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

June 1, 2000

Field Days Scheduled at NDSU Research Extension Centers

A schedule and tentative agenda have been set for each of the annual field-day tours at the North Dakota State University Research Extension Centers. These field tours are designed to showcase the latest research by scientists with the North Dakota Agricultural Experiment Station and the NDSU Extension Service.

• June 20--Streeter: The first field day of the growing season will begin at 6 p.m. (free dinner to follow) at the Central Grasslands Research Extension Center. The center is located four miles north of Streeter on Highway 30 (or 11 miles south of I-94), five miles west and a quarter mile south. Attendees will learn about the quality and production of cool- and warm-season grasses, the role of forage quantity in grazing animal performance, the effect of defoliation on plant and grazing animal performance, and living snow fences. There will also be a demonstration on hay baler safety. For more information, call (701) 424-3606.
• June 28--Casselton: Field day events will begin at 5:30 p.m. at the Agronomy Seed Farm, located one mile south of Casselton and one mile west on the frontage road which parallels I-94 on its north side. Plant variety plot tours will focus on hard red spring wheat, durum and barley. There will also be discussions on weed control and corn breeding. An evening meal will follow the tours. For more information, call (701) 347-4743.
• July 6--Langdon: A field tour at the Langdon Research Extension Center, located a mile east of Langdon, begins at 9 a.m. The tour, sponsored by the Northern Canola Growers Association, will feature canola production practices and issues. The tour will also feature discussions on general weed control and fungicide application for small grains. A sponsored lunch will follow the tours. For more information, call (701) 256-2582.
• July 11--Hettinger: The summer field tour at the Hettinger Research Extension Center will include a canola tour beginning at 2:30 p.m. MDT and a small grains tour at 5 p.m. MDT. The canola tour will feature discussion of canola seeding rates and dates, weed control, variety selection, fertilizing and dormant seeding. There will also be an opportunity to look at a new crop, Juncea, also called canola-quality mustard or prairie canola. The small grains tour will feature discussion of hard red spring wheat, hard red winter wheat, durum, barley and oat production. A plot of Roundup Ready wheat will be on the tour, and there will be discussion about NDSU's role in developing biotech crops. The tour will end with supper at Mirror Lake Park. The center is located on the west edge of Hettinger along U.S. Highway 12. For more information, call (701) 567-4323.
• July 12--Dickinson: Field day events at the Dickinson Research Extension Center will begin early--with a sunrise tour of the grounds focusing on the Outdoor Wildlife Learning Sites (OWLS) project. The center is located south of I-94 in the northwest corner of Dickinson. Traffic should take Exit 62, turn south on Highway 22 and turn west at the first stoplight. Agronomy tours will be available throughout the day at the center. The morning tours will feature a discussion of winter wheat in no-till crop rotations, emerging issues in canola and a review of small grain variety development. Afternoon tours will include topics such as reduced tillage systems, transgenic crops, pests in alternative crops, canola production and harvesting, and crop disease management. Lunch will be served at the center for those involved with morning crop tours. Meanwhile, a tour of the station's ranch headquarters at Manning will begin at 9 a.m. MDT. Transportation to the site will be provided. The program will feature improved range management and grazing management techniques. There will also be discussion of fall range supplementation and weaning rations with a focus on alternative feeds such as wheat midds, barley sprouts, soy hulls and field peas. Tours at Manning also will feature a comparison of swine rearing systems and the use of wheat screenings in pea-canola diets for growing-finishing pigs. Tours will be followed by lunch and travel back to the center. Starting at 3:30 p.m. MDT, the horticulture tour will feature raised beds and efficient water use as well as many annual vegetable and flower plantings. The day's events will conclude with a sponsored barbecue beginning at 5 p.m. MDT. For more information, call (701) 483-2348.
• July 13--Williston: Beginning at 9 a.m. CDT, the field day at the Williston Research Extension Center will include morning and afternoon plot tours. The center is located 4½ miles west of Williston on U.S. Highway 2. Morning tours will include discussion on small grain varieties, weed control and horticulture. A noon lunch will be hosted by the Williston Chamber of Commerce Ag Committee. Afternoon tours include a field seeding machinery display and discussion on soil fertility and weed control topics. The field day will conclude by mid-afternoon. For more information, call (701) 774-4315.
• July 18--Minot: The field day at the North Central Research Extension Center, located one mile south of Minot on U.S. Highway 83, will begin at 9 a.m. The morning tour will focus on cereal grain varieties, production practices, alternative crops and grain drying. A pest management clinic will be conducted throughout the morning where crop and weed specimens and problems will be welcomed. Following a noon luncheon, an early afternoon tour will begin at 1:30 p.m. Topics will include dormant seeded crops, weed control, insect management and control, disease management and crop fertility. A late afternoon tour beginning at 4 p.m. will feature peas, lentils and other pulse crops. Production practices, pests, fertility, harvesting and marketing alternatives will be addressed. For more information, call (701) 857-7679.
• July 19--Carrington: The program at the Carrington Research Extension Center will begin at 9 a.m., with morning tours commencing at 9:30 a.m. Afternoon tours, starting at 1:15 p.m., will follow a sponsored lunch. Morning tours are tentatively scheduled to feature crop varieties, soil and water management, and research on beef and bison production. Afternoon tours are tentatively scheduled to focus on crop, weed, insect and disease management. Both morning and afternoon tours are subject-matter specific. The center is located 3.5 miles north of Carrington on Highway 281. For more information, call (701) 652-2951.
• July 19--Sidney, Mont.: The field day for the Eastern Ag Research Center, located one mile north of Sidney on U.S. Highway 200, will begin at 8:30 a.m. MDT. Tours will run from 9 a.m. to noon MDT, and a sponsored lunch will follow. Tour topics will include identity-preserved wheat, wheat management, irrigated malt barley production, value-added safflower research, durum improvement, sugarbeet and potato diseases, potato production and small grain varieties. For more information, call (406) 482-2208.
• July 20--Langdon: The second field tour at the Langdon Research Extension Center begins at 9 a.m. This tour will feature crop variety trials and specialty crops. A sponsored lunch will follow the tours. For more information, call (701) 256-2582.
• Aug. 15--Oakes: Events for this field day are tentative, but currently field crop tours are scheduled in the morning and vegetable crop tours in the afternoon. The Oakes irrigation research site is located about 67 miles south of the I-94 Highway 1 exit (west of Valley City), about 4.5 miles south of Oakes on Highway 1. For more information, call (701) 742-2189.

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Source: Agriculture Communication (701) 231-7881
Editor: Tom Jirik (701) 231-9629