Highwood Bench Soil Acidity Management Field Day
MSU Central Agricultural Research Center (CARC) and MSU Extension will be hosting a field day on the Highwood Bench on Wednesday, June 20, from 10:00 a.m. to noon. The field day will take place approximately one mile east of the Long farm on 1221 Shonkin Road.
The field day will begin with a tour of the CARC cereal, pea and canola plots, which have been seeded in low pH soil to determine tolerance to soil acidity.
Dr. Jamie Sherman (MSU Barley Breeder) will cover barley varieties at the test plot. In addition, she will discuss a hill plot project where she is testing new barley lines. The barley breeding program has gathered lines from the germplasm bank that were reported to be acid and aluminum tolerant. Dr. Sherman has screened these lines in acidic soils in the greenhouse and is now screening these lines on the Highwood bench.
Dr. Pat Carr CARC Superintendent and Associate Professor of Cropping Systems will talk about canola and pea seeded in the test plot.
Dr. Jed Eberly CARC Assistant Professor Agronomy & Soil Microbiology will give a brief update on some of acid tolerant soil microbes.
Dr. Rick Engel (MSU Associate Professor) will outline his research of long-term no-till fields including sugar beet lime application trials.
Dr. Clain Jones, Extension Soil Fertility Specialist/Assoc. Professor of Nutrient Management will discuss statewide extent of problem (now at 17 counties), outreach efforts, and possible prevention and mitigation.
Northern seeds out of Fort Benton will also be present to talk about low pH tolerant cereal grain varieties.
For further information, please contact the Chouteau County Extension office at 622-3751.
Montana State University U.S. Department of Agriculture and Montana Counties Cooperating. MSU Extension is an equal opportunity/affirmative action provider of educational outreach.
