American elm which have resistance to Dutch elm disease. This week I will share information about a new white birch and a new columnar spruce which should replace one of my most disliked evergreen, the arborvitae. Parkland Pillar® Asian white birch is a selection of Dakota Pinnacle®, an introduction from NDSU. It is noted for its columnar shape and dense branching. It grows fast and can be used for screening, in boulevards, or as a specimen plant in t...
As the year comes to an end crop growers are beginning to solidify their plans for the 2015 growing season. One decision which often is difficult is choosing the variety. Often growers will give serious consideration to the variety planted the previous season as they were satisfied with the yield and have seed from their own production. However, many growers wish to select a new variety simply because new varieties frequently out produce the old. It wasn’t too many years ago when a common y...
One of the grasses used in grass seed mixtures is intermediate wheatgrass. The reason for its use in such mixtures is because of its vigor, ability to grow fast and sod forming characteristic. It produces an abundance of both basal and stem leaves. Of the many varieties, they will differ in the amount of pubescence on the seed head and leaves. The pubescent varieties are reported to be more drought-tolerant and form a sod more rapidly than intermediate varieties. This species has produced more...
Leon Osborne, Director of the Regional Weather Information Center and the Surface Transportation Center at the University of North Dakota is scheduled to speak during the breakfast meeting of the Wheat Show on Tuesday, February 3rd. Leon is a nationally recognized speaker for his ability to predict long-term weather patterns. The program planning committee has requested that he share his outlook for the 2015 growing season. Many other speakers, approximately 22, will provide information about...
The great fall weather psyched us into believing it will last into December. However, recent cold weather changed plans because I could not keep up with providing ice-free water. Even though the calves had been weaned I felt the light covering of snow was not enough for cows about to enter the third trimester of pregnancy when fetal growth is rapid. Good nutrition during the last trimester has many consequences. Fetal growth must be met with greater levels of energy and protein feeds. If extra...
The great fall weather psyched us into believing it will last into December. However, recent cold weather changed plans because I could not keep up with providing ice-free water. Even though the calves had been weaned I felt the light covering of snow was not enough for cows about to enter the third trimester of pregnancy when fetal growth is rapid. Good nutrition during the last trimester has many consequences. Fetal growth must be met with greater levels of energy and protein feeds. If extra...
The NDSU Extension Service and Internal Revenue Service are offering a series of Income Tax Management for Ag Producer meetings. The meetings will be presented at 11 sites across North Dakota through North Dakota Interactive Video Network (IVN) on Tuesday, December 2nd from 9:00 am to 12:00 pm. In Williston, it will be held in the conference room of the Broadway Commons Building located at 302 East Broadway. This program, in its 24th year, provides an excellent opportunity for agricultural...
The 62nd Annual National Hard Spring Wheat Show will focus on a variety of issues but much emphasis will be given to strategies of preventing Fusarium head blight (SCAB) and marketing this year’s crops which are heavily infested with scab and vomitoxin. These issues will be discussed by Dr. Senay Simsek of the Northern Crops Institute, NDSU Crop Quality Specialist and Grain Marketers. Another hot issue on the agenda is grain transportation. Dan Wogsland, Executive Director of the Northern Grain...
As a young boy I remember Dad and Grandpa talking about how valuable manure was to plant growth. I didn’t recall any of the specifics and maybe they really didn’t know either. However, I do recall strips in the fields which looked better than other areas. My mother insisted that we apply manure to her garden area. Since then I have learned that manure provides valuable nutrients such as nitrogen which enhances plant growth. It also serves to build organic matter levels of the soil which the...
Several years ago when scab first became a major problem in durum and spring wheat grown in eastern North Dakota, many of us thought it never would be a problem for us in western North Dakota and eastern Montana. How wrong we were. This year it has been a major problem for growers of the area. Scab, technically referred to as Fusarium head blight (FHB), most notably causes shriveled kernels which can be easily separated. However, there can be a hidden problem not noticeable to the eye. This is...
Last week I attended the statewide conference of NDSU Extension and Research staff. The conference offered a multitude of sessions making it impossible to attend all. One of the sessions I attended involved the use of antibiotics in the livestock industry. Dr. Gerald Stokka, NDSU Extension Veterinarian and who is also involved in the Livestock Stewardship Program, presented a report given to the President on combating antibiotic resistance. This is part of an effort by the President’s Council of...
Plans for the 62nd Annual National Hard Spring Wheat Show are nearly complete. The dates are February 2nd, 3rd and 4th with the site being the Grand Williston Hotel. As in the past, almost 20 speakers are scheduled to present new information that can be applied to profitable food production. One of the keynote speakers will be Dr. Mike Boehlje, Distinguished Professor of Agriculture Economics and the Center for Food and Agricultural Business at Purdue University. Dr. Boehlje is involved in...
A frequent question this time of year is, “Should I fertilize my lawn in the fall?” The answer is yes. All lawns whether they are high maintenance (Kentucky Bluegrass) or low maintenance (Crested Wheatgrass) will benefit from a fall application, especially the high maintenance usually found in town where they receive supplemental water during the growing season. Fertilizing now will promote vigorous blade growth and stronger root systems. The amount to apply is around one pound of actual nit...
I think this is an appropriate statement for my first weekly Column since retiring exactly one year ago. Also, just a few weeks ago a group of great friends presented me with a beautiful, custom fit, hand tooled saddle as a retirement gift made possible by them and many, many others. The saddle proudly has been displayed at the Williams County Extension Office for people to see and remind me of the kindness so many people have given to me this past year. For that matter, this kindness started...
The 2014 National Hard Spring Wheat Show has taken on a different look with the incorporation of NDSU’s Best of the Best in addition to several other keynote speakers and the ever-popular Bread Fair for area 5th grade students. The Best of the Best will offer some of the leading issues facing todays wheat growers. For example Dr. Fabian Menalled, Extension Crop Weed Specialist of Montana State University, will share the latest information on herbicide resistantKochia and other weeds, status a...
The 2014 National Hard Spring Wheat Show has taken on a different look with the incorporation of NDSU’s Best of the Best in addition to several other keynote speakers and the ever-popular Bread Fair for area 5th grade students. The Best of the Best will offer some of the leading issues facing todays wheat growers. For example Dr. Fabian Menalled, Extension Crop Weed Specialist of Montana State University, will share the latest information on herbicide resistantKochia and other weeds, status a...
