December 25, 2003

 

Annual Zero Till Workshop Set For February

The Manitoba-North Dakota Zero Tillage Farmers Association will hold its 26th Annual Workshop and Trade Show at the Ramkota Hotel in Bismarck on Wednesday and Thursday, Feb.4 and 5, according to Duane Berglund, North Dakota State University Extension Service agronomist.

"With a theme of ‘Conserving Soil Moisture for Profitable Production,’ the workshop maintains a reputation for presenting speakers who address topics of current and practical importance to all systems of crop production," Berglund says. "The dry conditions that prevailed in the southwest ND and other regions of the state in recent years have brought a lot interest on how to produce crops with less rainfall using the zero-till cropping systems approach."

The complete workshop agenda and registration form is available on the association’s Web site at www.mandakzerotill.org  or e-mail the association at mandak99@mts.net  . Just click on the "coming events icon". For more information contact Angie Heise at (204) 568-4752, Duane Berglund at (701) 231-8135 or Greg Endres at (701) 652-2951. A registration fee of $100 includes membership, a copy of the proceedings, breakfast and awards luncheon. A registration fee of $120 will be charged to those registering after Jan. 20.

Several concurrent sessions will be featured and all presentations will be printed in the workshop proceedings. Registration and exhibit viewing opens at 8:30 a.m. followed by welcoming greetings by Cal Hoff of Richardton, association president.

Tom Fricke, Michigan State University, will deliver the keynote address at 9:30 a.m. entitled "The Family Farm – Why Are We Here?"

A concurrent session on the "Basic Principles of Zero Till Production" will be addressed by Terry Gregoire, NDSU Extension Service area agronomist, at 1:30 p.m. Joining Gregoire will be Darwin Mayer of Mott who will discuss how he manages his chaff and straw. Nelson Moorhead of Hamiota Manitoba will discuss seed and fertilizer placement.

Dwain Meyer, a professor in the NDSU plant sciences department, will lead a discussion on Roundup Ready alfalfa during a afternoon panel on Alfalfa in the Crop Rotation. Also in another session Greg Endres, NDSU Extension Service area agronomist, will discuss Zero Till Soybeans. Endres presently serves as an advisor to the Mandak Zero Till Association.

Wednesday evening the popular "rap sessions" will return. The sessions include topics on rotations, intensive and livestock cropping systems, fertility, GPS technology, weeds, diseases and insects.

On Thursday, Feb. 5 at 9:30 a.m., Dave Franzen, NDSU Extension Service soil specialist, will lead a discussion on "How Much Nitrogen is Your Soil Producing?" John Lukach, Langdon Research Extension Center, will follow at 10:15 with a presentation on "Split Application of Nitrogen on Canola and Wheat". At 1 p.m., Dwayne Beck, Dakota Lakes Research Farm, Pierre, S.D. will give the day’s keynote address, "Crop Rotation Intensity and Diversity."

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Source: Duane Berglund, (701) 231-8135, dberglun@ndsuext.nodak.edu
Editor: Rich Mattern, (701) 231-6136, richard.mattern@ndsu.nodak.edu