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Sorghum, sudangrass, and sorghum-sudangrass hybrids are a great warm season forage option. However, these plants contain cyanogenic glycosides that can be converted to hydrocyanic acid (HCN), also known as prussic acid, when the plants are injured by freezing, cutting, or crushing. Prussic acid can be very toxic to livestock as it interferes with aerobic metabolism, which results in lack of oxygen and ultimately leads to suffocation of the animal. Signs of prussic acid poisoning include difficulty breathing, staggering, muscle spasms,...
Bozeman - The College of Agriculture at Montana State University is accepting applications for a new leadership program focused on sustainable agriculture and agritourism. The Montana Agritourism Fellows Program: Developing Leaders to Advance Sustainable Agritourism is designed to establish and train leaders who will communicate and promote sustainable agriculture topics to farmers, ranchers, professionals and communities. The inaugural cohort will consist of 12 fellows, and applications are...
Fourteen-year-old William Head had a successful first year at the Richland County Fair. He is a member of the North Road Renegades 4-H Club and shows steer, market lambs, and breeding sheep. He had the 2022 Grand Champion market lamb, Grand Champion pen of two ewe lambs, Reserve Champion overall lamb breeding, Reserve Champion female lamb under one year, and Top of the Class market beef. "I was very proud of myself this year! It really encouraged me to push myself harder next year. I have worked...
The Richland County Farm Bureau is holding its annual meeting Sept. 15 at the Elks Lodge, Sidney. The county Farm Bureau will elect officers and directors, select voting delegates for the Montana Farm Bureau Convention in November, and discuss new policy that will guide the organization in the coming year. Farm Bureau leaders and staff will provide brief updates on agriculture issues and programs Farm Bureau is working on at the local, state and national level. The meeting’s guest speaker is nationally known Glen Bloomstrom, Faith Community E...
As breeding season wraps up and weaning time approaches, it is a good time to think about body condition scoring your bulls and cows. A body condition score (BCS) is based on a scale of 1 to 9 with a BCS 1 being extremely thin and a BCS 9 being extremely obese. The optimal score is a BCS 5 up to a BCS 6. A cow in a BCS 5 would have the hooks, pins, and last two ribs visible, and no fat in the brisket area. Bulls typically lose 100-300 pounds throughout the duration of the breeding season, as they have had to travel long distances to cover cows...
The Sidney Chamber of Commerce and Agriculture is excited to be kicking of the 25th class of the Sidney Area Leadership Program this September. The Leadership Task force is utilizing feedback from over 250 graduates from industries in the community. They will be retooling the program and ensuring beneficial outcomes for the future participants. “We are excited for this new direction and thrilled to make these adjustments for the community,” states Katie Dasinger, Chamber director of programs. Registration is open on the Chamber website, www...
If you are preparing to plant winter wheat soon, it is important to consider green bridge control to prevent wheat streak mosaic (WSM). Wheat streak mosaic is a viral disease that impacts small grains, including spring wheat and winter wheat, as well as durum, barley, oats, and corn, among other crops. Symptoms of WSM include yellow streaking and mottling, which usually affects the entire plant. Early infections lead to plant stunting. Wheat streak mosaic impacts can range from insignificant up to 100% yield loss. This viral disease is...
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...
Bozeman - Montana State University will partner with area organizations to host a free webinar series focused on techniques to mitigate predator-livestock conflicts. The series, Pathways for Practice Implementation: Non-lethal Predator Management through EQIP – Environmental Quality Incentives Program – will take place from noon-1:30 p.m. on the following Tuesdays: Aug. 23, Sept. 20 and Oct. 18. It is targeted to producers and local conservation district practitioners. In 2020, a team working in lands conservation across the West - including Ja...
"There is increased interest in planting winter wheat this year and for good reason," says Clair Keene, North Dakota State University (NDSU) Extension agronomist. "With many prevent plant acres in the state, good soil moisture heading into the end of the growing season, severe drought in much of the Southern Plains and higher wheat prices than we've been accustomed to the last few years, 2022 is shaping up to be favorable for growing winter wheat," says Keene. In addition to the positive market...
When there is work to be done there is work to be done. The tasks that farmers and ranchers are faced with are pressing, time-sensitive, and rarely can be done from inside a climate-controlled room. Add in unpredictable weather and already challenging tasks can become difficult, not to mention unpleasant. Help beat the heat with these summer safety reminders. Water. Rest. Shade. Prevention is the key to reducing heat-related illnesses. While it is not always possible to avoid working during the period of most intense heat during the day, there...
Bozeman - As winter wheat harvest in Montana comes to a close, producers may be thinking about fertilizer decisions for upcoming winter wheat seeding. Nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium, sulfur and chloride should all be considered in fertility programs, according to Clain Jones, Montana State University Extension soil fertility specialist and Department of Land Resources and Environmental Sciences professor in the College of Agriculture. Phosphorous and potassium Phosphorus and potassium are immobile nutrients in the soil and tend to be...
Bozeman, MT, Aug. 10 – The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has announced it will invest $15 million this year for the Conservation Innovation Grants (CIG) Classic program. Through CIG, grantees work to address our nation’s water quality, water quantity, air quality, soil health and wildlife habitat challenges, all while supporting agricultural production. This year’s funding priorities are climate-smart agriculture, addressing invasive species and conservation in community agricultural systems. “The challenges that Montana farmers...
The Richland Co. 4H program awarded their fair grand champions on Aug. 3 during the Richland Co. Fair, Sidney. Kraken Oil purchased both grand champion hog & steer. William Head also sold his grand champion lamb to Border Steel during the auction....
Bozeman, MT – The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) announced it will invest $25 million this year for the Conservation Innovation Grants (CIG) On-Farm Conservation Innovation Trials program. Through CIG, partners work to address our nation’s water quality, water quantity, air quality, soil health and wildlife habitat challenges, all while improving agricultural operations. The On-Farm Trials component of CIG supports widespread adoption and evaluation of innovative conservation approaches in partnership with agricultural producers. Thi...
Washington, July 27 - The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has announced that it will indefinitely extend the deadline for producers to return the pre-filled applications for Phase One of the Emergency Relief Program (ERP). A new deadline will be announced after the last Phase One applications are mailed and provide at least 30 days following the mailing. Continuing to build on the initial mailing of pre-filled applications in May, the Department will continue using existing information in USDA and crop insurance files to send additional p...
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...
The Richland County Farmers Market will once again be in Sidney this summer. The market will be held on Saturdays starting July 9 - Oct. 8 from 7:30 a.m. -12 p.m. at the Richland County Courthouse parking lot, on the corner of 2nd St NW and 2nd Ave NW. There will be a variety of produce and handmade items at the market, and this year there will be additional food products available under the new Montana Local Food Choice Act. This act exempts certain homemade food producers from food licensures and requirements. Food that may be sold at the...
The MSU Eastern Agricultural Research Center, located one mile north of Sidney, will be hosting its 2022 Field Day Tuesday, July 12. Registration will begin at 8:30 a.m. with the tour starting at 9 a.m. There will be many speakers discussing a variety of topics during the event. Dr. Frankie Crutcher, plant pathologist MSU-EARC will present a project to screen fusarium head blight resistant spring wheat, durum wheat, and barley. Dr. Lovreet Shergill, MSU Southern Agricultural Research Center...
Dr. Frankie Crutcher, MSU-EARC's plant pathologist will discuss fusarium head blight (FHB) resistant variety development and fungicide treatments for disease management at the EARC Field Day, July 12 at 9 a.m. According to the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), FHB is one of the most devastating plant diseases in the world. The USDA ranks FHB as the worst plant disease to hit the U.S. since the rust epidemics in the 1950s. Since 1990, U.S. barley and wheat growers have lost over $3...
Montana State University (MSU) breeders continue to develop and research several wheat varieties. Three speakers including Dr. Suchismita Mondal, Dr. Jason Cook, and Dr. Venugopal Mendu will be presenting information on their wheat breeding and genetic research at the EARC Field Day, July 20. Dr. Suchismita Mondal MSU assistant professor directs the Montana State winter wheat breeding program. She joined MSU this year from the Global Wheat Program at the International Maize and Wheat Improvement Center (CIMMYT) in Mexico. Mondal has been a whea...
Tavin Schneider, Sustainable Oils LLC assistant breeder, will talk about the potential of camelina in Montana and contracts the Sustainable Oils Company offers to growers at the EARC Field Day Tour, starting at 9:30 a.m. MT on Tuesday, July 12. Formed in 2013 with headquarters in Great Falls, Sustainable Oils is the world’s leading camelina seed company for renewable diesel production. According to susoils.com, it owns an industry leading portfolio of property rights, including patents and production know-how, to produce its proprietary varieti...
Dr. Lovreet Shergill, MSU Southern Agricultural Research Center weed scientist, will present a talk about herbicide resistant weeds and cultural and chemical methods to control the herbicide resistant at 10:45 a.m. Shergill’s research interests lie in investigating crop-weed dynamics in different cropping systems to improve weed management and crop productivity. He said “My research primarily focuses on understanding herbicide resistance, weed biology and ecology, and integrated weed management.” He was born and raised in India, where he receiv...
Dr. Bill ‘William’ Franck, MSU-EARC research scientist, will be presenting the last talk of the day at the Eastern Agricultural Research Center Field Day at 12:25 p.m. He will present inoculant study in pea, lentil, chickpea, and soybean for yield and protein improvement. Dr. Franck has a Ph.D. degree in microbiology, he will present the studies that are aiming at enhancing the pea protein concentrations through various agronomic practices, such as using different Rhizobium inoculants and application method, applying micronutrients and pla...
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...
