Pesticide Certification Trainings Scheduled

A Little Bit Country

Every three years both private (farm operators) and commercial applicators must be re-certified to legally purchase and apply herbicides, insecticides, fungicides and fumigants. For private applicators the certification applies only to those pesticides that are classified as “restricted use”. For commercial applicators certification is a “must” for all pesticides.

To assist in the certification process we have scheduled a training meeting for private applicators on Wednesday, March 18, 9:30 a.m. – 12:30 p.m. in conjunction with the KUMV TV Farm and Ranch Trade Show held at the Raymond Family Community Center. This training does not include fumigation which is different from the training for the application of herbicides, insecticides and fungicides.

That same day, March 18, a separate training for commercial and private applicators of fumigation materials will be held in the conference room of the Broadway Commons Building, 302 East Broadway, Williston, starting at 9:30 a.m. and ending around 2:30 p.m. Because the trainings on March 18 conflict for some private applicators, another fumigation training is scheduled on Tuesday, March 24, 10 a.m. – 3 p.m., also in the Broadway Commons.

Commercial applicators of herbicides, insecticides and fungicides can be certified or recertified on Thursday, March 12, 8 a.m. – 4 p.m. at the Ernie French Center located on the campus of the NDSU Research Extension Center located west of Williston approximately one mile west of the highways 2 and 85 junction.

Sometimes there is confusion between fungicides and fumigants. In brief, fungicides are used in the farm community to control diseases of plants whereas fumigants are commonly used to control insects in stored grain.

If you have any questions about any of these pesticide certification trainings, please feel free to call me at 701-577-4595.

Cow Nutrition Requirements Increase

Most of the beef cows in this area are now in the last trimester of their pregnancy. During this time, about 70 percent of fetal growth occurs. This growth draws heavily on the cow’s energy reserves and if not immediately replaced she will rapidly lose weight resulting in reduced performance of her calf and likely will negatively impact her fertility and ability to conceive in time to keep her on a 365 day schedule.

Because of the rapid fetal growth at this time, the daily nutrient allowance should increase 15 to 20 percent. Simply changing the components of the cow’s ration from low quality roughages to higher quality feeds will often provide adequate upgrading of the cow’s ration for the last trimester of pregnancy.

Protein and phosphorus needs increase 50 to 100 percent from mid-pregnancy to lactation. Daily calcium needs increase even more sharply, especially for high milk producing cows.

Feeding some grain to cows is a practical means of increasing both energy and protein intake. Roughly each pound of grain is equivalent to 2 to 2.5 pounds of good hay.

Undernourishment of cows during gestation often results in little change in calving success but usually results in longer postpartum rebreeding intervals and greater percentages of open cows the next year.

 

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