Helfert’s Helena Farm Supply

“Producers were losing most of their (crop) yield because it was becoming an outbreak level that they couldn’t manage using pyrethroids,” Rodbell explained.

The researchers investigated insecticide resistance in alfalfa weevils in Arizona, California, Montana, Oregon, Washington and Wyoming. They discovered that the weevils were resistant to both lambda-cyhalothrin and zeta-cypermethrin, also known as “Warrier” and “Mustang Maxx,” respectively — two insecticides approved by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency for managing alfalfa weevils.

The research confirmed the insect was showing resistance to one of the most common insecticide ingredients called type II pyrethroid. The study also showed that the older, less potent type I pyrethroid — commonly called bifenthrin — was still working on the insect, Rodbell said.

Wanner, co-author on the paper and MSU associate professor in plant science, said that the insect’s resistance was not uniform. There were still areas in each state studied where resistance had not developed to the type II pyrethroid.

“It gives us the opportunity to make recommendations for how to slow the development of resistance in these areas to prolong the usefulness of this insecticide,” he said.

The paper includes suggestions for preventing and combating resistance. In Montana, alfalfa weevils tend to be most active in early and mid-June, Rodbell said. Proper monitoring of weevil populations includes recording alfalfa damage before and after insecticide is applied to track potential resistance issues.

“The best method for delaying or combating resistance is a strong integrated pest management system, which relies on robust monitoring,” Rodbell said.

Current management recommendations include harvesting early when possible, applying insecticide treatments at the highest labeled rate and rotating insecticide types. Rodbell said switching insecticides is more effective than continuing to use one that is becoming less effective. She also noted that combining different management methods is usually the best approach to preventing insecticide resistance.

Once resistance occurs, effective management options are limited, she added.

“Surprisingly, we know relatively little about this pest species even though it’s been around since 1904,” said Rodbell, who plans to continue her research into the weevil’s reaction to pyrethroids to help improve current management strategies. “Producers are losing alfalfa quality and value. It’s an important issue for Montana and researchers.”

Eric Marlon Bishop

In 1989, this Texas comic was having trouble getting called up on stage at open-mic nights. Noticing that there were a dozen men comics for every female comic–and the ladies were getting called up first– Bishop wrote a more feminine-sounding name on the sign-up sheet to fool the emcee. It worked: As “Jamie Foxx,” he was called up to perform. (The last name was in honor of comedian Red Foxx.) “A stage name is like having a Superman complex,” Foxx once told Oprah Winfrey, “I go into the telephone booth as Eric Bishop and come out as Jamie Foxx.”

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Dear God, sometimes I want to kick up my heels and dance, but these bones just want to sit down in a comfy chair and watch Dancing with the Stars. Help me do both–at separate times, of course.

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Lord, I have an answer for these senior moments–laugh and take them with a grain of sugar.

MDA highlights Chilean cattle trade delegation

Continuing the focus on expanding Montana’s agricultural contribution to international trade and highlighting the diversity in Montana’s agricultural ecosystem, Director Clark and representatives from the Montana Department of Agriculture (MDA) visited Ehlke Herefords in Townsend, Montana to welcome a delegation of cattle producers from Chile as part of a Montana Department of Agriculture Cattle Genetics Trade Mission.

Mark and Della Ehlke are first generation Hereford seedstock producers. Before getting their registered Hereford operation started, they had a handful of commercial cattle in Helena, MT. After serving as a commercial judge at the MHA Winter Fair sale in Bozeman, Mark bought the families’ first registered Hereford heifer, marking the official inception of Ehlke Herefords.

Ehlke Herefords has been able to make extensive advances to their genetics and have increased the size of their operation multiple times through the retention of quality replacements, infusion of outside genetics, a focused use of AI and ET, and the addition of owned and leased grass.

“Livestock producers from around the world come to Montana seeking our high-quality beef genetics. This specific group of Chilean cattle producers have been traveling the state for five days thus far, getting a detailed look into Montana Hereford and Angus ranches producing some of the top genetics available. Ehlke Herefords is a great example of the passion and commitment for genetic progression this state has to offer,” Director Clark said.

Thank you to Ehlke Herefords for hosting the visit and giving a look into a family-owned operation here in Montana adding value to the ag ecosystem that drives the state’s number one industry.

National Pink Day

This holiday is always celebrated on June 23

It’s National Pink Day, a day where everything should be basking in pink splendor! This day is best viewed through rose-colored glasses. It is a fun day enjoyed by both men and women. Look for this color everywhere you go. Add it to things as well. For example, wearing this color is a great way to participate in this June 23 holiday.

It’s especially a day for the ladies, as pink is a girl’s favorite color. Guys, you can participate in National Pink Day, too. Just get in touch with your feminine side, and display a dash of pink. On occasion, guys do wear pink shirts and ties. Note: the girls will love you for it!

Sorghum bran rises as an ingredient for enhancing gluten-free bread

From Agricultural Research Service

Sorghum bran, often a low-cost byproduct of sorghum milling, can enhance gluten-free bread’s nutritional value without compromising its flavor, according to a study published in the Journal of Food Science.

While gluten-free foods are in demand to meet consumers’ medical needs and dietary preferences, these foods sometimes are deficient in nutrients and lack taste and texture that appeals to consumers. In gluten-free bread, wheat flour is typically replaced with refined flour and starches from other sources. Adding dietary fiber, a carbohydrate found in whole grains that has important health benefits, to gluten-free bread can lead to a hard texture and more rapid staling.

To find solutions to these challenges, U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA)’s Agricultural Research Service (ARS) researchers studied sumac sorghum bran, classified as a brown tannin-containing variety with antioxidant properties and dietary fiber, as a possible substitute for wheat flour in gluten-free bread.

“In our study, we used optimization models to create a gluten-free bread with enhanced dietary fiber while preserving other desirable bread attributes such as color, texture, and flavor,” said Ryan Ardoin, research food technologist at ARS’s Food Processing and Sensory Quality Research Unit in New Orleans. “This meant finding the optimal amount of sumac sorghum bran to use in the bread to get the nutritional benefits without compromising taste and texture.”

Six loaves of sorghum bread on a cooling rack.ARS researchers baked bread loaves containing sumac sorghum bran during the research study. (Photo by Brennan Smith, D5098-1)

Ardoin and Brennan Smith along with researchers Fadi Aramouni and Scott Bean from ARS’s Grain Quality and Structure Research Unit in Manhattan, Kansas, conducted taste tests and asked consumers to rate different breads with and without the sorghum bran.

“We found that people liked the gluten-free bread that contains 14.2% sumac sorghum bran and would be just as willing to buy this bread,” said Ardoin. “There was no difference in perceived bitterness found between the bread with and without the sorghum bran.”

Ardoin, whose work involves novel food development and sensory evaluation, said making foods appealing to the senses is important. People seek gluten-free food options and prefer foods with a similar flavor and texture as their gluten-containing counterparts.

According to the National Institutes of Health (NIH), about 2 million people in the United States have celiac disease, an autoimmune condition, and must avoid dietary gluten, a protein found in wheat, rye, and barley. Additionally, over 20% of U.S. consumers purchase gluten-free products without a medical reason.

“The potential health benefits provided by tannincontaining sorghum bran in gluten-free foods can benefit consumers who must avoid gluten as well as those seeking other food options,” said Ardoin.

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Recovery assistance available for livestock

Agricultural operations in Idaho, Minnesota, North Dakota, South Dakota and Wyoming have been significantly impacted by recent snowstorms. The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has technical and financial assistance available to help farmers and livestock producers recover from these adverse weather events. Impacted producers should contact their local USDA Service Center to report losses and learn more about program options available to assist in their recovery from crop, land, infrastructure, and livestock losses and damages.

“These recent winter storms have taken their toll on livestock producers in Idaho, Minnesota, North Dakota, South Dakota and Wyoming leaving producers with snow removal costs as well as increased feed expenses,” said Robert Bonnie, Under Secretary for Farm Production and Conservation (FPAC). “We stand with our producers who have worked tirelessly in these severe conditions to keep livestock fed and to protect crops from Mother Nature’s wrath. We know these storms have left damage in their wake, and I’m glad that USDA offers a strong portfolio of disaster assistance programs available to help.”

USDA Disaster Recovery Assistance

Producers who experience livestock deaths in excess of normal mortality may be eligible for the Livestock Indemnity Program (LIP). To participate in LIP, producers will have to provide acceptable documentation of death losses resulting from an eligible adverse weather event and must submit a notice of loss to their local FSA office within 30 calendar days of when the loss of livestock is apparent.

Meanwhile, the Emergency Assistance for Livestock, Honeybees, and Farm-Raised Fish Program (ELAP) provides eligible producers with compensation for feed and grazing losses. ELAP also includes costs associated with equipment rental fees for hay lifts and snow removal. For ELAP, producers will need to file a notice of loss within 30 days and honeybee losses within 15 days.