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Hail Damage to Plants: What to Expect and how to Manage The following article was researched and compiled by Abi Syeed, MSU Extension Horticulture Specialist. Hail can be a big concern for anyone growing plants, regardless of scale. If you have plants that have been damaged by hail over the past couple of weeks, the following information might provide some guidance regarding what to expect. Hail can be a significant issue for our plants. Hail can damage plants by tearing/shredding through leaves, wounding and stripping bark, breaking branches,...
Hailed Out and Emerged Volunteer Wheat Should be Sprayed Immediately after Harvest Information for this article was compiled from a Kansas State University Press Release in 2016. 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 operation will be neede...
Loma Field Day Will Take Place on July 16 MSU Northern Agricultural Research Center (NARC) and MSU Extension Chouteau County will be hosting a field day on July 16 at 10:00 a.m. The location will be ½ mile south of the intersection of Houston and McKeever Road. Watch for the signs along Rudyard Road and Houston Road directing you to the site. NARC off-station field days highlight the variety testing work by Northern Agricultural Research Center on cooperating farms within the different counties. Speakers include Suchismita (Sue) Mondal,...
Mulching is a Must for Lawn and Garden Landscapes During the Hot Summer This article was written by Ron C. Smith NDSU Extension Horticulturalist (Retired). The single most serious problem with ornamental plants in Northern Plains region is not a disease, insect or mite problem; it is environmental stress. Stress affects plant material in direct and indirect ways. It can cause damage directly and weaken the plants to the point where they are vulnerable to insect and disease attack. Stress is a problem in the Plains region because we, in our land...
Upside of a Short Calving Season There are several benefits to a short calving season including simplifying cow management, gaining efficiency of labor management, increasing weaning weight and improving uniformity/marketability of the calf crop. Collectively all these advantages lead to one positive potential impact: improved profitability. CattleFax survey data of cow-calf operations sorts participants into three groups: high, average and low profitability. The high profitability group had a shorter calving season with a higher percentage of...
Summer Agricultural Field Days in the Golden Triangle The Montana State University College of Agriculture and Montana Agricultural Experiment Stations will once again host a series of field days at Havre, Moccasin, and Conrad. “We look forward to our field days every year because of the opportunities they create to interact and share research results with agricultural producers and friends around Montana,” said Sreekala Bajwa, director of the Montana Agricultural Experiment Stations and the College’s dean. “Getting to share and receive feedbac...
Managing Nuisance Ants in and Around the Home Foraging worker ants sometimes enter homes in search of food, and if they find an indoor food source, the workers will leave chemical trails for other workers to follow. Food found either indoors or outdoors is carried to the nest to feed the colony. This behavior makes the use of ant baits an effective control measure. To keep ants from entering the home, make sure the kitchen is clean and no attractive food, like a honey container, is left out for the ants to find. Use a mild vinegar solution to...
How Farmers, Gardeners and Insecticide Applicators Can Reduce Risks of Honeybee Injury When Spraying Insecticides. Honeybee injury results when pesticides are applied or allowed to drift to hives, blooming crops, wild plants or weeds. 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 statements about...
Are Your Pine Needles Brown, Red or Purple? It Could be Winterburn. Information from this article comes from MSU Extension Forester Dr. Peter Kolb. During dry and cold winters, evergreen trees growing in windbreaks or other exposed areas can be afflicted with 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. In some cases only last year’s new needles are impacted, and in other cases most of the older needles are disproportionately a...
Achieving Calving Ease Without Sacrificing Content for this article came from Mark Z. Johnson, Oklahoma State University Extension Beef Cattle Breeding Specialist. Over time, 90% of genetic change in a cattle herd is the result of sire selection. Bulls contribute more to the genetic makeup of a herd in a calving season than a cow does in a lifetime. Effective sire selection should be based on genetic values in the form of Estimated Progeny Differences (EPDs). Selection on EPDs is 7 – 9 times more effective than selection based on individual p...
Practices to Increase Wheat Clain Jones, Extension Soil Fertility Specialist and Kathrin Olson-Rutz, MSU Research Associate have revised the Practices to Increase Wheat Grain Protein Guide for 2025. The document is available online. Hard copies are available at the Chouteau County Extension office. Agronomic practices are available to boost wheat grain protein without sacrificing yield. • Select appropriate varieties • Know residual soil N • Know crop N status • Select an appropriate pre-plant N rate • Use fertilizer practices that minimize...
Lawn Management Information Below are a few reminders for lawn management in 2025 growing season. • 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 summers are not warm enough for warm-season grasses. • Lawn re...
9 Chouteau County Soil Moisture Survey Results The Chouteau County Soil Moisture Survey was started by Judee Wargo in 1993 to assist farmers with determining recropping potential on cereal grain stubble. After 32 years, the Chouteau County Extension Office continues to compile data for determining recropping potential and providing the state drought committee with soil moisture information. Testing for soil moisture took place in Chouteau County on March 26 - April 1. All winter wheat locations exceeded 3.5 feet of stored soil moisture,...
Twelfth Annual Chouteau County Agriculture Day for 4th and 5th Graders The twelfth annual Chouteau County Ag Day for 4th and 5th graders will take place at the Chouteau County Fairgrounds on May 6, 2025. 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. Youth will learn why agriculture is important to their health, home and community. For thousands of years, civilization has been built upon a foundation laid by...
New Blister Beetles of Montana MontGuide Available at Extension Office MontGuide MT200209AG was developed by Hayes Goosey, MSU Forage Specialist; Tiziana Oppedisano, MSU Agronomic Entomologist and Agricultural Extension agents from Madison-Jefferson, Broadwater, Gallatin and Dawson Counties. The complete MontGuide is available at the Chouteau County Extension office or can be downloaded at MSU Publications. Blister beetles are leaf-feeding insects that secrete a liquid that can cause blisters and can be toxic when accidentally fed to livestock...
Initial Private Pesticide Applicator Training in Great Falls MSU Extension Cascade County will host an Initial Applicator Training on April 22, 2025 at Great Falls College MSU, 2100 16th Avenue South, room B101. The class will take place from 8:00 am – 5:00 pm. Private applicators need 6 credits in the 5-year cycle to renew their license. District 3’s cycle started January 1, 2020 and will end December 31, 2025. Lunch will cost $20.00 per plate and will be paid for during the registration process. Registration is required for this event and...
Chouteau County Invitational 4-H Archery Shoot Results The 4-H Shooting Sports 2025 Chouteau County Invitational Shoot was held March 1 in Fort Benton with 73 members registered to shoot. Participants were mostly from the Golden Triangle Counties. Other counties participating were Beaverhead, Flathead, Lewis and Clark, Wheatland, Madison, and Gallatin. Medals went to the following Chouteau County participants: REGULAR TARGET Name Division Award Score Brentlee Bomgardner Primitive Bow (ages 15-18) gold 217.02 Kaleb Axtman Primitive Bow (ages...
Initial Private Pesticide Applicator Training in Havre MSU Extension Hill County will host an Initial Applicator Training on April 16, 2025 at the 4-H Chuckwagon, 1676 US Hwy 2, from 8:15 am – 5pm. Applicators need 6 credits in the 5-year cycle in order to renew their license. District 3’s cycle started January 1, 2020 and will end December 31, 2025. Lunch will be provided. Please register for this program by calling Hill County MSU Extension (406-400-2333) or emailing Colleen at colleen.pegar@montana.edu. Montana State University, U.S. Dep...
MSU Extension Chouteau County has Hay Probe and Nutrition Decision Software Sampling of hay is essential to livestock management. Hay sampling is best accomplished with a hollow core probe consisting of a stainless-steel tube and a sharp cutting end. The Chouteau County Extension office has a hay probe available for check out. One core should be sampled from at least 20 bales from a lot of hay. A lot of hay is defined as hay harvested from a field of uniform maturity within a 48 hour period. Generally a lot should not exceed 200 tons. Poor...
MontGuide Available for Bull Buyers Kari Lewis and Wendy Becker, MSU Extension Agents from Glacier County and Fort Peck Reservation have developed a resource for the bull buying season. The MontGuide is available at the Chouteau County Extension office or online at https://bit.ly/43kVAsL. Bull selection is one of the most important management decisions a producer can make. Bulls are assessed phenotypically (appearance), genotypically (their genetic potential), and on performance (feed efficiency, carcass ultrasound, etc.) Bulls have a...
Master Gardener Level 1 Class in Chouteau County (Please Pre-register) MSU Extension Level 1 Master Gardener classes will take place in Chouteau County pending pre-registration numbers. Now is your chance to participate in an excellent educational opportunity. A minimum of 15 pre-registered participants is required. The class traditionally begins the first week in March. 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...
Winter Watering is Important to Evergreens During Thawing Periods Winter desiccation can be very hard on evergreen trees. Dry soil in winter often cannot replace the moisture trees lose to the cold dry winter air. The symptoms of winter damage and die-back may not become visible until spring or summer growth begins. Winter damaged trees may only show a few dead branches or twigs. In the most severe cases, the entire tree may die. Evergreen trees are more susceptible to winter desiccation than deciduous trees as the evergreens retain their...
Master Gardener Level 1 Class in Chouteau County (Please Pre-register) MSU Extension Level 1 Master Gardener classes will take place in Chouteau County pending pre-registration numbers. Now is your chance to participate in an excellent educational opportunity. A minimum of 15 pre-registered participants is required. The class traditionally begins the first week in March. 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...
Registration open for 2025 Montana’s Next Generation Conference, February 1 Registration open for 2025 Montana’s Next Generation Conference, February 1 Contact: Kari Lewis, kari.lewis@montana.edu or 406-873-2239 Registration is now open for the 2025 Montana’s Next Generation Conference in Shelby, which offers 36 workshops for beginning and advanced producers. The conference will take place at Shelby High School on Saturday, February 1. The event will be hosted by local MSU Extension, NACDC Financial Services, local producer organizations and a...
Golden Triangle Barley Seminar February 13 in Conrad, MT Barley producers are encouraged to mark Thursday, February 13, 2025, on their calendar for the Golden Triangle Barley Update. This event happens only once every three years, and features some of the industry’s top professionals. The meeting will be held at the Pondera Shooting Sports Complex (972 Granite Rd, Conrad), with registration beginning at 8 a.m. and the meeting running from 8:45 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. There is no fee to attend, and the day will be worth one private/commercial p...