MSU ag research centers to host crop and beef meetings in December, January

MSU News Service

BOZEMAN – Three Montana State University agricultural research centers will host winter meetings on pertinent crop and beef research for Montana.

The statewide centers are part of the MSU College of Agriculture and the Montana Agricultural Experiment Station. The meetings, which are free and open to the public, take place on Tuesday, Dec. 11, in Lewistown, Thursday, Jan. 10, and Thursday, Jan. 24, in Havre and Thursday, Jan. 17, in Kalispell.

Lewistown Research Roundup

MSU’s Central Agricultural Research Center, located in Moccasin, will host a CARC Research Roundup event from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Tuesday, Dec. 11, at the Central Feed Grilling Co. in Lewistown. The full-day workshop will feature discussions on pulse and oilseed crop production in central Montana. Simon Fordyce, CARC research associate, will present updates on cool-season pulse crop varieties and canola variety trials at the center. Patrick Carr, CARC superintendent and associate professor of cropping systems, will discuss crop rotation research including pulses and oilseeds at the research center, as well as results from safflower variety trials. Jed Eberly, assistant professor at CARC, will discuss microbiology applications in dryland agriculture. Perry Miller, MSU agronomist and professor, will discuss growing pulses in dryland cropping systems. Kevin McPhee, professor and pulse crop breeder, will present an update on MSU’s pea, lentil and chickpea breeding program. Additionally, Karen Sowers, Washington State University oilseeds and Extension outreach specialist, will discuss growing canola in the Pacific Northwest.

The CARC Research Roundup is free and open to the public and lunch is provided, though pre-registration is requested prior to Dec. 7 by calling CARC at 406-423-5421. More information can be found at http://agresearch.montana.edu/carc/index.html/.

Winter Beef Symposiums in Havre

The Northern Agricultural Research Center in Havre will host a beef symposium from 11 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Thursday, Jan. 10. The center is located about seven miles southwest of Havre on U.S. Highway 87. Tim DelCurto, Nancy Cameron Endowed Chair in Range Beef Cattle Production, will share research on weak calf syndrome.

Sam Wyffels, doctoral student in the Department of Animal and Range Sciences, will discuss winter feed supplementation and grazing patterns. Jennifer Thomson, associate professor of livestock genomics, will discuss expected progeny differences for commercial cattle operations.

Additional topics include small rodent and coyote control, and Custom Ag Solutions will share information on risks and opportunities in current cattle markets. The symposium is free and open to the public and lunch is provided.

Thursday, Jan. 24, NARC will host a beef symposium from 11 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. at NARC. Megan Van Emon, Extension beef cattle specialist, will share research on third trimester nutrition. Darrin Boss, NARC superintendent, will discuss cover crops and cattle grazing. Jane Mangold, Extension weed and invasive plant ecologist, will share information on cheatgrass control and weed invaders after drought and fire. Local representatives with the Farm Service Agency will share information on livestock programs. For more information, call NARC at 406-265-6115 or Shylea Wingard, Hill County Extension agent, at 406-400-2336.

Kalispell Crop Update

MSU’s Northwestern Agricultural Research Center in Kalispell will host a crop update event, set for 9 a.m. Thursday, Jan. 17, at the Hilton Garden Inn in Kalispell. Private and public pesticide applicator and certified crop adviser credits will be available upon completion of the workshop.

MSU faculty will share presentations about a variety of subjects. Bruce Maxwell, professor and director of the Montana Institute on Ecosystems, will present research on climate change affecting Montana agriculture. Jessica Torrion, assistant professor of crop physiology and NWARC interim superintendent, will discuss pea, lentil, faba and soybean variety trials; performance of alfalfa dormancy groups and varieties with irrigation; and the importance of knowing the target population density in wheat. Prashant Jha, professor with the Southern Agricultural Research Center, will share research on managing Montana weeds. Clain Jones, MSU professor and Extension soil fertility specialist, will discuss causes and solutions of soil acidification. Carr will discuss rotational and other benefits of including annual forages in western Montana. Markus Braaten, NWARC advisory committee member and canola crop manager for the agribusiness Yara, will host a question and answer hour. The event is free and open to the public and lunch is provided, though registration is required. To RSVP by Jan. 9, call the NWARC at 406-755-4303.

MAES and the College of Agriculture operate statewide agricultural research centers in Montana that address production challenges in the diverse agro-ecosystems of the state. They support research and outreach programs in: crop and animal production methods, market growth opportunities, pest management and disease management, environmental quality issues and agricultural water management research. The research centers are located in Bozeman, Conrad, Corvallis, Creston, Havre, Huntley, Moccasin and Sidney.