WREC Dryland Tour Speakers

The Williston Research Extension Center, located 4.5 miles west of Williston, will be hosting their annual Dryland Tour on Thursday, July 13th. The event will start with coffee and rolls at 8:30 a.m. and the tour will begin at 9:00 a.m. The dryland tour will feature NDSU Extension specialists and researchers. After the morning tours, there will be a traditional barbecue chicken lunch starting at noon. Also featured at Williston Field Days is a Plant Dr. booth, where gardeners and local producers can bring in their diseased plants to get a diagnostic on what disease they may have. For additional information please contact (701) 774-4315.

Dr. Tom DeSutter: Overview of Oil and Gas Pipeline Disturbed Soils

Tom DeSutter is an Associate Professor of Soil Science and the Program Leader for the Department of Soil Science at North Dakota State University. His research focuses on saline and sodic soils, reclamation of soils disturbed as a result of energy exploration and infrastructure development, and phosphorus losses from agronomic systems.  He teaches two courses at NDSU, "Soils and Land Use" and "Environmental Field Instrumentation and Sampling."

Austin Link: Overview of Pipeline Installation

and Reclamation Study at WREC

Austin Link serves as an Agronomy Research Specialist at the Williston Research Extension Center. Austin has a BS Degree in Natural Resources from the U of M-Crookston and a MS Degree in Range Science from NDSU.  Austin's duties and responsibilities include dryland crop variety testing and agronomic production research trials. Austin is coordinating a new WREC pipeline reclamation study to evaluate the success of different cropping rotations, annual and perennial cover crops, and manure application in rehabilitating soil health and restoring crop yields.

Jane Holzer: What is a Saline Seep and How Does it Form?

Jane Holzer is the Program Director of the Montana Salinity Control Association (MSCA) located in Conrad, MT, and serves as agronomist on the technical field team. MSCA is a satellite program of Montana's conservation districts, emphasizing saline soil and ground water investigations for individual farms and watershed-scale projects. Her focus at MSCA involves cropping systems for dryland salinity control, focusing on rotations with perennial forage and other economically viable crops. Jane is also exploring using cover crop cocktails to improve soil health. Holzer graduated from Montana State University with degrees in Agriculture Production/Agronomy and Rural Sociology. Jane is involved in community and MSU agricultural research activities and professional organizations including Soil and Water Conservation Society, and American Water Resources Association. She currently serves as the SWCS-MT Chapter Treasurer. Holzer was raised on a grain and cattle ranch in Judith Basin County and is still involved in the family operation. Dr. Caley Gasch: Soil Health Restoration after Pipeline Reclamation

Dr. Caley Gasch: Soil Health Restoration After Pipeline Reclamation

Caley Gasch is an Assistant Professor of Soil Health at North Dakota State University. She joined the NDSU Soil Science group in August of 2016. She teaches and conducts research on soil ecology and conservation. Gasch holds an MS in Agronomy and a PhD in Ecology, both earned at the University of Wyoming. While in Wyoming, she studied the recovery of rangeland soil and plant communities following coal and natural gas extraction and plant species invasion. Prior to moving to NDSU, she studied soil water dynamics on dryland farms in the Palouse region of Washington and Idaho. Dr. Gasch's current research spans North Dakota and includes managing soil salinity, reducing soil erosion, improving soil health, and understanding rangeland soil ecology.

Dr. Don Miller: Perennial Forage Grass Selection

for Saline Seep Reclamation

Don Miller is currently the Director of Product Development for Alforex Seeds and is based out of Nampa, Idaho. During his thirty-five year career in the public and private industry, Dr. Miller has authored and co-authored numerous agricultural publications and conducted 300 plus training seminars for universities and grower organizations. Dr. Miller has developed or co-developed 150 alfalfa, 6 red clover and 1 Teff variety during his plant breeding career. His most recent activities focus on developing and promoting new salt-tolerant alfalfa and grass varieties for the western U.S. He is a past President of the Western Society of Crop Science and the Western Alfalfa Improvement Conference. Dr. Miller has served two 4-year terms on the National Alfalfa Variety Review Board.

Dr. Clair Keene: Alfalfa Variety Trial at WREC

and Saline Seep Reclamation Progress

Clair Keene is an Area Extension Specialist in Cropping Systems at the NDSU Williston Research Extension Center in Williston, North Dakota. Keene graduated with her Ph.D. in agronomy with an emphasis in weed science from Penn State University in August of 2015 and joined the WREC in February of 2016. Her Ph.D. research focused on integrated weed management in reduced tillage corn and soybean crops and reducing tillage in organic grain rotations with cover crops. Dr. Keene's research projects at the WREC encompass herbicide evaluations, intercropping (also known as companion cropping), and using perennial forages to reclaim salt-affected soils.

Continuing Education Unit Credits: The afternoon program of the MonDak Ag Showcase, will be worth 2.5 CEU's in the Soil & Water Management category.