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Farmers across the region have experienced significant losses due to the sky-rocketing grasshopper population. “The population levels this summer have met the USDA-APHIS projection and, in some areas, have greatly exceeded it. The late snowstorms and cool and wet weather this spring helped combat grasshoppers early on by 1) delaying their hatching, and 2) allowing the grass to grow and get a head start before the grasshoppers had finished hatching,” explained MSU Richland County Extension Agent Marley Manoukian. Grasshoppers thrive in dry wea...
North Dakota State University's soybean breeding program conducts research every growing season on the tolerance of soybean varieties to iron deficiency chlorosis (IDC). "If farmers had IDC in their fields this year, they should consider using the NDSU tolerance ratings generated in 2022 and previous years, to select soybean varieties for 2023, to minimize the chlorosis in their fields," says Hans Kandel, NDSU Extension agronomist. During the summer of 2022, NDSU's soybean breeding program...
As the time to harvest your annual forages draws near and because nitrate toxicity can be fatal for your livestock, it is important to understand the need for nitrate testing. Cereal crops are known to accumulate nitrates with oats being the top accumulator, along with wheat, barley, rye, triticale, spelt, and others. Other problematic crops include sorghum, sudangrass, millet, and corn. Many weed species can accumulate nitrates, as well, such as kochia, pigweed, lambsquarter, quackgrass, and Russian thistle. If you are growing any of these cro...
A Lower Yellowstone Ribbon Cutting Ceremony was held July 26 at Joe’s Island on the south side of Yellowstone River, across from the Intake Fish Screens. Approximately 100 dignitaries and local residents from Montana and North Dakota attended plus proclamations were read from others. The ceremony was lead by Kayla Eckert Uptmor, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, followed by Tanya Trujillo, Asst. Secretary of Water and Science, Dept. of the Interior; Camille Calimlim Touton, Bureau of Reclamation commissioner; Col. Geoff Van Epps, U.S. Amy Corps o...
One of the most memorable things about the Richland County Fair and Rodeo is the beautiful and elaborate seed paintings or artistic backgrounds. Short of seeing them at the fair and, occasionally, in the odd business many do not know much about them. The backgrounds are just a piece of an entry into the Agriculture, Community, and Horticulture department. It is the Community Booth Exhibits class. Participants are to decorate their community’s booth. According to the 2022 fair book, the booths will be judged on the quality, number, and a...
Helena, MT – On Monday, July 24, the Montana Department of Livestock (MDOL) announced confirmation of Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI) in a Flathead County backyard poultry flock. This is the 10th HPAI affected Montana flock linked to a 2022 wave of HPAI infections in the United States traced to seasonal migrations of wild birds. Nationally, nearly 400 poultry flocks have been diagnosed with HPAI. “With over 2 months since our last case of HPAI in the state, we had hoped that avian influenza was behind us,” said Marty Zaluski, Monta...
The Richland County Fair and Rodeo is not too far away. All the rip-roaring fun that Richland County has been waiting for all year long will be Aug. 3–6 and it is right around the bend. Chase Rice is doing the Saturday night concert with special guest, Casey Donahew. According to www.iheart.com, Chase Rice grew up in North Carolina listening to Garth Brooks and other singers who reshuffled and updated country music into something more in line with pop in the 1990s. Rice first came into the public’s eye in 2010, when he was a contestant on the...
Madison Sparks, Sidney, started her 4-H journey as a Yellowstone Valley Trailblazer Cloverbud in 2012 and is now on her last year with the Forever Buds 4-H club. From a young age, she knew she wanted to be in 4-H because of the animals. “The animals definitely were a big part of why I wanted to join 4-H. I love to be around them,” said Sparks. Throughout her time as a 4-H member, she has shown steers, goats, pigs, alpacas, and rabbits. She has also participated in several indoor projects including photography, sewing, quilting, baking, cake dec...
Grady Larson, Sidney, has been an active member of the Richland Aces 4-H Club for 10 years. Throughout his time as a 4-H member, he has shown market and breeding beef, participated in several indoor projects, and competed on the livestock judging team. This year, Larson will be working on a leathercraft and welding indoor project along with his Red Angus market steer, named August McCrae. He hopes to secure a grand champion win this year but is mainly focusing on producing a high-quality market animal. “I always hope to have the grand champion...
Charlemagne Lim recently joined the NDSU Williston Research Extension Center as their new Extension weed specialist. With this role, Lim plans to develop Extension programs to help producers identify, assess, and control weeds. He said, "I am looking forward to the creative part of working with our clients and stakeholders for ideas and solutions relevant to North Dakota agriculture and its people." Lim obtained his bachelor's degree in agriculture and master's degree in Agronomy from the...
The Sidney Chamber of Commerce and Agriculture held their annual Ag Appreciation Golf Tournament on July 18....
The Williston Research Extension Center added a new staff member to their team, Dr. Edson Ncube. "This is an exciting position offered by Dr. Audrey Kalil in which I am looking forward to conducting applied research targeting the management of crop diseases which cause economic losses to farms in the MonDak Region," said Ncube. Dr. Ncube will be working on plant disease research that increases climate resiliency of durum wheat, chickpea, lentil, and pea production. He hopes to address the...
University of Montana student Bridger Line is spending his summer as a Montana Working Lands intern. A graduate of Missoula Sentinel he is experiencing eastern Montana’s farming and ranching lifestyles. The program is headquartered out of the University of Montana. in accordance with the Montana DNRC. Line is interning at the Iverson Ranch, Dick and Connie, on Timber Creek, 30 miles south of Culbertson. The program consists of four interns spending two weeks each experimenting.on five different ranches in weed management and the farming and r...
The MSU/EARC Field Day was held July 12 in Sidney....
Three McKenzie County 4-H preteens participated in the North Dakota 4-H State Engineering and Design Competition held on July 23 at the North Dakota State Fair in Minot. Eleven-year old Dillon Morris, 14-year-old Ethan Morris and 12-year-old Nicholas Ellis designed a machine that watered a plant in 7 steps. The team prepared a recordkeeping journal, posters and presentation of their experiences and chain reaction steps to complete the task, which was shared with two judges and the public. The...
Blister beetles could be considered a beneficial insect as they feed on grasshopper eggs, however, they pose a significant risk. Blister beetles are named for a toxic in their body called cantharidin that causes blisters when it comes in to contact with the skin. This cantharidin is released when beetles are crushed, making it a concern for not only humans, but also for livestock producers, as hay containing blister beetles can be toxic to livestock. Blister beetles feed on crops including sugar beets, canola, potatoes, and alfalfa. Defoliation...
McKenzie County participated in the State 4-H Consumer Decision Making Contest held on July 26 at the ND State Fair, Minot, and came home with top honors. The Junior Team of Kyle Best, son of Vawnita and Pete Best, Watford City; Jaden Murphy, son of Kim and Lee Murphy, Fairview, MT; Gracyn Darrington, daughter of Nikki and Partrick Darrington, Arnegard and Gwen Signalness, daughter of Wade and Katie Signalness, Watford City; captured 1st place. Individually, Gracyn was honored with 9th placing,...
Williston and Sidney have held annual field day tours for many years to showcase their involvement and research with agriculture. It is now that time of year where research centers are planting seeds in the ground and getting ready to present new ideas and studies to the public. The Williston Research Extension Center (WREC), located 4.5 miles west of Williston, will be hosting their annual Dryland Tour on Wednesday, July 13. Registration will start at 3:30 p.m. followed by the tour at 4 p.m....
The Wolf Point Wild Horse Stampede will celebrate its 99th year July 7, 8, 9, 2022 in Wolf Point hosted by the Montana Pro Rodeo Circuit 2020 Medium Rodeo of the Year committee along with the many dedicated Stadium committee and community volunteers. RAM and Cinch Jeans & Shirts PRCA Rodeo action will be held each evening at 7 p.m. July 7th & 8th and Saturday July 9th. Other events and festivities set for the 99th weekend celebration include the “Wagons & Wildflowers” 2-day parade, carnival, Cowboy Church, street dance following Friday rod...
Field Days at North Dakota State University's Williston Research Extension Center (WREC) are set for July 13 and 14. The annual dryland agronomy and horticulture field day will be held Wednesday, July 13, at the center, which is 4.5 miles west of Williston on U.S. Highway 2. The event begins with registration at 3 p.m. Central time. The dryland crops tour starts at 4 p.m. NDSU research scientists will highlight their work. NDSU President, David Cook, and Greg Lardy, NDSU vice president for...
After the Williston Research Extension Center's Dryland Field Tour, Dr. Tom Kalb will be presenting information on how to maintain an attractive lawn and a flourishing garden. Dr. Kalb is an Extension horticulturist and horticulture educator at North Dakota State University. He received his Ph.D. in horticulture at Virginia Tech. NDSU scientists have researched several ways on how to best manage your lawn and garden. Weeds are one of the most troublesome factors to a garden and yard. Homeowners...
NDSU Extension Horticulturist, Dr. Ester McGinnis, will be presenting information on butterfly and pollinator gardens via Zoom starting at 4 p.m. CT at the WREC Horticulture Field Day Tour. Dr. McGinnis will discuss bee population, relevant species of flowers, and how to plant and maintain a bee lawn while still maintaining lawns that meet community standards. She said, "The bee populations are decreasing nationally. One of the contributing factors is the lack of flowers to provide nectar and po...
Chris Augustin, Dickinson Research Extension Center (DREC) soil scientist and director, will be presenting information on the DREC’s soil acidity study at the Irrigated Field Day Tour, July 14. Augustin along with staff at the DREC conduct the soil acidity study on small sections of North Dakota farmer’s fields. The study entails applying lime on acidic soil and analyzing the effect it has on the soil pH. The study starts once a participating farmer seeds an acidic field. DREC staff then go to the field and place hoops on certain areas and col...
The Sidney Area Chamber of Commerce and Agriculture will be hosting their Ag Appreciation Golf Tournament to celebrate the farming and ranching culture. The golf tournament will be held Monday, July 11 at the Sidney Country Club with breakfast and registration starting at 7:30 a.m. and tee time at 9 a.m. The tournament is a four-man scramble, pairing farmers and ranchers with local business people. Area businesses are encouraged to sponsor a hole, team or cart. The tournament wraps up about 4 p.m. “We hope to draw about 150 people from the a...
Dr. Audrey Kalil, WREC Plant Pathologist, will be sharing information on the WREC's chickpea planting date study and the plant pathology research program at the WREC Dryland Field Day, July 13. "The focus of my talk will be a chickpea planting date study, where we are evaluating three planting dates for their effect on early seed soil-borne disease, Ascochyta blight severity, yield and seed protein," said Dr. Kalil. She leads both basic and applied research programs focused on management of...
