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The Importance of Water to Cattle Water is the most important nutrient. An adequate supply of clean, fresh water is a critical component of maintaining healthy, productive cattle. At this time of year, managing your cattle’s water supply is more important than ever. Water accounts for at least 50 percent of your cattle’s live weight. Water is required to transport nutrients through the blood, maintain cellular structure, regulate temperature, and much more. In order for livestock to maximize feed intake and production, they need daily access to...
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 too low may damage the crowns and kill the plant. • Top-dress strawberries after harvest with a complete fertilizer like 16-16-16. • Pinch the tops of indeterminate tomatoes and reduce watering to promote ripe...
Mowing to Manage Invasive and Noxious Weeds Mowing is often overlooked as a weed management tool, but it can be effective if done properly. For best results, timing and frequency of mowing should be based upon the weed’s biology and growth stage. More specifically, when and how often to mow depends upon the weed’s method of reproduction —seed only or seed plus creeping roots. Weeds that reproduce only by seed are best controlled when mown just prior to or during flowering. If done at this time, these species usually only need to be mowed once...
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 reservation in the U.S. through a network of 110 public universities and more than 3000 local Extension offices. Research-based, hands-on experiences help 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 a...
If You Want To Help Farmers Refrain From Feeding Millet Birdseed HELENA, Mont. – The Montana Department of Agriculture (MDA) confirmed Palmer amaranth in a residential planter near Shelby, Montana. This is the first case of Palmer amaranth confirmed in Montana. Palmer amaranth (Almaranthus palmeri), a fast-growing, prolific-seeding pigweed, has been confirmed in Montana for the first time. A single male plant was found growing in a residential planter near Shelby, MT, most likely introduced from contaminated birdseed; no seed was produced. T...
Gardening Tips for the Month of July Below are a few tips which will assist gardeners with summer management of their landscapes. Additional gardening information is available at the Chouteau County Extension Office located in the green building next to the courthouse. • In our landscapes, plants use 2.5 inches of water per week. • Harvest broccoli while heads are tight. • Pick shell peas when the seeds are fully developed but before ripening. Harvest edible pod peas when the seeds are barely visible inside the pod. Allow snap peas to reach nea...
MSU Extension and Chouteau County Conservation District Team Up to Measure Soil Acidity Across Chouteau County MSU Extension and the Chouteau County Conservation District utilized the 2023 Soil Moisture Survey sites as a base sample survey for evaluating pH levels. While gathering soil moisture information, each of the 20 monitoring sites was measured for soil pH at the 2” and 6” soil depths. Samples were sent to Montana State University for testing. A special thanks to Jackson Bramlette from the Chouteau County Conservation District for hel...
Loma Field Day Will Take Place on July 12 MSU Northern Agricultural Research Center (NARC) and MSU Extension Chouteau County will be hosting a field day on July 12 at 10:00 a.m. The location will be ½ mile east of the Lyle McKeever residence located at 1494 McKeever Road. Watch for signs along Rudyard Road and Houston Road directing you to the site. NARC off-station field days highlight the variety testing work being done by Northern Agricultural Research Center on cooperators farms within the different counties. Speakers include Suchismita...
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...
Tree watering rules of thumb Most trees will not require watering after three years, but during periods of drought, trees will need some help. Below are a few recommendations to help trees survive drought conditions. • Water trees three times a month in addition to watering your lawn. • Deep watering to a depth of 12” inches below the soil surface is recommended. Saturate the soil around the tree within the “dripline” (the outer edges of the tree’s branches) to disperse water down toward the roots. • For evergreens, water 3’-5’ beyond the dripl...
The Value of Castration for Calves Castration of bull calves prior to marketing has long been encouraged by Extension educators and the recommendation is backed by objective research from multiple perspectives. From a health perspective, calves castrated at less than three months old experience lower stress levels, less sickness, and lower rates of death loss (Campbell). From an animal welfare perspective, older calves experience more stress at castration and a longer period of stress-related impacts relative to calves castrated at birth or at...
Yellow Alyssum is Becoming a Problem in lawns As a result of drought conditions, large patches of yellow alyssum are turning up in lawns across Chouteau county. Yellow alyssum (Alyssum alyssoides) is native to northern Africa, eastern Europe, and western Asia. The weed was brought to North America for medicinal purposes because it was said it could cure hiccups, mental illness, and rabies. Yellow alyssum is an annual forb belonging to the Mustard family (Brassicaceae). Plants are relatively...
Watch for Anthracnose in Lentils Anthracnose, a lentil disease caused by the pathogen Colletotrichum truncatum, has been detected in 16% of lentil seed lots tested in the Regional Pulse Crop Diagnostic Lab this winter. While levels of this seed-transmitted pathogen are low, the widespread presence of the pathogen in seed lots indicates that growers should be consistently monitoring their lentils this growing season, particularly if environmental conditions are favorable for the development of Anthracnose. Favorable conditions include abundant...
Lawn Management Information The Master Gardener program provides research based information for gardeners. Level 1 Master Gardener will take place next March. Please contact the Chouteau County Extension office at 406-622-3751 and get signed up. 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 veget...
Are Your Pine Needles Brown, Red or Purple? It Could be Winterburn. Information from this article comes from Dr. Peter Kolb (MSU Extension Forester). During dry and cold winters, evergreen trees growing in windbreaks or other exposed areas are afflicted with a bad case of needle discoloration that ranges from brown to purple followed by needle drop. Often this is most prevalent on the south side or windward side of the tree, and in some cases only last year’s new needles are impacted and in other cases most of the older needles are d...
Recropping Potential is Poor to Fair for All of Chouteau County The Chouteau County Soil Moisture Survey was started by Judee Wargo in 1993 to assist farmers in determining recropping potential on cereal grain stubble. After 30 years, the Chouteau County Extension Office continues to compile data for determining recropping potential and provide the state drought committee with soil moisture information. Testing for soil moisture took place in Chouteau county on April 10-12. The only winter wheat plots that scored in the good range were two...
Alfalfa Seeding Q&A How important is it to have a firm seed bed? “Packing the seed bed has become a standard component of establishing perennial forages.” (Dave Wichman, 2016) What is the recommended seeding rate for dryland alfalfa? “In numerous dryland trials across Montana, no yield or stand advantage has been documented at planting rates higher than 5 pounds of pure live seed (PLS) per acre. Five pounds of PLS equates to approximately 23 seeds per square foot. Heavier seeding rates will lead to over-competition during estab...
Tree and Shrub Grafting Class at Fort Benton Library The Fort Benton garden club is hosting a tree and shrub grafting class at the Fort Benton Library at 12:15 on April 19. Those who attend will learn how to make unproductive apple trees and rosebushes productive thru the grafting process. In addition, there will be a hands-on grafting demonstration where gardeners will get to practice. Please bring a grafting knife, paring knife or a carpet knife. Branches, tape and wax will all be available. The class is free and open to the public. In...
Initial Private Applicator Pesticide Training in Stanford MSU Extension Judith Basin County will be offering a Private Pesticide Applicator Initial Training on April 6,2023 in Stanford. The training will take place at the Stanford City Hall located at 102 Central Ave. New applicators will need to fill out a new applicator permit with $60 fee (if within District 5) and mail to Montana Department of Agriculture. Please register by April 5th (walk-ins are welcome). For further questions, please contact the MSU Extension Judith Basin County office...
MSU Extension Forester will teach Shelterbelt Management near Loma Peter Kolb (Montana State University Extension Forester) will be teaching shelterbelt management on Thursday, April 13th from 3:30 p.m-5:00 p.m. at the Terry and LeRita McKeever residence. The address is north of Loma at 2088 Houston road. The public is invited to attend. Peter F. Kolb is the Montana State University Extension Forestry Specialist and an Associate Professor of Forest Ecology & Management, housed at the University of Montana in the Department of Forest...
Tenth annual Chouteau County Agriculture Day for 4th and 5th Graders The tenth annual Chouteau County Ag Day for 4th and 5th graders will take place at the Chouteau County Fairgrounds on April 20, 2023. All 4th and 5th graders in Chouteau County are invited to attend. Home school kids who are interested in participating need to contact the Chouteau County Extension Office at 622-3751. Participants will learn the importance agriculture, which is Montana’s number one industry. Youth will learn why agriculture is important to their health, home a...
The 4-H Shooting Sports 2023 Chouteau County Invitational Shoot was held February 25th 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, Wheatland and Gallatin. Medals went to the following Chouteau County participants: REGULAR TARGET Name Division Award Score Brentlee Bomgardner Primitive Bow (ages 13-14) silver 215.04 Brentlee Bomgardner Bare Bow (ages 13-14) gold 198.02 Jacynta Bomgardner Bare Bow (ages 15-18) gold...
Urban Pesticide Education Tour: April 20, Great Falls The MSU Pesticide Education Program is offering an urban pesticide training on April 20 in Great Falls to assist homeowners, gardeners, and other urban pesticide applicators in understanding the basics of using pesticides. Program topics include how to select the proper pesticide, reading and understanding the pesticide product label, how to manage pests, calibrating sprayers properly, pesticide safety, and avoiding non-target impacts. The training will offer private and commercial...
MSU Extension Hill County to hold a bull selection workshop in Havre A bull selection workshop is scheduled for March 1, 2023 at 5:30 pm in the 4-H Chuckwagon in Havre. MSU Extension Agent, Colleen Pegar, will walk participants through bull sale catalogs to discuss the differences between breed associations and what the numbers actually mean. Expected Progeny Differences or EPDs can be confusing to understand unless you are around them daily or have taken a cattle genetics class. Attendees will gain confidence on what EPDs are and how they are...
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...
