July 6, 2001

NDSU Field Day set in Dickinson for July 11

The annual North Dakota State University Dickinson Research Extension Center summer field day is scheduled for Wednesday, July 11. The day-long event will include presentations on research at the center’s headquarters at the intersection of State Avenue and Empire Road in Dickinson and the center’s ranch southwest of Manning.

The day’s events open at 8 a.m. MDT with refreshments at the center’s main office. Parking is available at the Dickinson Recreation Center. Visitors may take a self-guided tour of the center’s grounds to observe horticultural exhibits and trials. There will be morning and afternoon agronomy tours, a beef and rangeland tour, and a horticulture tour. At 5 p.m. a barbecue supper hosted by the Agriculture Committee of the Dickinson Area Chamber of Commerce will be served on the center’s grounds. For more information, contact the center at (701) 483-2348 or visit its Web site at http://www.ag.ndsu.nodak.edu/dickinso/ .

"The changing face of agriculture calls us to look at more and different ways to help producers," says Kris Ringwall, director of the Dickinson Research Extension Center. "Our trials will show producers new crops that can work into cropping system rotations to eliminate weed and disease problems while at the same time hopefully offering some cash flow opportunities. There are no quick and easy answers, but those of us in agriculture need to be open-minded so we can optimize opportunities that come up."

Ringwall said the range and beef research conducted at the center in concert with the agronomic work does present some options for producers. One example, he noted, is the inclusion of annual crops into beef cattle operations to increase forage, which can be used for grazing or hay.

Faculty and staff at the center will headline a list of agricultural researchers and marketing leaders who will make presentations at the event.

Agronomy tour. The morning agronomy tour begins at 8:50 a.m. NDSU barley breeders Jerry Franckowiak and Rich Horsley will discuss barley variety trials and new and developing varieties of barley. NDSU agronomist Roger Ashley and NDSU wheat breeder Bill Berzonsky will discuss advances in spring wheat. NDSU durum wheat breeder Elias Elias will outline progress in durum wheat, and NDSU oat breeder Mike McMullen will discuss new oat varieties. A noon lunch is sponsored by the Northern Canola Growers Association.

Beef and rangeland tour. Vans will leave for the center’s ranch located four miles southwest of Manning at 8:30 a.m. The program at the ranch will begin at 9. NDSU animal scientist Jim Nelson will open the program with a discussion of research on overwintering cattle. Doug Landblom, also an NDSU animal scientist, will review strategies for creep feeding calves. NDSU range scientist Lee Manske will discuss 12-month forage systems. NDSU Extension Service livestock specialist Chip Poland will discuss recent developments in mineral supplementation for beef cattle. Lunch will be served at 11:30, and vans will return to Dickinson at 12:15.

Afternoon agronomy tour. This tour, beginning at 1 p.m., is an in-depth look at alternatives to traditional crop-summerfallow management options and will focus on the use of crop rotations to manage weeds, water and plant nutrients. NDSU agronomist Pat Carr will talk about advantages and potential problems with reduced tillage. Duane Berglund, NDSU Extension Service agronomist, will review options for controlling weeds. Al Schneiter, head of NDSU’s plant sciences department, will discuss progress in spring wheat breeding. Additional topics include pulse crops and weed management.

Horticulture tour. This tour will begin at 3:30 p.m. and will allow participants to see a variety of flowers, shrubs, grasses and other plants combined in a beautiful living, growing arrangement. They will also be able to gather garden and landscaping tips and ideas that are simple to incorporate into gardens and yards. Range scientist Lee Manske will give an ornamental grass research update. Barb Laschkewitsch, NDSU research specialist, will discuss evaluations of annual and perennial flowers. NDSU Stark and Billings county agent Jerry Larson and NDSU Extension Service horticulturist Ron Smith will discuss flower and turfgrass fertilization studies. There will also be demonstrations on raised bed gardening techniques and new tree and cultivar varieties.

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Source: Kris Ringwall, (701) 483-2348, kringwal@ndsuext.nodak.edu
Editor: Tom Jirik, (701) 231-9629, tjirik@ndsuext.nodak.edu