68th Annual National Hard Spring Wheat Show & Mondak Pulse Day Set For February

The 68th Annual National Hard Spring Wheat Show is scheduled for Wednesday, Feb. 10, and the Annual MonDak Pulse Day is set for Thursday, Feb. 11. Both events will be at the Williston Area Recreation Center, 822 18th St. E., Williston.

This year, both events are being offered in a hybrid in-person and online format, due to circumstances surrounding COVID-19. Participants will have the opportunity to choose to attend the event at home via Zoom or in-person.

The 68th Annual Hard Spring Wheat Show is free admission. Everyone is encouraged to register online for the event using this link: https://forms.gle/DnK317kfW6tWoqEWA. 

At the event, Daryl Ritchison, North Dakota Agricultural Weather Network director, presents a seasonal weather outlook. Dr. Audrey Kalil, NDSU Williston Research Extension Center plant pathologist, will present a talk on scab management in durum. Kelly Leo, NDSU Williams County Extension Agent, and Jeff Chilson, MSU Roosevelt County Extension Agent, will give a weed update. 

Other agriculture specialists that will speak at the event include Dr. Dave Franzen, NDSU Extension Soil Specialist; Dr. Frayne Olson, the NDSU Extension director and crop economist/marketing specialist; Dr. Jim Staricka, soil scientist NDSU Williston Research Extension Center.

There will also be a panel discussion on soil acidification in no-till farming. "We're looking forward to the event and continuing this program. Hopefully, we can have a longer, more traditional program return in 2022," stated area extension specialist/cropping systems Dr. Clair Keene, Williston Research Extension Center.

Individuals interested in attending the MonDak Pulse Day can register online using the link: https://forms.gle/ocJ4zYbYZAn6ghoP9. This event is free to attend via Zoom, and attendees who wish to attend virtually are required to register online.

"We encourage everyone to register so that if they want to watch on Zoom, we can email them the link or if they are attending in-person to help us with our headcount. The event has been shortened to a single half-day because of the pandemic," said Dr. Keene.

At this event, many speakers will be informing attendees on the latest in pulse crop disease management, intercropping pulses, and pulse breeding in Montana and North Dakota. Speakers include research agronomist at Hettinger Research Extension Center John Rickertsen; associate professor of plant science and pulse breeder at NDSU Dr. Kevin McPhee; plant pathologist, Carrington Research Extension Center Dr. Michael Wunsch; Irrigation Research Specialist Justin Jacobs; Williston Research Extension Center Dr. Kalil and Dr. Keene. 

Dr. Keene added, "We're excited to have John Rickertsen from the Hettinger REC come and speak about growing soybeans in western North Dakota and what producers need to know about this rapidly expanding crop." For more information on these events, contact the Williston Research Extension Center at 701-774-4315.