NEWS for North Dakotans
Agriculture Communication, North Dakota State University
7 Morrill Hall, Fargo, ND 58105-5665

July 1, 1999

[EDITORS: NDSU President Joseph Chapman will attend the NDSU North Central Research Extension Center Field Day near Minot and will be available for media interviews. More information at the end of this press release.]

Highlights of NDSU North Central Field Day in Minot

Dedication of a new technology transfer center and presentations on crop production and pest management advances will be highlights of the field day scheduled for Wednesday, July 14, at North Dakota State University's North Central Research Extension Center near Minot.

The day opens with refreshments at 9 a.m. and a welcome from Joseph Chapman, president of NDSU. The center is located one mile south of Minot on U.S. Highway 83.

During a crop production tour beginning at 9:30 a.m., NDSU crop breeders will discuss their efforts to improve small grains, including trials at the center. The tour will feature oat breeder Mike McMullen, durum breeder Elias Elias and hard red spring wheat breeder Richard Frohberg. NDSU Extension cropping systems specialist Kent McKay will review recent advances in disease forecasting, and NDSU weed scientist Brian Jenks will discuss options for fall weed control.

At the final stop during the morning tour, NDSU Extension agricultural engineer Vern Hofman will demonstrate new technology for reducing spray drift.

A luncheon will be served at 11:45 a.m. and a ribbon cutting for the technology transfer center will take place at 1:15 p.m with an open house following. The $850,000 facility was financed from $350,000 appropriated by the North Dakota Legislature and $500,000 contributed by the city, county, area businesses, agribusiness groups and producers. A 200-person-capacity meeting room equipped with electronic communication technology will help center staff serve area farmers, their families and local businesses.

An afternoon tour begins at 2:45 p.m. and features a review of soil fertility issues following a wet spring with NDSU Extension soil scientist Dave Franzen. Jenks will discuss weed control in canola and McKay will review sunflower weed control options. NDSU Extension entomologist Phil Glogoza will give a wheat midge and aphid update and NDSU crop protection specialist Jan Knodel will discuss canola insect concerns. NDSU cropping system specialist Greg Endres will discuss field pea and lentil management.

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[Note to editors: Joseph Chapman took office as NDSU's 13th president on June 2. He also will be attending field days in Carrington, Dickinson, Williston, Hettinger, Oakes and Sidney, Mont. "I want to get to know the people of this region. I want to learn their aspirations and what their concerns are. It's critically important to meet the people," he says. Prior to becoming president of North Dakota State University, Chapman served as senior vice president and provost at Montana State University, Bozeman. In addition to administrative duties, Chapman served as a professor of biology. Before joining Montana State in 1996, he was dean of the College of Natural Resources at Utah State University. From 1969 to 1983, he worked at the University of Maryland, College Park, rising to head the Appalachian Environmental Laboratory. Joseph and Gale Chapman have two daughters, Valerie, 14, and Jennifer, 11.

For more information on Chapman's visit to the North Central Research Extension Center or to make advance arrangements for an interview, contact David Wahlberg at (701) 231-8325.]

Source: Jay Fischer (701) 857-7677

Editor: Tom Jirik (701) 231-9629