NEWS for North Dakotans
Agriculture Communication, North Dakota State
University
7 Morrill Hall, Fargo, ND 58105-5665
June 25, 1998
Two research tours, plus water screening and plant diagnostic services, will be offered free to the public on Tuesday, July 7 at the North Dakota State University Hettinger Research Extension Center field day.
A chemical weed control tour will begin at 3:30 MDT just west of K&K Equipment in Hettinger. The tour will feature research on broadleaf weed and wild oat herbicides for wheat and a discussion and demonstration of various aspects of chemical weed control by John Nalewaja, professor of plant sciences at NDSU.
The crop tour begins at 5 p.m., MDT at the research center, which is located on the west side of Hettinger. It features small grain, oil seed and alternative crops as well as forage and hay crops.
"The crops tour will be especially useful to area growers, since it allows them to see different varieties of grain being grown side by side," said Eric Eriksmoen, NDSU agronomist at the center.
Eriksmoen said that this year researchers at the Hettinger center are growing durum, barley, oats and more than 50 varieties of spring wheat. They also are growing about 40 alternative and specialty crops, not only flax, canola, mustard, buckwheat and safflower, but also more exotic crops such as fennel, chia, cumin, fenugreek and camolina, which are being tested for adaptability to southwestern North Dakota.
"Most of these specialty crops are not being grown commercially in the state now," said Eriksmoen, "but a few of them have that potential. It is our intention to look for alternative crops that will benefit area growers. A few years ago canola was an exotic crop in this area. Today it is being grown on thousands of acres throughout this part of the state."
Free water testing and plant diagnosis will be offered during the field day. Area ranchers and crop producers may bring one-pint samples from stock dams, residential wells, livestock wells or other sources to be tested for nitrates, salinity, hardness and pH. Results will be ready after the crop tour.
People who would like a diagnosis of a commercial crop, garden crop, flower or tree problems should bring a sample of the plant—as much of it as possible, including root—to the field day. NDSU Plant Diagnostic Lab personal will be on hand to provide (in most cases) on-the-spot answers.
For more information, contact the Hettinger Research Extension Center at (701) 567-4323.
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Source: Eric Eriksmoen (701) 567-4323
Editor: Barry Brissman (701) 231-7866