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Sidney, MT – Montana’s short summer is winding down and now is a good time for the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) to conduct the field inventories and planning needed to develop a conservation plan for farmers, ranchers, and private forestland managers looking to improve their natural resources. Because the timeframe before snow is unpredictable and because the NRCS application ranking period for funding opportunities usually happens in the fall, visit the Sidney field office now. The local NRCS staff can help to figure out...
INDIANAPOLIS – The Fairview FFA chapter and Agriculture Department in Fairview, MT, has been awarded $5,000 as part of the Grants for Growing program. The nationwide program, sponsored by Tractor Supply Company, provides grant funds to local FFA chapters to support the development or improvement of agricultural education projects that enhance the classroom experiences for students through chapter engagement activities. Fairview Agriculture Department and FFA Chapter plans to use these funds to set up a soft-sided greenhouse inside a large o...
Now is a good time to be on the lookout for any suspicious pigweeds that could potentially be Palmer amaranth or waterhemp. Both species are very difficult to control and have limited management options, making prevention as well as early detection very important. Vectors of potential introduction of Palmer amaranth and waterhemp include contaminated seed, especially millet, farm equipment, sunflower screenings, bird seed, and more. Be sure to scout areas where these vectors could potentially introduce Palmer amaranth or waterhemp. Look for...
Richland Co. Fair 4-H 2024 Grand Champion Market animals were chosen during the Richland Co. Fair last weekend....
As the Fair quickly approaches, 4-H members and their families often reflect on past Fair experiences. Last year Liam Steinbeisser raised a Charolais cross market steer to exhibit at the County Fair. In the live show Liam did well, receiving a blue ribbon, however, he exceeded his expectations in the carcass contest. He placed first place in the Richland County Market Beef Carcass Contest. He then went on to win the Steer of Merit contest for the entire. This is a great achievement. When Liam wa...
As temperatures remain high, it is important to consider not only the quantity of water that your livestock have access to, but also the quality of the water source they are on. The amount of water livestock require depends on the animal’s size, production stage, moisture content of their diet, and temperature. For example, a 1,300-lb. mature beef cow requires approximately 9.2 gallons of water when temperatures are at 40°F, and this requirement increases to 14.3 gallons a day when temperatures are 90°F. When cows are lactating, water req...
The Montana Department of Agriculture’s pesticide container recycling program provides pesticide applicators with the means to recycle their clean and rinsed HDPE plastic pesticide containers. The mobile grinding unit and a 40 ft. drop down trailer will be making a stop in Sidney at the Richland County Weed District on Aug. 13 from 9 a.m.-3 p.m. It is required that all pesticide containers be rinsed of product, adjuvants, and oils, that containers are dry, and that foil seals and label booklets are removed. Larger 30-50-gallon drums must be c...
The Xerces Society will be conducting their Bumble Bee Atlas for Field Training Day, Thursday, Aug. 8 from 9 a.m.-11 a.m. at the Lambert Park. From there participants will be driven to the field site outside of Lambert. At this field training, Michelle Toshack (Xerces Society) will teach the basics of surveying bumble bees. This event will be a great way to learn how to use an insect net, collect data according to project methods, and identify local bumble bees! Bring: water, snacks, and sun protection. Michelle will provide insect nets and oth...
Research looking at pulse crop diseases, new durum varieties, native pollinators and new options for wheat stem sawfly and grasshopper management are just a few of the research topics to be presented at the 2024 joint ARS-MSU Dryland Field Day, Sidney, Wednesday morning, July 17, from 9 a.m.-12:30 p.m. The tour is presented by Montana State University’s Eastern Ag Research Center (EARC) and the USDA Agricultural Research Service’s (ARS) Northern Plains Agricultural Research Lab (NPARL) and features speakers from both Sidney research fac...
The Williston Research Extension Center will host their annual Field Days July 10 and 11 at their Williston and Ray locations. The Dryland/Horticulture Tour will start Wednesday, July 10, at 3 p.m. CT with registration, and the welcome and tour starting at 4 p.m. The location for the first tour is 14120 Hwy. 2 W., Williston. The Irrigated Field Day on July 11 will take place at the Nesson Valley Irrigated Research site at 5154 112th Ave. NW, Ray, ND. Tentatively, stop one on the tour will be “Maintaining Markets with Research Information”, and...
BOZEMAN – Eastern Montana may be typecast for its sparse population and rolling landscape, but its vast expanses make it an optimal region for the state’s largest industry. Along the Yellowstone River near the North Dakota border, Montana State University’s Eastern Agricultural Research Center serves 13 counties that produce nearly three quarters of Montana’s pulse crop acreage, which leads the nation, and almost half its wheat. Serving such a wide area can be a tall order for a facility with less than 200 acres for both dryland and irrigated r...
As the time to harvest your cereal grain crops for forage approaches, it’s time to consider testing them for nitrates prior to cutting. Nitrates can accumulate not only in cereal grains, but also in sorghum, sudangrass, millet, corn, and many weed species. Any forages containing these species should be tested for nitrates. Nitrate is a form of nitrogen which is essential for the growth and development of plants, and it is the form that is taken up by the roots of the plant. When growing conditions are normal, plants convert this nitrate into a...
The Montana State University Eastern Agricultural Research Center (MSU EARC) is preparing to host their annual Field Day on Thursday, June 27 at the center, located north of Sidney, 1501 N Central Ave. The day will include information on variety selection, cropping systems, fertility, disease management, weed management, and more, all of which will be beneficial for producers in the region. Plan to come from 8 a.m. to 8:30 a.m. for coffee and donuts before the field day begins at 8:30 a.m. During the field tours, Dr. Chengci Chen, EARC...
Stripe rust has been observed in winter wheat at the Eastern Agricultural Research Center here in Sidney. The cooler weather and moisture recently have been ideal conditions for the disease. This article will review some information on stripe rust disease and management options at this point in the growing season. Stripe rust is a fungal disease that is appropriately named, as the disease forms in a linear pattern of yellow-orange powdery pustules along the leaf blade. This disease is...
Blister beetles are here once again, and it is a good idea to scout for them in your fields, particularly alfalfa, prior to cutting. Blister beetle larvae feed on grasshopper eggs, which is why we've seen such large populations the last few years. Adult blister beetles contain a cantharidin toxin in their body fluids which is released when the beetle is crushed. This can blister people's skin and can also be deadly to livestock and horses. There are a few species of blister beetles that are...
The MonDak Area Stockgrowers held their spring meeting on June 13. The night included updates from both the Montana Stockgrowers Association (MSGA) and the North Dakota Stockmen's Association (NDSA), scholarship presentations, and the goat roping. Currently, MSGA is working on protecting livestock grazing on federal lands. MSGA is actively opposing proposed solar developments and carbon storage facilities on Bureau of Land Management (BLM) land, as these developments would adversely impact...
BOZEMAN – Eastern Montana may be typecast for its sparse population and rolling landscape, but its vast expanses make it an optimal region for the state’s largest industry. Along the Yellowstone River near the North Dakota border, Montana State University’s Eastern Agricultural Research Center serves 13 counties that produce nearly three quarters of Montana’s pulse crop acreage, which leads the nation, and almost half its wheat. Serving such a wide area can be a tall order for a facility with less than 200 acres for both dryland and irrigated r...
The Montana State University Eastern Agricultural Research Center (MSU EARC) is preparing to host their annual Field Day on Thursday, June 27 at the center, located north of Sidney, 1501 N Central Ave. The day will include information on variety selection, cropping systems, fertility, disease management, weed management, and more, all of which will be beneficial for producers in the region. Plan to come from 8 a.m. to 8:30 a.m. for coffee and donuts before the field day begins at 8:30 a.m....
Associate Professor of Plant Pathology, MSU-EARC Dr. Frankie Crutcher will discuss how to accurately identify white mold disease in irrigated soybean production fields and will provide management options including variety selection, fungicide application and rotation strategies at from 9:20-9:35 a.m. She said white mold disease has been found in soybean fields in Richland County, raising concern among growers. Producers have been experimenting with new crops since the closure of Sidney Sugars,...
At this year's Montana State University Eastern Agricultural Research Center Field Day in Sidney, MT, Dr. Nisha Patwa will be discussing her ongoing research into the effects of essential oil treatments in combating root rot in peas. Organic growers are ever in search of improving their ability to produce crops with a solution in harmony with their organic status. Widespread root rot due to a buildup of the pathogen in soil led researchers at Montana State University to experiment with...
9-9:15 a.m. Camelina As Bioenergy Crop (Cultivar Selection, Agronomic Practices, & Weed Control) Dr. Chengci Chen, Professor of Agronomy, MSU-EARC Description: This presentation will include variety selection and agronomic practices. The agronomic practices that will be discussed include how to plant camelina and what pre-emergent and post-emergent herbicides can be used for controlling grass and broadleaf weeds, and how to apply pre- and post-emergent herbicides. Speaker Bio: Chengci Chen is...
Battling wheat stem sawfly? Interested in forages or CRP native plantings? How about forages potentially resistant to grasshoppers or rotations that help curb disease in peas and lentils? These are just a few of the research projects being featured at a joint Dryland Field Day, presented by Montana State University’s Eastern Ag Research Center (EARC) and the USDA Agricultural Research Service’s (ARS) Northern Plains Agricultural Research Lab (NPARL). The tour is set for Wednesday morning, July 17 and features speakers from both research fac...
Join the MonDak Area Stockgrowers Association for an evening of family fun as it hosts its Spring Meeting on Thursday, June 13 beginning at 5:30 p.m. at Sidney Livestock Market Center. Dinner and Goat Roping are on the agenda. Meat will be provided by the Stockgrowers; those whose last name start with A-K, please bring a salad and those whose last name starts with L-Z, please bring dessert. Goat Roping should provide some excitement for contestants and spectators alike. The contest will be divided into two age groups; 10 and under and 11 and...