By Clair Keene
The annual NDSU Extension Best of the Best in Wheat and Soybean Research meetings will be held Wednesday, Feb. 5, at the Alerus Center in Grand Forks, North Dakota, and on Thursday, Feb. 6, at the Courtyard by Marriot in Moorhead, Minnesota.
Both days the doors open at 8 a.m. and the program starts at 8:20 a.m.
This year’s agenda will provide updates on new soybean insect pests to monitor, small grain disease management, early-season soybean seedling diseases and an update to changes happening at the federal level regarding pesticide labeling and pesticide applicator certification.
“We are pleased to announce that this popular program will continue with support from the North Dakota Wheat Commission, the Minnesota Research and Promotion Council, and the Soybean Councils of North Dakota and Minnesota,” says Clair Keene, NDSU Extension agronomist for small grains and corn. “We have some new names on our program including Dr. Ana Carcedo, the new NDSU Extension broadleaf crop agronomist and Linda Johns, Associate Director for the Pesticide Safety and Environmental Education Program, University of Minnesota Extension. Dr. Jochum Wiersma of UMN Crookston will discuss spring wheat variety selection and management and Dr. Frayne Olson, NDSU Extension crop marketing specialist, will give his always-informative crop market outlook.”
The popular hands-on demonstrations will be offered on the following topics: iron deficiency chlorosis in soybean, Hessian fly and wheat stem sawfly in small grains, grass weed identification and root rot diseases of soybean. These breakout sessions allow participants to get up close with live plants and examples of pests and pathogens, and ask questions of Extension and research specialists in a small group format.
4.0 Certified Crop Advisor Continuing Education Units (CEUs) will be offered in the following categories: 2.0 integrated pest management, 1.0 crop management and 1.0 professional development.
The Best of the Best meetings are free to attend but registration is requested to help with lunch count. Register by Feb. 3, at https://mnwheat.org/growers/best-of-the-best/.
Source : ndsu.edu