E. MULTISTATE EXTENSION ACTIVITIES

Value-Added Agriculture Education Program

Five events aimed at educating the public on the strengths and identified opportunities for the region were held. Over 100 participants attended each session. The outcome of this effort included identification of four areas that participants felt had the best opportunity for success. The first was potential for high value crop development with the vast irrigation resources in the region (potatoes, carrots and onions were singled out). The second was developing niche crops to be used in rotation with high value crops (malting barley and identity preserved wheat were identified). The third was attracting food-processing firms for better markets (an effort is underway to attract a French fry plant to the region). The final area of identified opportunity was the development of higher value dry land crops (chickpeas and other legumes saw dramatic acreage increases in 2000).

Throughout the year producers and end users were brought together in an effort to form value added agriculture production and marketing alliances. Three outcomes from this effort are offering value added opportunities to producers in the region. First, Anheuser Busch has implemented a malting barley increase program. Acreage of selected varieties of malting barley under contract has gone from zero acres in 1998 to 5,000 acres in 1999 and 10,000 acres in 2000. Anheuser Busch would like to contract 50,000 to 100,000 acres of malting barley in the near future. Second, identity preserved wheat production for sale directly to end user markets began in 2000. Ten producers contracting 1,100 acres of identity preserved hard red spring wheat participated in a pilot program to develop this opportunity. Acreage for this project should increase substantially in following years. Third, contracted irrigated potato production went from zero acres in 1997 to 80 acres in 1998, up to 1,200 acres in 2000. During the summer of 2000, $2.6 million of potato storage facilities were built as local French fry processors have guaranteed five years of production contracts. Eventually, the region hopes to attract a French fry processing plant from this effort.

As value added efforts are implemented, such as the ventures described above, providing adequate resources and good information is critical to further developing these ventures. Detailed economic data on the forementioned projects were provided to producers interested in becoming involved with value-added agriculture. As a result, more producers are becoming involved, more acres of higher value crops are being produced, and producers are adding wealth to their bottom lines.

Agronomy Program

In 2000, a multi-state project was initiated between North Dakota State Extension Service, South Dakota State Extension Service and Ducks Unlimited. The project was to determine yield differences among soybeans grown on no-tilled land. The no-tilled land was divided into two treatments, soybeans onto wheat stubble and soybeans onto corn stubble. Within each treatment, multiple passes from several different planters were made. Roundup-Ready soybeans were seeded at different rates to compare stands and yields in the different stubble, with different planter units and at the seeding rate of 150,000, 180,000 and 210,000 plants per acre. Equipment dealers from Sargent, Marshall, Day and Ransom counties participated Two in-season meetings were arranged. Over 100 farmers participated in the first meeting, where specialists from both NDSU and SDSU gave presentations and led tours of the field demonstrations. A second in-season meeting reviewed the fields prior to harvest and involved about 65 farmers who observed the plots and stand results. A January meeting, held at two locations, involved a total of 35 farmers to review the yield and stand results. Cooperative work between Extension and Ducks Unlimited allowed an extensive trial program to be developed. It allowed succinct, current information to be disseminated on no-tillage and production practices. And, the program allowed farmers from both states to see the trials established, managed though the season and the final results. It also allowed the cooperative project to be produced through both universities and the non-profit organization of Ducks Unlimited.

Multi-state Crop Program and the Crops Teleconference for ND and MN

A cooperative project involving agronomy information sharing across the Red River Valley was begun in 1999 and continued through 2000 and into 2001. Cropping information on corn, soybeans and canola was shared across state lines in North Dakota, Minnesota and into South Dakota. Utilizing a specialist that worked cooperatively among the states allowed more information to be distributed across state lines. The specialist not only provided crop information for county extension programs but also cooperated in programs through other agencies such as Ducks Unlimited and seed companies. Both hard copy and electronic cropping information was provided in the form of bulletins, brochures, crop newsletters, posters, PowerPoint programs, DTN articles, news releases and through list serves such as AgDakota and Red River Valley. A Web site was also developed for county agents within the Red River Valley from both North Dakota and Minnesota and cropping concerns and information was disseminated through a weekly, interactive teleconference forum for discussing crop diseases, insects, and weed concerns as well as crop progress. This forum allowed the county agents to request specific specialists and in-depth information on problems that were encountered in the counties. Also, the discussions that followed allowed the county agents to provide information to fellow agents and also established a platform for standardizing information given out at the county level, specifically on technical requests such as crop insurance requirements and the county agents' roles in answering questions and providing assistance with these programs. Agents from both states have emphasized the timely help that has come from this crops teleconference forum.

Teamwork Reaps Sweet Success for Sugar beet Producers

Sugar beet growers in North Dakota and Minnesota produce 50 % of the United States beet sugar. The total business activity of the sugar beet industry in North Dakota and Minnesota was estimated at $2.3 billion in 1997. Cercospora leaf spot is the most serious leaf disease of sugar beets in North Dakota and Minnesota. This disease cause reductions in tonnage and sucrose, increases impurities, and roots of diseased plants do not store well in sugar beet piles. In 1998, sugar beet growers in North Dakota and Minnesota lost $75 M because of Cercospora leaf spot, despite spending $38 M in fungicide applications. Researchers from North Dakota State University and the Northwest Research Outreach Center, Crookston, University of Minnesota, and researchers from the Southern Minnesota Beet Sugar Cooperative conducted studies to determine control and management strategies for Cercospora leaf spot. These studies contributed to the fungicide Eminent being granted a section 18 label for controlling Cercospora leaf spot in North Dakota and Minnesota in 1999 and 2000. Extension specialists recommended that sugar beet growers rotate Eminent with fungicides having different modes of action for Cercospora leaf spot control and management of fungicide resistance. Cercospora leaf spot severity in sugar beet was very high in 1999 and moderate in 2000, but growers had excellent field control using Eminent and other fungicides in alternation. Ninety-seven percent and 94 % of growers surveyed in 1999 and 2000, respectively, indicated that they rotated the use of Eminent. The percentage of sugar beet growers who stated that Cercospora leaf spot was their worst production problem dropped from 36 % in 1998 to 6 % in 1999 and 3 % in 2000!

U.S. Department of Agriculture
Cooperative State Research, Education and Extension Service
Supplement to the Annual Report of Accomplishments and Results
Multistate Extension Activities and Integrated Activities

State:           North Dakota

__X__ Multistate Extension Activities

____ Integrated Activities (Hatch Act Funds)

        Integrated Activities (Smith-Lever Act Funds)

Form CSREES-REPT (2/00)