Sorted by date Results 485 - 507 of 507
9 MSU Extension Chouteau County Soil Moisture Survey Spring soil moisture testing took place on March 22nd for locations north of the Missouri river and March 21st for locations south of the Missouri river. Eleven of twenty stubble locations (mostly in the northern part of Chouteau County) measured less than 3.9 inches of stored soil moisture (poor recropping potential). Three locations measured 4-4.9 inches of stored soil moisture (fair recropping potential). Sites with fair recropping potential were located in north central and southeast...
Master Gardener Level 2 class covers the top five issues causing tree problems 1. Insufficient water: If the tree is in your lawn, your tree is going to need 2-3 inches of water in the summer months. Water needs to be applied at the canopy (outside perimeter) of the tree. A tuna fish can is a great device for determining water application rates. Soil probes purchased from Montana Salinity control in Conrad are a great tool for measuring soil moisture in turf. Excess soil moisture (especially in heavy clay soils) is also a concern. When a tree...
Glyphosate-resistant Russian thistle found in Chouteau County In the fall 2015, seeds of a Russian thistle population surviving glyphosate applications were collected from a chem-fallow field in Chouteau County, Montana. The field was under wheat-fallow rotation and had a history of repeated glyphosate applications. Almost 100 plants screened from the population survived the field-use rate of glyphosate (@32 fl oz/a of 4.5 lb ae/gal Roundup Powermax). Dose-response experiments conducted by Prashant Jha and Vipan Kumar, weed researchers at the...
Cropping Q &A in February and March • What is the economic advantage of utilizing Thimet 20-G for wheat stem sawfly control? Trials in Montana have demonstrated a 64-100% reduction in damage measured as stem cutting by larvae. The trials also found that farmers can attain a 5.4 bushel per acre yield recovery for spring wheat and a 6.1 bushel per acre yield recovery for winter wheat. • How safe is Thimet 20-G? Thimet 20-G is fatal if swallowed, inhaled or absorbed through the skin. Do not breathe dust. Do not get in eyes, on skin, or on clo...
Estate Planning Seminar in Fort Benton Save the date: Monday, March 14, 2016 from 6:30 pm – 8:30 pm. Marsha Goetting, MSU Extension Family Economics Specialist, will be in Fort Benton to present a seminar on estate planning topics. Transferring agriculture operations to the next generation will be included. More details to follow. Notes from Master Gardener (Level 2) Class The Master Gardener class (Level 2) began in Fort Benton on February 18 in Fort Benton. Eight Chouteau County Gardeners learned about binomial nomenclature, soils, n...
Should I feed this moldy hay? Moldy hay (or other moldy feedstuffs) won’t always contain dangerous or poisonous compounds; however, the presence of mold itself can negatively impact animal performance and health. Feedstuffs with considerable mold can produce close to a 5% decrease in energy content for ruminant animals. Moldy feed is understandably less palatable and could result in lower than target intakes of nutrients. The end result is decreased milk production, decreased growth, respiratory issues, and declining resistance to disease. M...
Soil Scoop is now available online and at the Chouteau County Extension Office Introducing The Soil Scoop, a new 2-page series from MSU’s Soil Fertility Extension program providing condensed information on assorted soil fertility topics. People needing soil fertility information want it short and simple, and quick and easy to find. This was made clear by Agriculture Extension Agents and Certified Crop Advisers who responded to a survey by Clain Jones, MSU Extension soil fertility specialist. People want the Cliff Notes version of Extension b...
Tree Questions and Answers for February • Why do lilacs sometimes bud in February? The very large flower buds on lilacs were formed last summer and they are not going to bloom during winter warm weather periods. • Will my lilacs survive if it gets cold again? Lilac is a hardy shrub, and will not be affected when the weather drops below freezing. • Should I water my trees in February and March during warm weather? Watering is next to useless when the soil is frozen or soil temperatures are below 40 to 45 F. Once temperatures get into the 50s a...
New Montguide available on Grazing Leases A new Montguide on grazing leases (MT201601HR) is available online at www.msuextension.org. Hard copies are available at the Chouteau County Extension office located in the basement of the courthouse. Authors for the Montguide are Kate Binzen Fuller, Assistant Professor/Extension Specialist, Dept. of Agricultural Economics and Economics; and Jeff Mosley, Professor/Extension Range Management Specialist, Dept. of Animal and Range Sciences. Below are a few notes taken from the Montguide. Livestock grazing...
Cropping Questions and Answers in January • Do you have any estimates on cost of production for winter wheat and spring wheat? MSU Extension Economists are currently working on some numbers. In the meantime, NDSU has a document called Projected 2016 Crop Budgets for North West North Dakota. Copies of the document are available at the Chouteau County Extension Office, or can be found online at: https://www.ag.ndsu.edu/farmmanagement/documents/northwest-2015-budget. • Can I kill stored grain insect pests by running my fans in cold weather? Dav...
Level 2 Master Gardener Class in Fort Benton If you have passed your Master Gardener Level 1 test, you are eligible to participate in Master Gardener Level 2 class in Fort Benton. Tyler Lane (MSU Extension Chouteau County) will be teaching the first section of level 2 Master Gardener at the Chouteau County Memorial Ambulance Building located at 810 15th Street. The first class will begin on February, 18 from 6:00- 8:00 p.m. Tyler will cover binomial nomenclature, soils, nutrients and fertilizers. On February 25th, Toby Day (MSU Extension...
Montana’s Next Generation Conference set for Jan. 29-30 in Shelby Registration is now open for Montana’s Next Generation Conference which will focus on succession planning and general producer education. The conference begins Friday at 1 p.m. at the Shelby Civic Center. Kevin Spafford of Legacy by Design, an agribusiness succession planning company, will lead participants through an introductory planning session that will include hands-on activities for all generations. Events Friday evening will include a trade show, a roast beef dinner and...
Additional Announcements for January 11th Cropping Seminar in Fort Benton We will have two additional presentations at the 2016 Cropping Seminar in Fort Benton. Dr. Clain Jones (MSU Extension Soil Fertility Specialist) will be presenting research based information on acidic soil management in Chouteau County. The presentation will cover the causes of acidic soils, and the consequences to crop production. Dr. Jones will explain how to recognize and test acidic soils and offer management options to slow further acidification and increase...
Gardening tips for January January is a time to promote healthy trees and house plants. MSU Extension has a few important recommendations for the cold winter months. • Poinsettias do best when house temperatures are consistent and placed away from drafty doors. • Most house plants tolerate normal temperature fluctuations. In general, foliage house plants grow best between 70 and 80 degrees. Most flowering plants prefer the same daytime range, but grow best at nighttime temperatures of 55 to 60 degrees. Lower night temperatures intensify flo...
Calving and Handling Calving Difficulties Handout Available Dr. R. G. Mortimer is A Veterinarian from Colorado State University. Last week he was presenting to ranchers in southern Montana on the issue of calving. The Chouteau County Extension Office has the handout from the seminar. Our office can e-mail it to you, or you can come into our office for a hard copy. We are located in the basement of the Chouteau County Courthouse. In addition, a 20.00 CD on calving is available from Dr. Mortimer. The charge for the CD supports the Veterinary...
North Dakota State University Agronomist to speak at 2016 Golden Triangle Cropping Seminars Montana State University Extension will host the annual Cropping Seminar series January 11-14, 2016, in Fort Benton, Chester, Shelby, Cut Bank, Fairfield, Conrad, Stanford, and Great Falls. Topics will include residue management for wheat production and alternative crops, soil fertility basics, and nitrogen leaching related to water quality. Roger Ashley, retired North Dakota State University Extension Agronomist will cover, “Retooling for Efficient Whea...
North Central Montana Sheep Seminar in Conrad Front Range Wool Pool President Pete Cornell is inviting Chouteau County sheep producers and 4-H youth to attend the North Central Montana Sheep Seminar in Conrad on December 8, 2015. The event will begin at the Moose Lodge around 1:00 with registration. Seminars will begin at 1:30 with sheep industry updates and a survey by the new MSU Extension sheep specialist. Other presentations include grazing alfalfa aftermath and alternate forages, the basics of intensive grazing, feedlot on fields, new...
Cow Herd Winter Readiness Below are some items to consider for your cow herd winter readiness from Rachel Endecott (MSU Beef Cattle Specialist). • Testing your hay for nutrient analysis is a critical component of a nutrition plan. From your forage test results, you can build a more accurate and economical winter feeding plan. Do you need to purchase supplement? Does your high protein second cutting need to be diluted with a lower quality hay to more optimally match cow requirements? Do you have enough hay? Does your grain hay have a c...
Is sorghum a practical crop to raise in Chouteau County? Sorghum production may be practical in the warmer regions of Chouteau County. The Central agriculture research center at Moccasin is too cool to produce sorghum. The maximum yield at Moccasin was 500 pounds per acre on dryland fallow. Northern Agricultural research center near Havre has more heat units, and has produced 2000 to 4000 pounds per acre on dryland fallow. One of the major concerns with sorghum is frost during the growing season. Sorghum between Fort Assiniboine and Laredo...
Greytak Calendars available at Extension office to support Montana 4-H Foundation Don Greytak calendars are now available at the Chouteau County Extension office. Don Greytak, a pencil artist from Havre, Montana showcases his work in these great calendars. Greytak’s portraits illustrate rural life and a down home way of living. The profits benefit the Montana 4-H Foundation. The Montana 4-H Foundation serves as a non-profit corporation that continually supports the state wide 4-H program, and allows youth and leaders to participate in many l...
A salinity control seminar will take place on Wednesday, October, 28 at 9:00 a.m. at the Highwood Community Center and will include an afternoon field tour of a ground water investigation for a saline seep reclamation project on the Highwood Bench. The tour will be weather permitting. A $10.00 fee will be charged at the door to cover the cost of lunch and refreshments. The Highwood Bench is noted for the research conducted since the 1960’s to define the cause for dryland saline seep problems. At one time over 20,000 acres were s...
Bare Patches in Chouteau County fields may be attributed to low pH soils For a few years, Chouteau County producers have found bare patches in their wheat and barley fields. Patches seem to be located in water logged areas of the field, respectively. In addition, patches seem to be expanding from year to year. The problem may be low pH or high acidity in the upper 6 inches of soil. Below are a few questions and answers I have compiled from a peer reviewed article out of Washington State University Extension. • What is pH? PH is a measure of the...
Junior and Senior students from Big Sandy High School, Fort Benton High School, Geraldine High School, Highwood High School, and Chouteau County Home Schools will participate in the 2015 Chouteau County Agricultural Business day on November 4th. The event will take place from 9:00 a.m. -12:00 p.m. at the Ag Center (1205 20th Street) and Fort Benton High School (1820 Washington). An estimate of twenty five Chouteau County businesses will be in attendance to educate juniors and seniors about agricultural career opportunities in Chouteau County. B...