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Top Yielding Winter Wheat Varieties for Chouteau County MSU Agricultural Research Centers have one test plot for winter wheat in Chouteau County which is managed by MSU Northern Agricultural Research Center (NARC) north of Loma. A special thanks to Peggy Lamb (NARC agronomist) for establishing and maintaining the Chouteau County test plot. The Extension office would also like to thank the McKeever family for donating the use of their land for MSU research. NARC (Loma area) top three yielding winter wheat varieties (10-year average yield) from...
Horticultural Tips for August Below are some rules of thumb when tending vegetables, lawns, flowers and trees during the month of August. •Renovate strawberries by mowing a minimum of every three years. Some people mow their strawberries every year following fruit production. Be sure to set the mower high enough to mow the leaves. Mowing to low may damage the crowns and kill the plant. • Topdress strawberries after harvest with a complete fertilizer like 16-16-16. • Pinch the tops of indeterminate tomatoes and reduce watering to promote ripen...
Hailed out and emerged volunteer wheat should be sprayed immediately after harvest Information for this article was taken from a Kansas State University Press Release, which was released in 2020. Producers often wait several weeks after harvest before making their first herbicide application to control volunteer wheat,” said Dallas Peterson, K-State Research and Extension weed management specialist. “This allows as much volunteer as possible to emerge before spraying it or tilling it the first time. Often, a second application or tillage operat...
CUTTING HAY FOR HORSES – WATCH OUT FOR POISONOUS BLISTER BEETLES Several blister beetle species feed on alfalfa, including the ash-gray blister beetle, black blister beetle and striped blister beetle. Adult blister beetles are easy to recognize due to their large size (½ to 1½ inch), soft bodies, short wing covers, long legs and a neck-like appearance between head and prothorax. Most blister beetle species have one generation per year. Adults become active in early to mid-summer and females lay eggs in the soil. Eggs hatch in about two wee...
Winter Canola Research at Montana State University Decision time is fast approaching for winter canola seeding. Genetic technology has improved and some producers in Montana are having success with winter canola. Dr. Perry Miller, Cropping Systems Professor at MSU has been researching winter canola. Below are a few of his thoughts. For additional questions, please reach out to Dr. Miller by email (pmiller@montan.edu) or call (406-994-5431) • Yield: Winter canola is a fragile system that is a game-changer when all the pieces line up c...
A Special Thanks in Advance to our Chouteau County 4-H Fair Superintendents 4-H is the youth development program of our nation’s Cooperative Extension System and USDA. Cooperative Extension serves every county and tribe in the U.S. through a network of 110 public universities and more than 3000 local Extension offices. Research-based, hands-on experiences develop young people who are four times more likely to contribute to their communities; two times more likely to make healthier choices, and two times more likely to be civically active. T...
How Farmers, Gardeners and Insecticide Applicators Can Reduce Risks of Honeybee Injury When Spraying for Grasshoppers Because of the increase in grasshopper pests this year and last year, many folks are spraying insecticides to save their crops and landscapes. The following article comes from the University of Nebraska and is available at: https://bit.ly/3vQPhuz. Do not treat fields in bloom. Be especially careful when treating crops, such as alfalfa, sunflowers and canola, which are highly attractive to bees. Insecticide labels carry warning...
Adam Sigler (MSU Extension Water Quality Specialist), Marley Manoukian (MSU Extension Agent in Richland County) and Megan Van Emon (MSU Extension Beef Cattle Specialist) have written a useful resource for livestock producers. This MontGuide is available at the Chouteau County Extension office or online at https://bit.ly/3Mq4Hyn. Fresh, clean water is a daily requirement of all classes of livestock. Water requirements vary greatly depending on several factors including temperature, animal size, production stage, and moisture content of the...
According to Laurie Kerzicnik (Montana State University Entomologist), grasshoppers continue to be an issue for several areas in Montana. Grasshopper infestations will continue to extend into the fall. High grasshopper populations this year could be due to a couple of factors including an abundance of a yellow sweet clover in 2019 and a cold, wet spring in 2019 where grass was abundant and rising grasshopper populations were tolerated and mostly not managed. Most grasshoppers overwinter in the egg stage in the soil. After egg hatch in mid to la...
6 Knees Area Field Day is Scheduled for July 13 MAES-MSU Western Triangle Agricultural Research Center (WTARC) and MSU Extension are hosting a field day in the Knees area on July 13th at 9:00 a.m. Dr. Jamie Sherman (MSU barley breeder) will share research-based information on barley varieties for the Knees area. In addition, Dr. Jason Cook (MSU spring wheat breeder ) will update producers on spring wheat varieties in the test plot. In conclusion, Tyler Lane (MSU Extension Chouteau County) will talk about winter wheat varieties and Justin...
The Master Gardener program provides research based information for gardeners. Below are a few notes taken from the turf management portion of the program. • Rough bluegrass is probably the best grass in Montana for shady areas. • Kentucky bluegrass is the best grass for open sunny areas with well-drained soil. • Annual ryegrass can be used as a cover crop following vegetable production. • The standard lawn mix is 60% Kentucky bluegrass, 30% creeping red fescue and 10% annual ryegrass. • Zoysiagrass does not grow well in Montana. Montana s...
Creeping Bellflower is a Persistent Weed in Montana Lawns Creeping bellflower is an herbaceous creeping perennial in the Harebell family. Native to Eurasia, it has become widely naturalized in North America. Initially introduced as an ornamental, this plant has spread aggressively into lawns and gardens where it is difficult to control. Creeping bellflower (Campanula rapunculoides) is a perennial plant with unbranched stems that are usually 1 to 3 feet tall. The stems bear five-lobed, blue to purple, bell-shaped flowers that are 0.75 to 1.5 inc...
Highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) has been confirmed in states throughout the central and western United States including Montana. Although avian influenza is a highly contagious disease to domestic poultry, there are no apparent risks to human health at this time. It is safe to eat properly handled and cooked poultry products, including meat and eggs. Good biosecurity helps keep birds healthy. Steps you can take include minimizing contact with wild birds and other poultry, sanitizing equipment and clothing used around them, and control...
Insecticide-Resistant Alfalfa Weevils Found in Bighorn County Kevin Wanner (MSU Extension Entomologist) informed Extension that the alfalfa weevil (Hypera postica) has developed resistance to pyrethroid insecticides in Bighorn County. He also put together an article on the subject. Below are a few segments taken from the article. After years of exposure, insect populations develop resistance to insecticide toxins, making them ineffective. Changing the genetic makeup of insect populations can produce alarming and costly consequences when...
A Few Facts about Dimilin 2L Insecticide for Grasshopper Pest Management If we continue to have drought conditions, grasshopper pest populations will explode this spring. One insecticide available is Dimilin 2L. Below are a few facts about Dimilin 2L. • Dimilin 2L is an insecticide that interferes with molting. This insect growth regulator does not poison the grasshoppers, but it controls immature grasshoppers by interfering with their normal shedding of skin as they grow. As a result, it takes time to see mortality. • Dimilin 2L is an ins...
Notes from Master Gardener Classes in Big Sandy and Fort Benton The Master Gardener class (Level 1) began in Fort Benton and Big Sandy on the first week of March and will finish the last week in April. A total of nine are taking the class in Fort Benton and 17 are taking the class in Big Sandy. Below are a few notes from the class. • Do not work soil when it is wet. If the soil sticks to the shovel, wait a few more days. • The number one thing that kills our plants is TLC. Don’t over fertilize, don’t over trim, don’t over water. • A sandy loa...
Initial Private Applicator Pesticide Training in Stanford MSU Extension Judith Basin County will be offering a Private Pesticide Applicator Initial Training on April 21, 2022 in Stanford. The training will take place at the Stanford City Hall located at 102 Central Ave. Individuals and their employees must be licensed as private applicators prior to purchasing and using restricted use pesticides on land they own, rent, or lease. For applicators to acquire their private applicator license, they must either attend an Initial Private Applicator tr...
Drought Persistence and Cattle Decisions from the MSU Extension Beef Cattle Specialist Unfortunately, the drought continues to persist throughout Montana and relief is not forecasted. The current drought map has 92% of Montana in a drought, with almost half of the state designated as D3 and D4. The seasonal drought outlook map shows through May 31, 2022, the drought will persist for most of Montana and the Western United States. The persistent drought means tough decisions ahead for livestock producers. Since the summer of 2021, many livestock...
Chouteau County Invitational 4-H Archery Shoot Results The 4-H Shooting Sports 2022 Chouteau County Invitational Shoot was held February 26th in Fort Benton with 64 members registered to shoot. Participants were mostly from the Golden Triangle Counties. Other counties participating were Flathead, Lewis and Clark, Treasure and Rosebud. Medals went to the following Chouteau County participants: Also participating from Chouteau County were Elise Hartley, Chavelle Burney, Braxton Crowder, Conner...
Question and Answers on Grasshopper Management in Cropland 1. Why should I be concerned about grasshoppers in 2022? Drought conditions in 2021 and an open fall promoted a high egg lay which will result in large hatches this spring. If a drought continues in Chouteau County, populations will continue to increase. Grasshoppers are a boom and bust species and thrive with arid conditions. 2. Will a wet spring break the cycle? The answer is yes. Prime conditions for decreasing populations begin with warm, early springs followed by a hot period follo...
Rules of Thumb to Help You Prepare for the Gardening Season Believe it or not, the gardening season will be upon us before we know it. Below are a few gardening facts to help you prepare for the upcoming season. • Soil tests should be taken in the garden every three years. • The best time to collect a soil sample is in the spring after soil thaw. • Fall soil sampling is not recommended because nitrogen in the soil is depleted during the fall and winter seasons. • Do not work soil when it is wet. If the soil sticks to the shovel, wait a few mor...
Many Reasons Why Deciduous Trees Should Not Be Topped Topping is the drastic removal or cutting back of large branches in mature trees. The tree is sheared like a hedge and the main branches are cut to stubs. Many homeowners top trees when they reach heights considered unsafe fearing a strong wind might blow large trees over. However, the extensive root system of a healthy tree provides adequate support for the tree. Below are a number of reasons why deciduous trees should not be topped. Starvation: Trees need leaves to manufacture starches...
Master Gardener Level 1 Class in Big Sandy on March 3 (please pre-register) MSU Extension Level 1 Master Gardener classes will take place in Big Sandy on March 3rd from 6:00-8:00 p.m. at the Big Sandy Library. Now is your chance to participate in an excellent educational opportunity. Please contact the MSU Chouteau County Extension office at 622-3751 to pre-register. The Level 1 Master Gardener course requires 16 hours of class time and is taught by local Extension agents, plant professionals, and Master Gardener volunteers. For a $50.00 fee,...
The Montana State University Pesticide Education Program is offering a training in Fort Benton to assist farm applicators in safely managing pests with phosphine fumigants. Some common examples of products containing aluminum or magnesium phosphide include Fumi-cel, Fumitoxin, Magtoxin, Phostoxin, and Weevil-cide. The fumigant training session is offered on March 24th in Fort Benton at the Ag Center located at 1205 20th street. Four private or commercial applicator credits will be available. The session begins at 8:00 a.m. with fumigant...
The Golden Triangle Barley Conference will be in Conrad on Tuesday, February 22, 2022. The triennial event features some of the industry’s top professionals. The meeting will be held at the Pondera Shooting Sports Complex (972 Granite Rd, Conrad), and will run from 8:45 a.m. to 4:00 p.m., with registration beginning at 8 a.m. Speakers from Montana State University (MSU) will include Dr. Pat Carr of the Central Ag Research Center in Moccasin, Dr. Jamie Sherman, MSU barley breeder, and Dr. Justin Vetch from the Western Triangle Ag Research Center...
