MonDak Ag Research Summit set for Jan. 19

FARGO, N.D. — The North Dakota State University Williston Research Extension Center (WREC), Montana State University Eastern Agricultural Research Center (EARC) and U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Northern Plains Agricultural Research Lab in Sidney, Montana, are partnering to showcase agricultural research in eastern Montana and western North Dakota.

The 2023 MonDak Ag Research Summit will be held on Thursday, Jan. 19, from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. MST at the Richland County Fairgrounds Event Center in Sidney at 2118 West Holly Street.

The summit is a collaborative effort among the three research stations to encourage interaction between farmers and researchers. It features scientists from all three facilities reporting on current research projects of interest to farmers and ranchers and residents of the MonDak region.

In addition to the research talks, the event allows for one-on-one discussions with scientists and provides farmers the opportunity to share their questions and research needs and ideas directly with the scientists. A morning poster session will also give attendees time to browse additional research projects underway at the local research facilities and speak with the scientists doing that work.

This year’s speakers and topics are listed below. Please note that the morning irrigated and dryland sessions are concurrent unless otherwise indicated.

Morning dryland session, part 1:

Chickpea and Flax Intercropping for Disease Management – Chengci Chen, MSU EARC superintendent
Managing Root Rot Disease in Peas/Lentils – Audrey Kalil, NDSU plant pathologist
No-Till Yields and Water Use Efficiency – Jim Staricka, NDSU soil scientist
A Simple, Rapid, Reliable, and Inexpensive Method of Measuring Soil Health – Upendra Sainju, USDA-ARS research soil scientist

Morning irrigated session, part 1:

Introduction to the NDSU Soybean Breeding Program – Carrie Miranda, NDSU soybean breeder
Intercropping Study Data – Justin Jacobs, NDSU irrigation research specialist
Selecting Cereal Varieties for Irrigated Production – Chen
Overhead sprinkler-irrigated cropping systems with different levels of rotation diversity and tillage intensity – Bart Stevens, USDA-ARS research agronomist

Morning joint session:

Weed Control in Row Crops – Charlemagne Lim, NDSU Extension weed specialist
Poster session and break

Morning dryland session, part 2:

Influence of Native and Introduced Grasses on the Performance of Wheat Stem Sawfly and its Biocontrol Parasitoids – Tatyana Rand, USDA-ARS Research ecologist
High Protein Peas – Bill Franck, MSU EARC Research scientist
Durum Yield Following Bioenergy Feedstocks, Fallow, and a Cover Crop Mix – Brett Allen, USDA-ARS research agronomist
Does Russian Olive (Elaeagnus angustifolia) Depend on Insects for Seed Production? – Josh Campbell, USDA-ARS research entomologist

Morning irrigated session, part 2:

Safflower Production Under Irrigation – Jerry Bergman, retired WREC Director
Managing Cercospora and Fungicide Resistance – Frankie Crutcher, MSU EARC assistant professor of plant pathology
Crop Water Use and Water Use Efficiency – Jay Jabro, USDA-ARS research soil scientist
Irrigation Scheduling: Why Is It Important, How Do We Utilize It in Our Operation, and Is Water, Just Water? – Tyler Tjelde, NSDU research agronomist

Afternoon rangeland session:

Palmer Amaranth: Weed to be Aware of – Lim
Leafy Spurge and Russian Olive Research – Natalie West, USDA-ARS research ecologist
Crested Wheatgrass Response to Combined Fire and Grazing – Carissa Wonkka, USDA-ARS research ecologist

Grasshopper workshop:

Rangeland Grasshopper Biology and Management – Dave Branson, USDA-ARS research entomologist
Best Pest Management of Cropland Grasshoppers – Janet Knodel, NDSU Extension entomologist and Travis Prochaska, NDSU Extension crop protection specialist

The summit is free and lunch is provided courtesy of the Northern Pulse Growers Association. Other sponsors for the event include the City of Williston, Sustainable Oils, Sidney Sugars, Inc., Agri-Industries, and the Montana-Dakota Beet Growers Association.

Up to three private applicator credits are available for Montana farmers attending this event.

Preregistration is encouraged for determining a meal count. Register online at https://tinyurl.com/2023agsummit, or by calling or emailing Beth Redlin at 406-433-2020, beth.redlin@usda.gov, or Violeta Hobbs at 701-774-4315, violeta.hobbs@ndsu.edu.

— NDSU Extension