Montana State University’s 2025 agricultural field day series will kick off on Wednesday, June 18, and continue throughout the summer. Hosted by the College of Agriculture and Montana Agricultural Experiment Station, the series will include events at all seven of the university’s research centers, plus two at campus farms in Bozeman.
“The entire state of Montana is our laboratory and our campus, and these field days provide some of our most important opportunities to meet with community members, producers and partners,” said Sreekala Bajwa, MSU vice president for agriculture and dean of the college. “With our state’s wide range of geographies and ecosystems, hearing what questions are most important to producers where they are helps make sure our research is meeting their most pressing needs.”
The Montana Agricultural Experiment Station comprises the main station at Bozeman; Department of Research Centers facilities in Conrad, Corvallis, Creston, Havre, Huntley, Moccasin and Sidney; and the USDA’s Fort Keogh Livestock and Range Research Laboratory in Miles City.
At the field days, attendees can meet faculty, learn about ongoing and future research, offer feedback, share a meal and tour facilities. Topics for 2025 will include plant variety testing, new crops, livestock management, precision agriculture and more.
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AUCTIONS
June 9 - 17, Musser Bros Auctions & Real Estate, Schlenker Ranch Excess Equipment, Online A5
June 10 - 22, Smeltzer Auctions & Real Estate, Firearms, Ammunition, Reloading Items, Online A9
June 14, Weaver Auctions, Alfred Deschamps Estate, Frenchtown MT A4
June 17 Wolff Auctioneers, Grassy Butte Country Scale Farm & Ranch Equipment, Online & Grassy Butte ND A2
June 21, Montana Auction Company, Robert Candee Estate, Richey MT....A11
June 26, Flying D Auction, Rock Rings, Inc., Pearson Retirement, Conrad MT A13
June 28, RK Statewide Auction, Steve Mullet Estate, Glendive MT A15
Wheat variety tours in NE
By Lana Koepke Johnson | Agronomy and Horticulture
The University of Nebraska–Lincoln Crop Performance Testing Program will launch its annual wheat variety tours in June, featuring seven field locations from Jefferson to Banner County. Hosted by local farmer-cooperators and university farm managers, these tours highlight 84 unique wheat varieties and experimental lines being tested across the state.
Department of Agronomy and Horticulture’s associate professor Cody Creech and research associate professor Amanda Easterly will lead the tours. They will be joined by Katherine Frels, agronomy and horticulture assistant professor and small grains breeder, and Stephen Wegulo, Department of Plant Pathology small grains plant pathologist, who will provide updates and answer questions. Seed industry partners will also share insights.
New educational series on ranch economics, natural resource management
The University of Wyoming Extension has launched a new educational series designed to support ranchers in navigating the complexities of modern livestock and land management. Rancher’$ E.D.G.E. (Excellence in Development, Grazing and Economics) is designed for ranchers, family members and employees actively involved in the management and care of a ranching operation.
“Rancher’$ E.D.G.E. equips participants with the tools and knowledge needed to make informed decisions and enhance the sustainability of their operations,” says Jedidiah Hewlett, a UW Extension educator based in Converse County. “With high input costs, unpredictable weather patterns and evolving market conditions, staying informed and adaptable is more critical than ever.”
The Rancher’$ E.D.G.E. curriculum is tailored to promote a holistic mindset and practical application of knowledge. The program is offered as three unique sessions throughout the year, providing a multi-season perspective on the ranching production cycle.
Each session features a mix of classroom instruction and hands-on field activities covering topics such as risk management, marketing strategies, livestock nutrition, ration balancing, body condition scoring and range management.
In addition to gaining valuable insights from a team of UW educators, participants will have the opportunity to network with fellow ranchers.
The next Rancher’$ E.D.G.E. session will be held in Thermopolis, beginning at 1 p.m. Tuesday, June 24, and concluding at noon the following day.
The cost of attendance is $250 per person for each session, which includes a packet of materials, snacks and a complimentary dinner with presenters. Attendees are responsible for their own lodging, travel and additional meals.
To register, visit tinyurl.com/RanchersEDGE. The registration deadline for the June event is Tuesday, June 10. Space is limited.
The final 2025 Rancher’$ E.D.G.E. session will be held in Laramie November 18-19. While attending every session is not required, it is encouraged for the most robust learning experience.
For more information, contact Hewlett at jhewlett@uwyo.edu or (307) 358-2417.
OTHER DATED PRIVATE TREATY
ADVERTISING DEADLINE FOR JULY ISSUE
Sept 26, Montana Department of Ag Pesticide Disposal, Hardin MT C16
Branding is always a stressful time for ranchers and animals alike. The entire family usually gets recruited somewhere in the process whether it’s bringing in the calves or vaccination or actual branding.
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Phone Brad - (406) 799-2042 or Tom - (406) 799-8323
Auction: Farm & Ranch Equipment, Vehicles, UTV’s, Trailers, etc.
Thursday, June 17th, 2025 at 10 AM MT
Location: Grassy Butte Country Scale, Grassy Butte, ND 58634 On Site Live Auction and Online Bidding available thru EquipmentFacts (8) Tractors (1) Mini X (7) Pickups (2) Semis (1) Grain Truck (1) Jeep Wrangler (5) UTV/ATV’s (12) Trailers (1) Durabine (2) Balers (2) Haybine/Mower (2) Rakes (1) Combine & (1) Harvest Header (1) Corn Planter (1) Corn Chopper (1) Sprayer (6) Drills (1) Auger (2) Chisel Plows (1) Vibra Shank Livestock Panels, Feeder Bunks, Squeeze Chute, Grinder Mixer, Buckets, Snow Plow, Post Hole Digger & Pounder, Welders, Skid Steer over tire tracks, Loader mount auger, CM 8’ Flatbed, Fuel Tanks, T-posts. GO TO: wolffauctioneers.com for
Montana State field days
2025 Field Day Schedule
Wednesday, June 18, 11 a.m. — Southern Agricultural Research Center, 748 Railroad Highway, Huntley.
Wednesday, June 25, 8:30 a.m. — Central Agricultural Research Center, 52583 U.S. Highway 87, Moccasin.
Thursday, June 26, 10 a.m. — Western Triangle Agricultural Research Center, 9546 Old Shelby Road, Conrad.
Wednesday, July 2, 3 p.m. — Northern Agricultural Research Center, 3710 Assinniboine Road, Havre.
Wednesday, July 9, 8 a.m. — Eastern Agricultural Research Center, 1501 N. Central Ave., Sidney.
Tuesday, July 15, 8 a.m. — Post Agronomy Farm, 8431 Huffine Lane, Bozeman.
Thursday, July 17, 9 a.m. — Northwestern Agricultural Research Center, 4570 Montana Highway 35, Kalispell.
Thursday, Augugt 14, 4:30 p.m. — Western Agricultural Research Center, 580 Quast Lane, Corvallis.
Thursday, August 28, 5 p.m. — Bozeman Agricultural Research and Teaching Farm/Horticulture Farm, 2730 W. Garfield St., Bozeman.
All field days are free and open to the public, and each event includes a meal. More information can be found at agresearch. montana.edu/fielddays.html or by calling the College of Agriculture dean’s office at 406-994-3681.
Wheat variety tours in NE
CONTINUED FROM FRONT PAGE
The Banner and Deuel County events will be grower-led, offering added opportunities for one-on-one engagement with the Nebraska wheat team.
Plots will be labeled about a week before each tour and remain accessible until harvest for those unable to attend. For questions or accessibility accommodations, contact Easterly at aeasterly2@unl.edu or 308-254-3918.
Follow @UNLVarietyTest and @HuskerWheat on Twitter/X for real-time updates and to submit questions. Attendance is free and open to all.
RSVP is requested for the tour and field day at the UNL Stumpf International Wheat Research Center at https://go.unl. edu/wheat-tours, where schedule changes and other details on all tours will be posted.
Following are dates, times, and locations:
June 9 - Peters Seed Farms, McCook, Hitchcock CountyMonday, at 5 p.m. CDT
June 10 - Stumpf International Wheat Research Center, Perkins County - Tuesday, at 9 a.m. MDT. Lunch provided, but RSVP requested at https://go.unl.edu/wheat-tours.
June 10 - V&F Seeds, Deuel County - Tuesday, at 5 p.m. MDT
June 11 - High Plains Agricultural Lab, Cheyenne County - Wednesday, at 8:30 a.m. MDT
June 11 - Cullan Farm Seed, Hemingford, Box Butte County - Wednesday, at 3 p.m. MDT – Irrigated Trial
June 11 - Cullan Farm Seed, Hemingford, Box Butte County - Wednesday, at 5 p.m. MDT – Rainfed Trial
June 12 - Jim Wyatt Farm, Banner County - Thursday, at 9 a.m. MDT
DEADLINE FOR JULY ISSUE Wednesday, JUNE 25
TRUCK FOR SALE
Early season irrigation during drought
By Steve Melvin - Extension Educator Irrigated Cropping Systems, Crystal Powers - Water and Cropping Systems Extension Educator, Nebraska Water Center, Aaron Daigh, Saleh Taghvaeian - Biological Systems
Getting the crop off to a great start is essential for a successful season. On dry years, it is sometimes necessary to start irrigating in May and June. However, it is critical to monitor soil moisture to balance crop needs with the risk of losing nitrogen and other valuable crop inputs. Monitoring will also help prevent unnecessary irrigation expenses, and if you have a water allocation, avoid using up water that is critical for later growth stages.
May and June are particularly vulnerable times for nitrate leaching in our irrigated fields because of several factors. First, the fields are left fairly wet from last season’s irrigation, precipitation from October through May usually puts more water into the soil than it can hold, the crop is still small and not using much water, and most — if not all — the nitrogen for the corn crop has been applied.
Strategies for Early Season Irrigation
Last year’s irrigation will have left the soil fairly wet compared to dryland fields. On a typical year, a silt loam soil that was reasonably well irrigated the previous year (full yield) may only hold two to four inches of water from precipitation in the non-growing season. Sandy soils will hold even less. This means most years, irrigated fields will be at or above field capacity in May, particularly in the eastern two-thirds of Nebraska. These facts make it fairly safe to assume the field is at field capacity, but this year with the low precipitation amounts, this assumption may not be true on all irrigated fields.
Also, keep in mind the corn roots grow about an inch each day into soil that is at field capacity, providing much of the water the plants need for that day. Generally, irrigation needs to be delayed until the soil begins to dry down. Furthermore, research conducted in the North Platte area has shown that irrigation could be reduced by one to four inches, compared to a fully irrigated crop, during the vegetative period without a significant yield reduction and can stimulate deeper root growth.
2025, Will It Be a Repeat Of 2023?
With much of the state getting very little precipitation from October through May, many fields have needed some irrigation to get the crop established and growing well through the vegetative stage — particularly on tilled or strip-till fields and fields that grew a cover crop. It all depends on the amount of water stored in the soil.
Soil Moisture Monitoring
In this drought year, many irrigated fields will not be at field capacity sometime in May as usual, while other portions of Nebraska have experienced significant rains over the last month. With irrigation, any grower can over-irrigate early and create a wet spring. The most reliable method to know when and how much to irrigate is to monitor soil moisture at multiple depths. Keep in mind that when irrigation is applied with a center pivot an inch at a time on the soil surface, the top foot will stay very wet all summer, making it important to know the soil water levels at 12- to 36-inch or 48-inch depths.
Soil water monitoring data is easier to analyze once the crop has taken up water at the 16- to 24-inch depth during the vegetative growth stage. This drier zone can then be monitored with sensors to see if the area gets wetter or drier. If it keeps getting drier,
Engineering Associate Professor the irrigation system needs to keep running. However, if it starts to get wetter, then stop irrigating for a few days. Ideally, the drier zone should slowly expand deeper with the crop using most of the subsoil water by the time the crop matures.
1. Schematic representation of effective crop root-zone depths and factors that affect deep percolation. (Source: UNL EC3015)
Risk of Early Season Leaching
Excess irrigation has its own risks. Generally, when the soil is above field capacity, excess water leaves the root zone, called deep percolation. This is an essential function of the soil for groundwater recharge. When deep percolation takes agrichemicals past the root zone, it is called leaching. May and June are the most critical time for leaching losses all year.
Nitrate leaching loss rates typically range from five to 10 pounds of nitrogen for every inch of water lost to deep percolation or drainage in Nebraska (based on in-field research as well as modeling nitrate-nitrogen losses in a Hastings silt loam soil series with over-irrigation during May and June. (Source Aaron Daigh, 2023). Leaching losses can be even larger in sandy soil, with values as large as 30 lb/ac for every inch of over-irrigation measured in a loamy sand soil. Over-irrigation is very expensive and something that needs to be avoided. Leave Room for Storing Rainfall
Monitoring soil moisture and leaving it moderately dry during the vegetative growth stages also leaves room for the soil to store any rainfall that may come. Too wet and you’ll lose that rainfall as runoff or deep percolation. Each inch of rainfall you store saves irrigation, input costs and prevents nitrate leaching.
Figure 2. Depiction of typical nitrogen uptake and the potential for nitrate leaching and runoff caused by precipitation during the growing season. (Source: UNL EC3015)
The key to early water management is to apply irrigation only when it is needed to get the crop off to a good start, while keeping in mind over-irrigation enables crop input losses. Precision water and nitrogen management can help guide your early season irrigation decisions.
Figure
Stocker/Yearling Tour set for June 17 in North Platte
By Natalie Jones, IANR Communications
Participants of a past Stocker/Yearling Tour walk through native pasture to observe grazing management and herd health in action. The 2025 tour, set for June 17 in North Platte, will highlight pasture recovery, retained ownership, and value-added strategies in Nebraska’s beef industry.
Cattle producers and beef industry professionals are invited to attend the 2025 Summer Stocker/Yearling Tour on Tuesday, June 17, in North Platte, Nebraska. The tour will focus on the theme of retained ownership, providing attendees with firsthand insights into pasture recovery, herd management, and profitability strategies.
The event begins with registration from 9 to 9:30 a.m. at the West Central Research, Extension and Education Center (WCREEC), followed by a morning visit to Pawnee Springs Ranch to tour pastureland affected by wildfire, where attendees will observe pasture recovery and learn about adaptive grazing practices.
Following the morning tour, participants will return to WCREEC for lunch at 12:30 p.m., with a producer panel to follow from 1 to 1:45 p.m. The panel will feature local producers discussing retained ownership strategies and partnerships.
The afternoon concludes with a visit to FKW Farms and White Schroeder Wiseman Stocker Partnership, where attendees will see stocker/yearling management practices in action and participate in a group debrief.
Pre-registration is required by June 10. Register online at https://go.unl.edu/summerstockertour or call 308-2683105. There is a $20 fee to attend, which includes lunch and materials. The event is sponsored by Merck Animal Health and hosted in collaboration with Nebraska Extension, local producers, and industry partners.
The tour provides an opportunity to share insights into heifer and yearling development, grazing management, and value-added marketing. It also supports ongoing partnerships between producers and researchers at the Institute of Agriculture and Natural Resources, part of UNL’s statewide commitment to advancing Nebraska’s beef industry.
Update on Milk River Basin Reservoir conditions
The Bureau of Reclamation reports that water levels in Fresno Reservoir remain well below average, while Nelson Reservoir is experiencing average storage for this time of year. The low storage in Fresno Reservoir is a result of the St. Mary Canal siphon failure on June 17, 2024, and has led to significantly reduced water supplies for both Fresno and Nelson Reservoirs.
The Milk River Joint Board of Control convened on May 13, to finalize the irrigation release schedule for Fresno Reservoir. The irrigation season is set to commence on May 25, and will continue for approximately two weeks before concluding the 2025 irrigation season the week of June 11.
Releases from Fresno Reservoir will begin to increase on May 20 in preparation for the irrigation season, allowing for necessary river travel times. After the irrigation season concludes, releases will be reduced to 100 cubic feet per second to meet the water needs of the Fort Belknap Indian Irrigation Project and local municipalities. It is important for all water users upstream of the Fort Belknap Agency to have their withdrawals ceased by this time.
Storage levels in Fresno Reservoir are expected to decrease to approximately elevation 2,545 feet, equating to 12,000 acre-feet, at the end of the scheduled irrigation releases. An additional reduction of up to five feet, bringing the level down to 2,540 feet, is likely prior to the water from the St. Mary system reaching Fresno Reservoir. The St. Mary Canal is projected to be operational by early July. Once operational, it will facilitate the transfer of water from the St. Mary River Basin to the Milk River Basin, aiding in the recovery of storage levels in Fresno Reservoir. Planned operations will provide a full water supply for the municipalities with no restrictions from Reclamation.
In contrast, irrigation from Nelson Reservoir is projected to continue until late June, benefiting Malta and Glasgow Irrigation Districts.
For more information on water levels, visit Reclamation’s Montana Area Office website at, www.usbr.gov/gp/mtao/. Water supply updates can be found on the Milk River Joint Board of Control website at https://milkriverproject.com/ water-forecasts/.
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The deadline for advertising in the July 2025 issue of
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Women on the Range grazing workshop
Women in agriculture are invited to attend the 2025 South Dakota State University Extension Women on the Range Grazing Workshop on July 22–24 at Wedge Tent Ranch near Faith.
Designed by women and for women, this immersive, hands-on workshop focuses on grazing management, plant identification, rangeland health and practical strategies for managing livestock on working landscapes. It is held in collaboration with Principled Land Managers, operated by Pat Guptill, of Quinn, and Bart and Shannon Carmichael, of Faith.
Registration and hotel information will be released soon on extension.sdstate.edu/events. A full schedule and details will be shared with registered attendees prior to the event. Women in surrounding states are welcome to attend.
“Workshops like this are critical to increasing the confidence of women in grazing management,” said Krista Ehlert, assistant professor and SDSU Extension Range Specialist.
“By building technical knowledge and offering a supportive space to ask questions and get hands-on experience, we’re helping women make more informed, empowered decisions on their operations.”
Over four days, participants will dig into key grazing principles, learn to evaluate pasture conditions and explore how livestock interact with rangeland ecosystems. The workshop also emphasizes building community and confidence among women who are actively involved in ranch decision-making.
“One of the most powerful parts of this workshop is the space it creates for women to be honest about the struggles they face—whether it’s navigating family dynamics on the ranch or figuring out the best way to manage grazing,” said Shannon Carmichael. “There’s something really grounding about standing on the range together and realizing you’re not the only one trying to balance all the moving parts.”
Ehlert agreed, noting that the conversations and relationships developed during the workshop are just as valuable as the technical skills being taught.
For more information or to get on the participant list, contact Krista Ehlert, assistant professor and SDSU Extension Range Specialist.
Registration open for 2025 NDSU Extension Youth Conference
North Dakota State University Extension will host its annual Extension Youth Conference from June 29 to July 2 at the Washburn, North Dakota, 4-H camp. Youth who have completed seventh grade are invited to attend.
The 2025 conference theme is “Level Up with Leadership.” Featuring speakers and exploration of the natural world, this leadership summit will aim to help youth connect their passions with their skills to develop leadership abilities. The camp is four days of games, food and social gathering as participants learn and practice leadership skills for today’s world.
The North Dakota 4-H Ambassadors organize and run this event every year, showcasing the skills they have gained at previous EYCs. Workshops planned for this year include an interview bootcamp to help delegates land jobs, nutrition and cooking sessions to build healthy life skills and a robotics workshop to explore engineering skills in a fun way. These workshops are in addition to other fun activities available at camp, including canoeing and swimming.
Kelly Parker, advisor for the ambassadors, says they have been hard at work planning this event.
“The community of Washburn has been incredibly welcoming to us, and we are thrilled to get to experience the Lewis and Clark Interpretive Center and help in their mission with our service project,” says Parker. “Our focus has been building clear lines of communication with the groups we lead, and the ambassadors knocked it out of the park with our speaker.”
Dallin Cooper, an award-winning humorist, storyteller and entrepreneur, will be the camp’s keynote speaker. From speaking in small Wyoming towns to one of the largest cities in China, Cooper has helped audiences understand perspectives outside their own. He helps organizations and leaders challenge their assumptions and communicate effectively. He has been featured as an expert in Authority Magazine. Registration closes June 10, and space is limited. Register soon at ndsu.ag/eyc25.
Youth Beef Summit
South Dakota State University Extension will host a new event for youth age 12-21 to learn about the beef industry.
The Youth Beef Summit is from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. on July 16, 2025, on the SDSU campus in Brookings. It is free to attend, but registration is required by July 7. To register, visit the SDSU Extension Events page and search “summit”.
All youth interested in the beef industry are encouraged to attend. The day will include education about beef production, including meat quality, nutrition, reproduction and provide hands-on learning opportunities in animal handling.
Prior experience with beef cattle is not required. In fact, Warren Rusche, assistant professor and SDSU Extension Feedlot Management Specialist, said this is a prime opportunity for youth without prior experience to get an overview of the industry and to learn how beef gets from pastures onto plates.
“This event is really for any young people interested in beef production or consuming beef,” Rusche said. “We’re a state of meat-eaters, but sometimes we might not fully appreciate all the steps it takes – what all is involved in getting that burger on our plate.”
Rusche added that it’s a great way for youth to learn about careers in the beef industry that they might not otherwise consider.
“If we can introduce beef production to a broader audience, that’s going to expand opportunities up and down the value chain,” Rusche said.
For more information, contact Warren Rusche, assistant professor and SDSU Extension Feedlot Management Specialist; or Christina Bakker, assistant professor and SDSU Extension Meat Science Specialist.
The Fertile Crescent
Coined around 1900 by American archaeologist James Henry Breasted, the term refers to the crescent-shaped area that ranges across Syria, Israel, Jordan, Lebanon, and Iraq. It encompasses ancient Mesopotamia, between the Tigris and Euphrates Rivers, known as “the birthplace of civilization.”
Farm Dog of the Year nominations open
Farmers and ranchers are invited to submit nominations for the 2026 Farm Bureau Farm Dog of the Year contest, which comes with cash prizes and bragging rights. This is the eighth year of the contest, supported by Nestlé Purina PetCare, which celebrates farm dogs and the many ways they support farmers and ranchers.
The grand prize winner – Farm Bureau Farm Dog of the Year – will win a year’s worth of Purina Pro Plan dog food and $5,000 in prize money. The winner will be recognized at a Farm Dog of the Year award ceremony at the American Farm Bureau Convention in Anaheim, California, in January 2026. The 2026 Farm Dog of the Year will also be featured in a professionally produced video. The profile of 2025 Farm Dog of the Year Sirius can be viewed here. Since its inception, the contest has provided a link to the farm for pet-loving Americans who vote for their favorite farm dog online.
“Farm and ranch dogs play an important role on the farm and hold a special place in our hearts,” said AFBF President Zippy Duvall. “They show up every day without complaint and are eager to pitch in. Many go above and beyond in caring for their farm families.”
Rounding up livestock, chasing off predators, opening gates, fetching or carrying tools/buckets and greeting visitors are among the many tasks performed by farm dogs.
Scientific research insights from a collaboration between Mayo Clinic and Purina reveal that interacting with pets can provide health benefits. For example, after spending just 20 minutes with a dog, people experienced a significant increase in levels of oxytocin, a hormone that plays a role in moderating stress. This was also associated with a decrease in heart rate and an increase in a self-reported sense of well-being. Following the interaction with the dog, people were in a more positive emotional state.
“We are proud to continue supporting and celebrating hard-working and loving farm dogs through the American Farm Bureau’s Farm Dog of the Year contest,” said Jack Scott, vice president, sustainable sourcing at Purina. “Purina sources nutritious ingredients from American farms to make our pet food, and we support the hard work and dedication of American farmers feeding generations of people and pets.”
Desired attributes for the Farm Dog of the Year include helpfulness to the farmer and his/her family, playfulness and obedience.
Farm dog owners must be Farm Bureau members to enter their dogs in the competition. Not yet a Farm Bureau member but interested in nominating your farm dog? Visit fb.org/join to learn about becoming a member.
Eligibility guidelines and submission requirements are available fb.org/initiative/farm-dog-of-the-year. Farm Dog of the Year nominations, which include written responses to questions, at least one still photo and a video clip (optional), must be received by July 11, 2025, for consideration. The Farm Bureau Farm Dog of the Year contest is sponsored by the American Farm Bureau Federation.
The People’s Choice Pup, a popular social media element of the Farm Dog of the Year competition, returns for 2026. Profiles of several dogs nominated for the contest will be shared beginning in September, with the public invited to vote. Bragging rights and a $2,500 cash prize from Purina will be awarded to the People’s Choice Pup.
Priceless
I’m a writing this to you , just to tell you, today, Even with me already letting you know, You can believe I’m really missing you and It was just a short time, since to work, I had to go.
I stopped by the bank, wondering what the price Of the love I have for you, would be worth today. The banker said, “There’s no figures go that high!”. So our love was worth more than he would venture to say.
He did tell me no one had ever come in, with that Many feelings for someone in his career, to this date. Said if he had some one like you to go home to, Many times he would not have worked so late.
I too, was telling him how lucky I was to have you, Which gets me back to what I was wanting to say. I’m a loving you more and more by the minute, With you on my mind, it’s a making this a good day...
By Robert Lee Ridgway
M109 Sport
CAFO environmental training
There will be an environmental training session for operators of concentrated animal feeding operations (CAFOs) on June 25, 2025, at the Crossroads Convention Center in Huron.
Check-in starts at 8:15 a.m. with the program following at 8:45 a.m. and concluding at approximately 4:45 p.m. Registration is required and is $50 and includes lunch, breaks and training materials. To register, visit the SDSU Extension Events page and search “CAFO”.
Specialists from South Dakota State University Extension, the South Dakota Department of Agriculture and Natural Resources and the U.S. Department of Agriculture Natural Resources Conservation Service will provide the training.
“Past attendees of this program have come away with at least one new practice they consider adopting related to land application, livestock feeding, air quality or soil conservation,” said Bob Thaler, Farm Credit Services of America Endowed Chair in Swine Production, Distinguished Professor and SDSU Extension Swine Specialist.
Thaler will present on livestock nutrition options for altering the nitrogen and phosphorous content of manure. Anthony Bly, SDSU Extension Soils Field Specialist, will talk about managing nitrogen and phosphorus in land applications of manure and Jason Gilb, a conservation agronomist with NRCS, will go over land application of manure worksheets.
Kent Vlieger, a soil health specialist with NRCS, will present on soil erosion and infiltration. Jason Roggow, a natural resources engineer for the South Dakota Department of Agriculture and Natural Resources, will discuss the DANR’s livestock permit program.
For water and air management, Sushant Mehan, assistant professor and SDSU Extension Water Resource Engineer Specialist, will present on water quality and Xufei Yang, assistant professor and SDSU Extension Environmental Quality Engineer, will discuss air quality and odor.
Training required for permit holders
In spring 2017, the South Dakota Department of Environment and Natural Resources reissued the General Water Pollution Control Permit for CAFOs. It requires existing permitted operations to obtain coverage under the proposed permit one to four years after the general permit is issued.
One of the conditions for existing permitted operations is that an onsite representative attends an approved environmental training program within the last three years prior to obtaining a new permit. If the person who attended training no longer works at the operation, another representative must attend training within one year.
This training program meets the requirement of the proposed permit if they have attended the training after July 2017. Manure applicators, producers, concerned citizens, policy makers, county commissioners, zoning board officers and any other interested individuals who are not currently applying for a permit can also benefit from the information and are encouraged to attend.
For more information, contact Bob Thaler, Farm Credit Services of America Endowed Chair in Swine Production, Distinguished Professor and SDSU Extension Swine Specialist.
National Strawberry Rhubarb Pie Day
This holiday is always held on June 9th
This holiday is a time to enjoy a slice of a pie you may never have tried before. While Strawberry Rhubarb Pie has a long history, dating back to the 1800s, not too many people have ever tried it. Some people, especially the younger crowd, do not even know what rhubarb is.
The rhubarb plant has a long, thick, edible stem with good flavor, but a tart taste. Rhubarb recipes use sugar to sweeten it. The leaves are not eaten, as they are poisonous. Through the years, the debate has raged as to whether Rhubarb is a vegetable or a fruit. It is commonly thought of as a fruit, as this is the way it is used. In actuality, Rhubarb is actually a vegetable. Are you ready to be adventuresome? Dig into a piece of Strawberry Rhubarb Pie. You will not be disappointed. History and Origin of National Strawberry Rhubarb Pie Day
This day appears to have been created in 2012.
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Forage Matters: Fencing A drought management tool
By James Rogers,
Forage crops production specialist, NDSU Extension
D _ _ _ _ _ _ is a seven-letter bad word. It seems like I have spent more years of my career dealing with drought or dry weather than I have average years, though no one seems to know what an “average” year is. While this may not be the reality of my career, it is my perception because I remember dry weather events more than I do those good years.
Drought is a normal part of climate, and where you live dictates how often you deal with drought conditions. A frustrating part of drought is that there is nothing we can do to prevent it. Folks back in the mid-1800s thought they had it figured out — that plowing the land brought rain, believing that “rain follows the plow.” This was during a wet period on the plains, and when conditions changed to a dry period, it led to the development of the Dust Bowl.
Defining drought can be confusing. Luckily, we have the drought-classifying drought monitor, available at https:// droughtmonitor.unl.edu/. The drought monitor identifies areas of drought and classifies them by intensity from D1 (moderate drought) to D4 (exceptional drought). You can find state-by-state drought impacts by intensity for specified time periods by exploring the drought monitor website.
I dug into North Dakota data to see how many weeks within 2014-2024 some part of the state suffered from D2 drought. Drought intensity level D2 is important because it can trigger responses from the Emergency Livestock Assistance Program, the Livestock Forage Disaster Program and the Conservation Reserve Program Emergency Haying and Grazing. It is also at a level of intensity that crops, pasture and range losses would be expected to occur. Of the 572 weeks in the time period, 269 were reported at a drought intensity level of D2. That was 47% of that timeframe! It ranged from zero weeks in 2014 to all 52 weeks in 2021.
The point is, most of North Dakota is in a semi-arid environment. In semi-arid environments, drought frequency is much more common than in eastern regions, receiving 30 to 70-plus inches of rainfall per year. If you live in a semi-arid region, you expect drought, but it’s still a seven-letter bad word that no one wants to experience.
Management goals need to focus on the long term so that when the inevitable drought comes, you are prepared to withstand, survive and recover. If you are a pasture and range manager producing forage harvested by livestock, your goal is to have healthy, deep-rooted, robust plants entering a dry weather event. Then, you maintain the vitality of those plants through grazing management so plants can recover quickly once favorable growing conditions return. Fences and gates help with that.
In other regions where I have worked, many folks wanted to open all the gates and give the livestock free access to all grazeable areas once a dry weather period hit. By opening gates, you lose management control of the intensity and duration of grazing. Livestock-selective grazing will intensify, and the more desirable plants will suffer. Close the gates and maintain grazing management using your fence as a drought management tool. Even if permanent fencing is already in place, temporary cross-fencing can still give management advantages to help you get through a dry weather event. If crop residues are available for grazing, a temporary fence can help you get them grazed.
If you know of typically underutilized areas, a fence can help you push livestock into those areas. I have used temporary fencing to push livestock into an underutilized area due to no access to water. After getting them into the area and holding them for an hour or so, I pulled the fence and let them drift back to water. It worked well and gained me some additional grazing days. Poor water quality can develop during dry periods, and a fence can help you to exclude poor water sources.
Fence installation, charging and tools have changed a lot over the years. If you have never installed a fence or want to improve your fencing skills, I invite you to attend the fencing school held on April 30 at NDSU’s North Central Research Extension Center in Minot. The school will be held from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. CST and will cover fence law, virtual fencing, conventional and electric fencing and cost-share opportunities. The afternoon session will be held out in the field where attendees can see actual fence installation and hands-on instruction. This will be an open forum event, and people are invited to share their own fencing ideas, tips and tricks. The fencing school is a free event, but registration is required for an accurate meal count.
To register and learn more, visit ndsu.ag/fencingschool25.
Rock Rings Inc.
Art & Lori Pearson Retirement Auction
Thursday • June 26, 2025
2787 Primrose Road North Conrad, MT
Art and Lori are retiring from farming and going to enjoy life. This is three generations of farming, equipment, tools, machinery to be auctioned. For any questions, you can call Art at 406-403-1683, or Zane at 406-289-0514, or Gerald at 406-289-0510.
AUCTION TIME
TRUCKS / VEHICLES
1967 Chevy 3/4 ton 4x4 with Handi sprayer (1800 engine {292-6} overhauled by Don Dodge/Rocky Mtn Motors)
• 1989 Ford L-9000, 330 Cummins with 80 ft.
ManFlex sprayer, 1,000 gal. tank
1984 Ford F-250 351 Cleveland, 4x4 with fuel tank and electric pump
1967 Ford F-250 service body pickup with fuel tank
• 1965 Chevy 1/2 ton 4x4, 292-6 cyl, with rough wood flatbed
1973 Ford F-600 330 V-8, with watertank and grain box
1973 Ford F-600, 330 V-8, with grain box, sideroll tarp
• 1971 Ford F-600, 390 bored w/ raised cam, with grain box, sideroll tarp
• 2 — F-11 Farmhands mounted on M-Farmall, one ready to fit
COMBINES / ATTACHMENTS
• 1680 Case IH, 3,761 hours, in good condition, 30 ft. header in excellent condition 1460 IHC, 4,574 hours, bigger motor with lots of recent work, 24 ft. header 810 pick-up header with Victory pick-up attachment
• 24’ and 30’ Crary Air Reels
• 2 — 4-ft. Gysler extensions 3-pt. Disc for tree rows, etc. 30’ Barber spreader, with fertilizer and Fargo screws
Versatile 400 swather DRILLS
2007 Morris Air Drill w/ 240 cart, purchased new in 2007, low acres, excellent shape
• 2 — 14-ft. 150 drills, all shafts free, professionally raised fertilizer boxes - flush with seed boxes. Good shape. Several disc drills - grass seeders! IHC & Van Brunt
Van Brunt disc drill 12’
PLOWS / ROD WEEDERS
Melroe 50’ in good shape
Gysler 30’
• Gysler 36’, limited shanks - used as a rodweeder
Gysler 40’, shanks on 18” centers for Anhydrous Amonia
Riteway coil packer - low acres, 30-ft., purchased new
OxyPropane cutting torch set with cart 1/2” drill press
Multiple angle / disk grinders, 5”, 7”, 9”, great shape (Makita, Milwaukee, etc.)
• 9” metal shear and punch
• Big air compressor, 5-hp Puma air compressor with 5-hp. Honda motor Brand new JD Battery Charger/Booster, 100+ amp
Milwaukee 14” cut off saw
• Toro snow blower, 120V start
• 2 — 10 packs of 14” abrasive cut off wheels
Heavy duty hand winch
3-pt. Post hole auger
2 — Solo backpack sprayers
50-gal. drum lift cart
• 55-gal. barrel cart
MISC / ANTIQUES
WWI wheelbarrow-type air compressor
• Cream separator
• Fencing supplies
2 — Hog feeders
Pearson auto catch head catch for cattle
Toledo meat bandsaw
Large Hobart meat grinder
• Bundles of railroad ties
• Dimensional lumber, 2”x4”, 2”x6”, 1”x6”
Metal hanger building, disassembled
Various wheel weights
Rebar — approx. 100 sticks, 30-ft long of 1/2”, HARD; and other sizes and lengths
• Culvert — 2 foot x 10 foot and 12 foot with coupler, 1’x17-1/2’ and 10 foot
2 pieces - 150-ft. overhead electrical wire
Overhead 3-wire electrical wire, from transformer to domestic
22 bushel tote of Longmire treated seed wheat, and other bulk seed grains.
HOUSEHOLD ITEMS
Full size bed / box spring, very clean
China Hutch
• Antique sewing rocker
Night stand
Air Conditioner
Flatware from Siam
Dishes
• File Cabinet
• Old cook stove
1940s International Truck
Positiveairpressure preventsfogging
rechargeableblower
Filters fordustandvapor
•
•
• Sale and erection of Brock
• Complete millwright and concrete
Proper grain monitoring and storage remain critical in springtime
As outdoor temperatures warm during spring and early summer, there is an increasing potential for grain storage problems and an increasing need for grain monitoring and management, says Ken Hellevang, North Dakota State University Extension agricultural engineer and grain drying expert.
“The stored grain temperature increases in parts of a bin in the spring due to solar heat gain on the bin,” Hellevang says. Solar energy produces more than twice as much heat gain on the south wall of a bin in spring as it does during the summer. That, in addition to the solar heat gain on a bin roof, can create an environment conducive to grain spoilage. A 10-degree temperature increase reduces the allowable storage time of grain by about half. For example, the storage time of corn at 17% moisture is reduced from about 130 days at 50 degrees Fahrenheit to about 75 days at 60 degrees and 45 days at 70 degrees.
Hellevang recommends periodically running aeration fans during the spring to keep the grain below 40 degrees as long as possible during spring and early summer if the grain is dry. In northern states, night air temperatures are normally near or below 30 degrees in April and 40 degrees in May. Bin vents can become blocked with frost and ice when the fan is operated at temperatures near or below freezing, which may damage the roof. Leave the fill and access door open as a pressure relief valve when operating the fan at temperatures near or below freezing.
Cover the fan when it is not operating to prevent warm air from blowing into the bin or being drawn into the bin due to a chimney effect and heating the stored grain to temperatures more prone to spoilage and insect infestations. Hellevang also recommends ventilating the top of the bin to remove the solar heat gain that warms the grain. Provide air inlets near the eaves and exhausts near the peak so the top of the bin can ventilate due to warm air rising — similar to what occurs in an attic — or use a roof exhaust fan.
Monitor grain moisture and temperature
Hellevang advises that stored grain should be monitored closely to detect any storage problems early. Grain temperature should be checked every two weeks during the spring and summer. A temperature increase may indicate a storage problem. Grain also should be examined for insect infestations. Check the moisture content of stored grain to determine if it needs to be dried. Remember to verify that the moisture content measured by the meter has been adjusted for grain temperature. In addition, remember that moisture measurements of grain at temperatures below about 40 degrees may not be accurate. Verify the accuracy of the measurement by warming the grain sample to room temperature in a sealed plastic bag before measuring the moisture content.
Some in-bin cables estimate grain moisture content by measuring the temperature and air relative humidity and then calculating the grain moisture content based on grain equilibrium moisture content equations. The measured moisture may be 1.0% to 1.5% different than the true moisture content, so it is a tool that should be verified with another moisture content measurement method.
Corn needs to be dried to 13% to 14% moisture for summer storage to prevent spoilage. Soybeans should be dried to 11% to 12%, wheat to 13%, barley to 12% and oil sunflowers to 8%. The allowable storage time for 13% moisture soybeans is less than 100 days at 70 degrees.
Store using grain bags
Grain storage molds will grow and grain spoilage will occur in grain bags unless the grain is dry. Grain in the bags will be at average outdoor temperatures, so grain will deteriorate rapidly as outdoor temperatures increase unless it is at recommended summer storage moisture contents.
Grain bags that run east-west will have solar heating on the south side, which creates a temperature variation across the bag that will move moisture to the north side of the bag. Continue to monitor grain stored in bags frequently.
Work safely
In addition to properly storing grain, Hellevang advocates for following safety protocols when operating around grain storage.
“Everyone needs to become aware of safety hazards associated with handling grain and to apply recommended safety practices,” Hellevang stresses.
Bats in the attic? Wildlife expert says you may need to let them be for now
By Pat Melgares, K-State Research and Extension news service
It’s no coincidence that Kansas State University wildlife expert Drew Ricketts’ phone rings a bit more often this time of year with residents feeling a little bit batty.
The dark, flying mammals come out of hibernation in spring and are more active through August. Ricketts says he gets phone calls from “people who are also starting to detect signs that they might have bats living in the house.”
So long as the bats are not in the home’s main living space, Ricketts might suggest leaving them alone. That’s because some control measures could create a bigger issue.
“If the bats are in the attic, or they’re living in the upper portion of the house, it’s really hard to go in there and actually find all of those bats, catch them effectively and try to take them back outside the house,” Ricketts said. “So, that’s not the way we do it.”
The most efficient way, he notes, is to install a ‘bat excluder’ or ‘bat valve’ in a spot where the homeowner believes the bats are getting in.
“These can be a homemade device made out of onion sack material that we staple really tightly around the entryway and then it hangs down, or commercially produced bat valves,” Ricketts said. “The bats can get out, but they can’t figure out how to get back under the device to get back in.”
Doing so, keeps that bat out of the attic, but it may not resolve the problem. Bat babies – called pups – are often born in April or early May, and are unable to fly through at least August. If the female can’t get back in to feed its pups, they are likely going to starve to death.
“When those pups die in the attic, that creates odor issues,” Ricketts said. “It’s also a sanitary issue. So when we do have a maternal colony in the attic…as long as they’re not getting into the living space of the house, really the best thing to do is to wait until August and put those bat excluders up there so they can fly out.”
Ricketts said there are some protected species and some endangered species of bats in Kansas. For that reason, homeowners may opt to hire a certified control company to remove the bats outside the May through August timeframe.
Another reason homeowners shouldn’t attempt the job themselves: Bats can carry rabies.
“Bats have really small mouths, and it’s very easy for a bat to bite you and you not know it,” Ricketts said. “So if you do have bats
in the living space, you need to get those caught and moved out. If there is ever anybody in the room that can’t say with 100% certainty that the bat has not been on their body, then it’s important to collect that bat and submit it for rabies testing.”
If a bat bite is suspected, or you can’t be absolutely sure if you’ve been bitten, see a medical professional or county health department official immediately.
More information on managing wildlife is available online from K-State’s Department of Horticulture and Natural Resources
ROUND BALER FOR SALE
2015 John Deere 569 baler, wide pickup, twine & net, 1 new belt and some extra parts, 1023 bales. Unused and shedded for last 6 years. $55,000 Call (406) 432-5533, leave message – Whitlash, MT
Water holding capacity of soil and resilience to drought
By Taro Mieno, UNL
For the past two years, I have been involved in an NSFfunded research project titled “RII Track-2 FEC: Supporting Rural Livelihoods in the Water-Stressed Central High Plains.” The overarching goal of this project is to evaluate the potential of microbials and biochar to enhance soil water holding capacity (hereafter, WHC), thereby improving drought resilience in crop production and reducing irrigation demand to slow aquifer depletion. Visit the project website for more details. A key component of this research is assessing the economic viability of these interventions, a task for which I am responsible.
To understand the economic benefits of increasing soil WHC, I estimated its impact on the resilience of crop yields during droughts using county-level yield and soil data. In this blog post, I present preliminary results from this analysis.
Figure 1 displays a map of county-level WHC derived from the USDA-NRCS Soil Survey Geographic Database (SSURGO). The spatial patterns are notable: the Midwest exhibits relatively high WHC compared to other regions, while Nebraska’s Sand Hills stand out for their exceptionally low capacity.
To analyze the effect of WHC on crop yield responses to drought, we integrated soil data with annual county-level corn yield data from USDA-NASS and weather data from gridMET (Abatzoglou 2013). Here, drought is defined as the water deficit, calculated by subtracting precipitation from evapotranspiration during the growing season (April through September). Higher water deficit values indicate more severe drought conditions.
For statistical analysis, we categorized counties into three groups based on WHC:
Low: 10 to 20.6 mm, Medium: 20.6 to 24.9 mm, High: 24.9 to 45.9 mm
Figure 2 presents the results of this analysis, illustrating how corn yield (bu/acre) responds to water deficit across the three groups. As water deficit decreases from zero, corn yields decline across all groups due to excess moisture. The dots represent the points where yield is maximized for each group. Notably, the water deficit level at which yield is maximized is higher for soils with greater WHC, a result that aligns with agronomic expectations.
As drought severity increases, yield losses become more pronounced, with significant divergence between groups. At an extreme water deficit of 700 mm, the yield difference between the lowest and highest WHC groups reaches approximately 50 bu/acre. Assuming a corn price of $4.50/ bu, this translates to a value of $225/acre. In other words, increasing WHC from 10 to 24.9 mm could be worth approximately $225/acre in a severe drought year.
The critical question moving forward is: Can biochar or other soil amendments enhance WHC at a cost lower than the estimated benefit for agricultural producers? If not, what level of cost-sharing or subsidies would be required to make adoption economically viable? These are the questions I will be addressing in the remainder of this project.
TRACTOR FOR
SALE
##### Knock, knock. Who’s there? Cows go. Cows go who? No, silly! Cows go, “Moo!”
MFU awards $15,000 in scholarships
As part of its commitment to supporting family farmers and ranchers through education, legislation, and cooperation, Montana Farmers Union and its Locals have awarded a combined $15,000 in student scholarships with awards to more than 20 students, the grassroots organization announced in May.
“Our MFU Foundation Scholarships are an integral part of Montana Farmers Union priorities and identity as an organization that works on behalf of family farmers and ranchers,” MFU Chief of Staff Matt Rains said. “There’s really no greater good we can do as an organization than invest in our kids to help them prepare themselves to not only run their own operations but to bring new creative and industry advancing ideas back home.”
2025 MFU scholarship recipients are:
Reinhard Bold, Big Sandy, $1,000 MFU
Lauren Crowder, Highwood, $1,000 John Korsbeck
Memorial
Morgan Feist, Vaughn, $1,000 Cascade County-wide Farmers Union Local
Michaela Hauk, Great Falls, $1,000 MFU
Jordan Leach, Ledger, $1,000 MFU
Sierra Mauland, Big Timber, $1,000 MFU
Addison Reichelt, Carter, $1,000 MFU, $500 Chouteau County Farmers Union Local
Lance Rutledge, Big Sandy, $1,000 John Korsbeck Memorial
Grayce Siderius, Bozeman, $1,000 Bud Daniels Memorial, $500 Flathead Local
As pastures begin to green up, now is the time to scout pastures for two persistent problems—leafy spurge and nonnative thistles like musk, plumeless, and Canada thistle. Both are Nebraska noxious weeds, and early spring is the best opportunity for control.
Leafy spurge is a deep-rooted perennial with a yellowgreen flower that shows up early in the season. Its root system can reach 15 feet deep, making it extremely difficult to control. Spring herbicide applications at the bud to early flower stage are most effective. Products like 2,4-D ester, Tordon 22K, Curtail, or a Plateau and Sharpen mix can reduce spurge growth and seed production. Just remember—one treatment won’t be enough. A follow-up fall application is often needed to catch regrowth and keep infestations from spreading.
Thistles, especially nonnative species like musk and plumeless, should also be targeted in early spring. Look for plants in the rosette to bolting stage—that’s when herbicides work best. Top-rated products include Chaparral, Milestone, and Opensight, with several other options depending on the specific species. Canada thistle, being a perennial, responds best to fall herbicide applications, but you can reduce spread now by mowing in June and July, and applying 2,4-D or a dicamba mix as a stopgap until fall. Just make sure to control before flowers occur.
Whichever weed you’re battling, control efforts need to start early and be followed up throughout the season. Our publication, EC-130 “Guide for Weed, Disease, and Insect Management in Nebraska” provides a list of recommended herbicide options and cost comparison of spurge, thistle, and other noxious weed control products. Read and follow label directions, and don’t wait to control these weeds until they are flowering—by then, your options are limited, control is less effective, and next year’s seed is being spread.
Wild spinach offers path to breed disease resistance into cultivated varieties
By Shawn Vestal, WSU News & Media Relations
Several varieties of wild spinach that originated in Central Asia show resistance to a destructive soil-borne pathogen that beleaguers growers of spinach seed in the Pacific Northwest—a finding that can be used to breed hardier crops.
Researchers at Washington State University’s Mount Vernon Northwestern Washington Research & Extension Center demonstrated in a new paper that some strains of wild spinach are resistant to Fusarium wilt, a fungal disease that is a persistent problem for growers of commercial spinach seed, and they identified regions of the plants’ genome associated with that resistance.
The findings are important for seed growers in western Washington and Oregon, where a significant portion of the world’s spinach seed is grown and where the pathogen has long been a problem due to the acidic soils.
“We were very, very pleased we found some excellent resistance when we did the screening and then we followed up with the DNA sequencing and looking at where that resistance might be lying,” said Lindsey du Toit, a plant pathologist who has worked on fighting disease in seed crops for 25 years at WSU’s Mount Vernon NWREC.
Though the new paper, published this month in nature.com’s Scientific Reports, identified several varieties of wild spinach associated with resistance to Fusarium wilt, more study is needed to understand the genetic nature of the resistance. However, seed companies don’t have to wait to apply the findings—they can begin breeding hybrids with the wild spinach varieties that showed resistance.
“You don’t necessarily have to understand the mechanism of resistance in order to use it,” du Toit said. “This is a tool that’s available immediately to breeding programs.”
Spinach consumption has been growing dramatically around the world. In the U.S., the per-capita consumption of the vitaminrich vegetable has more than doubled in the past 20 years, with a particularly strong market for baby leaf spinach.
Most of the domestic crop is grown in hot, dry regions such as California, Texas and Florida. But growing spinach seed requires a rare combination of seasonal conditions—long, dry summers that aren’t too hot. As a result, around a fifth of the world’s spinach seed is grown in the Pacific Northwest.
But those crops have little resistance to Fusarium wilt, which afflicts spinach by entering through the roots and blocking their ability to take up water. Seed growers have tried to manage this problem by rotating spinach crops on long timeline—a decade or more between plantings—and taking other measures to treat the soil with calcium carbonate to reduce the acidity.
Even so, the prospect of an expensive “wipeout” of an entire crop has remained a continual threat.
In the current study, du Toit and a former post-doctoral researcher in her lab, Sanjaya Gyawali, screened 68 varieties of wild spinach from the region where the plant originated—Uzbekistan and Tajikistan—and compared them to 16 cultivated varieties. Researchers from the University of Arkansas also participated in the study.
They found strong resistance to the pathogen in several wild varieties. They then identified the chromosomal locations associated with the most powerful resistance. Those locations—known as quantitative trait loci—can be used by breeders to introduce more resistance to Fusarium wilt into commercial lines using marker-assisted selection, a technique that uses DNA markers to select for desirable traits.
The work was funded in part by the Specialty Crop Research Initiative of the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s National Institute of Food and Agriculture. The project was also supported by WSU CAHNRS Hatch Projects, and the Alfred Christianson Endowment in Vegetable Seed Science
non-selective herbicide for
use on canola, sweet corn[*], field corn, cotton, soybean, and sugar beet[*] designated as LibertyLink® or glufosinate resistant. GLUPEX 280SL may be used for weed control in non-LibertyLink® or non-glufosinate resistant cotton when applied with a hooded sprayer in-crop. GLUPEX 280SL may also be applied as a broadcast burndown application before planting or prior to emergence of canola, sweet corn[*], field corn, cotton, soybean, or sugar beet[*] designated as LibertyLink® or glufosinate resistant and any conventional canola, sweet corn[*], field corn, cotton, soybean, or sugar beet. GLUPEX 280SL may be used for post-emergence weed control on olives, listed tree, vine and berry crops. GLUPEX 280SL may also be applied for potato vine desiccation. [*Not for use in California.]
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What do you call an alligator that’s wearing a vest? An investigator.
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I burnt 1500 calories yesterday. I left a cake in the oven for too long.
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I went to the corner shop today. I bought four corners.
Ensuring even manure application for healthy fields
By
Leslie Johnson - Animal Manure Management Extension Educator; Amber Patterson - University of Nebraska–Lincoln; Amy Millmier Schmidt - Livestock Bioenvironmental Engineer; Glen Arnold – The Ohio State University
Manure spreaders are essential tools for distributing nutrients to crops to improve fertility and improve soil health. Therefore, achieving an even application of manure is just as important as with commercial fertilizers. Proper placement ensures that every part of a field receives the nutrients needed, leading to healthier crops and soil biology.
This guide explains how to use manure spreaders effectively.
Types of Solid Manure Spreaders
Horizontal Beater Spreaders drop manure from the back and break it up vertically. The spread pattern is limited in width, typically not much wider than the width of the spreader.
Tips
for Uniform Application:
Narrow the gap between passes to avoid uneven coverage. Inspect the field visually after a few passes to ensure wheel tracks aren’t easily identified by manure gaps.
Note: These spreaders often apply heavier rates because wheel speed must increase to reduce application rates.
Vertical Beater Spreaders and Spreaders with Bottom Spinners are designed to throw manure both to the sides and back, resulting in a much wider spread pattern. Compared to horizontal beater spreaders, it is easier to achieve uniform coverage. This style spreader is ideal for lower application rates, drier manures, and sometimes commercial fertilizer products.
Spread pattern: Typically heaviest close to the spreader Often used for wetter solids, slurry manures, and sludge
Side-slinger spreaders are designed to throw manure to one side.
16-BAR HARROW
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On August 11, 2012, the Câmara Municipal de Ferreira do Zêzere from Santarém, Portugal cooked the world’s largest omelet. It was an amazing 14,225 pounds 6 ounces. A team of 55 people spent 55 hours making 145,000 eggs into the world’s largest omelet.
Ensuring even manure application for healthy fields
Tips for uniform application:
Narrow the gap between passes to avoid uneven coverage. Inspect the field visually after a few passes to ensure wheel tracks aren’t easily identified by manure gaps.
Types of Liquid Manure Spreaders
Tanker-Style Spreaders typically have a tool bar for injection of manure below the soil surface, but they can also have splash fans or drop nozzle hoses for surface application.
Injection of liquid manure into soil is preferred over application to the soil surface because ammonium nitrogen in manure is not lost to the atmosphere as easily when manure is covered with soil. Injected manure is also more likely to stay in the field where crops can utilize it rather than being lost to surface waters via runoff if a precipitation event occurs soon after application. Liquid manure applied using a splash pan creates a recognizable “rooster tail” of manure, which tends to release more ammonia gas and creates more odor. Drop nozzles, on the other hand, allow for the placement of manure directly on the soil surface which helps reduce odor. A drawback of liquid manure spreaders is the potential for soil compaction, especially with a full spreader, due to the weight of the applicator and manure. Manure tankers are much larger today than 20 years ago and fields need to be dry to handle this weight.
Handling manure in a liquid form brings the potential danger of manure gases, especially hydrogen sulfide.
Drag-hose spreaders are equipped with
The weight of a drag hose filled with manure necessitates a large tractor with the necessary weights.
Ensuring even manure application for healthy fields
Advantages of this style of manure applicator include:
In-season application of manure is possible early in the growing season for some crops, such as corn, wheat, forages and cover crops.
Variable rate application is possible by varying tractor speed.
Application is much faster and more economical than using a tanker.
Drag hoses can come directly from the manure pit or manure pond. The drag hose can also come directly off a frac tank filled by semi tankers.
The size (diameter) of drag hoses has increased as larger tractors become available to pull the heavier hose. This allows for greater volumes of manure to be pumped and applied. Crossovers or manure bridges can be used to traverse roads or ditches, and booster pumps can help move manure through longer stretches of hose to further increase application efficiency.
Irrigation equipment can be used to apply manure that is primarily water, which typically comes from feedlot runoff holding ponds or the top layer of liquid in an anaerobic lagoon. However, sprinkler irrigation (i.e. pivots) must have appropriate nozzles to handle the solid particles in the manure. The big advantage of using irrigation equipment is that manure can be applied during the growing season when other liquid manure applicators cannot access the fields without damaging growing crops. This allows for application of manure when the crops need water and nutrients.
Big gun style irrigation equipment can also be used to apply manure with the big advantage being the ability to handle larger solid particles. However, a big disadvantage of big guns is the spray pattern which throws liquid manure into the air further, increasing potential odor problems for neighbors and losing larger portions of ammonium nitrogen.
Ensuring Even Application
To achieve an even spread with solid manure spreaders, follow these steps:
Field Inspection: Visually check the field for consistent manure distribution after several passes.
Use Calibration Tarps:
Place one tarp directly in the spreader’s line of travel, ensuring the vehicle does not run over it.
Position another tarp to the side to catch manure thrown laterally.
Make a round or two with the spreader making sure the tarp catches any potential overlap, then weigh the manure collected on the tarps.
What to Look For:
If the manure weights from both tarps are similar, the spread pattern is even.
• 2/12 pitch painted roof, walls and trim
• (2) – 14’x14’ Wayne Dalton Doors - One row of insulated glass per door - One heavy duty opener per door - Two remotes per door
• (4) – 4’0 x 4’0 windows
• (4) 3070 Entry Doors
• (4) 3070 Entry Doors
• 5” Concrete Monolithic Slab with radiant heat
• #4 rebar on 24” centers
• 2” foam insulation under the slab
• Electric or propane boiler
• R36 insulation in the roof, R25 insulation in the walls
• Includes all labor to pour slab, complete heated floor, and erect the building
Ensuring even manure application for healthy fields
CONTINUED FROM PAGE A24
If the tarp to the side is lighter, reduce the spacing between passes and repeat the process.
If the tarp to the side is heavier, increase the spacing between passes and repeat the process.
Bonus Tips:
A 22-square-foot tarp provides an easy way to calculate application rates: the weight of manure on the tarp (in pounds) equals the application rate in (tons/acre).
A small sample of manure collected from each of the tarps during calibration activities is ideal for sending in to a laboratory for nutrient analysis.
To calibrate liquid applicators with toolbars, use buckets under each knife and run the pump at the settings intended for application. Comparing the amount of manure collected in each bucket allows you to determine whether there are similar volumes of manure coming through each knife. If not, make adjustments.
Verification of application rates for liquid spreaders is most frequently done using a flow meter; however, rain gauges can be used to verify irrigation equipment application rates. Be sure to use multiple gauges and average the results for the most accurate rate determination.
When hauling slurry manure, agitation of the manure pit or earthen basic is needed to improve the consistency of the manure nutrients and ensure that solids are not allowed to build up in the bottom of the storage. When stirring or agitating a manure storage, be sure to adequately ventilate barns and anywhere people or animals might be. Be aware that hydrogen sulfide released during manure agitation is heavier than air, which can allow the dangerous gas to accumulate at ground-level if atmospheric conditions are right.
Importance of Maintenance
Proper maintenance of manure application equipment is important. When weather and soil conditions allow for manure application, properly maintained equipment is more likely to perform as expected and needed. Equipment breakdowns increase the opportunity for mishaps as people can get frustrated and take more chances when things don’t go right. For liquid manure spreaders, uniformity depends heavily on the pump. Regular maintenance and monitoring are essential to ensure even application. Anytime the applicator toolbar deviates from being level, the distribution among discharge ports will be skewed with greater discharge from the “lower” ports and less discharge from the “higher” ports.
For solid manure spreaders, consistent operation and adjustments to spreader settings or driving patterns can greatly improve results.
For all manure spreaders, be sure to note what settings (gear and speed) are being used so when spreading multiple days or with different drivers, the spread pattern and rate stays consistent each day.
Conclusion
Manure spreaders are powerful tools for improving soil health and nourishing crops, but proper application techniques are vital for success. By using the right spreader, adjusting field passes, and verifying results with calibration, farmers can ensure their fields receive an even distribution of nutrients and organic matter. Thoughtful manure application not only benefits the current crop but also enhances soil biology for years to come.
Currant
This raisin variety got its name from the Greek city of Corinth. In the 13th century, raisins from the Mediterranean region started becoming popular in England. In the 14th century, a special kind of raisin made from very small seedless grapes started selling under the name reisin de Corauntz, meaning “raisin of Corinth,” after the city in southern Greece, where these raisins were produced. By 1500, reisin had been cropped, and corauntz had evolv3ed into current – still our name for the tiny raisin today. (Extra fact: Currant is also the name of a genus of berries, including the black currant, red currant, and white currant. The berry got that name in the late 1500s – because it resembled the grape-derived current.)
The peninsula at the far west of Europe occupied by Spain and Portugal. The name was derived from Iber, the Greek name for the river that flows across the peninsula.
Economic analysis of new perennial grain crop
By Maya Kate Gilmore
The University of Wyoming Extension recently released a free digital publication titled “Kernza® Perennial Grain and Wheat-Fallow Budgets: Comparing a Perennial and Annual Cropping System in Southeastern Wyoming.” The publication compares the economics of wheat-fallow systems to the economics of a new perennial crop, Kernza®. Kernza is the trademark name for the grain harvested from varieties of intermediate wheatgrass (Thinopyrum intermedium) originally developed by The Land Institute.
The new publication is especially relevant to dryland farmers in southeastern Wyoming. It assesses the potential economics of growing intermediate wheatgrass (IWG) plants bred for grain production in this region.
In southeastern Wyoming, many farmers use a wheatfallow system, where wheat is grown for a year and then the soil is left fallow the next year to build up soil moisture. This system is not always profitable and is vulnerable to volatile weather events.
IWG bred for grain production can be used as forage in dry years when it does not produce a viable grain harvest. In addition, IWG bred for grain production is a perennial crop. Compared to annual crops, perennial crops can be more resilient to climate stressors like drought and require less soil disturbance, improving soil health.
“Perennial grains are still a new development, but they represent a big shift in how we farm. Perennials can improve the health of our ecosystems, just like the prairie grasses that first built these soils,” says Hannah Rodgers, co-author of the work and research scientist in the Department of Agricultural and Applied Economics. “It’s exciting to see Wyoming farmers being researchers and innovators, figuring out how to grow these new crops in our harsh environment.”
The publication found that if farmers can locate a market to sell Kernza grain, it may be more profitable than wheatfallow systems in some circumstances.
To view the new publication, visit https://bit.ly/kernzabulletin. Contact Rodgers at hrodger3@uwyo.edu with questions.
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The region of the U.S. that consumes the least alcohol (the “Bible Belt”)... is also known as “Stroke Alley.”
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Never kick a cow chip on a hot day. – Will Rogers
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Never trust a cowhand that doesn’t know how to properly tie a horse.
– Cowboy Truth
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Never take your eye off a cow’s arse. – Jacques Chirac
WE LET GREAT IDEAS GO TO OUR HEADS
Proactive weed control in pastures
By Ben Beckman, Nebraska Extension Educator, Ryan Benjamin, Nebraska Extension Educator
Managing weeds in pastures and rangelands is an ongoing challenge for livestock producers. Weeds compete with desirable forage species for nutrients, moisture, and sunlight, reducing overall pasture productivity. A successful weed management strategy involves a combination of monitoring, proper identification, and implementing timely control measures. Understanding the life cycle of weeds and their response to different control methods is critical for making informed management decisions.
Monitoring and Identifying Weed Issues
Early and accurate identification of pasture weeds is the first step in maintaining a healthy pasture. Control techniques vary depending on whether the species is a winter annual, summer annual, biennial, or perennial. If you’re uncertain about a particular plant in your pasture, consult your local extension office for assistance with identification.
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Weeds often establish themselves in stressed areas of the pasture. Overgrazed areas, flood-prone sites, high-traffic zones, and drought-stressed pastures are prime locations to monitor. Another area to check is where hay was fed over the winter, especially if bales were purchased from outside your operation. Imported hay may introduce new weed seeds that can become problematic under Nebraska conditions. Cattle can also spread weed seeds through manure, so managing feeding locations and movement can help reduce weed spread.
Integrating Livestock for Weed Management
In some cases, weeds may not be a problem but an opportunity. Some livestock species, such as goats and sheep, prefer browsing on broadleaf plants and shrubs, which cattle might avoid. Incorporating multi-species grazing can help control certain weeds naturally while diversifying farm income. This approach can reduce reliance on herbicides and promote a healthier pasture ecosystem.
Weed
Control Strategies
If control measures are necessary, consider the following strategies based on weed life cycles:
Winter Annuals (e.g., Downy Brome/Cheatgrass)
Germinate in the fall, overwinter, and grow rapidly in the spring.
Fall control is ideal, as spring control must occur in a short window before seed production.
Germinate throughout the summer, making total control difficult.
Control when plants are young and prevent seed development to reduce future infestations.
Biennials (e.g., Musk Thistle, Plumeless Thistle)
Form a low-growing rosette in year one and bolt to produce seeds in year two.
Control during the early bloom stage to minimize regrowth and prevent seed production.
Perennials (e.g., Leafy Spurge, Canada Thistle, Spotted and Diffuse Knapweed)
Develop deep root systems, allowing regrowth even after repeated control attempts.
Control before early bloom when plants are using stored root reserves and follow up in the fall before frost to further weaken plants.
Shrubs
Some species, like cedar, grow from above-ground buds and can be controlled through cutting, herbicides, or fire. Others, such as sumac and locust, regenerate from belowground buds, requiring complete removal or chemical treatment for effective control.
Herbicide Considerations
Producers planning to use herbicides should reference Extension Circular 130, 2025 Guide for Weed, Disease, and Insect Management in Nebraska, available online or at local extension offices. Always follow label directions and consider timing, application rates, and environmental conditions for the best results.
Early Spring Weed Control Strategies
For producers looking to get ahead of weed issues in the spring, early action is key. Focus on the following strategies: Scout Pastures Early – As soon as temperatures begin to rise, check fields for emerging weeds, especially in areas prone to stress or disturbance. Pay special attention to rosettes of winter annuals and biennials. These can be easily missed, and control is more effective before they begin bolting.
Proactive weed control in pastures
Target Winter Annuals – Species like Downy Brome and Shepherd’s Purse complete their life cycle early in the season, so herbicide applications should occur before flowering and seed production.
Use Timely Grazing or Mowing – Grazing livestock or mowing can suppress early-growing weeds before they become competitive with desirable forages. This can be a stand-alone control strategy or used to delay growth for later herbicide applications.
Soil Fertility and Overseeding – Fertilizing appropriately and overseeding thin pastures can improve forage competition and reduce opportunities for weed establishment.
Drought Considerations
Drought will often open opportunities for weeds to get a foothold by weakening desirable forages. Many of these will be annual weeds that appear in the first few years following drought. Through careful grazing management, some of these weeds will disappear on their own as rangeland and pasture conditions improve and desirable forages are able to outcompete weedy species. Control options can be used if weeds are persistent; however, if rangeland or pasture health is not good, other weedy species may grow rather than desirable forages. In this case, overseeding may be advisable.
Conclusion
Weed management in pastures and rangelands requires a proactive approach. Regular monitoring, maintaining healthy pastures, and using a combination of grazing management, mechanical control, and herbicides, when necessary, can help keep weed pressure low. By staying vigilant and adapting management practices, producers can ensure productive pastures that support healthy livestock and sustainable operations.
My sister didn’t do as well on her driver’s-ed test as she’d hoped. It might have had something to do with how she completed this sentence: “When the ______ is dead, the car won’t start.”
She wrote: “Driver.”
Wife: “Do you think our kids are spoiled?”
Husband: “No, I think most kids smell like that.”
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International Omelet Day
This holiday is always held on June 9th
Egg omelets are prepared by frying scrambled eggs in a frying pan until they are almost done. Then, we place on top of the eggs, any one or more of a very wide range of fillings. Finally, we fold the omelet in half giving it a half-moon shape and finish cooking the eggs to seal in the wonderful, blend of tasty ingredients. Perhaps the biggest challenge to participation in this day is to determine what fillings to include in your omelet.
Did you Know? Yes, eggs are high in cholesterol. But, researchers now believe the good health benefits outweigh the bad.
‘Thirstwaves’ new framework emphasizing prolonged, extreme water stressors
Researchers from University of Idaho (U of I) and University of Colorado Boulder (CU Boulder) have created a new metric to help farmers, researchers and practitioners better track and prepare for prolonged periods of extremely high evaporative demand.
Meetpal Kukal, an assistant professor of hydrologic science and water management with U of I, and Mike Hobbins, a senior research scientist with CU Boulder, have coined “thirstwaves” as a broad concept explaining when evaporative demand remains elevated for days at a time. Evaporative demand describes conditions governing the movement of water from the Earth’s surface into the atmosphere.
Their paper “Thirstwaves: Prolonged Periods of Agricultural Exposure to Extreme Atmospheric Evaporative Demand for Water” was published March 20 in the journal “Earth’s Future.”
In certain regions and seasons, windspeed, humidity or solar radiation from sunshine, rather than heat, drive evaporative demand. Evaporative demand drives evapotranspiration, as long as sufficient soil water is available.
“In this whole domain of environmental change and its impacts, we’ve been sort of obsessed about heat and heatwaves,” explained Kukal, who is the paper’s lead author. “As far as water consumption by vegetation is concerned, including agricultural crops, there are other variables besides temperature that are equally, if not more, important, and that includes humidity, wind speed and solar radiation.”
Their study evaluated the gridMET surface meteorological dataset covering the contiguous U.S. states from 1981 through 2021 growing seasons. They defined a thirstwave as having occurred any time when during at least three consecutive days daily evaporative demand was greater than its 90th percentile recorded historically.
Agricultural water managers traditionally consider mean values in their assessments. Thirstwaves, by contrast, focus on extremes persisting over multiple days.
“If one were to look only at means it appears the southwest desert is the most extreme from a thirst standpoint. However,
when you start looking at extremes, places that do not necessarily have high evaporative demand stand out as outliers,” Kukal said. “The Midwest, for example, is not as consequential from a mean evaporative demand standpoint, but from an extreme standpoint it is really a hot spot.” Kukal published this evidence last year in the journal “Environmental Research Letters.”
During prolonged durations of extreme stress from high heat, low humidity, high wind or high solar radiation, irrigation deliveries and equipment may not be able to put out water fast enough to keep up with demand.
Kukal is currently developing a decisionsupport dashboard to help southern Idaho farmers manage irrigation, factoring in the possibility of such extreme conditions and design limitations of irrigation systems. He and Hobbins looked at three unique aspects of thirstwaves from historical records: intensity, the number of events and the duration. They concluded all three aspects have been worsening over time, with thirstwaves becoming more intense, greater in number and more frequent.
“These findings make us think about how our current water resources infrastructure, irrigation equipment and water management should mitigate and adapt,” Kukal said. “As these pressures grow, there’s less and less room for guesswork in irrigation, so if you are under limited water conditions, you’ve got to do a better job at really tracking your water.”
The researchers are optimistic that the concept of thirstwaves will add an important new framework to help agriculture bring the picture of evapotranspiration monitoring and forecasting for maintaining economic productivity into sharper focus. Kukal’s research program at U of I is building on Idaho’s capacity to monitor and predict evapotranspiration to aid in decision-making.
“This idea of thirstwaves I think is really going to catch on,” Hobbins said. “It’s a very powerful metric and it’s a crucial distinction from heatwaves because we have been hobbled for decades by this idea that temperature is really the only place where the information is.”
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Water, labels, and more, know your basics before planting
By Debbie Post, Nebraska Extension Master Gardener
If you’re thinking of gardening this season, but don’t have the space, consider container gardening. Containers can provide you with blooms and veggies throughout the season. When getting started, look for plant holders with drainage holes to allow water to run through. Sometimes, you can drill or punch holes in the bottom for drainage. If not, layer the bottom with large rocks to keep the plant from sitting in water.
Once you have your planters ready. Pick out flowers or veggies and double-check your nursery plant labels. The labels can be essential for a successful harvest of produce, giving you planting instructions, growing tips, and expected dates for harvest times. In the Panhandle of Nebraska, our USDA hardiness zone ranges from zone four to five. Along with the hardiness zone and frost dates, look also for pollinator-friendly plants as they help all sorts of plants reproduce by transferring pollen. Protect those early pollinators by not cleaning up all your old growth from last year’s plants. Some overwintering insects are just now waking up. If you want to attract more pollinators this season, remove more lawn grass and plant native plants and bushes, patio or container boxes with blooming plants.
Speaking of lawns, now is also a good time to make the most of your mulching. Organic mulch, like grass clippings, wood bark, and leaves, are recommended over synthetic materials as they will compost back into the soil. Plants that are mulched require 25-50 percent less water than their counterparts, which helps with weed control and moisture retention. Make a concave mound, leaving the base of your tree or plant more open than the outside area. Don’t smother your plants with mulch. Too much mulch can suffocate or keep water from getting to the root system.
Lastly, know the best practices in watering your lawn and garden. Water your garden in the early morning hours directly to the root of your plants, versus on the surface of the plant leaves. Drip systems or soaker hoses are recommended for deeper watering that encourages more vigorous root growth. Two to three soakings a week, resulting in about one inch of water per week, is optimal.
A quirky myth claims that peanut butter is a natural mouse-repellent! This likely started because mice are more attracted to cheese. But, in reality, they love peanut butter, and it’s often used as bait in traps. There’s also a rumor that peanut butter could “cure baldness,” but there’s no science behind it.
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Sometimes, I run out of space in my garden or have extra transplants after planting the garden. I usually end up planting these extras in my containers. Container gardening is a great way to supplement in-ground or raised bed production. Containers can also serve as the sole production source for those with small spaces or those short on time and labor. There are many different styles and types of containers, from fabric bags to plastic or clay pots. When gardening in containers, you must match the correct pot type and size with the plants you want to grow.
The larger the plant, the larger the container. For example, lettuce and green onions will work well in containers that are 1 to 2 gallons in size, while tomatoes will need containers at least 5 gallons in size. Whatever container you select, make sure it has drainage holes or make them yourself. Drainage holes should be at least a 1/4 inch in diameter.
Potting soil mixes are best for containers. They hold water and nutrients, and drain excess water easily. They are also light, which makes moving containers around easier. Pure garden soil is heavier and will compact in the containers, causing drainage issues.
Select plants that are bred for small spaces. Some keywords to look for are “dwarf,” “compact,” “bush,” or “space saver.” Make sure the plants you select for the containers have complementary characteristics. Combine root and leaf vegetables in a container, as they have different space needs, or plant cool-season crops like lettuce or spinach with peppers. The greens will be harvested early, allowing space in the container as the pepper grows. Ornamentals can be added to the containers, too. Combining edible and ornamental plants creates containers that please the eye, produce a bountiful harvest and benefit the environment.
Containers will need 8 to 12 hours of sunlight. Flowering and fruiting vegetables will need more than leafy greens. A west or south-facing exposure will provide sunlight, provided structures don’t block it. Containers can be moved as the light changes in a site but be sure you can lift them.
Containers have a limited area for growing roots and will need frequent watering. Check the containers daily for moisture. They will need more water in hot, dry weather. Sometimes, watering twice a day. A slow-release fertilizer can be incorporated at planting, or a water-soluble fertilizer can be used during the growing season. Read and follow the application directions.
Growing vegetables in containers is a great way to add some nutrition to your diet and beauty to your landscape. What vegetables can you add to your containers? Happy gardening!
Grass hay harvest
By Jerry Volesky, UNL
Smooth bromegrass and other cool-season grass hay fields are growing rapidly with seedheads beginning to appear. When do you typically cut your grass hay? Ideally, cutting your grass hay so the grass nutrient content matches with the nutritional needs of your livestock is best.
Crude protein and energy concentration declines in grass hay as plants become stemmy and mature. With smooth bromegrass for example, research has shown that crude protein content declines rapidly between boot and mature seed stages. Crude protein levels in well fertilized hay harvested at early heading range from 10 –18 percent, but drop rapidly after heading. Decreases in crude protein levels by as much as one-half percent per day after heading have been recorded. Also keep in mind that plants tend to mature sooner when conditions are dry and temperatures are warmer than normal. For Sandhills subirrigated meadows, haying typically starts in early July. However, if harvest occurs around the third week of June, then that hay will have significantly higher crude protein content. Earlier meadow harvest will have lower initial hay yield, but it will also provide a longer regrowth period and extra growth for fall grazing.
So, a good approach is to plan what type of livestock will receive the grass hay from each field. Young livestock need high nutrient concentrations so cut that hay before or just when heads begin to emerge. If the hay will go to mature dry cows instead, let the grass produce a bit more tonnage and cut it after it is well headed out, but before seeds develop. Matching your hay harvest with your plan of use can pay handsome dividends in lower costs and less supplementing.
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Attracting Fritillary butterflies with native violets
By Laurie Zitterkopf, Nebraska Extension Master Gardener
April Native Violets deserve a place in your garden and lawn. Native violets are tough plants. They can grow just about anywhere. These wildflowers often appear in lawns, where they’re frequently removed with herbicides. Our native violets are the only host plant of the fritillary butterflies, of which Scotts Bluff County hosts seven species. The fritillary butterfly lays her egg in the fall, the egg hatches, and overwinters. In the spring, it must find a native violet plant to feed.
Native violets play a unique role in supporting local ecosystems by providing a vital source of nectar and pollen for bees and other pollinators. While their blooms provide nectar for the bees and other pollinators, their leaves provide food for the Fritillary butterfly caterpillars. Their presence encourages bees to visit, ensuring pollination, which is essential for growing fruits and vegetables. Positioned alongside early spring bloomers, violets contribute to the biodiversity necessary for a healthy pollinator population.
Similar to dandelions, native violets are beneficial for aerating the soil and enriching it with nutrients. Their deep roots break up compacted soil, improving aeration and drainage. This action helps pull essential nutrients, such as potassium and calcium, to the surface, where they become available to other plants. While the root systems are working for us below the surface above the ground parts of the violets are working for us and are also used in the kitchen.
Nuttall’s violet, the only violet coloring are the nectar guides – purple stripes on the bright yellow petals. The flowers are on stems about the same length as the leaves, so the entire plant is about four inches tall. The flowers bloom from April through June, attracting the pollinators. Nuttall’s violet tolerates, and may require, some grazing in mixed grass prairies. Grazing will keep vegetation from over-topping this short-statured plant. Nuttall is the only yellow-flowered violet found in prairies in our region.
The flowers and young leaves of the common violet are edible. Violets and pansies are among the most popular edible flowers in America - and with good reason. Not only are these beautiful little flowers easy to grow, but they are also among the few flowers that actually taste good. The flowers make a nice addition to salads. Violet leaves are high in vitamins A and C and can be used in salads or cooked like spinach.
Wheatlage management
By Todd Whitney, UNL
Cereal grain crops, including rye, triticale, and oats can be harvested as forage silage and wheat as wheatlage. Compared to traditional haying, spring silage systems provide earlier forage harvesting with higher moisture content. This allows quicker double-crop planting to extend growth for subsequent corn or forage sorghum silage fall harvest within same fields.
UNL research indicates that waiting until cereal crops reach the soft dough grain development stage may offer the optimum silage harvest timing to maintain up to 12 tons per acre of forage production with 15% to 20% crude protein and 69% TDN (total digestible nutrients) content for lactating beef and dairy. Delaying the cereal crop silage harvest until the hard dough heading stages may still maintain 10% crude protein and 60% TDN while increasing forage tonnage up to 20 tons per acre.
The target cutting moisture content for cereal crop silage is 67% to properly ferment to 30-35% dry matter. If the moisture content drops below 67%, then the silage may be too fluffy to adequately pack properly allowing oxidizing butyric acid to raise spoilage. Thus, increasing nutrient losses and lowering palatability. Conversely, when silage is too wet (above 78% moisture) fermentation can result in slimy silage, where the butyric acid bacteria start taking over… causing higher TDN losses as moisture drains from the pile. Rye with hollow stems may be harder to pack especially when higher stem to leaves ratios increase in later development compared to wheat. Smaller forage chopping size can increase bulk density and improve silage packing but also causes harvest equipment to use more fuel. Acknowledging that dairy producers prefer longer chopped forages for increased fiber content.
Cattle Chat: Product handling and administration
By Lisa Moser, K-State Research and Extension news service
“Some animal products will cause human health problems if they are absorbed through the skin of the person administering them,” K-State veterinarian Bob Larson said on a recent Cattle Chat podcast.
Cattle Chat is a weekly podcast produced by the Kansas State University Beef Cattle Institute.
Product handling safety and vaccine administration were two of the topics discussed.
“To keep from products being accidentally absorbed by the person handling the pour-on product, it is important to wear a barrier-type glove, like a latex or nitrile glove, when applying these products,” Larson said.
He also suggested that producers check the weather forecast before administering pour-on products.
“Cattle that are out in the rain shortly after the pour-on has been applied will not be protected as well as those that remain dry
for several hours after the product application,” Larson said.
With pour-on and injectable products, Larson said, regardless of how the product is administered, the medicine is circulated throughout the bloodstream and will get to all parts of the animal’s body.
“The pour-on product is first absorbed through the skin and then into the bloodstream, where it circulates,” Larson said. “Injectables work the same way, so if I give an injection in the neck, it will be absorbed there and then move throughout the body.”
Larson reminds producers to follow the label instructions when treating cattle.
“If the product is labeled for intramuscular administration, it needs to be put into a thick muscle, and if it is a subcutaneous product, it needs to be placed under the skin,” Larson said. “How it is administered matters because some products have been designed for the amount of blood flow and location.”
The commander-in-chief of the U.S. Navy was once known by the acronym CINCUS... produced “sink us.”(The name was changed after WWII.)
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Toughen up your plants as your insects sleep in
By Katie Markheim, Nebraska Extension Master Gardener
As the planting season gets underway and garden centers beckon you to buy, remember that new transplants need some extra care to transition from their cozy greenhouse environments to the outdoor garden. Both the garden and landscape are investments of time and money that can be beautiful, functional, and satisfying living spaces. Make use of the hardening off period for your new transplants, and consider the following when creating your outdoor garden or living space: site preparation, plant and seed selection by hardiness zone, watering habits, and staking, protecting, and mulching. These are aspects of integrated pest management and a great way to ensure the growth and longevity of your investment.
Once you are ready to move on to planting your bedding plants and garden vegetables, you will need to harden them off before transplanting. There are a couple of ways to do this, the first is to pick up your garden plants from greenhouses and then harden them off before planting. Place new plants outside, in a protected area. Do this daily to allow them to “toughen up.” With each additional day, move them further out into full sun exposure and in breezy conditions. This will strengthen the plant with less chance of wilting. Be sure to do this two weeks before transplanting. If threats of light freezes remain, be sure to bring plants in. Once soil temperatures reach a minimum of 60 degrees Fahrenheit, it should be safe to plant those tomatoes, peppers, cucumbers, and squash plants.
The second way to get your garden or flowers outside is to build a cold frame in your backyard or acreage. Cold frames are the smallest, simplest, and least expensive structures for protecting plants. They can be constructed using a wood frame box set on the ground with glass, acrylic, or polyethylene plastic covers. Kits with aluminum framing and poly sides are also available for purchase. The frames capture the daytime heat through solar energy and use it to heat the growing area. The low structural design retains heat, providing warmer nighttime air temperatures, preventing cold injury before getting those plants into the ground. By using a cold frame, spring planting can occur three to five weeks earlier, aiding in a potentially better and faster hardening-off process.
While out in the garden or flower beds, don’t get too aggressive with cleaning out leaves, and check your hoses and sprinklers before hooking them up. This is to help slumbering insects, especially beneficial insects present in what they consider their overwintering habitat. There is so much life in the overwintered leaves and stems. Pollinators such as bees (leaf cutter), butterflies (Regal Fritillary), or moths (Luna Moth) are being sheltered beneath the leaf litter. An added benefit to holding off on garden or flower bed cleanup until late May in western Nebraska is the potential to protect plants, especially those starting to green up, from late frost damage. So, give it a rest and let your garden sleep in. Wait to tidy up your old flowers, stems, and plants until Spring when weeks of 50 degrees Fahrenheit or above are becoming the norm.
It may seem silly to think about the first freeze of the season already as we near the summer months, but for many gardeners, it’s a consideration as they look to planting early enough to capitalize on yield at harvest before the next visit from Father Winter. Ever wonder how to calculate the days to frost? Simply put, start with your median last frost date, and count back the number of weeks it takes the plant type to mature. Then, count back two more weeks to account for the hardening timeline to know when to plant various vegetable crop seeds indoors. According to UNL CropWatch, the median frost date generally falls between September 11th and October 10th for Western Nebraska, which means you could have sprouts in your house as early as March.
Seeds and transplanting tips
Once plants flower, keep the color coming by removing faded flower heads (deadheading).
If a flowering plant blooms and then fades, revitalize it by shearing off the faded blooms and one-third of the top growth, then fertilize. This restores the performance and blooming of “past their prime” plants.
• It helps to pinch out the center of young flowering plants, such as petunias and fuchsias, to encourage more bushy side growth. Tall delphiniums, sunflowers, and dahlias may need to be tied to stakes.
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New Tillage
Case IH Puma 185
Case IH 475 Speed Tiller, 27ft
Case IH 475 Speed Tiller, 27ft
Case IH Maxxum 150
Case IH 475 Speed Tiller, 21ft
Case IH 475 Speed Tiller, 21ft
New Tillage
Used Tractors
Used Tractors
Case IH 475 Speed Tiller, 27ft
Case IH 475 Speed Tiller, 21ft
2012 Case IH Puma 185 CVT with loader, 3072 hrs, $138,000
2012 Case IH Puma 185 CVT with loader, 3072 hrs, $138,000
Used Tractors
2020 Case IH Puma 165 with loader, 1075 hrs, $165,000
2020 Case IH Puma 165 with loader, 1075 hrs, $165,000
2012 Case IH Puma 185 CVT with loader, 3072 hrs, $138,000 2020 Case IH Puma 165 with loader, 1075 hrs, $165,000
2019 John Deere 1023E, 117 hrs, loader, Back Blade, $15,500
2019 John Deere 1023E, 117 hrs, loader, Back Blade, $15,500
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Case IH Puma 240
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Wacker Neuson SM120
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2019 John Deere 1023E, 117 hrs, loader, Back Blade, $15,500
New Harvest Case IH 8250 AFS MacDon FD2-40
Case IH Maxxum 150 New Tillage
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Case IH 475 Speed Tiller, 27ft
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2012 Case IH Puma 185 CVT with loader, 3072 hrs, $138,000 2020 Case IH Puma 165 with loader, 1075 hrs, $165,000
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Consigned AG
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Consigned AG
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We start ‘em young reading the Trader’s Dispatch! Photo courtesy of Kayla Foster
TRACTOR FOR SALE
1969 JOHN DEERE 4020
lots of new parts installed, runs well. Needs top-shaft in transmission syncroids rebuilt. $17,000
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Bat cells could aid in fighting humans’ most deadly diseases
By Devin Rokyta, College of Veterinary Medicine
A Carollia perspicillata bat from a colony that had been maintained at WSU Vancouver. (Photo courtesy of WSU)
Why bats can harbor viruses like hantavirus and coronavirus – pathogens that are highly dangerous to humans – without becoming ill themselves has long puzzled scientists, yet the answer may be key to preventing outbreaks and fighting the diseases.
To help answer that question, a team led by Washington State University molecular virologist Michael Letko has developed two new bat-derived laboratory cell lines, providing much-needed tools for studying how bats and their immune systems respond to these viruses. The process for creating the new lines – which have been deposited with the American Type Culture Collection, a nonprofit repository for biological samples – can also importantly serve as a roadmap for creating additional lines to support future research. The research was outlined in the journal PLOS Biology.
“Bats are a reservoir for many pathogens that can infect humans and domestic animals, yet we lack effective tools to study bat viruses in the lab,” said Letko, an assistant professor in WSU’s College of Veterinary Medicine. “One big question is how do bats tolerate these infections? These cell lines and future research can help us uncover those mechanisms, and that could lead to new therapies for human diseases.”
A cell line is a population of cells that are cultured and maintained in a laboratory for research purposes. These cells are typically derived from a single original cell and go through a process known as immortalization, which allows them to be grown and divided indefinitely under controlled conditions, making them a valuable tool for viral research.
While bat cell lines are critical for studying how these animals coexist with viruses, most labs have been limited to using the handful developed more than 50 years ago. Most viruses are species specific, and these lines come from species that often don’t respond to viruses of current interest, limiting
their usefulness.
The new lines were developed from kidney tissue of a Seba’s short-tailed bat (Carollia perspicillata) that came from a colony maintained at WSU Vancouver by professor Christine Portfors.
The new lines support infection by a diverse group of viruses, but they will be particularly useful for studying coronaviruses and orthohantaviruses. The latter family includes sin nombre virus, which is found in the western United States and recently caused a fatal infection in Whitman County, Washington, the county in which WSU is located.
“These viruses have the potential to impact not just our own national health, but global health, because they’re found all over,” Letko said.
A major challenge to developing useful lines is ensuring the cells maintain their ability to mount immune responses to pathogens.
“We started off with a pile of different tissues and cells, and then we went through different immortalization routes and basically started to weed them out,” Letko said. “By the end, we had a small number of cells that were immortalized in specific ways, and those were the ones that actually still retained the properties we think are going to let us study how bats actually respond to viruses.”
Much research to date has relied on cell lines from humans, rodents or primates, which can’t answer why bats tolerate viruses that make other species sick.
“We could study a virus like Ebola just fine in a human cell, and we can watch how it interacts with that immune system,” Letko said, “but that won’t help us identify the reason why bats tolerate these infections.”
While some bat lines have been developed in private labs, those are not often made available to other researchers. Letko wanted to ensure their work would aid future research.
“We have a lot of really good immunologists and virologists here and elsewhere, but they just don’t have access to all this specialized material,” Letko said. “That creates tiers in bat research between the groups that have access and basically everybody else who had to rely on old cell lines that were collected in the 1960s.”
The research, funded by the National Institutes of Health, was a collaborative effort that also included the labs of WSU researcher Stephanie Seifert and scientists from the University of Saskatchewan, University of New Mexico and Louisiana State University.
New publication on local food systems in Wyoming
By Brooke Ortel
If Wyoming residents spent just 5% of their grocery budget on local foods, local food production could contribute an additional $36.3 million to the state’s GDP, according to a new study published by the University of Wyoming Extension.
Currently, the local food sector contributes $24.4 million to Wyoming’s GDP and generates $44.7 million in output each year—and those numbers are growing. That’s good news for both Wyoming producers and consumers, the UW study suggests.
Local food systems are key to maintain-
ing a reliable—and resilient—supply chain, says Anders Van Sandt, assistant professor of regional economics and author of the new publication.
“As the United States’ food system continues to become more concentrated, comprising fewer yet larger producers, processors, and distributors, it has become brittle and susceptible to supply chain failures,” he states in the report. “A more resilient food system is one in which the large-scale global and U.S. food systems are not replaced, but instead overlaid with a web of smaller-scale
New publication on local food systems in Wyoming
CONTINUED FROM PAGE A38
regional and local food systems.”
In Wyoming, expansion of local food systems has occurred through both directto-consumer and direct-to-retailer sales. Direct-to-consumer sales include food sales at farmers’ markets, farm stands, or herd shares, while direct-to-retailer sales include farm-to-school programs, farm-totable restaurants, and other platforms that bypass wholesalers.
Using data from the USDA’s Census of Agriculture, Van Sandt calculated that from 2017 to 2022, direct-to-retailer sales in Wyoming increased 24%, while directto-consumer sales grew 35%. The average farm revenue for direct-to-consumer farms increased 56% in the same period. These are conservative estimates, Van Sandt notes, since some local food manufacturing businesses are not tied to a farm or ranch and therefore are not represented in the census data.
Although Wyoming’s local food systems are becoming more robust, the state faces unique challenges, including high transportation costs, insufficient cold storage facilities, and a lack of contract
small local economies, it is to support our local food producers — big or small,” says Van Sandt, who serves as a community vitality and health specialist for UW Extension. “When we purchase from our local producers, we are voting with our dollars for greater rural economic development, healthier communities, and stronger supply chains.”
In addition to ensuring dollars are spent locally rather than outside the community, research suggests that local food production tends to require more intensive labor, resulting in more job opportunities and larger economic impacts.
“In short, rather than spending time and money on attracting new industries to rural places, significant economic development can be achieved in rural Wyoming by promoting and investing in Wyoming’s oldest industry: agriculture,” the study concludes.
To view the full publication, titled “Growing Resiliency and Independence through Wyoming’s Local Food System,” visit https://bit.ly/wy-local-food-system.
Contact Van Sandt at avansand@uwyo.edu with questions. packaging, also known as co-packing, opportunities. These obstacles are often prohibitively expensive for individual producers, especially considering the large geographic distances between rural communities.
Nevertheless, Van Sandt is optimistic about the future of local food in Wyoming. While Wyoming food businesses face unique challenges, they also possess unique strengths, he points out.
Leveraging those strengths to initiate private and public partnerships could be key to finding solutions. New partnerships and programs might provide opportunities to create a network of cold storage facilities, devise innovative waste disposal methods for local meat processors, or allow small producers to cut costs by transporting their products on the same truck.
Several promising grantsupported programs are already underway statewide and regionally, Van Sandt notes. Initiatives include efforts to increase Wyoming’s meat-processing capacity, improve storage and distribution facilities, and develop a statewide “local foods brand” to raise awareness of Wyoming-made products.
“If there is one thing we can all do to support our
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Cats have whiskers on the backs of their front paws, which help him walk over uneven ground without stumbling. Paw whiskers also help cats determine the size and position of captured prey. #####
“In order to live off a garden, you practically have to live in it.”
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Recipe Patch by Geri
Roasted Curry Chickpeas
1 can (15 ounces) chickpeas or garbanzo beans
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
Are
Can
Do
2 teaspoons curry powder
1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
Preheat oven to 450°. Rinse and drain chickpeas. Place on paper towels and pat dry. Place in a greased 15x10x1-in. baking pan; drizzle with oil and sprinkle with seasonings. Toss to coat. Bake until crispy and golden brown, 25-30 minutes.
Sparkling Strawberry Agar-Agar
1 pint fresh strawberries, quartered 1-1/4 teaspoons agar agar powder
1/2 cup water 1-1/2 cups sparkling apple cider
Place strawberries in an even layer in the bottom of a 9x9-in. baking dish; set aside. In a small saucepan, combine water and agar agar powder. Bring mixture to a boil; reduce heat and simmer, stirring constantly for 2 minutes. Remove from heat; stir in cider. Pour mixture over strawberries; let stand 5 minutes. Refrigerate, covered, until set, about 2 hours. To serve, cut into 1-in. cubes and place in serving bowls. Top with additional sparkling cider if desired.
Corn Custard
2 cups heavy whipping cream
1/4 cup sugar
1 tablespoon light brown sugar
2 medium ears sweet corn, husks removed
1 envelope unflavored gelatin
2 tablespoons cold water
1 cup whole milk
16 fresh blackberries
1/2 teaspoon grated lemon zest
2 teaspoons lemon juice
1 teaspoon turbinado (washed raw) sugar
Fresh mint leaves
Place cream, sugar and brown sugar in a small saucepan. Cook and stir over medium heat until sugars are dissolved. Cut corn from cobs; add corn to saucepan. Cook and stir over low heat for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat; cover and let stand 10 minutes. Transfer corn mixture to a blender; cover and process until pureed. Strain through a fine-mesh strainer into a small bowl; set aside.
In a large saucepan, sprinkle gelatin over cold water; let stand 1 minute. Heat and stir over low heat until gelatin is completely dissolved. Stir in milk and strained corn mixture. Pour into eight 4-oz. ramekins or custard cups. Refrigerate, covered, until set, 5 hours or overnight. In a small bowl, combine berries, lemon zest and juice. Sprinkle custards with raw sugar; top with berries and mint.
Preheat oven to 350°. In a small bowl, combine pretzels, butter and sugar; spread onto a baking sheet. Bake until crisp and lightly browned, 12-15 minutes. Cool completely on a wire rack; break into small pieces.
For filling, in a small bowl, beat whipped topping, cream cheese and sugar until smooth. Refrigerate until chilled.
For topping, in a large bowl, dissolve gelatin in boiling water. Stir in sweetened strawberries; chill until partially set, about 1 hour. Carefully layer pretzel mixture, filling and topping into 4-oz. glass jars. Chill until firm, at least 2 hours. If desired, serve with additional whipped topping and pretzels.
Carrot Salad
3 cups freshly grated carrots
1/2 cup raisins
1 large apple, cored and chopped 1/4 cup mayonnaise
Gently combine all ingredients in a medium bowl.
Strawberry Spoon Cake
10 ounces strawberries, hulled and quartered
1 lemon, zested and juiced
1 stick salted butter, melted 1/2 cup plus 1 tablespoon sugar, divided 1/3 cup buttermilk
Preheat the oven to 350°F.
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp baking soda
Vanilla ice cream, for serving
Set the oven rack in the center. Grease an 8-inch cake pan with cooking spray and set it aside. Combine the strawberries, lemon zest and juice, and 1 tablespoon sugar in a small bowl. Set aside. In a medium bowl, use a rubber spatula to stir together the melted butter and the remaining 1/2 cup sugar. Add the buttermilk, flour, baking powder, and baking soda and stir until combined. Scrape the batter into the prepared cake pan and spread it into an even layer. Spoon the strawberries and all of their juices evenly on top of the batter. Don’t push the strawberries down. Bake the cake for 35 to 40 minutes, until the top and edges are golden brown. The strawberry juices in the center of the cake will be bubbling. Cool the cake on your kitchen counter for about 5 minutes. Spoon the warm cake into bowls and serve with vanilla ice cream.
Price Truck & equiPmenT
1993 International service truck, 8000# crane, air compressor, bad motor $10,000
1986 Ford F800 National 228 37-ft. crane, 14-ft. dump bed
1979 GMC chip truck $6500
Dakota Gardener: Easy-to-grow,
beautiful pumpkins
By
Tom Kalb, Horticulturist, NDSU Extension
It’s fun to grow your own Halloween pumpkins.
Bigger is often better, but I don’t want to grow a giant, 300-pound pumpkin. Those pumpkins are lopsided. They are ugly. They look more tan than orange in color. Their vines gobble up the entire garden.
Giant pumpkins require a lot of work. You have to start the seeds indoors. You have to feed and water the vine constantly all summer. You have to put a blanket on the fruit so its skin stays soft and keeps expanding. The fruit is so needy that it is almost like having another pet.
That is too much work for me. Plus, what do you do with a 300-pound pumpkin? You can’t even get it out of the garden without a tractor.
There are better options, and this is one focus of NDSU Extension’s North Dakota Home Garden Trials this summer.
We are testing easy-to-grow, big (not giant), beautiful pumpkins. Most of these varieties will grow pumpkins that weigh 40 pounds, some heavier. The fruits are uniform in shape, bright orange in color and have strong handles. Their vines are productive and resist diseases.
Some of these varieties like Big Moose, Captain Jack, Early Giant and Large Marge have done well in previous tests. Other varieties like Big Doris and Denali have rarely if ever been grown in our state before. You are welcome to test them yourself by participating in our program. Our website is ndsu.ag/homegardentrials.
At garden centers, the biggest pumpkin varieties you are likely to find are Atlantic Giant and Big Max. These varieties will produce big pumpkins, but their vines are not as productive or disease resistant as most hybrids. Atlantic Giant fruits are the largest, but are misshapen and unattractive. No matter what variety you select, pumpkin seeds may be started indoors. Start them in early May and transplant the seedlings in late May. Seeds will germinate best under warm (80 degrees Fahrenheit) temperatures.
I don’t sow my seeds indoors, choosing instead to sow early ripening varieties directly in the garden. In late May, I sow two seeds every 36 to 72 inches in rows spaced 10 to 12 feet apart. The larger the space, the larger the pumpkins will be. If both seeds germinate, thin out the weakest one. My pumpkin plants do not receive special care. I deeply irrigate my garden once and no more than twice a week. I sidedress the plants with fertilizer once in summer. For bigger pumpkins, you can water and sidedress the vines more often. It is important to avoid overhead sprinkling. Wet leaves, especially during the evening, create humidity that powdery mildew and other diseases thrive in. These diseases will weaken the vines particularly late in the summer when the fruits need energy to grow
That’s why I always sow modern, F1 hybrid pumpkins that resist powdery mildew. In contrast, most non-hybrids are very susceptible to diseases.
For bigger pumpkins, you can thin the fruits down to one or two per vine. I don’t bother doing that, but I will remove any pumpkin fruits that are set after mid-August. These late fruits will not ripen before frost and will rob energy from the other fruits.
I can’t wait to grow pumpkins with my kids this summer. The expressions on their faces when they see the big, beautiful fruits will be priceless.
For more information about gardening, contact your local NDSU Extension agent. Find the Extension office for your county at ndsu.ag/countyoffice.
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1981 International 1800 4x4 flatbed, 14,000 lb knuckle boom $12,500
2006 Ford F650 ladder truck, needs a generator. $17,500 12-ft. flatbed, 3200 lb. IMT crane, air compressor.$5000
Maintainer
The Caucasus
This mountain range divides Europe from Asia. It’s nestled between the Black and Caspian seas, and bordered by Ukraine and Turkey. The region includes southwest Russia, Azerbaijan, and Armenia. The name comes from the ancient Greek word kau, meaning “mountain.”
Asia Minor
A peninsula in western Asia, bounded by the black Sea on the north and the Mediterranean Sea on the south. The entire landmass is occupied by Turkey. It gets its name from the fact that it’s a small part of Asia that connects the continent to Europe.
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2014 Case IH DH363, 35-ft. draper header for Case IH swathers, like new....$26,500
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Whiskers direct hunting cats to their prey. In one experiment, a blindfloded cat was placed in an enclosure with a mouse. When the cat’s whiskers touched the mouse, the cat grabbed its prey and delivered a killing bite in one-tenth of a second.
##### If an animal has a tail, it’s caudate; if it doesn’t have a tail, it’s anurous.
#####
In bumblebee hives, the enitire colony except for the queen, dies at the end of each summer.
2016 New
By Esther E. McGinnis, Horticulturist, NDSU Extension
An Idaho company released a glow-in-the-dark petunia called Firefly Petunia. By day, the plant looks like an ordinary white-flowered bedding plant. After the sun goes down, the plant reveals its superpower by emitting a faint green glow. While the glow is noticeable, it isn’t bright enough to keep your neighbors awake at night.
Light Bio, Inc., a biotechnology company based in Ketchum, Idaho, inserted genes from a tropical bioluminescent mushroom into a petunia. This genetically engineered plant is special because the glow is visible to the naked eye without using black lights or unusual treatments.
Amazingly, some mushrooms glow in the dark, as do fireflies. To oversimplify, the chemical reaction features a compound called luciferin and the interaction of enzymes, water and oxygen. Both fireflies and mushrooms use bioluminescence to reproduce. For the firefly, the light attracts a mate. Mushrooms glow in the dark to attract nocturnal insects to spread their spores.
Would I feel safe planting a genetically engineered petunia in my flower bed in the northern U.S.? Yes, I would. While working on my Ph.D. in the dark ages, I studied the scientific and legal ramifications of genetically engineered crops and learned how to assess the risk of such crops.
Before this unique petunia came to market, the plant was reviewed by the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS), a subdivision of the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Essentially, APHIS compared the risk of planting an ordinary petunia versus a genetically engineered one. Some factors considered included risks associated with the engineered trait, the potential for the new genes to be transferred to native plant populations, and the potential that the new trait could make the plant invasive or be considered a plant pest.
One aspect considered was whether bioluminescence could pose an ecological risk by confusing nocturnal insects. However, the glow emitted by the petunias is quite minimal compared to street lamps, house lights and landscaping lighting.
Petunia species are native to South America and do not have any close plant relatives in the United States. We occasionally see wild petunia (Ruellia humilis) in the native plant nursery trade. Despite its name, wild petunia is not a true petunia. Common names are funny that way. Therefore, the risk of cross-breeding is non-existent.
Finally, petunias are not invasive and are unlikely to spread into wild areas and get established. This is particularly true in cold climates because petunias are annuals that die with the first hard freeze.
If you decide to purchase Firefly Petunia, plant it in full sun and be patient. The plant may not glow as much when it is small. As it grows, a gardener can make the glow a little brighter by keeping it healthy.
Will I buy a Firefly Petunia plant? Probably not this year – $34.99 for one bedding plant is too rich for my blood. However, I would be game when the prices come down.
National Onion Day
Date When Celebrated: This holiday is always observed on June 27th
Onions, now here is something to cry about.... if you’re cutting them fresh, that is!
The National Onion Association (NOA) created National Onion Day to memorialize the creation of their organization on this day in 1913.
If you’re a gardener, celebrate today by pampering your onion plants. Weed them, apply a dose of fertilizer, and give them a good drink of water. They’ll respond to the love you give your plants today, by growing bigger onion bulbs.
There’s no shortage of onion recipes. We use them to flavor foods, and as a recipe item itself, for example onion soup or onion rings. Eat onions today for breakfast, lunch and dinner. For breakfast, put some onions in your eggs, or eat an onion bagel. For lunch, use onion bread for your sandwich. Put a big slice of red onion on your burger, or just about any sandwich. For dinner, have a cup of onion soup or a blooming onion. For your main course, select a meat that goes well with sautéed pepper and onions.
Did You Know? Onions are a $6 billion industry.
The Origin of National Onion Day: This is a new holiday, first celebrated on June 27, 2019. The planting season for onion bulbs and sets is early spring. The harvest time for most areas of the country is in July.
Do you like Ice Cream? What about Yogurt? Mozarella Cheese? Cheddar? Munster? Do white sauces on pasta make you drool? Is your coffee not complete without a rich pour of half and half? When you get up in the morning are you already hungry for your toast with a delicious smear of butter? Maybe you’re a fan of custard. If any of these made you perk up and your mouth start to water, then congratulations, Dairy Month is dedicated to celebrating all of your favorite treats!
History of Dairy Month
Studying the history of Dairy takes us back far into the past, as dairy products have been with us since we first learned to domesticate an animal. You could even take it back a bit further and realize that the first food eaten by our most ancient ancestors was milk drawn from their mother’s breast. From there on out milk has been there to help us grow strong, healthy, and enjoy some amazing and delicious treats.
1937 saw the establishment of Dairy Month, a campaign to help encourage people to strengthen bones and build a foundation of good health by drinking rich, creamy, healthful milk. Throughout the nation dairy farmers start preparing to share the wonderful things that are included in the long and broad range of Dairy products.
Nomads originally used the milk from the animals that traveled with them as an important part of their nutrition. When we finally settled in rural communities we began agriculture, and with it we increased milk-production and it became even more a part of our lives and diet. Eventually, as the world expanded and became industrialized, we created commercial milk industries to ensure there was enough for everyone. Dairy Month celebrates everyone engaged in this industry and the influence it had stretching back through the centuries.
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Belted Galloway cows
Written by Christina Pichler, cowcaretaker.com
Belted Galloway cattle are known as Oreo cows (having been given the nickname after Oreo cookies) and also have the nickname “Beltie” for the white belt around their middle. Scottish Belted Galloway cattle are often confused with Dutch Belted cattle in North America due to a similarity in appearance.
Belted Galloway cattle are an old heritage breed from Scotland with a distinctive black and white belted appearance. Some believe they have been crossed with Dutch Lakenvelder cattle which share a similar appearance.
They are a popular breed of cattle for farms that are located in areas with cold, harsh winters, as Belted Galloway cows are cold-hardy animals that are efficient foragers. They are well-known for the excellent quality of the beef they produce, and are cattle well-suited for beginners due to their ease of handling.
Where Does Belted Galloway Cattle Come From?
The exact origins of Belted Galloway cattle are not known, but Galloway cattle are a heritage breed from Southwest Scotland that have appeared in literature since the 16th century.
Throughout the late 1700s and early 1800s, Galloways underwent selection for standardization by Scottish breeders as they came in many different colors and were either horned or polled which made it difficult to establish them as their own breed.
Breeders preferred the polled trait and they selected cattle that were able to adapt well to different environments, which over time served to strengthen the breed.
The herdbook for all colors of Galloway cattle was created in 1877, but a separate herdbook was established in 1928 in Scotland for belted cattle, and the different color strains were separated into distinct breeds, with the Belted Galloway being made into its own breed.
Today, Belted Galloway cattle can be found in 23 different countries, and are used primarily as a beef breed. Several breed associations exist for Belted Galloway cattle worldwide.
Despite the many breed associations worldwide and the continued climb in popularity in the United States, the population of purebreds is falling globally. It is estimated that 26,800 head of Galloway cattle remain worldwide with less than 10,000 of them being Belted Galloways.
There are also less than 2,500 annual
registrations for Belted Galloways in the United States.
They are currently on the “Watch” category according to the Livestock Conservancy.
Belted Galloway can be horned or polled, black with a wide white “belt” around their middle. Their body conformation is good, with a long torso, and strong legs.
At birth calves weigh 71 pounds. A mature cow weighs 1000 to 1300 pounds. A mature bull can weigh between 1600 and 2000 pounds.
Belted Galloway are ready to breed at 14 to 18 months with a gestation period of 283 days.
The best time to slaughter is 18 to 27 months with a carcass weight of 550 to 800 pounds.
Their expected lifespan is 20 years and are productive for 12 to 16 years.
Belted Galloway are known for beef production, use rough forage efficiently and their hardiness. They are good mothers and have a gentle disposition.
They excel in cold climates and grow a shaggy coat in winter that it sheds in summer.
What Is So Special About Belted Galloway Cattle?
Belted Galloway cattle are best known for their exceptional, flavorful lean meat and are primarily a beef breed that is used for specialty beef production.
They have high dressed carcass weight, with more than 60% of live weight yielded. Belted Galloway beef comes with a large rib eye area and a well-marbled carcass with even fat distribution.
As they grow a second coat in winter, they don’t develop the thick back fat layer of other breeds. This makes them one of the more popular grass-fed heritage breed of cattle that is used for high-quality beef. They are able to be marketed as organic beef and other niche markets as well, and the length and conformation of their body means their carcass yields more high-priced cuts.
Their long hair coat and soft undercoat can be spun into yarn and is prized by spinners. They shed their long hair in summer, and are able to adapt to warm climates better than other winter-hardy breeds.
They are extremely efficient grazers and well-suited as grass-fed cattle. The heritage breed is known for exceptional genetic makeup.
Heifers have an easier time birthing than other breeds with ease of calving due to low birth weights
North Dakota cropland value momentum continues into 2025
North Dakota state average cropland prices were up double digits for the 4th year in a row in 2025, says Bryon Parman, North Dakota State University Extension agricultural finance specialist. This includes state average increases of 10.9% in 2022, 13.5% in 2023, 11.6% in 2024 and 10.55% in 2025, according to the North Dakota Department of Trust Lands Annual Land Survey. The data, which has been weighted for this article by county acreage count and put into NDSU Extension regions, can be found at https:// www.land.nd.gov/resources/north-dakotacounty-rents-prices-annual-survey.
From 2022 to 2025, the overall increase in cropland values across North Dakota has increased from a weighted average of $2,519 per acre to $3,534 per acre for an overall increase in the last four years of nearly 40%. The largest increase from 2024 to 2025 occurred in the North Red River Valley region with a 22.1% increase with the Northwest region coming in second at 19.66%. The Southwest, Southcentral, and Southeast regions were all up over 10% as well. All nine NDSU Extension regions saw an increase,
with the lowest occurring in the North Central region, which increased 3.3%. The remaining regions including the Northeast, South Red River Valley, and East Central regions increased between 7.5% and 8.6% each.
“The momentum that North Dakota land values experienced in 2024 and now into 2025 is a bit surprising given that net farm incomes in 2023 and 2024 were much lower than in 2021 and 2022, due to much lower commodity prices and rising production costs,” says Parman. “It is also surprising given that interest rate increases in 2023 and 2024 have been in place long enough to be a factor in any newly financed purchases over the last few years. Additionally, the higher interest rates have led to investment opportunity competition between farmland and interestbearing assets such as bonds and certificates of deposit.”
While cash rents across North Dakota also increased, they continue to grow at a much slower pace than land values. Statewide cropland cash rental rates were up 4.25% in 2025, with increases occurring in every region except the Southwest, which saw a very slight decline of -1.1%
Much like land values, the highest increase in cash rents occurred in the North Red River Valley region, where cash rents were up nearly 10.4%. However, most regions were much lower. The Southeast and South Red River Valley regions were up 6% and 6.8%, respectively. Cash rents in the East Central region were up just over 4.2% while in the Northeast region, rents were up 5.4%. The Northwest region saw a
3.1% increase in 2025, and the North Central region rents were up just over 1%. The Southcentral region saw almost no increase, with a change of less than 1% from 2024 to 2025.
The increase in cash rents across North Dakota aligns more with expectations based on agricultural production costs and commodity prices. While production costs have been higher over the last four years, and commodity prices a bit lower for at least the last two years, the multi-year inflationary environment was likely to have an impact on cash rental rates. For the most part, cash rental rate increases have matched that of yearly inflation, shares Parman.
However, the spread between cash rental rates and land values across North Dakota continues to widen. Thirty-five years ago, cash rental rates were 9% to 10% of market values for farmland. By 2012, this ratio had fallen to just over 3.8%. The rent-to-value ratio in 2025 in North Dakota has now fallen to 2.34%, which is to say that cropland, on a per-acre basis, rents at 2.34% of the overall value.
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Peaches ‘N’ Cream Day
Date celebrated: June 21st
When it comes to fruit and cream dishes, many will think of peaches and cream right away – the time-honored combo of the sweet, soft fruit with the light and indulgent dairy treat is one of the most widely-eaten fruity desserts.
History of Peaches ‘N’ Cream Day
This simple dessert is especially popular in the South of the United States of America, but it is eaten all the world round – especially in the summer months.
It is usually served up with whipped cream alongside the peaches, but it can be found served with hearty scoops of ice cream or slathered in single cream depending on where you choose to order it.
Because it’s such a popular and well-known flavor, you will often find sweets and syrups with the peaches and cream taste.
How to celebrate Peaches ‘N’ Cream Day
Get creative in the kitchen today and rustle up some peaches and cream for yourself or for friends and family!
It tastes best if you use fresh peaches, peeled and with their stones removed. Slice them up and serve them with fresh whipped cream, or ice cream if you prefer. You could also get super indulgent and serve them up with clotted cream.
Try them on freshly toasted waffles, or perhaps you could squeeze them between slices of donut for an easy to eat treat?
You could also try making a peaches and cream milkshake, simply by blending up fresh peaches with good quality vanilla ice cream. You could add a dash of malt powder for an extra malty taste, or a small spoon or two of chocolate powder just to add a little something special.
Cutting costs on the ranch
By Lisa Moser, K-State Research and Extension news service
Each April, many business owners evaluate their annual spending at the time they submit their taxes. Like their fellow business owners, many cattle ranchers are seeing an increase in their input costs and looking for ways to minimize expenses.
To offer some advice on how to manage the ranch expenses, K-State beef cattle extension specialist Jason Warner joined the Beef Cattle Institute experts on a recent Cattle Chat podcast to address this topic.
“To answer the question of where to cut costs on the operation, first you have to know what your costs are,” Warner said. “You also need to look at current calf prices and cow prices to understand where the enterprise is to make an accurate determination of cost levels and overall profitability.”
One factor that producers need to include in their calculation is depreciation, K-State agricultural economist Dustin Pendell said.
“Depreciation is an asset that is becoming worth less over time,” Pendell said. “In the case of a cow, if she stays in the herd another year, that has a different cost calculation than buying a replacement heifer, for example.”
Unlike equipment that is documented, figuring cow depreciation is often a hidden cost, K-State veterinarian Brad White said.
“When it comes to depreciation, we often talk about equipment because that is coming off our taxes, but managing cow depreciation costs is important to the operation’s bottom line,” White said.
To help keep the costs for cow maintenance down, Warner recommends matching the calving season to the forage availability.
“Producers should aim to select a calving date that puts her at peak lactation when the forage quality is at its best, reducing the need for supplemental forages and feeds,” Warner said.
K-State beef cattle nutritionist Phillip Lancaster added that extending grazing resources is a way to reduce costs for the cow-calf operation.
“Hay is one of the most expensive feedstuffs on the ranch when you look at the cost per until of protein and energy and the equipment expense to produce the hay,” Lancaster said. “So if we can let the cow harvest as much of that forage as possible, it is a good way to reduce the ranch expenses without hurting productivity.”
Along with extending the grazing season, K-State veterinarian Bob Larson advocates testing the hay so that the supplements can be selected more appropriately.
“Producers sometimes overspend on their supplements. If your hay is adequate in protein, you can save money by using a lower protein supplement and just provide energy to the cows over the winter as a way to save costs,” he said.
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Preparing for the 2025 irrigation season
By Abia Katimbo - Assistant Professor, Biological Systems Engineering, Todd Whitney - Extension Educator,
Bruno Lena - Extension
Educator, Ronaldo Marchezan - Research Technician III, Lucas De Matos SiebeneichlerWCREEC Intern, Karthik Burra - WCREEC Intern
Soon after planting, the next phase of farm operations will be irrigating following crop emergence. Based on spring dry conditions and forecasted drought, it’s critical for irrigators to follow best management practices to achieve high yields, improve water use efficiency, save energy and decrease water applications. However, this requires preparation focused on ensuring irrigation systems — including center pivots, furrow and drip irrigation systems — are functioning properly and paired with effective scheduling tools that monitor soil moisture for reliable, real-time water application decisions.
Irrigation Systems
Center pivots are the most commonly used irrigation systems in Nebraska, with their size varying depending on the number of acres in a field. Irrigation structures consist of spans where the sprinkler nozzle drops are connected, varying in size relative to the application rates and the pumping capacity — the volume of water that can be pumped or discharged from the well, recorded as gallons per minute.
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Furrow irrigation system consists of open furrows dug in the field that are uniformly flat or with gentle slopes less than 0.05% to allow easy flow of water down the furrows. Water at the upstream from the well or canal is typically discharged into these furrows downstream using either flexible polyvinyl pipes with holes or standard gated pipes, or even siphon tubes (but rarely used). The wetting fronts created by water flowing down furrows are determined by orifice size of each gate or port, since this determines the discharge or flow rates.
Drip irrigation systems are slowly gaining acres in Nebraska, mainly on small acreage installations. Typically, drip systems can have more than one manifold connected to the main pipeline, with sub-main pipelines connected to drip tapes buried belowground for each irrigated zone or field area. Each sub-main pipeline has a flow meter to measure the amount of water delivered to each area or zone across the field.
Checking Tips for Pumping Plant
Start at the pumping plant — check whether your pump is properly connected to the electrical source or other alternative energy sources, either diesel- or propanedriven engines.
Turn on the pump and make sure it is running well and very smooth to avoid inefficiencies, which can cause high pumping energy costs.
With known designed discharge and pressure, double check these parameters using ultrasonic flow meters and pressure gauges, respectively. Some pivot dealers can provide these services, or contact your local extension office, Irrigation Specialist Abia Katimbo or Extension Educator Todd Whitney (both located at the West Central Research, Extension and Education Center).
Checking Tips for Center Pivot System
Turn on the pump and walk the pivot along the spans. Use the manufacturer’s color-coded nozzle diagrams to verify correct nozzle sizes. Inspect for major leaks, missing or damaged sprinklers or nozzles, or poor applications rates from the sprinklers.
Replace any faulty nozzles with the right color-coded size. If poor uniformity is discovered, then the sprinkler company must redesign the system based on the current discharge/flowrate to develop a new sprinkler chart for new sprinklers and nozzles to be installed.
Conduct the catch-can uniformity test to assess water application distribution and actual application rates from each sprinkler/nozzle, then match with sprinkler chart.
Use water charts to ensure the pivot is putting on the actual set application depth based on the percentage speeds. Otherwise, adjustments can be made, especially when the system is getting older. Contact your local irrigation equipment dealer, UNL irrigation specialist or extension office. Repair leaks, especially at connection points between spans (i.e., boots — flexible union between span pipes) due to misalignment issues.
Check pivot tracks for deep holes and cover them to avoid the pivot getting stuck or damaged from misalignment.
Confirm that the flow meter is working properly and providing accurate flow rates; if not, repair or consider replacement.
Confirm that the produced pressure is the same as designed, in addition to the flow rate.
Checking Tips for Sub-surface Drip Irrigation System
Turn on the pump and walk through the whole field. Inspect for any major leaks caused by digging gophers or rodents chewing the drip tape, and for flowmeter failures at each manifold.
Verify that the flows meters are measuring the right amount; if not, remove and clean them or replace.
If a major leak is identified, dig around the leak to access the tape and fix it with the right tools. Before burying the tape, turn on the system to ensure there are no leaks. Make sure the inlets for main pipeline at all the manifolds are fully open to avoid pressure loss and low discharge into the drip tapes in the field.
Confirm that all the filters are clean and in good working condition to avoid clogging of the emitters.
Test the water quality, since chemicals can also lead to clogging of the emitters.
Checking Tips for Furrow Irrigation System
Ensure the furrows are open and setup with a gentle slope. This will improve performance, increasing the wetting front for faster movement of water at the other end of the field.
For open surface water, verify the drainage canal is clean with no materials or sediments.
The furrows should be wide and deep enough to carry sufficient volume of water for better infiltration and uniform water delivery or application across the field, or for water to reach downstream at all ends of the furrows.
Ensure there is a good drain at the end of the field to avoid waterlogging.
Right Irrigation Scheduling Tool
Although irrigation scheduling can be done by experience, hand probing and feeling the soil, observing the crop response to water stress (most times by curling of leaves) or checkbook method, utilizing new technology will likely improve efficiency. Using the right tools helps you to gauge how much soil-stored water remains before dryness causes water stress, which could reduce crop yields. Simply put, good scheduling technology is like a fuel gauge — it shows how far you can go before running empty. This technology will help you plan an irrigation strategy that avoids costly consequences like water stress or yield loss.
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“Gardens are the result of a collaboration between art and nature.”
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“To forget how to dig the earth and to tend the soil is to forget ourselves.”
Livestock water quality likely to be impacted by drought
Many ranchers in the region still depend on surface water sources, such as dugouts and stock dams, to provide water for grazing livestock. Access to good-quality water will continue to be a challenge for ranchers in North Dakota this spring, according to Miranda Meehan, North Dakota State University Extension livestock environmental stewardship specialist.
“Due to drought conditions and low spring runoff, many livestock water sources have either dried up or may be toxic to livestock,” says Meehan.
Water quality impacts cattle intake and weight gain. Studies have reported improved gains by as much as one-quarter of a pound per day in yearlings and one-third of a pound per day in calves drinking good-quality water.
When surface waters become low, the mineral component of the water becomes more concentrated because minerals do not evaporate with the water. Of particular concern are increased concentrations of total dissolved solids (TDS) and sulfates, which can be toxic to livestock. For most classes of grazing livestock, the TDS in the water should be less than 5,000 parts per million (ppm).
Sulfate is part of the TDS. The recommended concentration should be less than 500 ppm for calves and less than 1,000 ppm for adult cattle. High levels of sulfate can reduce copper availability in the diet. Elevated levels of sulfates may cause loose stool, whereas very high levels of sulfate can induce central nervous system problems.
Water quality screenings conducted by NDSU Extension agents in the fall of 2024 found many water sources to have potentially toxic levels of sulfates, especially in western North Dakota.
In preparation for the upcoming grazing season, Meehan encourages monitoring water quality and evaluating alternative water options. She recommends a couple of tools to aid in monitoring water quality: a hand-held TDS meter and sulfate test strips. Both these tools are affordable and easy to use. If the screening indicates the TDS is greater than 4,500 ppm and/or sulfates are greater than 800 ppm, submit a sample to a lab for additional analysis.
If you have encountered water quality issues in the past, Meehan says to evaluate and consider developing an alternative water source.
“Installing a water development plan can help ensure that livestock can access good-quality water throughout the grazing season and increase a ranch’s drought resilience,” says Meehan.
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Preparing for the 2025 irrigation season
Tips For Choosing the Irrigation Scheduling Tool
As there are many different irrigation technologies, choose one that you feel comfortable using and will provide reliable data for better irrigation decisions.
Scheduling technology with simple platforms are preferred, since real-time data is represented in a format that can be easily interpreted.
Select a tool that can be easily integrated into normal farming operations, especially herbicide and nitrogen applications.
Reliability of technology personnel support is important in case of any breakdown, or if you need more clarification on collected and presented data.
Make sure you have a strong internet connection if opting for permanently installed technology, such as soil moisture sensors, otherwise there will be failures in data transfer.
It’s important to note whether the technology can be maintained or installed by reliable service providers.
Wait until the crop is big enough to identify locations with better representative crops that are healthy to collect accurate data.
Understand the history of your fields — when selecting locations to install your
technology, choose field sites that will provide good data and manage irrigation for the whole field.
Compare costs of varied soil and plant sensors technology.
Get proper training on how to use data from new technology to make well-informed irrigation decisions.
Reach out to WCREEC to participate in the Mobile Irrigation Testing program(s), which allows producers to test technology and learn how to use it. For more information about the program, contact Abia Katimbo, Ronaldo Marchezan (Mobile Lab manager), Todd Whitney, or other UNL Mobile Lab members.
Know Soil Moisture Conditions for Better Timing of First Irrigation Event
After you are confident with the performance of your irrigation system, the pumping plant, and have obtained irrigation scheduling technology, it is very important to ascertain soil moisture in the top 12-plus inches of your fields before you decide the first irrigation. Irrigation technology, such as soil moisture sensors, can be installed to monitor the available soil moisture. Wait to irrigate until sensors indicate drying in the top 12 inches of soil.
Notably, different soils hold water differently and should be managed differently — avoid guessing the moisture content and measure with the right management tool. Typically, irrigation in west-central Nebraska can be started either in late May or early June, but this can change, particularly with dry springs
during limited rainfall like 2025. There are consequences of irrigating too early, such as water losses, which increase energy costs. Another drawback is nitrate losses due to deep percolation, especially when most of the nitrogen for the corn crop is applied at pre-plant.
Final Remarks
To prepare for an intensive irrigation season with forecasted drought — as is the situation for the 2025 growing season — ensure your system can perform to the desired potential and invest in reliable irrigation scheduling tools. If you feel tempted to avoid crop water stress by irrigating early, use soil moisture sensors to first verify soil moisture in the top 12 inches of your fields and avoid unnecessary water and energy use.
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Clearing up confusion on CAFOs
By Jacob Klaudt, K-State Research and Extension news service
Since their implementation many decades ago, concentrated animal feeding operations have continued to sustain meat and dairy industries by providing a steady flow of livestock for food chains for home and consumers abroad.
Contrary to popular belief, Kansas State University extension livestock specialist Joel DeRouchey recently said on the Agriculture Today radio program that CAFOs present a more efficient opportunity to raise livestock with less stress on the environment.
“CAFOs are strictly permitted to have full containment of all rainwater and runoff that reaches a pen surface, and the same goes for cleaning pen surfaces,” he said. “Manure must be stored in a contained area until it’s moved out to fields for spreading.”
In Kansas, any facility with an animal unit capacity of 300 or greater must register with the Kansas Department of Health and Environment. Additionally – regardless of size – any facility that presents a significant water pollution potential must obtain a permit as determined by KDHE.
CAFOs include cattle and small ruminant feedlots, confined large indoor and outdoor swine and poultry operations and dairy facilities that meet the criteria as a CAFO.
Once a CAFO is designated for a site, it has both state and federal requirements under which it must operate.
“Feedlot cattle over 700 pounds would be considered a single animal unit, 700 pounds and less is a half and cattle such as a lactating dairy cow would be considered 1.4,” DeRouchey said. “These figures relate to their feed intakes and the amount of manure produced per body weight.
While CAFOs can get a bad rap due to their ability to house many animals in one location, DeRouchey said they face some of the most stringent regulations for environmental protection, which is good for surrounding land and water quality.
“Once you look through what’s regulated, how CAFOs handle manure, how it’s applied and the regulations and inspections involved from both the state and potentially the Environmental Protection Agency, you see why these operations are in business,” he said
To ensure compliance with these rules, CAFOs undergo periodic on-site KDHE state inspections, a permit renewal every five years, where producers update their paperwork and nutrient management plan with any changes to the operation.
“An essential part of that is developing a new fiveyear nutrient management plan, and it says what’s going to occur with the application of manure to the agronomic crop ground surrounding the facility,” DeRouchey said. “With soil tests and manure samples taken, new projections are completed to ensure that the manure produced on those operations fits all the acreage.”
Before CAFO construction, assessments occur based on the species housed in the CAFO, looking at criteria like geography. For example, in feedlots, rainwater drainage containment, manure storage areas, and agronomic manure application plans rank as some of the most crucial considerations.
“Most feedlots operate with lagoon systems to catch the runoff from the pen surfaces themselves,” DeRouchey said. “These assessments determine their location, the soil types, compacted soil liners that don’t allow seepage of the lagoon nutrients and the overall footprint layout.”
“It’s known that large or small operations create odor and dust from livestock,” he said. “To minimize those, feedlot owners often look at where they can potentially put up windbreaks against the prevailing winds coming off of those facilities and how that will impact the surrounding area.”
Owners routinely clean pen surfaces as well on the outdoor facilities because the top layer of manure can turn into dust if it’s there too long, and that can carry odor from the CAFO to surrounding areas.
Small tool, big gains: What a tire gauge can tell you about farm efficiency
Insights from the Firestone Ag Farm Fuel Savings Clinic
A single $20 tool could be your farm’s secret weapon for cutting fuel costs, reducing tire wear and field performance. That was the standout message at Firestone Ag’s Farm Fuel Savings Clinic. Spending a little time with a tire gauge to maintain proper inflation helps minimize slip and improve fuel efficiency–up to 4%. Across acres and hours, that adds up.
Dusty Hininger, Firestone Ag sales training manager, reminds farmers that tire pressure isn’t one-size-fits-all. “You have to adjust tire pressure based on speed and load,” Hininger explained. “You can’t just set it and forget it.”
Hininger pointed out that many farmers tend to overinflate tires to avoid underinflation damage. But that habit can create different issues. Overinflated tires reduce traction, increase fuel consumption and lead to more soil compaction. The result? More time in the field, more wear on equipment and the potential for yield loss.
There are other benefits too. Adjusting pressure to match field conditions and equipment weight improves ride quality, extends tire life and helps equipment operate more
efficiently.
Pick the right tire for the job
Not all tires are built the same, and not all are built for the demands of today’s equipment. While proper inflation of your tires is important, choosing the right tire is just as critical.
Radial tires, like those from Firestone Ag, are designed to flex, allowing for a larger contact patch with the ground. The larger footprint helps distribute weight more evenly, reducing compaction and improving traction. That means more efficient power transfer, less slip and better performance in the field.
Tires with VF (Very High Flexion) and IF (Increased Flexion) technology take these benefits even further. VF tires can carry the same load as a standard radial tire at nearly 50% lower pressure, while IF tires can do the same at nearly 30% lower pressure. This lower inflation means reduced compaction and more cushion over rough terrain, helping protect your soil and your equipment.
But to see the full benefits of this technology, you need to match the tire to your needs and manage pressure accordingly. A high-tech tire won’t reach its potential if it’s overinflated, mismatched to the load or used in the wrong conditions.
Investing in the right tires and maintaining them properly can improve fuel efficiency, extend tire life and support better yields over time. It’s a long-term decision with a daily impact.
Tools that make a difference
Fortunately, getting tire pressure right is easier than many people think. At the
clinic, Firestone Ag encouraged farmers to use tools like its Tire Pressure Calculator to determine the ideal PSI based on axle load and speed. It’s a simple way to get more from the tires you own.
For many farmers, a manual gauge is still the go-to but Hininger recommends upgrading to a digital gauge. That $20 tool can help improve fuel economy, protect your tires and support better field conditions. While central tire inflation systems (CTIS) can offer automation and convenience, regularly checking pressure by hand is still the most cost-effective practice available.
Farmers who make inflation part of their routine report faster passes, fewer fuel stops and improved soil health. Ultimately, it leads to better efficiency and long-term productivity.
The takeaway? Air is free, and with the right inflation, it can help reduce fuel use, extend tire life and support better performance all season long. Whether you’re in the field or on the road, small steps like checking pressure can have a big impact. Sometimes, moving your operation forward starts with a quick stop at the tire.
Using emergency tillage to control wind erosion
By John Thomas - Crops Extension Educator, Karen DeBoer - Former Extension Educator, John Smith - Retired Machinery Systems Engineer, PREC
Relentless winds and parched fields are stripping Nebraska’s farmland —here’s how emergency tillage and quick action can save your topsoil and crops before it’s too late. High winds lasting for multiple days combined with long-term dry conditions have created the “perfect storm” for soil erosion to develop across Nebraska. The erosion is visible in moving and drifted soil (Figure 1) and should be controlled before more topsoil and crops are lost. Weak stands of wheat were significantly sandblasted and damaged by the windblown soil (Figures 2 and 3).
Emergency Control Options
Although soil erosion is best handled with a long-range plan that includes maintaining vegetative ground cover, reducing tillage, reducing field widths, and planting wind breaks, when soil starts moving unexpectedly — or conditions suggest this may occur — emergency control strategies are needed
The following emergency control methods are available to reduce damage from wind-induced soil erosion that already has started or is anticipated: Tillage to produce ridges and clods. Addition of crop residue. Application of livestock manure. Irrigation to increase soil moisture. Temporary, artificial wind barriers. Soil additives or spray-on adhesives. The choice of method, or combination of methods, de-
pends on severity of erosion, soil type, soil moisture, type of crop, stage of crop growth, and equipment or materials available.
Emergency Tillage
Tillage is commonly used for emergency wind erosion control, but it should be viewed as a last resort. It can be effective if done properly. The purpose of emergency tillage is to provide a rough, ridged, cloddy surface more resistant to wind erosion. Surface roughness reduces wind velocity at the soil surface and helps trap windblown soil particles. Emergency tillage is only a temporary measure because clods readily disintegrate.
When using emergency tillage in growing wheat, use an implement with narrow chisel or shovel point shanks placed four to five feet apart and drive perpendicular to the direction of the prevalent winds.
Where possible, use emergency tillage before soil blowing starts. Soil erodes more rapidly from abrasion by windblown soil particles than from wind that contains no soil particles. If erosion is anticipated because high winds are forecast, start emergency tillage on areas of the field most vulnerable to erosion before the wind reaches a critical speed.
If soil blowing already has started, begin emergency tillage on the upwind edge of the eroding area. Tillage in a direction perpendicular to the expected wind direction is most effective. An implement used for emergency wind erosion control should gently lift the soil, creating as many and as large of clods as possible. Disks and harrow-type implements with several ranks of closely spaced tines generally will not be effective and should not be used.
Adjust Equipment Settings to Soil Type
In fine- or medium-textured soils, most types of chisel, lister, or broad shovel points create a ridge and bring clods to the surface. Narrow points, two to four inches wide, require a shank spacing of about 24 inches for best results. Wider shovels or lister bottoms that create a larger ridge can be spaced 36 to 48 inches apart. Tillage depth to produce maximum roughness generally varies between four and 12 inches, depending on soil conditions.
Moist or heavy soils often provide good ridges and clods with tillage depths of four to eight inches. Dry or sandy soils generally require deeper tillage.
With sandy soils, it’s often difficult to obtain effective clods and roughness, and the roughness is often short-lived. Wide shovels or lister bottoms spaced 40 to 50 inches apart usually provide the best combination of clods and ridges in sandy soil. In general, slow speeds produce more clods while faster speeds provide more ridging effect. Speeds of three to four mph usually result in the most effective surface. If more than one emergency tillage operation is anticipated, use a shallow depth (four to six inches) the first time. Follow with a deeper tillage the second time, with new furrows spaced between the original furrows.
In sandy soils, it usually is best to anticipate emergency tillage will be required, and time the operation to obtain the best roughness. Clods readily form in sandy soil when the soil surface is moist and has been lightly compacted. Other operators prefer a soil ripper to bring up large, dry clods when subsurface soil is dry.
For sandy soils or other soils that don’t easily produce durable clods, spreading manure with a manure spreader in the same pattern as tillage is an option. There are a lot of feedlots across Nebraska and manure can be useful.
In planted wheat, emergency tillage can be used in a field planted to winter wheat. If wind erosion occurs, it is better to control the damage early using emergency tillage, rather than risk losing the entire crop. Use narrow chisel points spaced four to six feet apart, four to six inches deep. Tillage direction should be perpendicular or at an angle to the wheat row to minimize plant injury.
Before beginning emergency tillage operations, producers should check with their crop insurance agent. Emergency tillage may also be necessary in other crops such as sugarbeets, corn and dry edible beans.
Effects of Emergency Tillage
Data from studies in Kansas suggests this type of emergency tillage has minimal effect on potential yield but can reduce the damage to growing wheat and can reduce soil loss in moderate erosion situations. This study found emergency tillage caused the most damage to wheat yields when the wheat had just emerged. The least yield reduction was found when the tillage was done in fields with wheat plants already tillered. Emergency tillage is not effective if clods cannot be brought to the surface.
Figure 3. A Box Butte County wheat field that sustained heavy wind damage in 2022. (Photo by John Thomas | Nebraska Extension)
Figure 1. Drifted soil on land in Box Butte County. (Photo by John Thomas | Nebraska Extension)
Figure 2. Wheat stands damaged by windblown soil in Box Butte County during the 2022 drought. (Photo by John Thomas | Nebraska Extension)
International
Bath Day
Date celebrated: June 14th
If you think of the ultimate in relaxing experiences that come pretty much free of charge, then one of the first things that come to mind is a long, hot soak in the bath.
History of International Bath Day
Legend has it that on June 14th, Greek mathematician, scientist, and scholar, Archimedes, discovered while taking a bath that an object’s volume could be accurately measured by being submerged in water! Unable to contain his excitement over this discovery, Archimedes leaped out of the bathtub and yelled, “Eureka, Eureka!” as he ran through the streets of Syracuse, Greece.
Bath time is the IDEAL time for learning and discovery for children. Bath toys can teach children the basic properties of physics such as empty/full, float/ sink, heavy/light, and cause and effect all while having FUN in the tub!
When it comes to bathing, if we look back only 100 years, the whole concept of bathing in some countries was not a relaxing one at all; in fact, it was downright uncomfortable. In the 19th century England, a bath in many cases was a large cold metal container placed in front of a fireplace, and in some countries, this is still the case believe it or not.
Now, when we look at bath time, it’s something to look forward to, drawing a nice bubble bath doesn’t end with the simple things. There are now bathtubs with jets for a hot tub like experience, and the 21st century has really seen a rise in the sales of essential oils for those looking for a little something extra from their bath.
Taking all of this into account, it seems that over the next 20 years, things are going to advance even more, and with the creation of temperature regulation devices for bathtubs, you will never be pained with a cold bath ever again.
While for some, a bath is just a way to clean some difficult to reach areas; for others, it’s an escape. There are people out there that work 14 hour days and just need to unwind away from the world, and at the opposite end of the spectrum, there are people who find inspiration while enjoying the quiet and occasional fizz of bubbles
Brahman cows are extremely good at tolerating insects and heat, with its hump able to store gallons of water. They have a special place in the history of American and Australian breeds of cattle, and have evolved over the last 200 years to cope with harsh climates.
Brahman cattle is the name used for Zebu cattle in the US, with the more specific name, American Brahman, used to refer to the pure breed of Bos indicus developed in the country using Indian cattle.
Brahman cows were first imported to the US in the mid-1800s from Brazil, India, and the United Kingdom. From 1885, crossing activities started with four strains or breeds of Zebu cattle called the Nelore, the Gir, the Guzerat, and the Krishna Valley.
Of the four strains, the Krishna Valley was the least used, but it still played a significant role in the development of American Brahmas.
From India, where they were used for draft, riding, milk production, and sacred purposes, the Brahmans found new uses in the US by becoming a celebrated breeding and beef breed.
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American Brahman cattle have been crossbred with major taurine breeds (Bos taurus) or European cattle to produce hybrids such as:
Brangus – Brahman x Angus
Sabre – Brahman x Sussex
Bravon – Brahman x Devon
South Bravon – Brahman x South Devon
Bra-Swiss – Brahman x Brown Swiss
CharBray – Brahman x Charolais
Beefmaster – Brahman x Hereford x Shorthorn
Braford – Brahman x Hereford
Santa Gertrudis – Brahman x Shorthorn (developed in Texas)
SimBrah – Brahman x Simmental
BrahMousin – Brahman x Limousin
See Also: Piedmontese Cattle: Guide, Info & Facts
The American Brahman Breeders Association, established in 1924, was responsible for maintaining the Brahman herdbook and supervising the registration of the cattle. The association adopted Brahman as the official name of the breed in the country.
Today, American Brahman cattle have spread to Colombia, Australia, South Africa, Mexico, Argentina, Brazil, and Paraguay.
Brahman Cows Breed Characteristics
The official breed name is Brahma. Scientific name is Bos indicus cattle.
Brahman have a large hump resting directly over the shoulder. They vary in colors (Red Brahman—light grey to red in and Grey Brahman—light to medium grey).
Braham have large, pendulous ears, lots
of loose skin, and short glossy hair. Both bulls and cows have horns.(some Brahmans are naturally polled)
A calf weighs 60-65 pounds at birth, sometimes 50-100 pounds. A mature cow usually weighs 1,000 to 1,400 pounds and stands 5 to 5.5 feet at the shoulders. A maturre bull usually weighs 1600 to 2200 pounds and stands 5.5 to 6 feet at the shoulders.
Brahman are ready to breed at 18 to 24 months, making these later maturing cows. The gestation period is 9 months.
Their expected lifespan is 12-16 years on average, 15-20 as dairy, and fewer as beef cattle with a productive lifespan of 5+ years.
Brahman are known for shyness, curiosity, and intelligence, good mothering instincts and docile when handled calmly.
Their weaknesses include poor carcass weight and poor cold tolerance.
The Brahman breed of cattle is famous mainly because of three aspects:
High tolerance to heat
Long reproductive life
Hybrid vigor or heterosis in crossbreeding (the increase in production realized from crossing two genetically unrelated breeds).
The high tolerance to heat developed over thousands of years as the cattle grew in the tropics and had to develop adaptive mechanisms for heat dissipation.
Firstly, the loose skin helps with heat dissipation as it provides more surface area for cooling or heat loss from the body to the environment.
Secondly, the coloring of the skin helps reflect intense sun rays, which would otherwise cause heat buildup.
Thirdly, the glossy coat of short and thick hair helps reflect most of the sun’s rays, which allows the cows to graze under the hot sun comfortably.
During warm weather, Brahman bulls and cows produce lower amounts of body heat than European cattle.
The high sweating ability of Brahmans through the many sweat glands distributed throughout the skin also helps with heat tolerance.
The prolonged productive life of Brahman cattle endears them to many cattlemen. Although the calves are born small, they grow rapidly to attain good weaning weights like other breeds.
However, Brahmans have relatively slow growth in their heifer days and reach first breeding age at 18-24 months, much later than heifers of other breeds.
The upside to the late maturing phenomenon is that Brahma cows usually calf down beyond 15 years of age, way beyond the time for other cow breeds.
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Beef cattle experts offer health goals for cattle
By Lisa Moser, K-State Research and Extension news service
AUGERS
Managing sickness from a cold to a serious illness is something people deal with regularly. Illness and death loss in a cow herd are also situations that cattle producers have to routinely address.
To help producers know where their herd health metrics should be, the experts at Kansas State University’s Beef Cattle Institute offered some guidelines in their weekly Cattle Chat podcast.
“The first metric in cow-calf operations that I look at is the first treatment response percentage,” K-State veterinarian Brian Lubbers said.
He recommends producers aim for an 85% to 90% treatment success rate when treating one of the most common illnesses – Bovine Respiratory Disease, also referred to as BRD. He said that metric can be deceiving.
“Producers who aggressively treat BRD cases are likely treating some animals that didn’t have BRD, and that leads to a high spontaneous recovery rate,” Lubbers said. “If you are seeing a 100% first treatment success rate, you may be treating some animals who didn’t need the treatment. Very high treatment response rates should at least trigger a conversation with your veterinarian about case definitions.”
Another metric that producers should be aware of is the percentage of death loss in the calves, said K-State veterinarian Bob
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Larson. He said that in the first year of life, there are three key times when calves are more susceptible to death – at birth, between birth and three weeks of age, and from about one month to weaning.
For each of these periods, producers can expect a 1%-2% loss, Larson said; however, that percentage will vary from year to year.
“In the first year of life, difficult births, scours and pneumonia are some of the reasons that calves get seriously ill and sometimes die,” Larson said.
K-State beef nutritionist Phillip Lancaster said what he monitors in the herd is the body condition of the cows.
“If the cows are receiving good nutrition and maintaining their body condition, that is an indicator of the overall health of the herd,” Lancaster said.
Along with those metrics, K-State beef cattle extension sustainable grazing specialist Logan Thompson recommends producers treat the herd against parasites as part of an overall wellness program.
“Treating the herd against parasites is an easy win from a production efficiency and cattle longevity standpoint, and it increases the rate of passage of grass through the rumen,” Thompson said. “It is a hard metric to measure, but in some herds, cattle that are treated for parasites have an increased efficiency between 20%-30%.”
American Brahman
Brahman cows are good for milk and beef production. Brahmans are highly adaptive to different feeds and climates, although they don’t do so well in places with too low temperatures.
The hardiness of Brahmans and their crossbreeds favors farmers or ranchers in desert climates in regions like Texas, where cattle with high survivability come in handy.
The famed hybrid vigor means you can make money if you raise pure-bred Brahman bulls to produce healthy semen for artificial insemination.
Because of the longer reproductive lifespan, your Brahman cow will have more calves on your farm to keep the stock going. You could also make money from calf sales. Brahman cattle are highly tolerant to diseases, meaning that your vet bills will be lower than those of other breeds like Holsteins that are susceptible to diseases and viruses.
The thick skin of Brahman cows makes them hardy and highly resistant to attacks by insects and parasites. Their sebaceous glands produce a stinky secretion that keeps insects at bay. CONTINUED FROM
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In his first year at Duke, Will Simmons, a freshman at the university, discovered that the toilets in his dorm were outfitted with singleply toilet paper. Outraged, he decided to run for a seat in the student government. His single campaign platform: a promise that students would get two-ply paper in dorm bathrooms. Simmons won, of course - students know what’s important. After the election, university housing officials pledged to cooperate.
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Sorghum weed control
By Brent Bean, Sorghum Checkoff Director of Agronomy
Weed control in sorghum must start with an effective preemergence weed control program. Weed scientists constantly stress the importance of using at least two herbicides from different mode-of-action groups. In sorghum, there are seven primary active ingredients for preemergence weed control, which fall into four mode-of-action categories:
A common and popular mix is atrazine combined with a Group 15 herbicide. Premixes like Bicep II Magnum® (atrazine + s-metolachlor) and Fultime® NXT (atrazine + acetochlor) are commonly used. Fultime® NXT has a lower atrazine concentration at a 1X rate, making it a suitable option for those looking to reduce atrazine usage. Mesotrione has gained popularity in recent years and is often used in a two- or three-way mix with atrazine and/or s-metolachlor. It provides consistent broadleaf weed control, especially for Palmer amaranth, but cannot be used on sandy soils due to the risk of crop injury.
A popular non-atrazine option is Verdict® (saflufenacil and dimethenamid) with added Outlook® (dimethenamid) for extended residual activity and enhanced grass control. This product is particularly well suited for sandy soils. Postemergence Weed Control in Sorghum
For controlling weeds that may emerge despite the use of a preemergence program, there are a number of active ingredients to choose from for broadleaf weed control. Key products are briefly discussed below:
Atrazine can be applied post-emergence and is effective on small emerged broadleaf weeds while also providing preemergence activity. Although soil restrictions may prevent preemergence use of atrazine in sandy, high pH or low organic matter soils due to the potential for crop injury, these restrictions do not apply to postemergence applications.
CONTINUED ON PAGE C6
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Sorghum weed control
Growers should check for any crop rotation restrictions that might apply.
Dicamba (Clarity®, Rifle®, others) or 2,4-D are effective treatments on most broadleaf weeds. To reduce the risk of crop injury and yield reduction, Dicamba or 2,4-D should be applied after all sorghum has emerged but before it exceeds 8 to 10 inches in height. The addition of surfactants and other adjuvants is not recommended, as these tend to increase crop injury. Weeds less than 4 inches tall are much easier to control than larger weeds. Consider applying dicamba or 2,4D at reduced rates, but in combination with other products, especially atrazine or Peak®.
Fluroxypyr (Starane Ultra®, StareDown®, others) is safer to use on sorghum than Clarity® and 2,4-D and has good activity on kochia, morning glory species and a few other broadleaf weeds. Unfortunately, its activity on pigweed species is limited. It is often used in combination with other herbicides.
Huskie® FX contains pyrasulfotole, bromoxynil and fluroxypyr and should only be used in areas free from HPPDresistant weeds. Although most effective on small weeds, Huskie® FX can be used as a rescue treatment on larger weeds if necessary. It can be applied to sorghum plants up to 30 inches tall or before flag leaf emergence. The addition of a low rate of atrazine plus an adjuvant provides the best control. Temporary sorghum leaf spotting and yellowing will likely occur but sorghum will typically rebound from these injury symptoms within a few days.
Prosulfuron (Peak®) is very safe on sorghum plants up to 30 inches tall. However, it is not as effective on larger broadleaf weeds and should not be used where ALS-resistant weeds are present. Prusulfuron is typically most effective when applied at a reduced rate with a mix of dicamba or atrazine. In many regions, there is an 18-month crop rotation restriction to cotton or soybeans.
Halosufuron-methyl (Permit®, Sandea®) is a good choice for fields infested with nutsedge and is also effective on cocklebur, sunflower and a few other broadleaf weeds, but not effective against pigweed. Yukon® combines halosufuron-methyl with dicamba and is a good premix to consider.
Metsulfuron (Ally® XP) must be used with a low rate of 2,4-D. It is often mixed with a little atrazine.
Carfentrazone (Aim®) is a burndown product that is occasionally used mixed with other herbicides. By itself, it will only be effective on very small weeds.
Quinclorac (Facet®, Quinstar®) is primarily used where bindweed is a problem in sorghum, although it has reasonably good activity on small annual grass.
FirstAct®, ImiFlex® and Zest® are products used in herbicide tolerant sorghum hybrids with the Double TeamTM, igrowth® and InzenTM traits, respectively, and are used for grass control. Visit the companies or the Sorghum Checkoff website for more information on their use.
Although weed control is becoming more challenging, good results can be achieved in sorghum by using a solid preemergence program, followed by an appropriate and timely post emergence treatment when needed. As always, check labels for use of specific products in your fields.
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Bryan J. Patrie, a Stanford graduate student, invented the Watercolor Intelligent Nightlight in the early 1990s. The nightlight informs bleary-eyed midnight bathroom-goers whether the toilet is up or down...without turning on a blinding light. He explained: “When you get within five feet of the dark commode, it will sense your motion. It looks to see if the room is dark. Then it looks upward by sending out an infrared beam. If it gets a reflection, it knows the seat if up. If it is, the red light come on.”
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CaluSolv breaks up compaction making your water go further, restores biology, and unlocks nutrients tied up by overuse of fertilizers, manure, and chemicals. Grow nutrient-dense, pest-resistant plants and cut inputs by up to 75% in 3 years! Great for hay, fruits, vegetables, lawns & miscellaneous crops. Available in 11 lb. jugs, 50 lb. bags, or 1-ton totes.
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Wheat streak mosaic picks up across southern Nebraska
By Stephen Wegulo - Extension Plant Pathologist
Wheat disease surveys were conducted May 13-15 in the south-central, southwest and southern Panhandle of Nebraska. Growth stage ranged from boot in the southern Panhandle to heads fully emerged in the southwest.
The wheat streak mosaic virus (WSMV) disease complex was the most commonly found at varying levels, from trace to high (Figures 1-4). Some fields that had a luxuriant green canopy (Figure 1) had low to moderate levels of the WSMV disease complex.
Fungal diseases observed at low levels were tan spot (Figure 5) and Septoria tritici blotch (Figure 6). Rust diseases and bacterial streak were not found.
Except for the irrigated field shown in Figure 1, the majority of fields showed some level of drought stress, from moderate to severe (Figure 7). Much-needed rainfall brought some relief from drought in the Panhandle and parts of southwest Nebraska on Wednesday evening (May 14).
Management
The highest risk for the WSMV disease complex is volunteer wheat that emerges following pre-harvest hailstorms. If widespread pre-harvest hailstorms occur and result in volunteer wheat that is not controlled before planting in the fall, coupled with prolonged mild to warm temperatures in the fall, we can expect epidemics of the WSMV disease complex in the following year’s wheat crop.
Management of the WSMV disease complex is achieved by controlling volunteer wheat before planting in the fall. The volunteer must be completely dead at least two weeks before planting. Additional management strategies include avoiding early planting of wheat, planting resistant varieties, and avoiding planting wheat next to late maturing crops that are hosts to the viruses and their wheat curl mite vector, such as corn and millet.
The risk for stripe rust and leaf rust appears to be low this year and levels of fungal leaf spots (tan spot and Septoria) are low due to the dry weather. These diseases are managed by planting resistant varieties and applying a fungicide to protect the flag leaf. Based on this week’s disease surveys, it may CONTINUED ON PAGE C12
Figure 1. An irrigated field with a luxuriant green canopy in Phelps County on May 13. There were low to moderate levels of the WSMV disease complex in this field. (Stephen Wegulo | Nebraska Extension)
Figure 2. WSMV disease complex on flag leaves in a state variety trial in Furnas County on May 13. (Stephen Wegulo | Nebraska Extension)
Figure 3. WSMV disease complex in a state variety trial in Deuel County on May 14. (Stephen Wegulo | Nebraska Extension)
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This holiday is always celebrated on June 10th Tea is one of the world’s most popular beverages. Tea was discovered in ancient China during the Tang dynasty in 2,737B.C. Iced tea is a great thirst quencher, almost every day all summer long. Iced tea is organic and it’s good for you.
Chances are, it is already hot in your area. Today serves as a good reminder to make and enjoy your first (of many) iced tea drinks of the season. Unsweetened iced tea has almost no calories, carbs, or salt. Have it plain, add a little lemon, or sweeten it with sugar. Iced Tea is certainly a favorite summer cooler of millions of Americans. And best of all, tea is good for your health! It takes no imagination to decide how to enjoy this great day: Grab an iced tea and head out to the hammock strung under a shady tree.
The Medicinal Value of Iced Tea
Since ancient times, people discovered that tea has a wide range of medicinal uses. Modern research has given credibility to many of these beliefs and identified more. In some cases, research is not conclusive. Regardless of the final determination as to its value over time, drink and enjoy because there is no research to suggest that it can hurt you and it just tastes good. Here are some of the known or suspected medicinal applications:
• Avoidance of heart disease
• Cancer and tumors
• Stomach ailments
• Sore throats and colds (often flavored with honey)
• Soothing, relaxing History and Origin of National Iced Tea
Day
In 1904, English tea plantation owner Richard Blechynden set up a booth to sell hot tea at the St. Louis World Fair. It was a sizzler of a day, and fair visitors didn’t want anything hot. Rather, they needed something to quench their thirst… something cold. He dumped some of his hot tea into ice and served it cold. It was an immediate hit. This was the first known use of iced tea.
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At a posh hotel, Donna Summer was washing her hands in the ladies’ room. She mused to herself that the washroom attendant there had to work awfully hard for her money. It suddenly hit Summer that she had a song title. So she rushed into a stall and wrote lyrics for it. “She Works Hard for the Money” was an international hit that went to #3 on the billboard chart in 1981.
Wheat streak mosaic picks up across southern Nebraska
(FHB) in
The
Figure 4. A section of a wheat field with the WSMV disease complex in Hitchcock County on May 15. (Stephen Wegulo | Nebraska Extension)
Figure 5. Tan spot in a state variety trial in Perkins County on May 14. (Stephen Wegulo | Nebraska Extension)
Figure 6. Septoria tritici blotch in a state variety trial in Keith County on May 14. (Stephen Wegulo | Nebraska Extension)
Figure 7. Drought stress in a grower’s field in Deuel County on May 14. (Stephen Wegulo | Nebraska Extension)
Vanilla Milkshake Day
Celebrated on: June 20th
On a hot, sweaty day, it’s absolutely impossible to go wrong with a creamy milkshake to get cooled down and sugared up. One of the world’s most indulgent beverages, the humble milkshake can be found in hundreds of iterations – and today, it’s the sweet and simple vanilla milkshake that is getting all of the attention.
History of Vanilla Milkshake Day
Vanilla has been a flavoring of choice for sweet treats for hundreds of years. And it has been one of the standard go-to flavors for many ice cream and dairy manufacturers, so it’s no wonder someone thought to pop it in a milkshake for a classic flavor.
The milkshake itself has quite a history – contrary to what most people expect, the milkshake started out as an alcoholic, whiskey-based drink, not unlike eggnog. In fact, it was even touted as a ‘restorative tonic’, good for the health, in 1885. By the early 1900s, a milkshake would come to mean a drink that was made with chocolate or fruit syrups, and soon enough ice cream was commonly asked to be added to the mix.
In the 1930s, milkshakes would become a very popular drink at so-called ‘malt shops’, which were frequently used by students of the era as a meeting point to hang out with their friends.
The milkshake would naturally morph into the light and frothy kind everyone knows today, thanks to the invention of the blender. This important small kitchen appliance allowed for a smooth milkshake where previously they could only be hand-shaken.
In the 1950s, the milkshake establishments had become a mainstay of American culture. Staff at the soda fountains would have nicknames for flavors of milkshake – the nickname for a vanilla milkshake was a ‘white cow’.
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Penguins sleep more deeply in the afternoon than in the morning. (Researchers discovered this by poking them with sticks.)
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Once bitten, animals develop resistance that shrinks tick population
Just in time for tick season, new research is shining a light on how animals develop resistance to tick bites, which points toward the possibility of developing more effective vaccines against the tiny, disease-carrying bloodsuckers.
In a study of “acquired tick resistance” among deer mice, rabbits and cattle, researchers at Washington State University found that once host animals were exposed to ticks, they developed resistance to bites that dramatically shrank the tick population going forward. That’s important because population size is a crucial element of tick ecology: More ticks mean more disease and other tick-associated problems in humans, wildlife and livestock.
“A lot of attention goes into trying to figure out what makes tick populations increase or decrease — what makes them more abundant here and less abundant there?” said Jeb Owen, an associate professor of entomology at WSU and the corresponding author of the new paper published in the journal Ticks and Tick-Borne Diseases. “If we understand those phenomena, we can try to find ways to take advantage of that to limit tick-associated problems.”
Most tick research relies on experiments using lab animals such as house mice or guinea pigs, which are not the targets of ticks in the wild. In order to “bridge the gap between lab models and tick ecology,” the
new study used populations of three species that are hosts for the Rocky Mountain wood tick in the wild: deer mice, rabbits and cattle. The animals were housed at the U.S. Department of Agriculture facilities at the University of Idaho, and the research was conducted by a team of scientists from WSU and the USDA.
Researchers fed the ticks on the animals at three life stages — larvae, nymphs and adults — and compared tick feeding, development and reproduction on animals that had been previously infested by ticks against those that had not. In each case, previously infested hosts developed resistance, and the tick population was reduced at all life stages. On average, nearly 23% fewer ticks on tick-exposed hosts reached adulthood and adult females produced 32% fewer larvae. Subsequent simulations indicated that acquired immunity in the hosts could reduce the mean population growth of three-host ticks by 68%.
“Cumulatively, across the life cycle, the impacts are very large,” Owen said. “This gives us new insight into why tick populations go up and down.”
Problems associated with ticks are wideranging. Tick-borne diseases in humans include Lyme disease, Rocky Mountain spotted fever and others — some of which can be fatal. Some ticks can cause a “redmeat allergy” that leaves people violently ill after eating meat. The arachnids transmit disease to livestock and wildlife, and can cause direct harm such as anemia and reduced growth. A related consequence among livestock is that when animals are infected, they may simply spend less time eating because they’re dealing with irritation from tick bites.
“If the animal is spending all its time rubbing ad scratching and licking because it’s irritated, there are effects on growth because it’s eating less,” Owen said.
The findings suggest that the natural immune response might be replicated through the development of a vaccine. Such an effort would require more research, and the new study points to several areas where more research is needed, including how quickly animals develop anti-tick resistance and how long it lasts. But the paper’s findings shed new light on what drives tick populations — adding to a body of research that has so far focused more on the effects of weather and other “abiotic” factors in the environment.
“This phenomenon of acquired tick resistance has the potential to play a really profound role in governing tick population dynamics,” Owen said.
Grasshopper management
By Samantha Daniel, UNL
grainlevels. Wifidata.
Wifidata.
The 2025 rangeland grasshopper risk map from the USDA indicates there may be increased grasshopper activity in the eastern panhandle and southwestern Nebraska. Keeping an eye on fields this spring and summer can help mitigate economic loss from grasshopper feeding.
Grasshoppers tend to thrive in dry, hot conditions while outbreaks can be severely limited by cool, wet spring weather; however, it is still recommended that producers throughout the state scout their fields while grasshoppers are in the nymph stage and therefore easier to control. Degree-day models estimate that current grasshopper populations are still in the nymph stage, making this the best time to control popula-
tions that are nearing or above threshold. One of the best ways to scout for grasshoppers is to use the square foot method. Randomly select an area several feet away and visualize a one square-foot area around that spot. Walk toward this spot and count the number of grasshoppers you see in or jumping out of this area. Repeat this procedure 18 times and divide the total number of grasshoppers by two. This will give you the number of grasshoppers per square yard. Economic thresholds for grasshoppers range from 8 to 40 grasshoppers per square yard, depending on a variety of factors. Keep in mind that control is generally recommended before grasshoppers reach maturity.
The WSU research team used Rocky Mountain Wood Ticks in its study of “acquired tick resistance” in host animals. (Photo by Jeb Owen)
Researchers fed the ticks on three host species: Deer mice, shown here, rabbits and cattle. (Photo by Jeb Owen)
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Montana Department of Agriculture 2025 Pesticide Disposal Program
If you have any old pesticides - insecticides, herbicides, rodent poison or fungicides - laying around unused, the Montana Department of Agriculture will take them off your hands. The agency will hold waste pesticide collections in Western Montana in July and collections in Eastern Montana in September. The collections are scheduled in Polson on June 30; Hamilton on July 1; and Butte on July 2. The Eastern collections will be in Plentywood on September 23; Glasgow on September 24; Glendive on September 25, and Hardin on September 26. The disposal program is a non-regulatory, service progam that offers pesticide users the opportunity to dispose of unwanted and unusable pesticides in a safe and legal way that is economical and convenient. Disposal costs are free for the first 200 pounds and $1.00/lb. per pound for additional amounts over 200 pounds. Disposal by other services can cost 5 to 10 times more. Additional information and the required preregistration forms are available by contacting Carli Davis in Richland at (406) 465-0531; mail to Dept. of Agriculture, Pesticide Disposal Program, 508 Prairie Dell Rd, Richland, MT 59260; email Carli.Davis@mt.gov; website http://agr. mt.gov/pesticide-waste-disposal-program
Understanding Vitamin D: An essential nutrient you might be missing
By Megan Jacobson, SDSU Extension Chronic Disease Management Field Specialist
Written collaboratively by Megan Jacobson and Gracie Obrien
Do you feel tired or low on energy, especially in the winter? You might not be getting enough vitamin D. This important vitamin helps your body stay strong and healthy—and many people don’t get enough of it, especially in places like South Dakota.
What is Vitamin D?
Vitamin D is a fat-soluble vitamin that functions like a hormone in the body and is needed for proper body function. It helps your body:
• Use calcium to build strong bones.
• Keep your muscles and nerves working properly.
• Fight off sickness by supporting your immune system.
• Support your mood and mental health. When you don’t get enough vitamin D, your bones can become weak, you might feel chronic fatigue, and you may be getting sick more often.
Where Does Vitamin D Come From?
Vitamin D is also known as the sunshine vitamin, because our bodies can synthesize it in our skin when exposed to the sun’s UVB rays. We can also get vitamin D from some of foods that we eat.
There are two main forms of vitamin D:
• Vitamin D2 (ergocalciferol): Found in plant-based foods and fortified products.
• Vitamin D3 (cholecalciferol): Found in animal-based foods and synthesized in the skin.
Some foods naturally have vitamin D, and some have vitamin D added to them. Adding a nutrient to a food item is called fortification. Since the development of more -structured school and job settings where time spent outside in the sun may not be as frequent, vitamin D fortification of various food and drink items, like milk, orange juice, and cereals, have been incorporated.
Plant sources of vitamin D (vitamin D2)
• Mushrooms
• Fortified orange juice
• Fortified cereals
• Tofu
• Plant milks (soy, almond)
Animal sources of vitamin D (vitamin D3):
• Egg yolks
• Fatty fish (tuna, salmon, sardines)
• Fortified milk
• Dairy products (cheese, yogurt)
• Liver
• Environmental Factors
Where you live matters.
Sunlight exposure is the primary way our bodies make vitamin D. However, in states in the northern latitudes, like South Dakota, UVB rays are insufficient for vitamin D production during the colder months. Also, many of us spend most of our time indoors, at school, work, or home. This means we don’t get enough sunlight to make the vitamin D we need.
What should I do if I live in the upper Midwest?
If you live in the upper Midwest, like South Dakota, you may need a vitamin D supplement, especially during the colder months. In South Dakota, we would consider October through April to be the colder months with shorter periods of daylight and lower UV indexes. However, if you’re someone who has an indoor job or doesn’t spend much time outside, taking a supplement year-round may be beneficial.
Talk to your healthcare provider about testing your vitamin D levels, especially if you experience fatigue, muscle weakness, bone pain, or frequent illness.
How Do I Choose a Supplement?
Choosing a supplement can be overwhelming, so it’s always best to consult with your doctor or a Registered Dietician.
When choosing a supplement, it is important to consider:
• Verify quality: Choose supplements tested by third-party labs.
• Evaluate cost: Select a product that fits your budget.
• Talk to your doctor or dietitian: Find out if there are any potential drug interactions with current medications you are on, or if you have a health condition that affects nutrient absorption.
The recommended daily allowance (RDA) for vitamin D is:
• 400 IU for children under 1 year
• 600 IU for those age 1 to 70 years
• 800 IU for those over 70 years
Age, skin tone, sun exposure, and current health status are some factors that may require a person to need more than the RDA for vitamin D.
Through smart food choices, safe sun exposure, and possibly supplementation, you can manage your vitamin D levels to be within a healthy range. For more personalized advice, contact your healthcare provider or a registered dietitian.
Grazing mixed grass pastures
By Ben Beckman, UNL
Managing pastures that contain both cool- and warm-season grasses takes a bit of strategy, but done right, it can result in productive and healthy pastures across the grazing season.
Cool-season grasses like brome or fescue grow best in spring and fall, while warm-season grasses like big bluestem or switchgrass thrive in the summer heat. To get the most out of both, timing is everything.
Begin grazing in the spring on cool-season species, before warm-season grasses start growing (late May to early June). These plants are growing fast, have high quality, and are an earlier available forage resource than their warm-season counterparts. When summer hits, rotate into warmseason pastures and let cool-season grasses rest and recover for fall grazing. As long
as moisture is available, some fall growth typically occurs.
Rotating the timing of grazing like this helps build healthy stands by limiting the grazing stress plants receive each year, especially if grazing during critical growing periods can be avoided.
But here’s the bonus—grazing timing can also be used to manage undesired species. If cool-season grasses are creeping into warm-season pastures, early grazing in the spring can stress those cool-season plants while warm-season grasses are still dormant. This allows you to knock back encroachment without hurting your desirable warm-season species.
With a well-timed rotation, mixed pastures can reduce hay needs, provide better forage quality, and help maintain a balanced plant community.
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Estrous synchronization with natural service offers many benefits to the cowherd
From NDSU
Cattle producers often associate estrous synchronization with artificial insemination (AI). Many do not associate the practices and economic benefits of synchronization with natural service breeding programs.
“There are many production and economic advantages to utilizing synchronization in the cowherd,” says Lisa Pederson, North Dakota State University Extension livestock specialist at the Central Grasslands Research Extension Center. “Mainly, it creates a more uniform calf crop.”
Synchronization protocols, whether used with AI or natural service, synchronize the estrous cycles of females into a tighter period. This allows the majority of the cowherd two opportunities to become pregnant within the first 30 days of the breeding season. Therefore, synchronization improves uniformity of the calf crop by increasing the percentage of calves born within a shorter timeframe.
labor requirements from zero (14-day MGA and NS) to one (1 shot PG and NS) or two (CIDR and NS) handling events.
While the 14-day MGA and NS protocol for heifers does not require handling through working facilities, it does require diligent feed and bunk management. Because MGA is an oral synthetic progestin, it is delivered as a feed additive.
“It is critical that heifers receive the same amount of MGA each day to properly control their estrous cycle and maximize pregnancy success,” says Quail.
With more calves born in a shorter timeframe, producers can sell larger groups of calves at a similar weight, says Pederson. Studies show a significant price advantage when marketing larger drafts, or groups, of calves of a uniform weight. Additionally, calves born earlier are heavier at weaning. For example, calves born on the first day of the calving season will weigh approximately 50 pounds more than calves born on day 21, 100 pounds more than calves born on day 42 and 150 pounds more than calves born on day 63.
“There are true economic and long-term production advantages to calving more of the herd earlier in the calving season,” says Pederson. “Calves will be more uniform at weaning, and heifers retained as replacements will be more productive.”
Because synchronization protocols used with natural service were developed so several females would come into heat over a short time period, it is important to choose the proper bull-to-cow ratio, says Pederson. Research in this area indicates an optimal bull-to-cow ratio to range from 1:16 to 1:25; however, ranchers should take pasture size, distance to water, topography and the protocol used into consideration. All sires should undergo a breeding soundness exam regardless of the breeding strategy, and it is also recommended that sires used in synchronized herds be at least 2 years old and be observed when introduced to the cow herd to ensure adequate libido.
There are four synchronization protocols approved and designed for use with natural service (NS) breeding programs: 1 shot Prostaglandin (PG) and NS; 7-day controlled internal drug release (CIDR) and NS; 14-day CIDR and NS; and 14-day melengestrol acetate (MGA) and NS (for heifers only). When deciding which protocol to use, Lacey Quail, NDSU Extension livestock management specialist at the North Central Research Extension Center, advises ranchers consider several factors.
Labor demands are the most common reason for not utilizing synchronization. Thus, the time required to pen, sort and/ or handle cattle through working facilities should be seriously considered. Natural service synchronization protocols vary in their
Therefore, operations already feeding a total mixed ration to heifers often incorporate the 14-day MGA and NS protocol. It is not recommended that MGA be used when the amount consumed by each heifer cannot be controlled well. If heifers consume too little or too much MGA, they may show heat earlier or much later, respectively, than planned. Both scenarios result in heifers that are not synchronized with the rest of the group (which is what a producer paid and planned for) and can result in decreased pregnancy rates. If bunk space is limited or feed timing is inconsistent, a different synchronization protocol may be a better fit.
While synchronization protocols using a CIDR insert are more expensive and require more handling, they can be used in both cows and heifers, and the efficacy of a CIDR is not dependent on feed activity or bunk management. On the other hand, the 1-shot PG and NS protocol is simple and inexpensive; however, it is only effective in cows and heifers that are already cycling. If many heifers have not reached puberty or cows have not started cycling again after calving, protocols including MGA (heifers only) or a CIDR (heifers and cows) are the best option, as they have been proven to induce cyclicity. Research shows that females not cycling by the start of the breeding season are less likely to become pregnant and calve early, impacting profitability.
Synchronization protocols used with natural service breeding programs vary from five to 28 days from start to finish, so they require diligent planning to be successful. For example, if a producer plans to turn bulls in on June 1 for March calves and would like to use the 14-day CIDR and NS protocol, they need to start the protocol on May 4, (nearly a month ahead of time). Last-minute planning can be very detrimental to breeding success. Planning ahead and precisely following the protocol as it is written are critical to successfully implementing synchronization into any management system
There are great tools out there to help, says Quail. Contact your county NDSU Extension agent, state livestock specialist or herd veterinarian to ask questions.
“When it comes to synchronization, it’s better to ask questions beforehand than it is to realize a mistake later and worry about how it might impact pregnancy rates that year,” says Quail.
The Beef Reproduction Task Force, a multi-state team of researchers and Extension specialists, offers estrous synchronization planning tools, protocols and other resources to help manage the breeding season at https://beefrepro.org/resources/.
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Scientists at Birkbeck College in England discovered that, like humans, dogs can “catch” yawns from people. A 29-dog study found that after they made eye contact with a yawning person, 21 of the dogs yawned as well.
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“I seem to have been only like a boy playing on the seashore and diverting myself in now and then finding a smoother pebble or a prettier shell than ordinary, whilst the great ocean of truth lay all undiscovered before me.” – Isaac Newton
If
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National Strawberry Shortcake Day
Celebrated on June 14th
In a world of desserts, there’s one that reigns supreme, with juicy strawberries and fluffy cake, it’s a treat like no otherstrawberry shortcake, the perfect indulgence!
A delicious pile of red, ripe and juicy strawberries on a base of spongy cake with a bit of whipped cream on top? Yes please!
History of National Strawberry Shortcake Day
Strawberry Shortcake has a delicious history that dates back to the mid-1850s, with one of the first recipes for it published in Miss Leslie’s Ladies New Recipe Book. Though the recipes may have morphed a bit over time, the concept of piling strawberries onto a biscuit or shortcake and then topping it with cream will likely never go out of style.
In fact, strawberry shortcake is such an iconic American dessert that it was the inspiration for a beloved character. Created in 1979, Strawberry Shortcake has taken many shapes and iterations, from animated cartoons to dolls to decorated lunchboxes and so much more. With her gang of friends who also have dessert names, including Lemon Meringue and Blueberry Muffin, this stylish little character is a walking testimony for how amazing this dessert really is!
Depending on the growing climate, strawberries may be in season from somewhere between May and July. Although strawberries can be found all winter long in these modern times, strawberry shortcake made with fresh-picked strawberries at the height of their season will certainly be the best!
The celebration of National Strawberry Shortcake Day is situated in the middle of June to take advantage of the time when strawberries are at their finest!
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Britons began milking cows at least 6000 years ago.
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2022 John Deere W235R with JD Link Connectivity, less receiver, Gen 4 4600 command center at less application, 24.5R32 radial front and 16.5L 16.1 rear, touchset rotary, premium cab, LH toolbox, LED work lights, R500 16-ft. rotary head with TriLobe conditioner. Stock #90814
$213,000 (15)
2023 John Deere W235 windrower with bar tires, cab, R500 16-ft. rotary platform with steel conditioner. Stock #91192
$198,000 (4)
2021 John Deere W235 with cab, air, 480x80R38 bar tires, 4640 with activations, 500R 16-ft. rotary head with steel conditioner. Stock #92094 $145,000 (4)
2014 John Deere W235 with draper only machine, 635D head that also has the combine adapter, transport, pickup reel and cross auger, bar tires. Stock #92258 $140,000 (14)
2017 John Deere W235, 16-ft. rotary header, cab with air, 480x80R38 bar tires, V10 steel conditioner. Stock #92392
$130,000 (15)
2010 John Deere A400 with cab, air, 480/80R38 button drive tires, includes 36ft. HoneyBee WS-36 draper header. Stock #90978
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~ ~ ~ COMBINES ~ ~ ~
Not too early to start thining of that upgrade in combines for the upcoming season. See our full line of used machines to cover your needs. Many more not listed. 2023 John Deere X9 1100 with Signature edition Ultimate cab, ProDrive XL transnmission, DynaFlow cleaning shoe, 31ft. unloading auger, extra fine chopper, 650/85R38 front tires with duals. Stock #87669
2024 John Deere X9 1100 with Signature Edition cab, Gen 5 with extended monitor, integrated 7000 receiver, Contour Master, fore & aft, fixed speed feederhouse, Active Yield, fire extinguisher package, adjustable knife bank, Kondex Max thresh concaves, Advanced PowerCast tailboard, 31-ft. auger with tilt, 650/85R38 duals, VF750/65R26. Stock #93384 $845,000 (14)
2023 John Deere S780 with chopper, yield monitor, Contour Master (lateral tilt feeder house) fore/aft, Active Yield, PowerCast tailboard, power folding bin extension, 580/85R42 dual tires, 750/65R26 rear, ProDrive transmission, 28.5-ft. unloading auger, Starfire 6000.
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2022 John Deere S780 with premium cab with leather, Active Yield with moisture and yield sensors, 4600 command center, Combine Advisor, ProDrive with HarvestSmart, TriStream rotor, power folding GT covers, 28.5 unloading auger, Advanced PowerCast tailboard with fine cut chopper, 12” axle spacers.
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2021 John Deere S780 with premium cab, Active Yield and moisture and yield sensor, Combine Advisor, ProDrive transmission with HarvestSmart, power folding covers, 26-ft. unloading auger, fine cut chopper, 750/65R26 rear and 580/85R42 front tires with duals, side hill performance package. Stock #88920
2020 John Deere S780 with premium cab, LED lights and extremity lights, SF6000, Combine Advisor, Active Yield and moisture sensor, ProDrive with HarvestSmart, TriStream rotor with extended wear package, power folding grain tank covers, 28.5-ft. unloading auger, fine cut chopper with PowerCast tailboard. Stock #84954 $352,500 (1)
$375,000 (11)
2023 John Deere X9 1100 with Signature Edition Ultimate cab, ProDrive XL transmission, Dyna Flo cleaning shoe, 31-ft. unloading auger, extra fine chopper, 650/85R38 front tires with duals. Stock #87671
2022 John Deere S780 with premium cab with leather, Active Yield with moisture and yield sensors, 4600 command center, Combine Advisor, ProDrive with HarvestSmart, TriStream rotor, power folding GT covers, 28.5 unloading auger, Advanced PowerCast tailboard with fine cut chopper, 12” axle spacers. Stock #88898 $470,000 (1)
$735,000 (1)
2022 John Deere X9 1100 with Signature Edition Ultimate cab package, Active Yield with moisture sensor, ProDrive XL transmission, Dyna Flo cleaning shoe, regular wear grain handling, 31-ft. folding unloading auger, extra fine chopper, 750/65R26 rear tires, 1100/50R42 front tires, axle spacers. Stock #84935
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2022 John Deere X9 1100 with Ultimate cab package, Gen 4 4600 command center, Active Yield with moisture and yield sensors, Ultimate suspension, Signature Edition, Pro Drive XL transmission, extended wear concave and grain handling, 31-ft. folding auger, extra fine chopper, 650/85R38 front tires with duals, VF750/65R26 rear tires. Stock #87683
2021 John Deere S780 with premium cab, Active Yield with moisture and yield sensors, leather, Combine Advisor, JD link, ProDrive transmission with HarvestSmart, regular wear grain handling, power folding covers, 28.5-ft. unloading auger, fine cut chopper, large single drive tires. Stock #87958 $415,000 (1)
$662,500 (1)
2022 John Deere X9 1100 with Ultimate cab package, Gen 4 4600 command center, Active Yield with moisture and yield sensors, Ultimate suspension, Signature Edition, Pro Drive XL transmission, extended wear concave and grain handling, 31-ft. folding auger, extra fine chopper, 650/85R38 front tires with duals, VF750/65R26 rear tires. Stock #87685
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2022 John Deere X9 1100 Signature edition, Ultimate cab/lights, Gen 4 display with extended monitor, 31-ft. unloading auger, fixed speed/CM/ fore & aft, feederhouse extended wear grain handling, kondex all crop concaves advance tailboard with extra fine cut, adjustable knife bank and auger spout, 650/85R 38 duals and VF750/65R26 rear tires, Combine Advisor/Active Yield, large tool box. Stock #91881
2022 John Deere S780 with Contour Master with fore & aft, Combine Advisor (Active Vision cameras), Active Yield, 6000 receiver (SF1), 4600 with AutoTrac and extended monitor, TriStream rotor (bullet), power folding grain tank, 26-ft. unloading auger, Advanced PowerCast, dual 580/85R42 drive, 750/65R26 rear tires, premium cab, premium radio, sidehill performance kit, Class 7 windboard instead of front chaffer extension. Stock #93160 $410,000 (14)
$597,500 (14)
2021 John Deere S780 with Contour Master with fore/aft, premium cab, Combine Advisor, Active Yield, 4600 display (no extended monitor) no receiver, TriStream rotor, power folding grain tank, 28.5-ft. unloading auger, 580/85R42 duals, 750/65R26 rear, fine cut, Advanced PowerCast tailboard, grain tank mirror, side hill performance kit. Stock #88014 $405,000 (2)
2021 John Deere S780 with Combine Advisor, Active Yield, 2WD, LSW 1100/45R46 front singles, LSW 750/60R30 rear, lateral tilt, fixed speed feederhouse (with fore aft tilt), ProDrive, Advanced PowerCast tailboard, TriStream rotor, powerfold grain tank covers, 28.5-ft unloading auger, standard radio, LED lighting and extremity lights. Stock #87957
2021 John Deere S780 with regular wear package, premium cab, Active Yield with moisture and yield sensor, Combine Advisor, ProDrive transmission with HarvestSmart, TriStream rotor, power folding GT covers, 28.5-ft. unloading auger, fine cut chopper with PowerCast tailboard, wheel spacers. Stock #91938 $335,000 (14)
$377,500 (1)
2020 John Deere S780 with premium cab, LED lights, SF6000 with SF1, Combine Advisor, Active Yield, ProDrive transmission with HarvestSmart, TriStream rotor, extended wear grain handling, power folding covers, 26-ft. unloading auger, 580/85R front tires with duals, 750/65R26 rear tires, fine cut chopper, side hill performance package. Stock #88009
2020 John Deere S780 with premium cab, leather, Combiine Advisor, Active Yield with moisture and yield sensors, ProDrive with HarvestSmart, TriStream rotor, power folding cover, 28.5-ft. unloading auger, fine cut chopper with PowerCast tailboard, 520/85R42 front tires with duals, 750/65R26 rear tires, side hill performance package. Stock #89740 $325,000 (3)
$320,000 (16)
2021 John Deere S780 with premium cab/radio, leather seat, LED lights, IF520/85R42 duals, 750/65R26 CM, fore/ aft, fixed speed TriStream rotor, sidehill chaffer vanes, 28.5-ft unloading auger, power fold tops, Advanced PowerCast tailboard, Active Yield scale, Combine Advisor and auto maintain, 4600 monitor with 3.0 activation (AutoTrac included), no receiver or extended monitor. Stock #88110
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2019 John Deere S780 with lateral tilt fixed speed feederhouse with fore and aft, Combine Advisor, Active Yield, TriStream rotor, small wire concaves, leather swivel seat, Advanced PowerCast tailboard, 28.5-ft. unload auger, power fold grain tank covers, dual IF580/85R42 drive tires, 750/65R26 rear tires. Stock #85326
2019 John Deere S780 with premium cab, Combine Advisor, Active Yield, ProDrive transmission with HarvestSmart, TriStream rotor with extended wear package, power folding GT covers, 28.5-ft. unloading auger, fine cut chopper with Advanced PowerCast tailboard, 12” axle extensions, side hill performance package, large single tires. Stock #84959
$337,500 (14)
$362,500 (14)
2020 John Deere S780 with Combine Advisor, Active Yield, complete GPS, LSW1100/45R46 front single, LSW 750/60R30 rear, lateral tilt, fixed speed feederhouse (with fore/aft tilt), ProDrive transmission, Advanced PowerCast tailboard, TriStream rotor (extended wear), small wire concaves, powerfold grain tank covers, 28.5-ft. unloading auger, standard radio, LED lighting and extremity lights. Stock #87962 $345,000 (1)
2023 John Deere X9 1000 with Ulimate cab package, Active Yield plus moisture and yield sensors, Ultimate suspension and visibility packages, Signature Edition, ProDrive XL transmission, DynaFlow cleaning shoe, regular wear grain handling, 750/65R26 rear and 710/70R42 rear w/duals, fine cut chopper. Stock #87676
$672,500 (12)
2018 John Deere S790 with premium cab with leather, LED lighting, SF6000 with SF1, Combine Advisor, Active Yield, ProDrive transmission with HarvestSmart, TriStream rotor, regular wear grain handling, power folding GT covers, 28-ft. unloading auger, fine cut chopper with Advanced PowerCast tailboard, large single tires. Stock #88430
$278,000 (14)
2024 John Deere S780 with Select cab package, Combine Advisor, Active Yield with moisture and yield sensor, Starfire receiver SF1, monitor, ProDrive transmission with HarvestSmart, small wire concave, regular wear grain handling, power folding covers, 28.5-ft. unloading auger, VF750/65R26 and 520/85R42 dualled front tires, PowerCast tailboard, side hill performance kit. Stock #93081
$595,000 (12)
2017 John Deere 690 with CM with fore and aft, fixed speed feederhouse, Advanced PowerCast tailboard, 28.5-ft. unloading auger, power folding tops, regular wear, TriStream rotor, Active Yield, Active Terrain/ICA, premium cab with leather, LSW1100/45R46, LSW710/60R30, 2630 on armrest with AutoTrac, no receiver. Stock #92211
$225,000 (14)
#87958
#84959
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6.6 Duramax, PS, AC, AT, 90% 225r19.5 tires, 81K miles, 12ft. service body, 16K GVW. Runs and drives great.$15,500
1995 International 4900 Hi-Rail Crane Truck 210hp DT466, 10spd, AC, PS, AB,7.5 ton National crane exh. brake, 60% 22.5 tires, full rail gear, aux. hydraulics $15,500
Broadleaf considerations for West River South Dakota cropping systems
Clarence Winter, SDSU Extension Agronomy Field Specialist
Selecting the right crop rotation is crucial for the success of any farming operation, especially in areas like western South Dakota, where water use efficiency is critical. The rise of no-till agriculture has expanded the range of crops that can be grown in these regions due to better water retention in soils. However, determining which crops are best suited to a farm’s unique goals remains a complex decision, particularly when it comes to choosing broadleaf crops. This article aims to explore key factors to consider in selecting broadleaf crops and what some farmers in the region are already planting.
Planning Crop Rotation
A well-planned crop rotation should focus on three main principles: proper intensity, adequate variety, and stable profitability. Intensity refers to how efficiently crops utilize stored soil water, which is especially important in areas with limited moisture, like Western South Dakota. With a shorter growing season, farmers must approach crop rotations with these environmental challenges in mind. Adequate variety is achieved by including different types of crops to disrupt weed and pest cycles, while stable profitability ensures that the farm remains economically viable for current and future generations.
In no-till farming systems, maintaining adequate residue in the field is essential for building organic matter and conserving soil. Both cool and warm-season grass crops, such as wheat and corn, are ideal in this context, because they produce large amounts of residue. These crops also align well with the natural prairie ecosystem of Western South Dakota, where grasslands once dominated the landscape. However, broadleaf crops play an important role in a farm’s rotation and improving profitability. Traditional broadleaf options that work well with wheat and corn include peas (cool season), soybeans (warm season), and sunflowers (warm season).
Traditional Broadleaf Crops
to soil health. After harvest, the short time window to establish cover crops or try relay cropping makes it difficult to prevent soil erosion, especially in dry conditions. Moreover, sunflowers are heavy users of both water and nitrogen, which can strain the subsequent crop. Broadleaf crops generally produce less residue compared to grasses, which can undermine efforts to build organic matter and retain soil moisture. To address these issues, farmers are encouraged to rotate different types of broadleaf crops (both cool-season and warm-season) year-to-year or grow them less frequently (once every four or five years), to mitigate their negative effects.
Alternative Broadleaf Crops
Fortunately, there are alternative broadleaf crops with strong market potential and a better ecological fit for Western South Dakota. One such crop is canola, a cool-season broadleaf that not only has a robust market but also offers environmental benefits, such as improved residue levels. In 2024, canola grown near Martin, South Dakota, yielded 1,500 pounds per acre (30 bushels/acre) and produced 2,500 to 3,500 pounds of dry residue per acre (Figure 1 and Figure 2). This level of residue is significantly higher than that of other broadleaf crops, and with residue standing 10 to 14 inches tall, canola fields are better at capturing snowfall during the fall and winter. This “snow catch” ability can be particularly beneficial in areas where water conservation is crucial.
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Sunflowers have been a staple crop in South Dakota for decades, with the state ranking second in sunflower production in the U.S. In 2023, South Dakota produced over 817 million pounds of sunflowers (Sandbakken, 2023). However, growing sunflowers comes with its own set of challenges, including pest and pathogen issues, like the red sunflower seed weevil and Phomopsis stem canker (Varenhorst 2023; Bush et al. 2019). These problems have been exacerbated by the increase in sunflower acreage and the development of pyrethroid insecticide resistance. In addition to pest pressures, sunflower markets have faced a downturn since 2022, prompting farmers to consider alternative broadleaf crops.
Warm-season broadleaf crops, such as sunflowers, also present challenges related
Other promising crops are camelina or flax, brassica oil crops similar to canola. These crops can be drought-tolerant, have short growing seasons, and are genetically resistant to pests and herbicides. These characteristics make them a strong fit for crop rotations in western South Dakota, where environmental conditions can be harsh. These three alternative broadleaf crops still have limitations however, including the potential for shatter losses in high heat and drought conditions, so careful consideration is needed when making these decisions.
In Summary
In conclusion, choosing the right crop rotation is essential to successful farming, especially in regions like Western South Dakota. Farmers must prioritize water conservation, soil health, and organic matter build up in their rotations. When selecting broadleaf crops, it’s important to focus on intensity (water use), variety (at least three crop types), and profitability. Exploring alternative broadleaf crops, like canola, camelina, or flax, can help meet these goals, ensuring long-term sustainability for farms in the region.
Young soybean plants emerge from crop residue in a no-till field.
(Courtesy: USDA NRCS South Dakota)
Figure 1. Canola harvest west of Martin, South Dakota in 2024. (Photo: Clarence Winter, SDSU Extension)
Figure 2. Canola residue, post-harvest, west of Martin, South Dakota in 2024. (Photo: Clarence Winter, SDSU Extension)
Photo courtesy of Canva
First known blacklegged tick in Montana
By Reagan Cotton, MSU News Service
Several species of ticks are native to Montana, and they are a common sight for runners, hikers and campers in the spring and summer months. But for the first time, specialists in Montana have identified a blacklegged tick in the state, a species that can carry and transmit Lyme disease.
Rocky Mountain wood ticks and American dog ticks are commonly seen in Montana, said Marni Rolston, a diagnostician in MSU Extension’s Schutter Diagnostic Lab in the Department of Plant Sciences and Plant Pathology. Rolston identified the specimen, which was found in eastern Montana. Wood ticks and dog ticks do not transmit Lyme disease, but blacklegged ticks, also known as deer ticks, can.
The specimen sent to the Schutter Lab was found on a hunter’s dog. The hunter, noticing that it looked different than other ticks, packaged it in a vial and sent it to MSU for identification. Rolston collaborated with scientists at the National Institutes of Health’s Rocky Mountain Laboratory in Hamilton to make an airtight identification through DNA sequencing.
“This is the first time we’ve seen this species in the state, but we do have other tick species within that genus that have always occurred here,” said Rolston, who is also a program manager in the College of Agriculture’s Department of Land Resources and Environmental Sciences. “In this case, we wanted to verify it, because it was such an important potential new species.”
Blacklegged ticks are smaller than the species many recreationists are used to seeing in Montana, said Rolston, and MSU Extension’s role is to provide up-to-date recommendations for identification and awareness.
“This discovery is incredibly important because it greatly expands the geographic range of the blacklegged tick, a carrier of the pathogen that causes Lyme Disease,” said Bob Peterson, an MSU entomologist and head of the Department of Land Resources and Environmental Sciences. The implications of finding this tick in Montana cannot be overstated.”
MSU Extension’s Schutter Diagnostic Lab, housed on the MSU campus, specializes in questions of plant health and plant-associated organisms. The lab accepts specimens from Montana residents free of charge. Collaborating with Extension agents in Montana counties and on reservations, the lab’s diagnosticians can make identifications and provide management suggestions for anything from garden tomatoes and foraged mushrooms to invasive plants and potentially dangerous ticks.
In addition to analyzing insects, the lab’s specialists can also identify plant diseases and environmental problems such as drought stress, herbicide and pesticide effects, and pest damage. Information for submitting samples can be found on the lab’s website. If intact plant or insect specimens are not available, Montanans can also email photos to the lab’s specialists.
Many people believe the lab’s work stops there, but Rolston emphasized that once insects, plants or pathogens are identified, the lab also provides tailored management strategies to help gardeners, agricultural producers and outdoorspeople manage pests in ways that keep their animals, crops and environments healthy. In the case of the newly identified tick, she said, that includes providing information to veterinarians, who
may see the new species on animals that spend time outdoors.
“We’re very proud that we can provide these services for free for the citizens of Montana in all 56 counties and seven reservations,” Rolston said. “It’s a great resource and we hope people know that we’re here.”
MSU Extension will collaborate with the Montana Department of Agriculture and Montana Department of Public Health and Human Services to ensure that information on ticks and monitoring is as widely distributed as possible. DPHHS also conducts monitoring programs to better understand the status of various tick species in the state.
Rolston noted that individuals who have symptoms consistent with Lyme disease or are concerned about tickborne illnesses should contact their health care provider and that the Schutter lab does not test ticks for pathogens. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention doesn’t recommend testing ticks for diseases because results are often inaccurate.
Ticks in Montana
While blacklegged ticks can transmit Lyme disease, other ticks in Montana do not. However, other species can transmit Colorado tick fever and Rocky Mountain spotted fever, which can be deadly, so Rolston emphasized that it is important for people to know how to check themselves and their pets for ticks and know what to do if they find one. More information on ticks from MSU Extension can be found through the Extension Urban Alerts program.
Peak tick season in Montana generally runs from late spring to early fall, with peak activity in May and June.
The best way to avoid tickborne illness is to avoid tick bites. Limit exposed skin by wearing long sleeves and long pants while hiking or recreating outdoors, and tuck pantlegs into socks.
Consider insect repellent. The EPA maintains a list of recommended repellents for ticks and other insects at https://www.epa. gov/insect-repellents/find-repellent-rightyou.
Ticks often hang on the edges of vegetation to easily attach to animals or people, a behavior known as “questing.” Avoid brushing against grass and vegetation hanging over trails, especially game trails.
After being outdoors, check your body for ticks. If you find an embedded tick, remove it carefully with tweezers to avoid leaving any parts behind. Ticks embed into the skin to attach, and embedded parts that remain can cause infection.
Wash clothes and dry them in the dryer on high heat after recreating.
TRACTORS
2023 John Deere 8R 340 Signature Edition, IVT with RHR, ILS, full GPS, 6 SCVs, 380/90R54 rear tires with duals, 380/80R38 front tires with duals, 270 hours. 6 year/4000 hour extended PowrGard Warranty. Stock #90254 $433,000
2023 John Deere 8R 310 MFWD, IVT, air seat, cab suspension, right hand reverser, 60 gpm hydraulic pump, 6 SCVs, 480/80R 50 rear duals, 420/85R 34 front duals, 22 front weights, 1500 lb. rear weights, 590 hours. PowrQuad Warranty till 3-2029 or 4000 hours. Stock #89857.
2024 John Deere 6155M cab tractor MFWD with 640R loader and grapple, 20 speed PowrQuad with left hand reverser, AutoTrac ready less receiver, 3 SCV, beacon and work lights, triple link front suspension, mechanical cab suspension, Panorama roof, 2-450# weights each side and liquid ballast. Factory Warranty good till 7-25-2026 or 2000 hours, PowrGard Warranty good till 7-23-2030 or 4000 hours. Stock #93780, 403 hours.
$228,000
$398,000
2022 John Deere 8R 310 IVT with RHR, ILS, full GPS, 6 SCVs, 480/80R50 rear tires with duals, 420/85R34 front tire with duals, 897 hours. 6 year/4000 hour extended PowrGard Warranty. Stock #90255.
$373,000
2022 John Deere 7R 290 cab tractor, MFWD, IVT transmission, Command Pro, air seat & cab suspension, triple link suspension, front & rear fenders, Ultimate Visibility package. PowrGard Warranty good till 10-23-2029 or 5000 hours. Which ever comes first. 446 hours. Stock #91693
$328,000
2024 John Deere 6155M cab tractor MFWD with 640R loader & grapple, 20 speed PowrQuad with left hand reverser, AutoTrac ready less receiver, 3 SCV, beacon and work lights, triple link front suspension, mechanical cab suspension, Panorama roof, 2-450# weights each side, liquid ballast. Factory Warranty good till 7-25-2026 or 2000 hours, PowrGard Warranty good till 7-23-2030 or 4000 hours. Stock #93779, 233 hours. $230,000
2024 John Deere 6155M cab tractor, MFWD with 640R loader and grapple, 20 speed PowrQuad with left hand reverser, AutoTrac ready less receiver, 3 SCVs, beacon & work lights, triple link front suspension, mechanical cab suspension, Panorama roof, 2450# weights each side & ballast. Factory Warranty good till 4-6-2026 or 2000 hours. PowrQuad Warranty good till 4-4-2030 or 4000 hours. 585 hours. Stock #93179.
$200,000
2023 John Deere 6110M cab tractor, MFWD, 24 speed PowrQuad with reverser, 3 SCVs, 30 gpm hydraulic pump, rack & pinion rear axle, cast wheels, 3 function loader ready, mechanical cab suspension & Panorama roof. Factory Warranty good till 4-182026, Powertrain Warranty good till 4-17-2030 or 4000 hours. Stock #93207.
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2023 John Deere 6110M cab tractor, MFWD, 24 speed PowrQuad with reverser, 3 SCVs, 30 gpm hydraulic pump, rack & pinion rear axle, cast wheels, 3 function loader ready, mechanical cab suspension & Panoram roof. Factory Warranty good till 4-182026, Powertrain Warranty good will 4-17-2030 or 4000 hours. 502 hours. Stock #93208.
Frontier AF11E 72” front blade with John Deere 300/400/500 mounts, never used. Stock #92095. $2800
$126,000
2018 New Holland T6.170 cab, MFD, 16 speed, Dual Command transmission, 845TL loader & grapple, 888 hours. Stock #86681.
New Holland T6.165 cab tractor, MFD, 16 speed Powershift transmission, 3 SCVs, 855LA 2 function loader 1220 hours. Stock #92103.
$99,000
2015 New Holland T7.210 T4A MFD, 165 hp, Powershift, 3 SCVs, 2380 hours. Stock #91852.
$120,000
2005 John Deere 6715 cab, MFWD, 16 speed PowrQuad, left hand reverser, 3 SCVs, front tires 320/90/42, rear tires 320/90/54, 3789 hours. Stock #87936.
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(3) 2023 John Deere 5090E cab tractors, MFWD, 12/12 transmission with left hand reverser, loader ready, air seat, 3 SCVs, approximately 700 hours. Factory warranty good till 10-2025, Powertrain good till 10-2028 or 3500 hours. Stock #91750, #91751 and #91752. Each $68,500
2022 John Deere 4066R cab tractor with 440 R loader, air seat, 2 rear SCVs, Beacon light and
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2014 SkyTrak 6042 3225 hours, enclosed cab with heat, auxiliary hydraulics, manual coupler, 48” forks, 74” carriage, nice foam filled tires, 3-way steering, hydraulic frame tilt, 6000 lb lift, 42-ft. reach, has been through the shop all repairs have been made, just serviced, telehandler is in excellent condition. Located in Spearfish, SD $44,500
2014 SkyTrak 6036 3150 hours, OROPS, 3-way steering, all wheel drive, 4-ft. fork carriage with 4-ft. forks, 6,000 lb. lift capacity, 36-ft. reach, 21,000 lb. operating weight. Machine is in nice overall condition, serviced and job site ready. Located in Victor, MT . $39,500
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Recommendations on post-wildfire grazing of rangelands and pasture
From North Dakota State University
There is a high fire risk across much of North Dakota and eastern Montana due to a high fuel load created by abundant old, dry plant material and drought conditions. The region experienced a higher number of wildfires in the fall of 2024, and spring is starting with several wildfires, affecting thousands of acres of grazing land.
This fire season will continue until the region receives ample moisture and adequate conditions for new plant growth, according to Kevin Sedivec, North Dakota State University Extension rangeland management specialist.
With very little snow this winter, drought conditions have expanded from last fall, with 57% of the state experiencing some level of drought. If drought continues, spring green-up may be delayed, extending the spring fire season.
Drought alone will hurt forage production this spring. However, these impacts will be magnified in areas that have experienced a wildfire either last fall or this spring.
Forage production impacts in 2025
Fire impacts different types of plants differently. Warm-season grasses usually respond by producing greater biomass after a fire when moisture conditions are average or above average. Cool-season grasses lose vigor after a burn, creating less biomass after a fire. If the drought continues into the spring, biomass from cool-season grasses burned this spring or even last fall will be negatively impacted.
Because North Dakota is a cool-season, grass-dominated state, Sedivec explains, ranchers should expect about a 30% to 40% decline in forage production in 2025 due to the fires last fall and this spring if normal spring precipitation occurs. NDSU researchers found fall wildfires reduced forage production by 39% the following year with slightly below-average precipitation. An NDSU study determined spring fires reduced forage production by 35% in normal spring precipitation conditions.
Because these areas are also in severe to extreme drought, cool-season grasses did not develop tillers last fall. The fall drought could create an additional 10% to 20% loss, even with average spring precipitation. Spring droughts are even more detrimental to forage production, with losses of greater than 50% when spring moisture is 50% to 70% of normal.
Given these compounding impacts, ranchers should plan for 40% to 60% less forage in 2025 in areas impacted by the wildfire and the fall drought. If dry conditions persist in 2025, forage production will be further reduced.
Wildfire impacts on the plant community
Although wildfires can be very destructive, the impacts of fire on the plant community will be mostly positive in the long term. Based on research from the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s agricultural
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My buddy asked me, “Why don’t you play golf with Frank anymore? You two used to play together all of the time.” I looked him square in the eye and said, “Let me ask you a question. Would you play with a guy who constantly lies and cheats on nearly every hole?” “I defnitely would not,” my friend responded. “Well, neither would Frank.”
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“Win if you can, lose if you must, but always cheat!” –Jesse “The Body” Ventura
research stations in Miles City, Montana, and Mandan, North Dakota, and research conducted by NDSU, native grasses and forbs do not experience long-term negative impacts due to fire. However, introduced invasive grasses such as Kentucky bluegrass and smooth brome can be severely injured and reduced within the population. Many woody species also do not tolerate fire, with most coniferous trees, such as cedar and Rocky Mountain juniper, killed by fire.
One negative within the grass community is the removal of all above-ground plant material, leaving soils exposed to erosion until new plant growth occurs. Based on research in North Dakota and South Dakota, litter will be significantly reduced for the first year after a fire but back to normal by year two or three.
Recommendations for 2025
The primary concern for ranchers impacted by the wildfires in the Northern Plains will be a significant decline in forage production, according to Miranda Meehan, NDSU Extension livestock environmental stewardship specialist. The current drought conditions will exaggerate this loss. Grazing recommendations include the following: Grazing can occur in 2025, but spring deferment from grazing will be required. Ranchers should delay turnout until midJune if moisture conditions are above average, end of June if moisture is average or mid-July to early August if the drought continues.
Expect a loss of forage production by 40% to 60% if moisture conditions are near normal.
Stocking rate of either days or livestock numbers could be reduced by 50% to 70% if dry conditions continue into spring.
Fires will not have any negative longterm effects on the grassland community.
If drought conditions occur next year, expect a flush of annual weeds. However, these annuals will decline in time.
Although litter will be reduced, it will return to normal levels unless overgrazing occurs.
Native grass and wildflower populations will either not change or increase in population.
Invasive cool-season grasses will decline, at least temporarily.
The nutritional value of the grass, flowers and shrubs will be greater, providing a higher-quality diet through late summer.
Do not reseed native rangelands or perennial grass pastures following a fire
Wildfire will negatively impact forage production in 2025. So, plan for fewer grazing days or livestock numbers.
“However, with proper grazing management,” says Meehan, “these sites will recover forage production.”
Fires will likely provide benefits to the plant community, improving diversity and the long-term resilience to future droughts and wildfires.
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Two golfers were introducing themselves to each other on the first tee when one golfer said, “How do you feel about a lot of screaming and foul language?” “It doesn’t bother me at all,” came the reply. “Great,” said the first golfer. “Then would you please call my wife before we get started and let her know I’m playing golf again today?”
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“Flowers leave some of their fragrance in the hand that bestows them.”
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Early disease detection highlights importance of scouting Nebraska wheat fields
By Stephen Wegulo - Extension Plant Pathologist
Growth of the wheat crop in Nebraska is advancing and will continue to do so as temperatures warm up. During field surveys conducted during the week of April 21 in the southeast, southwest, and southern Panhandle, the majority of fields looked healthy with a luxuriant green canopy (Figure 1), but the soil looked dry, indicating the need for moisture to sustain development of the wheat crop.
Growth stage ranged from Feekes 4 (stem elongation) to Feekes 6 (first node palpable)
in most of the fields surveyed. Growth stage in some fields in Hitchcock County was Feekes 7 (second node palpable and next to last leaf visible).
Isolated cases of the wheat streak mosaic virus (WSMV) disease complex (Figures 2 and 3) were observed in Gage County in the southeast and Hitchcock County in the southwest. Some fields had trace to low levels of fungal leaf spot diseases (Septoria tritici blotch and tan spot; Figure 4). No rust diseases were found.
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Management Detection of symptoms of the WSMV disease complex and fungal leaf spots indicates that it is time to scout Nebraska wheat fields for disease detection.
Foliar fungal diseases are favored
by moisture from rainfall or irrigation and high humidity. They are managed by planting resistant varieties and applying a fungicide to protect the flag leaf.
Table I, (https://cropwatch.unl.edu/sites/ unl.edu.lanr.extension.cropwatch/files/media/ file/2025-Fungicide-Efficacy-Wheat-Disease. pdf) prepared by the North Central Regional Committee on Management of Small Grain Diseases (NCERA-184) and presented by the Crop Protection Network, lists fungicides registered for use on wheat and their efficacies in controlling the various fungal diseases that occur on wheat.
Additional management strategies for fungal leaf spots are crop rotation and residue management. The fungi that cause these diseases survive and overwinter on crop residue.
The WSMV disease complex is caused by three viruses that may occur singly, doubly, or in triplicate. All three viruses are transmitted by wheat curl mites. Symptoms and yield loss are more severe in double and triple infections, and complete loss of the wheat crop is not uncommon To manage the WSMV disease complex, control volunteer wheat, especially volunteer that emerges following a hailstorm when wheat is mature enough for the shattered grain to germinate. All other volunteer, including that in summer crops such as sunflower, corn and millet, should be controlled. Volunteer should be completely dead at least 14 days before planting wheat in the fall.
Other management strategies for the WSMV disease complex include planting resistant or tolerant varieties, avoiding early planting, and avoiding planting wheat next to late maturing crops that are hosts to the mites or viruses, such as corn, millet and sorghum.
Figure 2. Field scale symptoms of the wheat streak mosaic virus (WSMV) disease complex in Hitchcock County on April 24.
Figure 3. Close-up of symptoms of the WSMV disease complex in a grower’s field (different from the one shown in Figure 2) in Hitchcock County on April 23.
Figure 4. Fungal leaf spots in a grower’s field in Hitchcock County on April 24.
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Tractor safety structures improve safety for farmers
K-State Research and Extension news service
Ten years ago, Andrew Koukol nearly became a statistic.
Instead, the father of two preschoolers today crunches numbers for a Kansas Citybased engineering firm.
In the summer of 2014, he was a 21-yearold college student with a summer job to mow roadsides for a Kansas City area suburb.
He was no stranger to operating a tractor. That’s a skill he learned growing up on visits to his grandparents’ farms.
“Another person and I were assigned to mow the median areas for the highway and off-ramps,” Koukol said. Often, those areas contain obstacles or vegetation that conceal drainage ditches and sudden drop-offs, he added.
One Friday afternoon, Koukol’s partner had the day off, and he was mowing alone.
“I was working in an area that was mostly flat,” he recalls. As he tried to navigate around utility boxes in the median, the mower became high-centered. He wasn’t able to maneuver without going down the steeper part of the hill.
That’s when the ground gave away, and the tractor overturned.
“As the tractor rolled, I was thinking I needed to turn off the mower, but to keep the tractor running so the brakes wouldn’t go out,” he said.
Thanks to the Rollover Protection Structure (ROPS) of the tractor, Koukol escaped the mishap with a couple of stitches to close a gash on his right arm. He was also wearing a seat belt.
“I probably would have been thrown out if it hadn’t been for the seatbelt,” he said.
The US Bureau of Labor Statistics says 417 people died in tractor rollovers between 2011 and 2018 -- an average of 52 every year.
Like Koukol, most victims of tractor rollovers are familiar with heavy equipment. The Northeast Center for Occupational Health and Safety says the majority of persons who dies in tractor accidents are experienced equipment operators.
The NEC and the National Tractor Safety Coalition have worked for a decade to educate farmers and tractor owners about the need for ROPS.
Farmers are nearly eight times more likely to die on the job than the average American Worker, says the NEC. Tractor overturns are the leading cause of death.
The numbers also show that most of those deaths are preventable. The ROPS includes a roll bar above the seat, supported by two or four posts, or a crush-proof cab.
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My ESL (English as a second language) students try so hard and are so appreciative. One student paid me the ultimate compliment when she said, “You teach English good.” Another assured me, “I will always forget you.” And a third insisted, “I thank you from the heart of my bottom.”
When used with seatbelts, ROPS are 99% effective in preventing injury and death, according to the NEC.
Yet, an estimated 50% of tractors in use today aren’t equipped with ROPS. In 1985, tractor manufacturers adopted a voluntary standard to include ROPS and seatbelts on all new tractors over 20 horsepower. Even rollovers of small lawn tractors or lawn mowers without ROPS can cause injury or death, says the Occupational Safety and Health Administration.
But in many places where tractors are used, people continue to operate older model tractors or implements not equipped with ROPS.
“Andy is my nephew,” said Ed Brokesh an assistant professor of biological and agricultural engineering at Kansas State University. “When this incident was related to me, I was struck by how relaxed my family was about the event. This means the ROPS did its’ job really well. Had the tractor not had a ROPS, the event would have ended much differently.
Brokesh added: “When I was a kid, in the pre-ROPS days, a tractor rollover was an event that usually meant serious injury, or worse for the tractor operator. This incident involving my nephew wasn’t a big deal, and it’s all because of the ROPS”.
The National Tractor Safety Coalition is currently working to reduce tractor overturn fatalities by expanding current state-based ROPS Rebate Programs into a National ROPS Rebate Program. The coalition hopes to raise sufficient funds for rebates through federal, state and private funds to provide an incentive to encourage owners to retrofit tractors with ROPS.
The rebate program can help pay up to 70% of the cost to purchase and install the safety equipment.
K-State Research and Extension, through the Carl and Melinda Helwig Department of Biological and Agricultural Engineering at Kansas State University, have collaborated with the National ROPS Rebate Program to research and gain support through public and private funding and partnerships to provide Kansas farmers with the rebate program.
The average cost of a ROPS is $1,200, said Tawnie Larson, program manager for the K-State program. Larson says the estimated cost of a fatal overturn to a family and farm is more than $750,000. Ten Kansas farmers have died, and another six sustained serious injury in tractor rollover accidents in the last eight years.
“Approximately 30,000 Kansas farms are operating without ROPS on at least one tractor,” Larson said.
While Kansas does not currently have funding for a rebate program, Larson said K-State hopes the number of people who sign up for the wait list will show the need and interest to state and federal legislators.
Brokesh added, “When I think about his incident, I consider all the work that went into the development and adoption of the ROPS back in the 60’s and 70’s and how that work made a such a difference in my nephews’ outcome.”
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“It takes both rain and sunshine to make a rainbow.”
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A friend knew that she’d overdone it with the gifts and candy last Easter when her six-year-old woke up to all the booty and shouted, “This is the best Christmas ever!”
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The first recorded ruler of Japan was a woman... the Empress Himiko (3rd century A.D.)
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Q: Which three ships were boarded during the Boston Tea Party?
A: The Dartmouth, the Eleanor, and the Beaver.
More compost might not be what garden soil needs
From the MSU News Service
With spring arriving, gardeners are preparing soils for this year’s planting, and many love to apply compost, which can supply nutrients, feed microbial activity, help retain soil moisture and improve soil structure.
However, there can be too much of a good thing, according to Clain Jones, Montana State University Extension soil fertility specialist and professor in the MSU Department of Land Resources and Environmental Sciences.
“I have been receiving many soil tests from vegetable gardens with excessively high levels of nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium,” Jones said. “The owners are asking what can be done to remedy the soil.”
Jones said there are several concerns with very high levels of nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium in soil. High nitrogen can result in too much leaf growth and less flower production in some vegetables, like tomatoes.
Water can also carry nitrogen through the soil below crop roots, where it can no longer be taken up by the plants. Ultimately, nitrogen will move into groundwater and contaminate drinking water. Jones noted that high nitrates can be harmful, especially to infants and pregnant women. Surface water can also be contaminated with high levels of nitrogen.
Excess phosphorus can contaminate surface water through runoff and cause poor crop production and quality, Jones said. For example, high phosphorus interferes with zinc uptake, while high potassium can interfere with calcium uptake. Tomato blossom end rot might be due to too much potassium rather than not enough calcium.
Jones added that an overload of phosphorus, potassium and sometimes nitrogen generally comes from the application of too much manure, or manure- or food waste-based compost. One inch of manure compost supplies enough nitrogen for one growing season, but also adds four years’ worth of potassium and 14 years’ worth of phosphorus. Annual application of manure or food-waste compost can quickly lead to excess levels of potassium and phosphorus.
Jones noted that there aren’t many options for correcting soils with high levels of phosphorus and potassium; the key is prevention, or at least, to not add more. Leaf compost or a 50-50 blend of food/yard compost have a balance of nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium that is closer to that required by vegetables than manure or straight food compost, he said. Leaving healthy plant residue on the soil at the end of the season is another option to provide nutrients and to protect soil over winter.
“Material high in carbon, such as yard compost or waste hay, can be used to improve soil health, along with an amendment high in nitrogen if needed. Sustainable sources of nitrogen are feather meal and blood meal. These sources contain nitrogen in a form readily available to plants,” said Jones. Many other materials, such as alfalfa or bone meal, contain medium levels of nitrogen, but only a third or less of that nitrogen is available for plant uptake in the first year.
Another option is to plant a portion of the garden each year with a legume cover crop, such as field pea, to supply nitrogen and foster healthy soil. This is especially attractive for growers who have more garden space than they can manage.
“Knowing the soil’s nutrient levels can help to select the correct amendments to promote healthy plants and soils, minimize risks of water contamination and likely save money,” Jones said. He or a local MSU Extension agent can answer questions on soil testing, and agents can often loan soil probes for at-home testing.
Many seed catalogs and garden stores offer home or doit-yourself soil test kits, and spring is a good time to sample garden soil. Unfortunately, few home test kits provide accurate enough information to make fertilizer decisions.
“It is worth getting soil tested through an accredited lab every few years to ensure that soil nutrients are at healthy levels,” Jones said.
More information on soil nutrients, home garden amendments and soil testing is available at the MSU Extension soil fertility website at http://landresources.montana.edu/ soilfertility/home-gardening.html and from the MSU Master Gardener program at https://mtmastergardener.org/. Questions may be directed to Jones at 406-994-6076 or clainj@ montana.edu.
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I spotted several pairs of men’s Levi’s at a garage sale. They were sizes 30, 31, and 32, but I was looking for size 33. So I asked the owner if he had a pair. He shook his head.
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Stark Interim Director of UW’s RMAL Program
The University of Wyoming College of Agriculture, Life Sciences and Natural Resources has appointed Doug Stark interim director of its Ranch Management and Agricultural Leadership (RMAL) Program.
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The program, which was launched in 2022, is designed to address contemporary workforce needs articulated by Wyoming agribusinesses.
“The RMAL Program was developed in response to the explicit needs of the workforce and the changing needs for graduates that have strong leadership and interpersonal skills as well as general knowledge about the areas of agribusiness, range management and animal science,” says Kelly Crane, dean of the College of Agriculture, Life Sciences and Natural Resources.
In the early stages of the RMAL Program’s development, Stark helped facilitate listening sessions with Wyoming ranch owners and managers. As a distinguished agribusiness leader and UW alumnus, he is well positioned to guide the program’s next phase.
A familiar name in Wyoming—and national—agricultural communities, Stark graduated from UW in 1980 with a degree in agricultural business, then embarked on a 37-year career with Farm Credit Services of America.
From 2005 until his retirement in 2017, Stark served as president and CEO of the financial cooperative, which provides agricultural credit, risk management and financial services to farm and ranch operators in Iowa, Nebraska, South Dakota and Wyoming.
“Doug is a great candidate [for the RMAL interim director role] because he created a culture and demonstrated leadership in the largest ag lending institution in the country,” Dean Crane comments. “He really has had unquestionable success in being a leader in the ag industry. Doug is a unique asset that will benefit our students, stakeholders and industry partners.”
Since its inception, the RMAL Program has received generous support from the state of Wyoming and private donors, with particularly significant contributions from Farm Credit Services of America and Wagonhound Land & Livestock.
Starting in 2022, the RMAL Program has offered an annual seminar series for students and agricultural professionals across Wyoming. In 2024, the College of Agriculture, Life Sciences and Natural Resources introduced the program’s second pillar: a bachelor’s degree in ranch management and agricultural leadership.
“There’s certainly not a lot of majors like this across the country,” says Stark. “I think it’s really attractive from a student standpoint…It’s very diverse, multidisciplinary. They’ll learn legacy skills like animal science and ag econ, but also get a comprehensive focus on leadership.”
Ultimately, the RMAL Program will also offer undergraduate internships, a leadership institute for graduate students and certifications for current members of the workforce.
Stark, who helped establish UW’s first minor in leadership and has taught multiple leadership classes in the UW College of Ag, is especially passionate about the leadership aspects of the program. “My personal goal is to help [students] develop skills in leadership that will help them be more effective in life regardless of their career choices,” he comments.
In fall 2024, Stark taught a leadership class designed for students enrolled in the RMAL Program.
“Doug was a resounding success with our students,” Crane notes. “It’s indicative of his potential impacts on the program.”
As a founder, instructor and now interim director of the RMAL Program, Stark is committed to the program’s longterm success. “It’s off to a great start already,” he says. “My goal at this point in time is help provide insights and resources to help evolve the program…Hopefully we’re going to be turning around great students that can be employed in Wyoming businesses, including Wyoming ranches.”
Raised in Riverton, Stark himself is a homegrown success story. He currently resides just outside of Shawnee, Wyoming, and remains an ardent UW supporter, devoting time, expertise and funds to further his alma mater’s mission.
In addition to his pivotal role in launching the RMAL Program, Stark has established multiple student scholarships and serves on the Agriculture Dean’s Advisory Board. He is also chair of the UW Foundation Board of Directors.
In recognition of his personal achievements and continued engagement with the university, Stark received an Outstanding Alumni Award from the UW College of Ag in 2013. In 2022, he received UW’s Distinguished Alumni Award.
To learn more about the RMAL Program, visit https://bit. ly/uw-rmal or contact Stark at dstark3@uwyo.edu.
Assessing herd performance
By Lisa Moser, K-State Research and Extension news service
When an athlete is aiming to improve their performance, they begin with a starting measurement, and as they train, they continue to assess their abilities to measure progress. For cattle producers, that scorecard may include pregnancy percentages, the number of calves weaned and, in some cases, death loss.
This was a topic of discussion on a recent Cattle Chat podcast hosted by faculty at Kansas State University’s Beef Cattle Institute. K-State veterinarian Bob Larson joined with K-State beef extension specialist Jason Warner to set goals for cow-calf operations.
“This is a good time of year to review your records and if the numbers aren’t where you want them to be, you can make management adjustments under the guidance of your veterinarian, nutritionist or another advisor,” Warner said.
Two areas that Warner tells producers to focus on are the number of live calves born compared to the number of cows exposed to bulls at the start of the breeding season; and the number of cows that became pregnant early in the breeding season.
A top priority for Larson is to have calves born early in the calving season.
“The goal is to have 65% of the calves born in the first 21 days, and 85 to 90%% of the calves born within the first 42 days of the season,” Larson said. “If that happens, I know that the cows were in good body condition at the start of the breeding season and the bulls were fertile.”
As far as the percentage of live calves weaned relative to the number of pregnant females, Warner says the goal is at least 90%.
“The national average is between one to two percent for calf death loss and that will vary from year to year within the same operation,” Larson said. “If the producer is calving out a high percentage of heifers, that can influence the calf death loss percentage.” #####
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K-State study: Slowing down pivots can improve water efficiency and yields
By Kelsey Stremel, K-State Research and Extension news
With irrigation systems running across Kansas fields, a simple adjustment could make a big difference in conserving water and boosting crop performance —slowing down the speed of center pivot systems.
Kansas State University water resource engineer Jonathan Aguilar said a simple but often overlooked adjustment — slowing the speed of center pivot irrigation systems — could significantly improve water use efficiency and crop yields.
“When a pivot moves too quickly, much of the water applied doesn’t have time to soak into the soil,” Aguilar said. “Instead, it tends to run off or evaporate before reaching the plant roots where it’s needed most. Slowing down the pivot gives the soil more time to absorb moisture, improving irrigation effectiveness.”
Every time a farmer irrigates a crop field, a portion of that water is lost through evaporation – on the leaves, soil or as mist. This portion of loss is almost the same amount (about 0.17 inches) every irrigation according to research results in our region.
“I call this an ‘irrigation service fee to mother nature,’” Aguilar said.
“When a pivot moves too quickly, the water depth applied is less, thus much of the water applied doesn’t soak into the soil. Instead, it tends to evaporate before reaching the plant roots where it’s needed most. Slowing down the pivot allows a greater portion of that water to get into the soil, improving irrigation efficiency.”
Aguilar said the recommendation to slow the center pivot is critical for farmers in western Kansas and across the High Plains, where water availability from the declining Ogallala Aquifer remains a pressing concern. With increasing input costs and continued drought pressure, maximizing every drop of water is more important than ever, he said.
Key Irrigation Strategies for 2025
Aguilar’s research focuses on practical solutions that farmers can implement immediately without needing costly upgrades. He outlined several strategies to improve irrigation efficiency this season:
• Monitor soil moisture before irrigating. Aguilar advises using soil moisture sensors or simply checking soil conditions in the field. If the soil surface is still saturated or water is pooling, it’s a clear sign that you can wait before irrigating again. Slowing the system without causing runoff ensures water reaches the root zone rather than being lost in evaporation.
• Match application rates to crop needs. Overwatering early in the season is a common mistake that wastes water and can harm crop development. Aguilar recommends adjusting irrigation schedules based on crop growth stages, weather patterns, and evapotranspiration data. Monitoring forecasts and rainfall can also help avoid unnecessary irrigation. Much of the water savings are easily gained early and late in the cropping season, and during rain events.
• Irrigate during cooler parts of the day. High temperatures and strong winds during the afternoon hours contribute to significant water loss through evaporation. Aguilar recommends scheduling irrigation for early morning or late evening hours to minimize evaporation losses, when feasible. Research shows that irrigating during the hottest part of the day can lead to 10-25% more water loss through evaporation.
• Ensure uniform water application. Regularly inspect pivot nozzles to ensure they operate correctly and provide even coverage across the field. Malfunctioning nozzles can result in overwatering some areas and underwatering others,
K-State water resource engineer Jonathan Aguilar said slowing the speed of center pivot irrigation systems could significantly improve water use efficiency and crop yields.
K-State study: Slowing down pivots can improve water efficiency and yields
reducing overall efficiency and possibly yield.
While new technologies can improve irrigation systems, adjusting pivot speed is a low-cost, high-impact change that can deliver immediate benefits.
“Farmers often believe that speeding up the pivot will help them stay ahead of the crop’s water demands,” Aguilar said. “But in reality, moving too fast often does more harm than good. Slowing the system allows for better infiltration and helps crops become more resilient during dry periods.”
With water resources becoming increasingly scarce and costly, Aguilar encourages producers to revisit their irrigation management plans and consider how simple changes can lead to better outcomes.
For more information on irrigation efficiency and water management strategies, visit ksre.k-state.edu or contact your local K-State Research and Extension office.
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In the mid-1990s, Chiu Chiu-kuel designed, and her financé Lee Wong-tsong, built a bathroom for a public park in the city of Taichung. According to news reports: “The couple said the lavatory, complete with elaborate decoration, had cost about $1 million to build”. Chiu explained: “Since the bathroom is a creation of me and my husband it is very meaningful to us and therefore we decided to have our ceremony in it.” Not explained: Why seven other couples joined them, making it the largest group wedding ever performed in a lavatory.
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In 1993 Jacob Feinzilberg, a San Jose, California, inventor came up with the Inflate-a-Potty, a toilet so portable it can actually fit in a purse. It can be inflated in seconds and is used with an ordinary eight-gallon kitchen bag as a disposable liner. He came up with the idea for it at a picnic when his young daughter suddenly “heard nature’s call and found no place to answer it.”
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Grassland quality can impact rebreeding success in beef cattle
Cattle producers often eagerly anticipate this time of year with pasture turnout and a new breeding season in the near future; however, this time of year also presents challenges as producers plan grazing and reproductive management strategies.
A successful breeding season starts long before bulls get turned out, and a large part of that success relies on providing proper nutrition to beef females. The expectations are high for a postpartum cow, says Lacey Quail, North Dakota State University Extension livestock management specialist at the North Central Research Extension Center.
A cow must first start cycling again after calving, then become pregnant within 80 to 85 days after calving to maintain a yearly calving interval, all while lactating to raise the calf she just birthed.
The first 90 days after calving are the most nutritionally demanding, says Quail. Because lactation takes priority over reproducing for next year, cows will devote nutrients to milk production first and require additional nutrients to successfully rebreed. This can be difficult considering peak milk production overlaps with when cows need to be recycling to prepare for the following breeding season. This places a huge nutrient demand on beef females. More specifically, a beef cow that calved two months ago (peak lactation) may require 1.5 times the protein and energy that she required in late gestion — just three months before calving. Therefore, it is not uncommon to see cows losing body condition during this time if their diet is not meeting their protein and energy requirements.
Cattle that lose body condition after calving and enter the breeding season in thin condition have lower conception rates. More specifically, research has reported that cattle entering the breeding season with three to five ribs and a slight spinal outline visible (body condition score 4) had a 58% pregnancy rate, even after an extended breeding season. In the same study, pregnancy success increased to 85% in cattle that entered the breeding in a moderate body condition (body condition score 5).
“Even if cattle calve in an adequate body condition,” says Quail, “neglecting to supply their increased nutrient requirements after calving can be extremely detrimental to herd productivity and profitability.”
As many cattle are being transitioned to pasture in late spring, managing pasture readiness and forage production in tandem with supplying the increased nutrient requirements of postpartum cows can be difficult. To aid in managing the nutrition of grazing animals, it is important to know the dominant grass species that your cows are grazing, as different species have different nutritional value. In North Dakota, grasslands are becoming cool-season dominant due to increased invasion of the cool-season-introduced grasses, Kentucky bluegrass and smooth brome.
“This increase in cool-season grasses and subsequent decrease in warm-season grasses is causing a seasonal shift in the nutrition of rangeland,” says Miranda Meehan, NDSU Extension livestock environmental stewardship specialist.
Typically, pasture turnout takes place in mid-May to early June, when grasses are growing actively. At this time, crude protein and total digestible nutrient (TDN) levels are high (greater than 15% and 60%, respectively) and easily meet cow requirements. As the summer progresses, the quality of cool-season grasses rapidly declines, which can be compensated by warm-season species that are actively growing during this period. By the end of the growing season in September and October, standing forage is low in crude protein, with cool-season species being about 5% protein and warm-season species being between 4% and 8%, depending on the species. Energy also will be low for these forages, with cool-season species falling below 50% TDN and warm-season species at about 52% TDN.
Meehan emphasizes that understanding the relationship between forage quality and the nutrient requirements of livestock is important. While forages typically meet requirements for lactating cows during late May and early June, cows that are calving before April will reach peak milk production before then. Enhanced knowledge of the grass species can improve pasture and herd health.
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Ten ways to cut nitrogen fertilizer expenses
• Increased early season vigor
• Phosphorus and Zinc to drive rooting & cold start the crop.
• Zinc to help with early season hormone production, ie. Auxin for root and shoot growth.
• Convey Technology to help with early season stresses, such as cool soils and excess moisture. It also improves nutrient use efficiency.
• Other essential nutrients target at each specific crop, ie. Boron for cell wall strength; Manganese for efficient photosynthesis.
• Second chance for a starter fertilizer
• Formulations are targeted at early season root growth (more root = more efficient moisture and nutrient uptake).
• Proactive way of managing the crops nutritional requirement.
• Convey Technology helps with early season stresses such as cool soils, excess moisture, and drought. Also improves nutrient use efficiency.
• Speeds up recovery from herbicide hangover - the correct supply of nutrients helps the crop metabolize the herbicide more quickly.
• Contains novel Phosphorus nutrition, providing increased nutrient uptake and movement within the plant.
• Targeted at the reproductive phse of the plant.
• Proactive way of managing the crops utritional requirement
• Contains other essential nutrients targeted for each specific crop, ie. Boron to aid pollen tube growth, Zinc to help produce Auxin, to ensure healthy pollen tube growth.
By Javed Iqbal - Extension Nutrient Management and Water Quality Specialist, Nicolás Cafaro La Menza – Cropping Systems Specialist, Department of Agronomy and Horticulture, Guillermo Balboa - Nutrient Management and Digital Agriculture, Richard Ferguson - Extension Soil Fertility Specialist, Carolina Córdova - Department of Agronomy and Horticulture Assistant Professor and Statewide Soil Health Specialist, Bijesh Maharjan - Extension Soil and Nutrient Management Specialist
Nitrogen (N) fertilizer remains one of the biggest expenses for Nebraska farmers, especially for growing corn. In 2025, the situation has become more complex as some growers face a tightening supply of urea ammonium nitrate (UAN) due to delayed imports, increased exports and disruptions at production facilities. As a result, UAN availability is constrained for some farmers during the key side-dress window. In this challenging environment, it is more important than ever for farmers to use nitrogen wisely and make every pound count. Here are some strategies to help you stretch your nitrogen dollars and protect yield.
1. Stick to the 4Rs of Nutrient Stewardship
A cornerstone of effective nitrogen management is the 4Rs framework: applying fertilizer at the Right Rate, at the Right Time, using the Right Source, and in the Right Place. Each element plays a critical role in maximizing nitrogen use efficiency (NUE) and minimizing environmental losses — especially under supply and cost pressures.
Right Rate: To determine an accurate N rate for your field, the University of Nebraska–Lincoln (UNL) provides a digital Nitrogen Calculator. This tool allows growers to reassess and adjust N needs in real time based on current conditions, optimizing both yield potential and cost savings.
Right Time: Nitrogen should be applied when the crop can use it most efficiently. A common strategy is to apply about 30% of the N at or before planting, then split the remainder into one to three applications between V6 and tasseling. This coincides with rapid corn growth and peak N uptake, particularly between the V6 and V12 stages.
Right Source: With UAN in short supply, farmers may consider alternatives such as urea or anhydrous ammonia. Urea is readily available but must be incorporated into the soil shortly after application — ideally with 0.5-inch of rainfall or irrigation — to prevent volatilization losses. Anhydrous ammonia is effective and economical but requires specific equipment and adherence to safety protocols.
Right Place: Regardless of the N source, applying nitrogen where roots can access it — via injection or incorporation — reduces the risk of loss and improves plant uptake. Aligning application with soil test data also prevents over-application and maximizes return on investment.
2. Use Precision Agriculture Tools
Precision agriculture offers powerful ways to use less N more efficiently. Soil and yield mapping help identify variability across fields, while crop canopy sensors can assess nitrogen demand in real-time. Variable rate technology (VRT), informed by imagery or sensor data, enables zonespecific application. These tools are especially valuable when N supply is limited, as they help prioritize nitrogen where it’s needed most.
3. Split Nitrogen Applications Strategically
Split nitrogen applications remain one of the most effective strategies to reduce risk during times of supply uncertainty. Farmers can start with a modest base rate at pre-plant or early vegetative stages using available nitrogen sources such as anhydrous ammonia, urea or manure. The remaining nitrogen can then be applied in-season, ideally timed to match peak crop demand — typically between the V6 and V12 growth stages, when corn takes up the most nitrogen. If UAN is not available for side-dress, consider using ammonia or surface-applied urea with a stabilizer, based on your equipment setup and timing constraints.
4.
Consider Cover Crops for N Availability
Cover crops planted during the previous winter, such as cereal rye or clover, can provide valuable benefits by reducing off-season nitrogen losses. These crops scavenge residual soil nitrogen, lowering the risk of nitrate leaching and improving soil health. As they decompose, they gradually release nitrogen back into the system, enhancing nutrient availability for the following crop. In years when synthetic nitrogen supplies are limited or costly, cover crops can help reduce reliance on in-season fertilizer by contributing organic nitrogen to support early crop growth.
Ten ways to cut nitrogen fertilizer expenses
5. Adopt Enhanced Efficiency Fertilizers (EEFs)
Enhanced efficiency fertilizers (EEFs) such as urease inhibitors, nitrification inhibitors and polymer-coated urea can help retain applied nitrogen in the soil and reduce losses to the atmosphere or groundwater. This can be particularly useful when switching from UAN to urea in surface applications. Although these products have a higher upfront cost, they can reduce the need for additional applications and improve NUE, especially during weather or supply uncertainties. Applying suboptimal N rates — 10 to 20% below UNL recommendations — along with EEFs provides a practical approach to maintain yields while improving efficiency and profitability.
6. Utilize Manure and Organic Amendments
Manure and organic amendments are valuable nitrogen sources, especially during synthetic fertilizer shortages. Manure can supply a portion — or even all — of the season’s nitrogen requirement when applied based on crop needs and tested for nutrient content. Coordinating manure applications with crop demand and soil nutrient levels can reduce reliance on synthetic fertilizers while improving soil health. Find more in NebGuide G1335, “Determining Crop Available Nutrients from Manure”.
7. Test Your Soil, Crops and Irrigation Water
Soil and crop evaluation can help you know exactly how much nitrogen — among other nutrients — is available and, if needed, critical for making informed mid-season decisions. The pre-side-dress nitrate test (PSNT) can help determine whether additional nitrogen is needed. Remote sensing of crop canopy reflectance helps to quantify the need for inseason N. These diagnostic tools are especially important when fertilizer must be conserved or rationed due to supply issues. Testing N input from irrigation water can help save N fertilizer and other nutrients, such as sulfur. Combining the irrigation water test with the amount of irrigation will deliver the amount of N credit from irrigation.
8. Account for Residual Nitrogen and Soil Mineralization
armers should also consider the contributions of residual nitrogen and mineralization when calculating in-season needs. Residual nitrate from the previous crop or fall fertilizer applications can significantly reduce the need for additional N. Similarly, organic matter in the soil continues to mineralize nitrogen throughout the season, providing a background supply that should be accounted for before applying fertilizer.
9. Minimize Nitrogen Losses
Minimizing nitrogen loss is essential under any condition, especially when fertilizer is expensive or scarce. Incorporating fertilizers into the soil can reduce volatilization or runoff. Avoiding applications ahead of heavy rainfall reduces leaching. The use of nitrification inhibitors with ammonia or urea can slow the conversion of ammonium to nitrate, reducing the risk of N leaching.
10. Work with UNL Extension and Decision Tools
Finally, UNL offers a wide range of tools and expertise to support producers. Based on field-specific data, the UNL Nitrogen Calculator can help determine the economically optimal nitrogen rate (EONR). Local extension personnel for your county can assist with nitrogen planning, rate adjustments and source substitutions based on current conditions and product availability.
Takeaway
for 2025
The current UAN shortage is tough, but it is also an opportunity to fine-tune your nitrogen management by using science-based nitrogen strategies. Producers can protect yields and reduce costs by using precision applications, soil testing, cover crops, EEFs and manure, even under supply pressure. A proactive, adaptive approach to nitrogen management will help Nebraska growers maintain profitability and sustainability during this challenging season. For more help, reach out to your local Nebraska Extension office or use the many decision tools available from UNL.
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The tradition of a man proposing with a gold ring dates as far back s 860 A.D.
