July News
New Food and Nutrition Program Agent Hired
Stark/ Billings and Golden Valley Counties are welcoming a new person to our Extension Offices. Deb Dorhman started as the Food and Nutrition Program (FNP) Agent for these counties on July 2nd. We are glad to have Deb with us and I know she is looking forward to meeting everyone in the Counties.
Collecting Leafy Spurge Beetles
The time of year when spurge beetle collection occurs is again upon us. The following is information from Jan Knodel, NDSU Extension Entomologist on collection of beetles.
The accumulated growing degree days (AGDD) for sunflower (base of 44F) can be used as a guide to determine when to begin scouting for adult flea beetles. Begin scouting for adult flea beetles when the AGDD approaches 1,000. Likewise, the flea beetle population and egg laying by females begins to decline when the AGDD reaches 1,600 or more. Collect flea beetles between 1,200 and the 1,600 AGDD. Most of North Dakota is above 1,000 AGDD with the southeast region near 1,200 AGDD (see map)Peak emergence of Aphthona spp. flea beetles also corresponds to the flowering of the prairie wild rose and the ripening of garden strawberries in North Dakota. See current map of AGDD in North Dakota. Use the sunflower degree days/growth stage application in NDAWN and enter “2007-03-01” for planting date and select “degree day” for map type. http://ndawn.ndsu.nodak.edu/sunflowergdd-form.html
Variety Trials in Golden Valley County
We have completed seeding on the variety trials and plots that are being hosted at the SCD quarter east of town. The alfalfa was planted on June 21st. There are variety plots not only of alfalfa, but also corn, and bulk seedings of hay barley (part of a double cropping forage trial) and alfalfa. Feel free to stop by and take a look at the plots at any time and they will be featured on the annual crop tour, July 23rd.
Conversations Across the Land
With Field Day season back upon us, NDSU is gearing up for their “Conversations Across the Land” tour. NDSU President Joseph Chapman will be traveling across the state and attending the field days at each Research Extension Center. These days will be will be a good opportunity to see first hand what NDSU is doing in the area. Please feel free to attend one or more of the local field days! The schedule for the DREC field day follows. For more information on any of the field days please contact the office.
NDSU Dickinson Research Extension Center Field Day
8:00 a.m. MDT Start your day with remarks from NDSU President, Joseph Chapman and refreshments.
8:30 a.m. MDT Buses depart for the Beef, Range and Nutrient Management Tour
9:00 a.m. MDT Agronomic Variety Trial Tour at DREC
12:00-1:00 p.m. MDT Lunch at DREC Ranch
1:00-3:30 p.m. MDT Tours continue and start at DREC Ranch
4:00 p.m. MDT Greetings from NDSU at DREC
5:30 p.m. MDT Ag BBQ sponsored and coordinated by the Dickinson Chamber of Commerce.
Horse drawn wagon rides will be available.
Dinner is complimentary with ticket.
Thank you to the Dickinson Chamber of Commerce. Please secure dinner tickets at local businesses or at the Chamber of Commerce, Lori Vernon, 701-225-5115. For a list of area businesses with complimentary dinner tickets or directions to the DREC Ranch, contact: Phyllis Okland, NDSU Dickinson Research Extension Center, 1041 State Avenue, Dickinson, ND 58601 701-483-2348, www.ag.ndsu.nodak.edu/dickinso/
Hettinger Field Day Set
The North Dakota State University Hettinger Research Extension Center will hold its annual field day on July 10, beginning at 3 p.m. MDT with a weed-control tour. A small-grains tour will follow at 5 p.m.
"The focus of the weed-control tour will be on new herbicides and application techniques," says Eric Eriksmoen, research agronomist at the center. "We have a new set of tough-to-control weeds, such as cheatgrass, Persian darnel and mallow, that are becoming a bigger problem for more farmers. We're working with some new and old herbicides in new ways that are very effective at controlling these tough weeds."
The small-grains tour will focus on the production of winter and spring wheat, durum and barley. Plant breeders and other agricultural experts will provide an update on the newest crop varieties. During the tour, NDSU will announce the release of a two-rowed barley that is well-adapted to the area. The release of a new spring wheat also will be announced.
The tour will feature almost 50 spring wheat, 40 durum, 25 barley and 25 winter wheat varieties grown in side-by-side plots.
If you have questions, call the NDSU Hettinger Research Extension Center at (701) 567-4323.
Golden Valley/ Wibaux County Crop Tour
The Annual Golden Valley/Wibaux County Crop Tour will be held Monday July 23rd, at 3:00pm. We will meet at the SCD quarter (2 Miles east of Town) and from there proceed to the other stops on the Tour. The tour will conclude between 6:30 at 7, back at the SCD quarter with a steak supper provided by the Golden Valley SCD and Beach Co-op Grain. Tentative stops for this years tour include, the Ag Improvement Corn Variety Trail, The SCD Double cropping forage and Alfalfa Variety Trials, A sawfly research plot in durum and wheat, the Wibaux County Spring Wheat and Durum Nursery as well as others. Look for more details in the coming weeks.
“Blue Jeans and Country Dreams”
The Golden Valley County Fair is only a month away… Do you know what you are entering yet? Do you know what you parade entry will be? These are just a couple of questions to get you thinking about how you can contribute to the fair this year. Open class entries can be pre-registered 2 weeks before the fair by stopping in the Extension Office. Parade Entries can also be pre-registered by stopping by. New to the fair this year in the open class will also be a Frozen foods department, pick up a premium book or contact the office for more information.
More Alfalfa Weevil Informaion
Most of the Alfalfa in the area has had the first cutting taken off. In this situation typically, larvae would desiccate and die in the cut alfalfa. However, this year with all the moisture the larvae are continuing to feed underneath the cut alfalfa swath. Spraying an insecticide while swaths are laying will not control the larvae since they are protected. The best advice is to hay the alfalfa as soon as possible and then scout regrowth for any feeding injury, according to Jan Knodel NDSU Extension Entomologist. If 4-8 larvae per square foot are present in regrowth, an insecticide application would be advisable. The degree day development indicates that most larvae are close to pupal stage (non-feeding stage) at 596 accumulative degree day NO insecticide is advisable then. As of July 2 the Growing Dregee Days in Golden Valley County were at 822. For anyone who finds a significant number of feeding larva to spray before a second cutting, here are the pre-harvest intervals of the labeled insecticides for weevils.
Project Safe Send Date Reminder
Project Safe Send has again been funded through the ND Legislature, and will be hosting 16 collection sites during the month of July. Following is the entire list of collections from across the state. I have highlighted those that are the closest.
Tuesday, July 10 Casselton - 15482 37th St SE.
Wednesday, July 11 Hillsboro - 590 Sixth St NW.
Thursday, July 12 Larimore - 1524 Towner Ave.
Friday, July 13 Cavalier - 9398 138th Ave NE.
Monday, July 16 Mohall - 802 CO Road 9N.
Monday, July 16 Lidgerwood - 25 4th Ave SE.
Tuesday, July 17 Litchville - 808 First Ave.
Tuesday, July 17 Stanley - 8250 62nd St NW.
Wednesday, July 18 Williston - 605 Dakota Parkway W.
Wednesday, July 18 Napoleon - 59 Broadway.
Thursday, July 19 Dickinson - 700 3rd Ave. W STE 101.
Thursday, July 19 Carrington - 6739 Hwy 200.
Friday, July 20 Devils Lake - 1905 Schwan Ave NW.
Friday, July 20 Mott - 9108 71st R St SW.
Monday, July 23 Beulah - 205 Highway 49 S.
Tuesday, July 24 Garrison - 515 Highway 37 SE.
No pre-registration is required to take part in project safe send. However it is asked that you call ahead if bringing in more than 5,000 lbs of unusable chemicals. More information on Project Safe Send can be found at www.agdepartment.com
Free Scrapie Testing Available for Sheep Producers
Free testing of rams for genetic resistance to scrapie is again available to North Dakota sheep producers. Dr. Beth Carlson, North Dakota deputy state veterinarian, said limited funds for the testing have been made available through an agreement with the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service of the U.S. Department of Agriculture. She encouraged sheep producers to contact the state veterinarian's office at (701) 328-2655 for more information.
Section 18 Exemption to Control Grasshoppers
The EPA has issued a section 18 exemption for the use of Mustang Max® on Flax for the control of grasshoppers. The exemption allows ground or aerial applications at a rate of 2.8 to 4 ounces of product per acre. A maximum of 8 fluid ounces per acre is allowed for the season. A maximum of 210,000 acres of flax may be treated. The exemption is effective immediately and expires Sept. 30, 2007.
New Publications
AE1327 Aerial Application of Fungicide for Fusarium Head Blight $1.00
H-1326 From Garden to Table… All in the Family! Potatoes, Tomatoes, Peppers & Eggplant
Revised Publications
SF -882 N. D. Fertilizer Recommendation Tables & Equations
A-935 Tame Mustard Production
A-687 Buckwheat Production