Sorted by date Results 51 - 60 of 60
What a difference a year can make. Last year at the start of the planting season, sugarbeet growers worried about excessive moisture, a cool spring, flooding, and their ability to get a crop planted in time. This year they face opposite conditions, with unusually warm temperatures and very dry conditions the norm. If these conditions persist into the near future, many growers will begin planting sugarbeets earlier than usual. "In a normal year, growers start planting by the 20th of April," says...
Researchers at Montana State University have developed a protein that can be expressed in oilseed crops to increase the oil yield by as much as 40%, a development that could have an impact on the biodiesel industry. Patents on this technology have been issued and research is ongoing. Biodiesel is produced from a wide variety of oilseed crops: In Europe, canola is the major biodiesel crop, while in the U.S. soybeans dominate. The MSU technology has been demonstrated in corn and soybeans and is expected to work for a broad range of oilseed...
The Montana Board of Livestock has temporarily suspended its brand conflict policies, giving brand holders who missed the Dec. 31, rerecord deadline an opportunity to reapply for their brands. “Out of 55,000 registered brands, we had a handful of ranchers who missed the deadline,” said Montana Board of Livestock Chair Jan French, a Hobson cattle rancher. “This suspension will allow those who missed the deadline but actively use their brands to get those brands recorded. In short, they’re not going to lose their brands.” Conflict and recording...
The Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals has affirmed the constitutionality of Congress’ removal of wolves from the federal endangered species list. Montana Outfitters and Guides Association join all the responsible conservation organizations across Montana and the Nation in celebrating this huge victory. Attorneys representing numerous conservation organizations, supported by MOGA Members hunt donations, supported the Congressional action, wolf delisting and science-based, state-regulated management and control of wolf populations. “This is a hug...
Producers interested in submitting bids to enroll land in Conservation Reserve Program acres have a deadline of April 6. Kevin Kading, North Dakota Game and Fish Department private land section leader, said applications received during the current sign-up period are ranked against others according to the Environmental Benefit Index. “Producers can receive assistance from private land biologists with the Game and Fish Department, Ducks Unlimited and Pheasants Forever,” Kading said. “Private land biologists can help producers find the best possi...
Farmers were out in late March preparing fields for planting....
High tunnels, or large hoop houses that provide seasonal extension for growing plants and herbs, have generated a lot of interest in our region. These tall structures covered with strong weatherproof plastic can extend a growing season an extra two to four months, giving users the opportunity to try diverse crops and to add value to a farming operation. "These high tunnels are just big hoops covered by plastic," says Bruce Smith, Dawson County extension agent. “These structures can range from 1...
Last spring, the North Dakota State University Foundation Seedstocks (NDFSS) and Busch Agricultural Resources, Inc. (BAR) cooperated in releasing a new malting barley named Innovation. The release was made through the North Dakota Crop Improvement Associates and county associations. An allocation was awarded to Hal Hickel, Ray. Despite a very, very late planting Hal was able to harvest 1100 bushels of seed which has met the standard of registered grade, the highest possible. Hal reports the...
There is a vial of little blue pellets in Barry Jacobsen’s lab. Its contents, a bacterium taken from a few healthy leaves in a northeast Montana sugar beet field overrun with disease, could save farmers around the world millions of dollars each year. Since Jacobsen isolated it in 1994 during a catastrophic Cercospora leaf spot outbreak near Sidney, the bacterium - Bacillus mycoides isolate J, or BmJ - has shown impressive abilities. It has proven effective in fighting a variety of plant d...
The MonDak has always stood out as an agricultural area, which is the prime reason many of us chose to make this region our home. We liked the farming way of life and preferred the peace of the country to the bustle of commercial centers. Well, our cherished way of life has practically vanished as agriculture and its lifestyle has had to move aside for the oil industry. The oil boom continues to trump agriculture in numerous ways and many area farmers feel that in the coming years, agriculture i...
