McKelvy To Present Virtually At MonDak Ag Days

Dr. Uta McKelvy will be giving a virtual presentation on small grain disease identification, control and efficacy of seed treatments on Friday, March 5, at 12:30 p.m.. 

McKelvy is the associate extension specialist for Plant Pathology and assistant research professor in the Department of Plant Sciences and Plant Pathology at Montana State University, Bozeman. She earned her PhD in plant pathology from Montana State University in 2020, where she worked on the dynamics of the wheat streak mosaic disease complex in the agricultural landscape. Her current research focuses on developing prediction tools for foliar diseases of wheat in collaboration with the National Predictive Modeling Tool Initiative.

McKelvy's presentation will focus on common, yield-limiting diseases of cereal crops in Montana, such as seedling blights, early and late-season root rots, head scab, as well as wheat streak mosaic disease. Her goal is to provide attendees with essential information on characteristic symptoms that will be useful for the identification of these diseases, as well as information on the impact of these diseases on crop yield. "I will highlight factors that promote disease and discuss integrated management strategies to mitigate disease pressure and protect crop yield. Fungicide seed treatments are a fundamental and cost-effective management strategy that facilitates a healthy start into the crop year. In my presentation, I will talk about what seed treatments are available for the control of which small grain diseases and discuss the strengths and weaknesses of available seed treatments. As usual, I will include additional resources for further information in my presentation, stated McKelvy. 

She explained that correct disease diagnosis is the first step to a successful disease management program. Before growers formulate management strategies, they must first understand what culprit they are dealing with.

McKelvy's talk will provide attendees with helpful clues for recognizing common diseases of cereal crops and useful information that will aid attendees in developing successful and economic disease management programs for their production operation. She said," I hope that my presentation will set them up for a successful crop year 2021 (when it comes to disease management)."

She is excited to be part of the MonDak Ag Days. She is always looking forward to meeting growers in Montana and North Dakota and learning about their farms, success stories, challenges, and how she can help. She added, "I'm also looking forward to hearing from my peers in Montana and North Dakota and what's new in the industry. Of course, it would be even greater if I could attend in person, but I'm hopeful that I will be able to travel into the NE Montana/NW North Dakota region later this year."

 

Reader Comments(0)

 
 
Rendered 03/28/2024 17:15