Mondak Ag Research Summit Moved Online Due To COVID-19

While the arrival of new vaccines for COVID-19 should enable a return to in-person events, the sheer mechanics of their mass distribution mean that early 2021 events are still primarily virtual. That’s certainly true for the 4th Annual MonDak Agricultural Research Summit, typically held late in the year, but now moved online and converted to a webinar series, beginning Thursday, Jan. 14. Webinars will be held on Zoom every other Thursday, with one Tuesday thrown in, and all will run from 10-11:30 a.m. MT/11 a.m.-12:30 p.m. CT.

According to organizers, the virtual format, while not allowing for face-to-face interaction between scientists and producers, does allow for broader discussion on some topics of interest through the addition of several keynote speakers, with soil fertility expert Dr. Clain Jones, Montana State University first up. Each webinar in the series will feature a different keynote speaker, followed by three shorter reports on research of use to farmers and ranchers in this region by scientists working in the “MonDak Research Triangle.” The triangle, which originated and hosts the Summit each year, includes Montana State University’s Eastern Agricultural Research Center and the USDA Agricultural Research Service’s Northern Plains Agricultural Research Lab, Sidney; and North Dakota State University’s Williston Research Extension Center, Williston.

And, note, too, pesticide applicator points for Montana participants will also be available for those joining in select live webinars. Sorry, viewing the subsequent recordings – also to be made available online – does not qualify for points.

Dates and keynote speakers for the 4th Annual MonDak Ag Research Summit series are below. All are Thursdays, except Feb. 9, which is a Tuesday. Additional information will be announced as details are finalized.

• Jan. 14: Clain Jones, Professor and Extension Soil Fertility Specialist; College of Agriculture; Montana State University, Bozeman - “Fertilizer Considerations During and After Drought”

• Jan. 28: Tom Scherer, Associate Professor (Extension Engineering); Department of Agricultural and Biosystems Engineering; North Dakota State University, Fargo - “The Mechanical Aspects of Precision and Variable Rate Irrigation”

Feb. 9: Mary Burrows, Professor; Plant Sciences & Plant Pathology; Assoc. Director, Montana Ag Experiment Stations; College of Agriculture; Montana State University, Bozeman - “Managing Root Rot of Pulses”

• Feb. 25: Brian Jenks, Weed Scientist; North Central Research Extension Center, Minot; North Dakota State University - “2021 Weed Control Update in the MonDak”

• March 11: Patrick Gilchist, Warning Coordination Meteorologist/Service Coordination Hydrologist, NOAA, National Weather Service Station, Glasgow, MT - “Seasonal Outlooks and Potential Climate Change Impacts for Eastern MT and Western ND”

• March 25: Keynote TBD – Topic: Marketing

For more information contact Beth Redlin, [email protected]; 406-433-2020 or Violeta Hobbs, [email protected].