Trader's Dispatch - May 2023

Vol. XXIV No. 4 P.O. Box 997 Conrad, MT 59425-0997

Open

positions

with Noxious Weed Management Advisory Council

Applications and nominations due May 31, 2023

The Montana Department of Agriculture (MDA) is currently recruiting for open positions on its Noxious Weed Management Advisory Council (NWMAC). The following council terms expire June 30, 2023:

Livestock Production Representative

Herbicide Dealer or Applicator

Noxious Weed Research and Control Interests Representative

Western County Weed District Representative

Agriculture Crop Production Representative.

The advisory council is appointed by the MDA Director and provides guidance to the department and the Noxious Weed Programs, which assists Montana counties, local and tribal communities, researchers, and educators in efforts to combat noxious weeds. MDA’s noxious weed programs include the Noxious Weed Trust Fund, Noxious Weed Materials program, Early Detection, Rapid Response program, and State Noxious Weed Coordination. Service terms are two years and members are required to attend three meetings per year: spring grant hearings, a summer tour, and a winter business meeting.

CONTINUED ON PAGE A2

UPCOMING AUCTIONS

Ends May 23, Musser Bros Auctions, Hay Fox Ranch, Online A11

May 5 - 17, Booker Auction Co., Annual Spring Off-site Farm Online A3

May 8 - 24, Ascent Auction Service, Late Spring Belgrade MT Equipment & Vehicles, Online A15

May 18, Rick Young & Sons Auctioneers, Van Oosten Ranch, Reed Point MT A7

May 20, Weaver Auctions, Annual Spring Consignment, Drummond MT A2

May 20, Logan Auction Services, Inc., SG Miller Ranch Liquidation, Clyde Park MT A5

May 20, Montana Auction Company, Eagle Oilfield Services, Sidney MT A17

May 20, Barnes Auction Service, Jack Hirschy Livestock/Harrington Ranch Inventory Reduction, Wisdom MT A18

May 20 - 21, RLP Auctions, Collectibles, Native Americana, Guns, Silver, Gold, Hamilton MT A28

June 3, Barnes Auction Service, 23rd Annual Farm & Ranch Equipment, Dillon MT A24

June 3, GSI Auction Service, Glen & Stephanie Meier Farm & Ranch Retirement, Glasgow MT A22

June 8, Fritz Auction, Consignment, Chester and Online A23

June 27, Fritz Auction, RL Johnson Inc. Farm Retirement, Cut Bank MT A38

Controlling winter weeds

By Todd Whitney, UNL

Now is the time to control winter annual weeds in alfalfa. Thinned alfalfa stands combined with open soil and adequate moisture can result in weed pressure. So, prior to alfalfa dormancy break and early green-up, assess winter annual weeds populations such as: pennycress, downy brome, mustards, cheatgrass, and shepherd’s purse. Left unchecked, these weeds can lower first cutting hay quality and palatability. Excessive weeds can also extend dry-down time and lengthen harvest time.

However, before applying any herbicide, scout fields and determine current and potential weed pressure. Verify that fields have enough weeds to justify herbicide spray applications and then determine the best management options.

If alfalfa fields are still dormant, Sharpen®; Metribuzin®; and Gramoxone® herbicides can still be applied. Pre-emergent herbicides such as Warrant®; Chateau®; and Prowl H2O® can be applied soon after green-up, but these chemicals will not control weeds which have already germinated. Aim® herbicide will control early growing broadleaf weeds, but it will not control grassy weeds. Poast® herbicide will

Energizing Entrepreneurs conference

Anyone who wants to start a business in their rural community will have an opportunity to be inspired at Energizing Entrepreneurs, a conference North Dakota State University Extension is hosting May 16-17 in Hazen, North Dakota.

“What’s special about this conference is that it will take place in a rural community targeted at rural entrepreneurs or anyone else with an idea and passion to make their opportunities right where they are,” says Jodi Bruns, NDSU Extension leadership and civic engagement specialist.

During the conference, keynote speaker Kevin Black, CEO of Creedence Energy Services, will share his entrepreneurship story and insights from co-founding Creedence in 2014 with two of his cousins.

Since 2014, Black has guided the company’s growth to a national reach. The company provides energy partners with chemical solutions that generate value for their business through developing cuttingedge technology. Family ties to the industry run deep for Black who followed the footsteps of his father, grandfather and greatgrandfather into the oil industry.

Matt and Katie Chausse, from Fargo, North Dakota, will share their story as cofounders of Be More Colorful in 2016.

By creating interactive virtual tours and virtual reality (VR) experiences for anything from residential real estate to products to travel, the business has grown to provide immersive career exploration experiences to students and adult career seekers. Be More Colorful has grown from a team of two to a team of eight since 2016.

In addition to the keynote presentations, participants will be able to attend breakout sessions that focus on four tracks:

Meeting rural health care needs

Business succession for the next generation

Business branding

PRIVATE TREATY

This cool little machine, called a John Deere pony, was working hard at the horse sale in Roundup, Montana on April 29 making ice cream for the people attending the sale.

Those interested in serving on the NWMAC are encouraged to submit a letter of interest and application to MDA by May 31, 2023. More information and applications are available on the NWMAC homepage. Nominations can be submitted to: Montana Department of Agriculture, P.O. Box 2002014, Helena, MT 59620-0201.

Controlling winter weeds

control most growing weedy grasses but not downy brome. Pursuit® and Raptor® herbicides will control growing weeds during early alfalfa green-up, but control weeds best when air temperatures are warmer. Glyphosate (Roundup Weathermax®/Powermax®) will control growing weeds too but must be used with Roundup-Tolerant varieties.

Other labelled products for new alfalfa include: Arrow®; Select Max®; Velpar®, Karmex®, Sinbar®; Pursuit®, and Raptor®. Our UNL Extension publication, EC 130, ‘Guide for Weed, Disease, and Insect Management in Nebraska’ may provide additional options.

Winter annuals can quickly establish in hay fields, so early season weed control is important for quality hay production. Since timing is essential, control winter annuals before alfalfa breaks dormancy and before weeds render economic losses.

Energizing Entrepreneurs

Getting creative to make a living

“The Energizing Entrepreneurs conference is a concept that has been popular in other states,” says Bruns. “This conference is different in that it won’t be held in a convention hall, but rather the breakout sessions will be held in local businesses around Hazen.

“If you’ve ever thought about starting a business in rural North Dakota, this conference will give you the spark and the tools to get started.”

Space is limited, so those planning to attend should register as early as possible. Visit ndsu.ag/energize for more information and to register.

We love being able to send the Trader’s Dispatch free of charge but...... we hate seeing them not being read and thrown out.

• If you no longer want your Trader’s Dispatch let us know!

• If you are getting two and only need one let us know! We don’t check the obituaries so if someone was receiving the paper and has passed let us know! With postage prices rising steadily we’d like to know our postage costs are justified. Contact us at: (406) 271-5533 or email us at info@tradersdispatch.com

THE TRADER’S DISPATCH

MAY

MFB Summer Conference planned

The MFBF Summer Conference will be held June 5-7 at the GranTree Inn in Bozeman. The summer conference provides an opportunity for the organization’s advisory committees to discuss current agricultural issues and concerns and surface ideas for policy development.

Keynote speakers include Matt Rush, a national leadership and agricultural advocacy speaker, and Ryan Osmundson, director of budget and program planning for the State of Montana, who will present “The State of Montana’s Budget.” Kirk Donsbach with StoneX will provide the educational workshop, “Hedging: How to Manage Market Risk.”

The MFBF Summer Conference begins Monday morning with MFBF Board and Foundation Board meetings and the Young Farmers & Ranchers, Women’s Leadership, and Policy Development Committee meetings.

Nine issues advisory committees will meet Tuesday to hear informative speakers on pertinent topics and discuss potential policy to take back to their county Farm Bureaus.

The MFB Foundation will hold its “Welcome to the Block” Fundraiser on Tuesday evening. The event will be held at Montana Farm Bureau’s new building west of Bozeman and feature an MFBF district basket auction and other fundraisers benefitting the MFB Foundation with its mission to support agriculture education, research, and community support. Wednesday’s agricultural-themed tour includes the Producer Partnership processing plant and Skattum Dairy, both in the Livingston area and West Paw, a pet products manufacturer based in Bozeman. The MFB Foundation will also hold its popular Foundation Golf Scramble on Wednesday.

For more information and to register, visit mfbf.org. The registration deadline is May 26, with the room block deadline at the GranTree Inn May 22. Questions? Call the MFBF office at 406-587-3153.

#####

Lord, I wondered why my potted plants died while I was on vacation. Then I realized I’d locked the gate to the backyard so my neighbor couldn’t get to them. Thank you for bringing that to mind before I complained.

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Youth farm safety camps set

Youth will be able to learn about safe farm and ranch practices during three statewide Farm Safety Camps that North Dakota State University Extension is hosting this year. Camping dates and location are:

May 23-25, Williston State College Campus, Williston

May 30- June 1, NDSU Campus, Fargo

June 26-28, Bismarck State College Campus, Bismarck

The camps cover the basics of safe tractor and machinery operation, general farm hazards, livestock handling, use of personal protective equipment, and basic first-aid and firstresponse procedures.

“These camps are designed to help teens become familiar with the most serious hazards associated with operating tractors and agricultural machinery, along with the fundamentals of safe operation and maintenance,” says Angie Johnson, NDSU Extension farm and ranch safety coordinator, who is collaborating with NDSU Extension agents to conduct these camps.

Participants will receive hands-on experience and learning opportunities, including:

Safe tractor operation, including a tractor driving obstacle course

Livestock handling

All-terrain vehicle safety, including an ATV driving course

Skidsteer safety

Roadway safety using rules of the road

Farm first-aid and emergency preparedness

Laws related to youth working in agriculture

Equipment operation and maintenance

Farm stress management skills

Farm hazard identification

Youth will have opportunities for hands-on learning, including utilizing farm equipment on obstacle courses to simulate actual farm situations. Livestock handling sessions will allow participants to interact with animals and learn more about animal behaviors and safety when working with animals. ATV certification and Stop the Bleed certification are also included.

Federal law under the Hazardous Occupations Order for Agriculture requires that youth under the age of 16 receive certification of training prior to employment on farms operated by anyone other than a parent or guardian. The program is for youth 14 and 15 years old. Youth who are 13 can participate, and the license they receive will become valid when they reach their 14th birthday.

By successfully passing this program, participants will receive official certification to operate tractors over 20 horsepower and some pieces of farm machinery when working for a farmer or rancher outside the family.

“While this certification is not required for youth to work on their own family farm, we encourage all teens who plan to work on a farm to participate in this program,” says Johnson. “These camps are designed to strengthen communication skills between parents, employers and teen workers on the farm. Farm safety training prepares the next generation of the workforce with the safety skills needed to prevent injuries and fatalities on the job.”

Camps are open to youth from all counties in North Dakota. Youth do not need to be enrolled in 4-H to participate. Registration opens April 1. The deadline to register is April 30. The cost of each camp is $275. Registration for both camps can be found online at ndsu.ag/youthfarmsafety. For more information regarding farm safety camp, please contact your local county Extension agent.

Mullet

Also appearing sometime in the 1970s, the mullet soared to popularity in the ‘80s among rockers and rednecks. But the origins of the short-on-the-top-and-sides, long-and-freein-the-back look are a bit mysterious. Some say the hockey players originated the ‘do, and others think it’s an offspring of rock’n’roll (David Bowie was an early adopter)–but most agree that it should be retired.

The Caucasus

This mountain range divides Europe from Asia. It’s nestled between the Black and Caspian seas and bordered by Ukraine and Turkey. The region includes southwest Russia, Azerbaijan, and Armenia. The name comes from the ancient Greek word kau, meaning “mountain.”

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Understanding hardware disease

By Lisa Moser, K-State Research and Extension news service

Anyone who has spent time with toddlers know that they need to be watched closely to make sure they don’t put nonfood objects into their mouths to avoid a hazard.

Much like toddlers, cattle also like to explore with their mouths and sometimes eat objects that they shouldn’t, said the veterinarians at the Kansas State University Beef Cattle Institute.

Speaking on a recent Cattle Chat podcast, veterinarians Brian Lubbers, Brad White and Bob Larson discussed the signs of hardware disease and offered suggestions on ways to manage it once it is suspected to be impacting an animal.

“Hardware disease happens when cattle put metal or sharp objects in their mouth, swallow it and then it gets into one of their stomach compartments where it can puncture a hole and move into other parts of the animal’s body,” Lubbers said.

Tim

White said items cattle might inadvertently eat include wires, nuts and bolts. Sometimes those get into the silage by accident in the harvesting and ensiling process.

Lubbers explains that the foreign object can migrate to other places in the body, which can cause a significant health risk to the animal.

“When the object moves out of the stomach it is carrying the bacteria that was in the digestive tract with it and that can lead to infections,” Lubbers said. “Oftentimes the body develops abscesses to wall off the disease, but sometimes that wire can get into the sac surrounding the heart and lead to an infection.”

Larson said cattle with heart trouble will stand with their elbows out and show signs of labored breathing. Animals that show these symptoms need to be evaluated quickly by a veterinarian.

Oftentimes, Larson said this disease is hard to detect.

“For cattle that ‘ain’t doing right,’ hardware disease is one of the first things we suspect when we evaluate them,” Larson said.

Treatment options are limited, said the veterinarians. However, one way to try to keep the foreign objects from moving where they shouldn’t go is to deposit a magnet down the cow’s throat that will settle in the reticulum (one of the cattle’s four stomach compartments).

“The idea is that the metal will stick to the magnet making it less likely to migrate, but it is better if we can keep them from eating these things in the first place,” Larson said. He said that there are magnets used in the feed milling process that keep the loose metal from inadvertently ending up in the silage.

“If you are producing your own feed, magnets in the mill or feeder wagon are recommended,” Larson said.

Montana State hail insurance available

Applications for the State Hail Insurance Program are now available through the Montana Department of Agriculture (MDA).

Producers can insure crops against hail damage at the maximum coverage rate of $75 per acre for dryland and $114 per acre for irrigated land. Rates charged are a percentage of the insured amount and vary by county. A detailed list of rates by county and crop can be found online by visiting the MDA website. State policies are available for purchase until August 15, 2023.

Producers who previously purchased state hail insurance will receive applications in the mail. Application forms are also available online or by calling the MDA office. Staff are available to process policies, file claims, and help answer any questions producers may have regarding coverage options. Completed forms can be emailed, mailed, faxed, or used as a reference when contacting the office by phone.

Contact Information:

Montana State Hail Insurance Program

P.O. Box 200201

Helena, MT 59620

Phone: (406) 444-5429

Email: agrhail@mt.gov

Toll Free: 1 (844) 515-1571

Fax: (406) 444-9442

Loss claims are due to the office by October 1, 2023, and must be submitted within two weeks of the hail damage occurrence. Forms are available online or by request.

Grants available to spur innovation technologies

USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) is accepting applications for grants until May 26, 2023, to fund Montana projects that could stimulate the development and adoption of innovative conservation approaches and technologies. Conservation Innovation Grants (CIG) generally fund pilot projects, field demonstrations and on-farm conservation research.

Tom Watson, NRCS state conservationist for Montana, said $225,000 is available for the state-component CIG this year. He said applicants can request up to $75,000 for projects lasting one to three years.

Watson said projects should address one or more of the resource concerns identified for this program: community agriculture, soil health, irrigation technology, range health, and water quality and quantity. CIG projects are expected to lead to the transfer of conservation technologies, management systems, and innovative approaches to agricultural producers, into government technical manuals and guides, or to the private sector.

The Montana CIG program provides special consideration to projects substantially involving or benefitting historically underserved producers or groups of producers. This includes proposals from historically underserved producers, veteran farmers or ranchers, or community-based organizations comprised of or representing these entities. Such entities may include those developing innovative conservation approaches or technologies specifically targeting historically underserved producers’ unique needs, 1890 or 1994 land grant institutions and tribal colleges, and others.

Applications must be submitted electronically through grants.gov by 11:59 p.m. Eastern Time on May 26, 2023.

Information about this CIG opportunity and the application process is available online at grants.gov. Search for Montana CIG. General CIG information can be found at mt.nrcs.usda.gov. #####

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Effects of docility in beef cattle

It is not merely an inconvenience to deal with bad actors-there are some other good reasons to get rid of them.

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A recent report from Florida investigated reproductive performance in pasture-mated cows based on a combined docility score. The scores were an average among those for reaction when in a chute, in a pen, and a measured exit velocity when released from the chute. Combined with plasma cortisol levels (a measure of animal stress), these workers found a negative relationship between the combined docility score and reproductive performance.

Penn State Extension pected progeny differences for the trait. The heritability is moderate to high for docility (0.37 in the American Angus Association database), which means significant progress can be made in improving the trait through selection for more docile cattle. Specific genes related to docility have been identified in cattle, and the presence of these genes can be determined in the laboratory by commercial companies that provide this service for this and many other traits.

Feedlot Cattle

Several purebred cattle organizations have used a docility score (a score ranging from 1 to 6 with 1 being very docile to 6 being very aggressive) to predict docility in progeny through the generation of ex-

Most of the data available related to the influence of docility is with feedlot cattle. Table 1 shows the results of docility on feedlot performance and carcass traits for over 13,000 cattle fed in southwestern Iowa during 2002-2004. These data clearly show docility can have a significant effect on the economics of feeding cattle.

On a choice/select spread of just $6.00/ cwt, these results indicate the value of docile compared to aggressive cattle would be about $67.00 per steer, and this does not include the extra feed, time in the feedlot, and added treatment cost and death rate of aggressive cattle. Additionally, another study (Berg, et al, 2009) indicated cattle with a higher exit velocity after release from a chute had significantly higher toughness in their steaks based on Warner-Bratzler shear values. A 1997 study in Colorado showed average daily gain of feedlot cattle was reduced by 0.4 lbs/day in English and continental breeds and by 0.6 lbs./day in Brahman and Brahman-cross cattle when temperament scores ranged from calm to continuous movement in a chute.

Culling Based on Docility

Most small-herd cattle managers are aware of the cattle with bad behavior in their herds. There is evidence these cattle should be culled from the breeding herd because they will have both lower reproductive performance, and there is a fairly

high probability their offspring will have similar behavior problems. Cattle feeders should critically evaluate docility in cattle at arrival and after 30 days in the feedlot. Studies show that some cattle that arrive under stress at the feedlot will overcome the behavior problem after acclimation. However, if bad behavior persists, there are two major reasons to remove these cattle from the pen. First, their individual performance and carcass values will be reduced. Secondly, unpublished work at Penn State with small pens of cattle indicated those cattle with poor behavior tended to influence bad behavior in their penmates as well. Cattle in pasture programs will usually elicit increased behavior problems because of fewer interactions with humans. Frustration in moving cattle and fixing fences will become a problem!

We always knew we did not like to deal with bad actors. Here is the evidence to get rid of them and do yourself a favor in many ways.

Feddes

Registration

open for UW Extension’s Ranch Camp

The University of Wyoming Extension is now accepting applications for 2023 Ranch Camp, an educational program led by extension personnel and hosted by Padlock Ranch. The event will take place Monday, June 12, through Friday, June 16.

Open to applicants ages 18 and older, Ranch Camp provides an immersive introduction to ranch economics, management and diversification as well as animal science, meat science, range science and soil science. The program balances seminar-based learning with hands-on activities like cattle branding, ranch tours and a visit to Mountain Meadow Wool mill.

Previous ranching or agricultural experience is not required. The cost is $200 per student, including a $100 deposit. Scholarships are available.

The annual program is organized by UW Extension educators Hudson Hill, Chance Marshall, Brian Sebade and Barton Stam in partnership with a host ranch. To apply, contact Hill at hrhill@uwyo.edu or Marshall at cmarsha1@uwyo.edu.

“We combine hard-hitting economic decision-making tools with hands-on activities that the students have adored,” says Hill. “Ranch Camp emboldens students and builds their confidence to make informed decisions with the right information.”

Throughout the week, teams of participants collaborate to create business plans for their host ranch. On the fifth day of the program, plans are presented to a panel of ranch managers and extension personnel.

“I can really use this and apply it to life—already—and that means a lot to me,” comments a 2022 participant. She returned home with new ideas for how to diversify operations on her family’s ranch.

To hear more from 2022 Ranch Camp participants, visit https://bit.ly/ranch-camp-2022.

For those interested in sponsoring a student scholarship or hosting future Ranch Camp events, contact Hill at hrhill@ uwyo.edu or (307) 885-3132.

Thin cows and limited hay resources: What are my options?

By Josie Crouch, MS Animal Science student; Kacie McCarthy, UNL Cow-Calf Specialist; Travis Mulliniks, UNL Beef Cattle Nutritionist, Range Production Systems

Drought conditions this last growing season, limited hay supply, and a wet winter have been very challenging to beef producers. This created a situation where many cows at this point were thinner than normal years. In addition, we couple that with limited hay and lower-quality hay with the potential of having a late green up or delayed turn out to grass. With that in mind, we have to think about how to increase energy in the diet to meet the lactational requirements while gaining BCS and doing that past our traditional turn out to grass.

Body condition scoring (BCS) is an effective management tool to estimate the energy reserves of a cow. If monitored multiple times across the production year, BCS is a good indicator of direction of body weight change. Body condition score of beef cows at the time of calving has an impact on subsequent rebreeding performance; however, direction of body weight gain can be just as important (Table 1). Traditional recommendations suggest cows need to be nutritionally managed at a BCS 5 or greater at breeding for optimal reproductive performance. However, the response is not absolute; some cows are capable of rebreeding at BCS less than 5.

Although calving BCS can influence rebreeding and performance of cows, it doesn’t mean thin cows will always result in decreased reproductive performance. A large impact on reproduction is direction and magnitude of body weight change after calving and through breeding. Houghton et al. (1990) showed that thin cows gaining condition increased the probability of cows becoming pregnant; however, fleshy (fat) cows losing body condition improved pregnancy rate (Table 1). The effects of poor body condition (less than 4) can be overcome by improved nutrition. The goal is to shorten the period of weight loss by increased nutrient supply so that positive gain can be initiated, and the cows can start cycling.

Because of the nutritional demands of lactation, it can be difficult to get cows to gain body weight economically after calving. This is really due to nutrient requirements being the greatest up to approximately day 60 after calving, which also coincides with the start of breeding. A lactating cow at peak lactation has an energy demand of 15 – 16 lb of TDN per day depending on milk production level.

So, what do we do if we have thin cows? Additional energy will be required to restore their body condition to a moderate level. The problem with this management scheme is that nutrient demands at this time are high and the additional nutrition supplied may be used to increase milk production rather than body weight gain.

What options do we have to stretch forage or hay supply?

Controlling hay waste: Controlling or minimizing feed waste is essential to stretching hay resources. With any feed or feeding method, we always have waste associated with it. Understanding how much waste is occurring is essential for meeting nutrient needs of livestock. Method and amount of hay being fed can have feed waste greater than 25%. Some studies have shown up to 39% hay waste by method of feeding hay. Hay waste is highly influenced by hay feeder design that is used to feed ad libitum amount to beef cows. Ring feeders with sheeted bottoms and basket feeders

with sheeted bottoms generally have lower waste percentages of 5 to 10%.

If you are feeding hay through a processor or rolling bales out, it is important to only feed enough so that cows can eat all that they need for one day and not overfeeding. Overfeeding can lead to increased waste due to cows urinating and defecating on the excess hay.

One method to control waste is to control access to hay feeders. Segregating feeding area and only allowing cattle to access hay for 3 to 12 hours a day. Limit feeding or restricting access to hay can reduce intake and waste by ~20%. However, it is important to know hay quality and having adequate feeders/bales available so that cows have equal access to hay during the feeding times.

In situations where hay is being limit fed to stretch forage resources, grazing behavior and overall grazing intake may decrease due to cows waiting for hay to be delivered. If cows are already thin, this may cause an overall decrease in energy intake. Feeding the same quality of hay but done infrequently can help decrease the chance of cows waiting at the gate for hay to arrive.

Supplemental options:

Utilization of an ionophore for grazing livestock and livestock consuming hay can increase energy value of the overall diet and reduce the need for hay. Research has shown that hay intake can be reduced by approximately 10% with the addition of rumensin in the diet. In addition, studies have shown that rumensin improves body weight gain and BCS.

Feeding a starch-based supplement (i.e., corn) can substitute for hay intake. For instance, 3 lb of corn can decrease hay intake by 3 lbs. Starch-based energy supplements would have to be fed every day, and to minimize waste, it should be fed in a bunk. If corn or corn-based supplements are utilized, then protein supplementation would be needed to meet protein requirements. The impact of feeding corn on forage intake and digestibility has been shown to be dependent on the level of protein in the diet. In digestion studies, increasing energy in diets containing low levels of protein has decreased intake and digestibility of lowquality roughage; however, with greater levels of supplemental protein, increasing energy typically has little effect on intake or digestibility of low-quality roughage.

Other management considerations:

If possible, sort and manage cows by BCS groups (i.e., thin versus fleshy). This will allow you to be more strategic on providing high-quality feedstuffs to thin cows, while not over conditioning any fleshy cows.

Use reproductive technologies. Even if artificial insemination is not utilized, estrus synchronization can help increase the number of thin cows to cycle earlier in the breeding season. Refer to a past BeefWatch article to learn more about how to move cows up in the breeding season: https:// beef.unl.edu/beefwatch/2021/managingpostpartum-anestrus-beef-cows-successfulbreeding-season.

Mitigate the impact of flooding in

rural areas

“Flooding is expected in some rural areas,” says Ken Hellevang, North Dakota State University Extension agricultural engineer. “Now is the time to prepare before water accumulates on the farmstead. Observe where water flows and ponds during the snow melt and consider what needs to be done to reduce future problems.”

The National Weather Service shows the snow water content across much of North Dakota to be 4 to 6 inches. Even with the drought conditions across the state last fall, water ponding and runoff are expected. The snow water equivalent can be viewed at interactive maps on their site at www.nohrsc.noaa.gov/.

To protect your home, farmstead and livestock, consider this advice from NDSU Extension:

Test your sump pump to make sure it is operating properly.

Move snow away from building foundations if it is more than 2 to 3 feet deep. Each cubic foot of piled or packed snow contains almost 3 gallons of water.

Assure that downspouts carry water several feet away from the house or other structures. Six inches of compacted snow on 1,000 square feet of roof is about 1,200 gallons of water.

Move hazardous material such as agricultural chemicals, paint, oil and cleaning supplies to higher locations.

Have an emergency power source, such as a standby generator.

Verify adequate drainage around the farmstead.

Assure that livestock have access to dry ground and their feed is dry and accessible.

If your septic system’s drain field will become flooded, plug all basement drains and drastically reduce water use in the house. Unbolt toilets from the floor to plug the outlet pipe.

Use material such as heavy plastic and duct tape to seal your well cap and top of the well casing if necessary to keep floodwater out.

For more information on preparing for a flood, visit the NDSU Extension flood information website at www.ndsu.edu/agriculture/ ag-hub/ag-topics/disasters/ flood.

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Phone 406-278-3277

Toll-free 1-800-332-7541

Conrad, Montana website: www.bigskyequip.com

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Just In

New Holland TR96, straw chopper, hopper top extensions, moisture sensor, 30-ft. New Holland 971 header with pickup reel, New Holland 970 pickup header, and Rake-Up attachment $12,500

1995 Case IH 2188 combine with MacDon 960 36-ft header and 1010 15-ft pickup header. $19,995

2006 John Deere 9760 STS combine....REDUCED $10,000 to $39,900

1993 Massey Ferguson 8570, includes 30-ft. auger header, 13-ft. pickup header Make an Offer

LET’S DEAL

2017 New Holland H7150 swing tongue frame 2018 New Holland H7150 swing tongue frame

2012 MacDon FD70 35-ft. flex draper, CNH adapter, slow speed transport

2010 MacDon D60 45-ft. draper header with pickup reel, transport $49,900 Case IH 1015 pickup header $2995

2007 Apache 1010 self-propelled sprayer, 1000 gallon poly tank, 60/90 foot steel boom, autorate, auto boom. PRICE REDUCED $69,900

FARM EQUIPMENT FOR SALE

2015 Case IH 3020 flex header, 35-ft. with AWS 2000 air reel, good condition. Comes with 44-ft. trailer.

Case IH header adapter from a 2588 combine for 2142 header.

Final drive for 1400/1600 Series combine.

3-point attachment off Case IH 210 Magnum tractor, heavy duty.

Phone (406) 390-2296 or (406) 399-5913

2004 Freightliner M2 Service Truck 300hp, C7 Cat, 6spd Allison, AC, cruise, PS, AB, 26K GVW, exh. brake, locker, 6000# Autocrane, hyd. outriggers, wireless remote, 22cfm compressor, 80% tires and brakes. $33,500

1998 Gehl DL6h40 Telehandler

4x4, 7,000 lb lift capacity, 40ft. lift height, enclosed cab w/ heat, 3 way steering, 5200 hrs, 4.5 John Deere diesel, 80% 13.00x24 tires, 60” forks, runs and works great $42,500

1998 Freightliner FL70 4x4 lube service truck, 126K miles, 26K GVW, Reman 275 hp 3126 Cat diesel, MD3060 Allison AT, AC, PS, AB, cruise, 14-ft. enclosed body, 4 product tanks, hydraulic compressor, workbench, air greaser, 6 hose reels, 90% brakes, runs and drive great $39,500

2006 Carson 14K equipment trailer, 82” wide x 20-ft. deck, tandem 7K axles with bearing buddies, new ST235/85r16 tires and spare, ramps, 12K electric winch and storage $6000

1999 Freightliner FL112

15 yd. dump, 370 hp M11, 8II, Jake, AC, PS, Dbl. frame, 16K front, 40K rears on Hendrickson spring, 50% 22.5 tires, pintle, air gate $31,500

1995 Ford F800 Compressor Truck

89K Miles, 5.9 Cummins, 5 spd. manual, AC, PS, PB, 24K gvw, hyd. reel handler, 375 cm JD diesel compressor, new 245/19.5 tires. $16,500

1997 Ford F800 Water Truck Reman 210 hp 5.9 Cummins, 6 spd., AB, AC, PS, 26K gvw, 2000 gallon tank, PTO pump, front, side and rear spray, 75% 22.5’s on aluminum wheels.

$29,500

1997 Gradall 534c-10 Telehandler

4x4, 40’ lift height, 4BT Cummins, 7100 hrs, outriggers, 10K capacity, 60% 14.00x24 tires, runs and works great

$41,500

1980 International Service Truck 210 hp DT466, 5&2 spd., AB, PS, IMT 425AT knuckle boom with remote, hydraulic outriggers, 13 hp Curtis 25CFM compressor, 70% 11r22.5 tires, 12-ft. service body. $19,500

1998 Caterpillar TH103 Telehandler

10,000 lb capacity, 44-ft lift height, outriggers, 4x4, 3 way steering, 48” forks, 75% 14.00x24 tires, 9100 hrs, runs and works excellent. $43,500

2001 Chevrolet C6500 210 hp 3126 Cat diesel, 6 spd manual AC, PS, PB, 95K miles, 90% 245/75-19.5 tires, 15-ft. flatbed, PTO hydraulic winch, 26K GVW $19,500

Winter bull management

By Kacie McCarthy, UNL Cow-Calf Specialist

A recent BeefWatch article highlighted the importance of timing for a Breeding Soundness Exam (BSE) in our bull battery especially with the winter weather many of our producers have been experiencing. With that in mind, let us dive in a little deeper to how this harsh winter weather can impact bull fertility and how to address management for this next breeding season. With winter weather being very harsh in some areas of the state and country, checking our bull battery is a great thing to consider this time of year. Moving out of winter is a great time to evaluate body condition and make sure that bulls have or had adequate protection from harsh weather. If insults occurred, how are we going to manage those bulls prior to the breeding season?

Cold Weather Management

In regard to cold weather management, ensuring that our bulls have appropriate housing/shelter, bedding, and feed to progress through the winter is key for future success in the spring and moving into the breeding season. Bulls need appropriate housing to provide protection during severe cold weather, which can lead to fertility problems.

Tissue damage due to frostbite will appear as a scab, discoloration, and/or sloughing of the lower portion of the scrotum. Scrotal frostbite will hinder the bull’s ability to raise or lower the testicles for proper thermoregulation, which ultimately will affect sperm production and result in reduced fertility. A study looked at the effect of severity of frostbite on semen quality in bulls and noted that the percentage of bulls that had an unsatisfactory BSE score increased to 26.7% when frostbite was moderate and 88.7% when severe frostbite occurred (Table 1). Evaluating and observing for tissue damage can help a producer identify bulls that need time to heal or allows you time to cull that bull and find a new bull prior to the breeding season.

Frostbite can be prevented by providing heavy bedding (i.e. straw), a shelter, or windbreak for bulls to get out of the weather. Bedding is important to help mitigate the cold by providing insulation from the frozen ground or snow and keeps cattle clean. Storms with bitter cold temperatures and wind are an obvious time of weather stress. Perhaps less obvious as a cause of weather stress are the moderately cold, windy storms with rain, ice or wet snow that lead to wet hair coats on bulls. Wet hair, like wet clothing, cannot insulate effectively. Providing protection from wind and cold temperatures can help bulls maintain body condition rather than using provided nutrition to maintain body temperatures.

Additional information related to bull management during winter can be found in a past webinar (https://youtu.be/uZLCIZplsnk).

Preparing for Next Breeding Season

Following winter, it will be important to make sure we think about scheduling a BSE at least 60 days prior to the start of the breeding season. If there has been an insult (i.e. frostbite) occurring between the end of last year’s breeding season and the start of the next, it will take at least 60 days to recover and make new sperm. The 60day benchmark gives bulls time to recover and allows time to recheck (usually 2 to 4 weeks later), which will ensure he won’t be impacting the new breeding season, or gives you time to find another bull. Scheduling a BSE in a timely manner is important if damage has occurred. Additional information on bull fertility can be found in a past article, “Managing Bull Fertility Prior to the Breeding Season”.

Body Condition Score

Similar to maintaining body condition score (BCS) of the cowherd, bulls should be in an adequate BCS of 5 to 6 as we move through winter, which allows for greater BCS and potentially semen quality in the subsequent breeding season. Research has shown that bulls in a body condition 5 to 6 have better semen quality than those in a 4 or 7. Much like cows, bull body condition needs to be evaluated as fat cover over the front ribs, brisket, and tail head, also making sure to take into account gut fill (EC 281 http://extensionpubs.unl.edu/publication/9000016365419/body-conditionscoring-beef-cows/).

As you develop rations, or need help from your local extension personnel, including a quality vitamin and mineral program will be important to consider. Some additional nutrition considerations can be found in a past BeefWatch article (Evaluating and Preparing Bulls in Advance of the Breeding Season | UNL Beef) or in the Bull Management NebGuide (Breeding Bull Management: It’s a Year-Round Commitment (G2332) (unl.edu)).

Final Thoughts

Because weather insults and injuries can all impact a bull’s ability to breed cows, planning to schedule a breeding soundness exam before each breeding season is important. Providing protection and adequate bedding for bulls during cold weather will ensure scrotums are protected and help maintain body condition over winter. Maintaining weight or gaining the weight back that bulls lost over the breeding season will be important to manage during the winter and into the subsequent breeding season.

Researchers aim to reduce pesticide drift in the lower Mississippi Delta

To reduce the effects of pesticide drift and protect pollinators, researchers with the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Agricultural Research Service (ARS) in Stoneville, Mississippi, are investigating the best ways of using hooded sprayers and conventional (unhooded) sprayers.

Pesticide drift occurs when pesticide dust or droplets move through the air to another place other than the target area during or after pesticide application. This off-target drift can cause crop damage as well as health concerns to humans, animals, and beneficial insects such as bees and biocontrol agents exposed to the chemicals.

ARS researcher Narayanan Kannan and his team member Christina Huggins from the ARS Pollinator Health in Southern Crop Ecosystems Research Unit in Stoneville, Mississippi, studied ground-based pre-emergent herbicide applications for corn, soybean, and cotton on three regional, commercial-scale farms and four USDA research farms in Mississippi’s Washington and Bolivar counties. After collecting samples of the drifted spray droplets, the researchers calculated the drift volume and drift distance from preemergent herbicide applications.

“We found that there was up to 63 percent reduction in pesticide drift of pre-emergent herbicide applications using a hooded sprayer in comparison to a nonhooded, conventional sprayer,” said Kannan.

Kannan said that hooded or shielded sprayers attached to tractors effectively minimized the exposure of herbicide spray to wind and led to fewer off-target depositions.

While hooded sprayers have advantages, the presence of a physical shield can pose challenges during road transport or repairing nozzles when compared to conventional sprayers. If a farmer does not have access to a hooded sprayer or prefers to use a conventional sprayer, mitigating pesticide drift is still possible by avoiding high wind speed and high temperature during spraying.

“For example, our study’s results also showed 74 percent reduction in pesticide drift when using a conventional sprayer in low wind conditions, when possible,” said Kannan.

Researchers also found a reduced proportion of herbicide drifting with a longer sprayer boom length during preemergent herbicide applications.

According to USDA’s National Agricultural Statistics Service, the Lower Mississippi Delta is one of the most intensively cultivated and productive agricultural regions in the United States. Corn, soybean, and cotton are the most widely cultivated crops in the region.

Studying preemergent herbicide application during active planting months for these crops is important to understanding pesticide drift, as farmers sometimes face limited opportunities to spray as a result of unfavorable weather or wet soil conditions.

#####

An American went to Scotland to golf. He was paired up with a Scotsman, and on the very first hole the American hooked his drive deep into the woods. He immediately took a mulligan and drove it straight down the fairway. Happy with himself, the American asked his partner, “What do the Scottish call a mulligan?” “We call it a 3.”

Eagle Oilfield Services AUCTION

* Saturday, May 20th 2023 * 11:00 AM MT *

• Pressure Pro 3500 PSI steamer, twin cylinder Honda

• Dewalt D25980 120V pavement breaker

• Dewalt 120V jack hammer

• Ridgid BC610 pipe vise

• Set of large end wrenches, SAE and Metric, 1 1/2-2" and 21mm-50mm, incomplete

• (3) Honda 120v generators (possibly 3500 watt)

• Champion 4500 watt generator

• Poulan 625 22" walk behind string trimmer

• Honda 160 GX 2" pump

• Small DeWalt vacuum

• Dewalt 18v batteries and chargers

• Large amount of misc 3/8, 1/2, 3/4 drive sockets

• 3 barrel stand with drip tray with partial barrels of Rotella 15-40 and 10-30

• Misc. end wrenches

• Screwdrivers and nut drivers

• Hammers and mallets

• Vise grips and pliers

• Pulley and Gear pullers

• Pro laser tach

• Small tap and die sets

• Allan wrenches

• Trouble lights

• Large amount of lynch pins and cotter keys

• Welding helmets and rod (7018/6010/7010)

• Chains and boomers

• Fire extinguishers

• Bottle jacks

• Sandblast kit

• Maxx Air large floor fan

• Werner 12 foot ladder

• (2) Werner 4 foot ladders

• (2) Aluminum step ladders

• Magnet sweeper

• Dayton 370,000 BTU propane heater

• Pittsburgh 2 ton engine hoist

• Engine stand

• Bolt bins with bolts, nuts, washers

• Large folding saw horses

• (2) Under bed tool boxes

• High side tool box

• Half roll 13/32 air line

• (21) U line 3,000lb 42x42x55 bulk bags

• Water jugs and Jerry cans

• Air bomb bead setter

• Schumacher 100/200amp battery charger

• Scaffolding with 2 aluminum planks and cross bars

• (20) storage lockers (to be sold in groups)

• Shelving

• +/- 2500 10x16" 2 mil plastic bags

• Cobra flat sewer rod 3/4"x100' (new)

• Ratchet straps

• Jack stands

• ‘C' Clamps

• Air Hose on reel

• (4) New bundles 2"x4"x14' (208 to a bundle)

• Nearly 2 new bundles of 2"x6"x14'

• Loose stack of 2x6s

• Loose stack of 2x4s

• (2) full sheets 1/2" plywood

• (1) full sheet 5/8" plywood

• 4'x8' piece expanded metal grate

• 2001 International 9200, C12 Cat, 18 speed, jakes and lockers, with 2001 Westech vac unit, 3,494 cap.

• 1998 Kenworth T800, M11 Cummins, 13 speed, jakes and lockers, with 1997 Bomega vac unit, 2867 gallon capacity, shows 56,257 miles, 9,144 hours

• 1984 Chevy Grumman Van, small block Chevy, 4 speed manual. Has 6.8L John Deere Powertech diesel engine with high capacity hydraulic pump mounted in the back.

ONLINE BIDDING AVAILABLE!

or call (406) 480 - 2778

• True North Steel 1,000 gallon fuel tank (new)

• Empire Steel 500 gallon fuel tank

• Quick Attach Skid Steer pickup broom

• Vermeer 1250 tow behind woodchipper, 4 cylinder Perkins Diesel, Shows 3,686 hours.

• Hydraulic operated pug mill for mixing dirt

• 2020 Charmac gooseneck cargo trailer, 8'x28', triple 7,000lb axles, 21,000lb GVWR, rear fold down ramp, dual jacks, side walk in door, great condition

• 2019 TNT bumper pull cargo trailer, tandem 3,500lb axles, 7,000lb GVWR, rear fold down

• B-B 12’ tandem axle bumper pull trailer w/800 gallon poly tank

• Large amount of custom casing clean out and drift tools (Various sizes)

• (100+) American Iron Works hose and pipe restraints, 20’ 5,000-15,000 psi and 20’ 10,00020,000 psi with 1 1/4 clevises

• (+/-140) 7" chimney brushes

• (+/-190) 4 1/2" chimney brushes

• (10) 8" chimney brushes

• (11) 8-9" chimney brushes

• Drifts (Rabbits and Snakes)

• Large amount of Dixon cam lock 3"-4"-6" fittings

• Water and Vac hoses 3-"4"-6"

• Dakota Ultrasonic thickness gauge in case

• Ultrasonic thickness gauge in case (brand unknown)

• Scott Safety 2216 SCBA with mask and Pelican case

• Bulwark FR coveralls

• FR Jackets

• Misc safety supplies

• (7) cases new white oilfield gloves

• Large amount of pipe stops

• (2) stock tanks used for solvent

• 2015 Ford F250 crew cab, long box, 6.2 gas, auto, 4x4, CD, power locks/windows, cloth seats, vinyl floor, full bumper grill guard, 118,955 miles

• 2015 Ford F250 crew cab, long box, 6.2 gas, auto, 4x4, CD, power locks/windows, cloth seats, vinyl floor, full bumper grill guard, 130,908 miles

• 2012 Ford F550 crew cab, dually, long bed, 6.7

Diesel, auto, 4x4, CM flatbed with storage boxes, 19.5 wheels, full bumper grill guard, CD, power locks/windows, cloth seats, 188,032 miles

• 2012 Ford F350 crew cab, dually, long bed, 6.7

Diesel, auto, 4x4, flatbed with storage boxes, CD, power locks/windows, full bumper grill guard, cloth seats, 192,945 miles, new long block 10,000 miles ago

• 2001 Ford F350 crew cab, long bed, 7.3

Diesel, auto, 4x4, flatbed with storage boxes and pipe rack, full bumper grill guard, 290,247 miles

• 1999 Ford F350, crew cab, long bed, 7.3

Diesel, auto, 4x4, flatbed with storage boxes, cloth seats, power locks/windows, cloth seats, full bumper grill guard, 346,646 miles

• 1999 Ford F350, crew cab, short box, 7.3 Diesel, auto, 4x4, power locks/windows, cloth seats, full bumper grill guard, 335,227 miles

• 2012 Ford F450 crew cab, dually, long bed, 6.7 Diesel, auto, 4x4, flat bed, full bumper grill guard, 181,936 miles (BAD ENGINE)

• 2002 Ford F350 crew cab, dually, 5.5 ft box, 7.3 Diesel, 4x4, 179,927 miles (BAD ENGINE)

• 2000 Ford F-250, 7.3 diesel, manual transmission, crew cab, short box, 4x4, full bumper grill guard, interior rough, BAD ENGINE

• CM brand flatbed for Dually long box (good condition)

• Ford dually rim with 225/70r19.5 tire

• (2) 225/70r19.5 tires

• (3) 235/85r16 tires on Ford dually rims (2 new, 1 used)

• 265/75r16 on 6 lug chevy rim

• Ford 7.3 in pieces (no injectors)

• Misc. used Power Stroke parts

• Misc Ford Super Duty parts (Blower motors, brake pads, rotors, clutch fans, PS pumps, etc.)

• Large oak corner office desk

• HP Desk Jet 1000 printer

• HP Office Jet 6500 printer copier

• HP Office Jet Pro 8600 fax/printer/scanner

• Fellowes paper shredder

• (3) 3 drawer filing cabinets

• (2) desk chairs

• (2) Blue folding chairs

• (7) Black folding chairs

• Bunn coffee pot

• Kenmore microwave

• (2) Folding tables

• Water cooler (hot and cold)

The life of pastureraised chickens

From Freedom Ranger Hatchery

Have you ever wondered what a chicken’s life is like? From small-scale hobby farms to large, commercial farms, there is a wide variety of ways to raise chickens. One way that many families and farmers have found to be beneficial is raising chickens on the pasture.

In this article, we will discover why some people prefer pasture-raised chickens and what type of feed is optimal, such as balanced fortified feeds, conventional, GMO-free, and organic feeds. We’ll also talk about some of the benefits of raising chickens on a pasture and gain greater insight into the benefits of sustainable poultry.

What Is a Pasture-Raised Chicken?

A pasture-raised chicken is a bird raised in a natural environment, allowed to roam freely, and fed on a varied diet. Chickens raised on a pasture have access to fresh air, sunshine, and open fields. These pastured chickens can roam freely, allowing them to engage in natural behaviors like dust bathing, searching for insects, and preening. Thanks to expansive spaces where they can move around without constraint or restriction, the result is a healthier and tastier bird.

What Is the Difference Between Pasture-Raised and Free-Range Chicken?

While “pasture-raised” and “free-range” are often used interchangeably, they are not the same. Free-range chickens are allowed access to the outdoors, but that doesn’t necessarily mean they have access to fresh pasture.

On the other hand, pasture-raised chickens are raised on actual pastures, where they can forage for grass, insects, and other natural food sources. In short, while free-range chickens may have space to roam, they still may not have access to the same natural environment and varied diet as pasture-raised chickens.

What Are the Benefits of Pasture-Raised Chickens?

Research has shown that pasture-raised chickens have higher levels of beneficial nutrients such as omega-3 fatty acids, vitamin E, and beta-carotene than conventionally raised chickens. For example, one study found that pasture-raised chickens had 21% more omega-3 fatty acids and 19% less saturated fat than conventionally raised chickens.

Pasture-raised meats also have a rich flavor and make delicious chicken wings, roasted whole chicken, and other chicken products. For this reason, some people prefer to use pasture-raised chickens to enhance the flavor of their chicken recipes.

What Are the Benefits of Utilizing Quality Feeds to Nourish Pasture-Raised Chickens?

Raising chickens in pastures allows them to roam and eat grass, insects, and other forage in the field. This part of their diet can cut down on your feed bill, but they still need supplemental feed. Providing high-level nutrition via quality feed produced ethically and sustainably is critical. To ensure the health of your chickens, it’s important to provide them with protein-packed and nutrient-dense feed. Organic, soy-free, and non-GMO feed is great for this purpose! Moreover, access to clean water should always be available for the birds to stay hydrated.

Best Types of Forage

In addition to providing quality feed, it’s also important to offer various forage options for pasture-raised chickens. These forage options should hold up well to biting and scratching and should be able to recover well from grazing and trampling. Options can include:

Grass, particularly Kentucky bluegrass, is a cool-season perennial grass that has a large portion of its leaves close to the soil surface. Chickens love this option because it is at the optimal foraging height.

Clover, especially white clover, is a legume with a great tolerance to grazing. It’s also a cool-season perennial legume with a fibrous root system, which helps give its resistance to grazing.

Alfalfa has a long growing season, and is a very productive legume, giving your chickens lots of health benefits. However, it doesn’t recover as quickly as other types of forage options, so wait for at least 25 to 30 days before moving chickens back to the same alfalfa pasture.

Perennial Ryegrass provides seeds for your chickens in late spring and may flower again in the mid-summer. For foraging to be successful and provide chickens with a varied diet, you need to prevent overgrazing to keep the pasture and chickens healthy. The best way to accomplish this responsibility is to separate the foraging options into different fields. Then, as one forage option is nearing the end,

The life of pastureraised chickens

CONTINUED FROM PAGE A18 you can move the chickens to an area with fresh regrowth ready for the chickens.

Rotating these pastures helps reduce the likelihood of parasites in your chickens as well, since they won’t be in contact with their droppings as often.

The Possibility of Fermenting

But foraging is just one aspect of the pasture-raised chicken’s diet. You also need to supplement with high-quality feeds. To enhance the nutrient content of feed for your pasture-raised chickens, turn to fermentation. Not only does fermented feed provide greater digestibility and nutritional value than regular feed, but it also adds beneficial bacteria that nurture a healthy gut in your poultry. Fermenting has been proven as an ideal way to improve their diet!

Fermenting feed is a simple process – just soak the feed in water and let it sit for 24-48 hours, allowing beneficial bacteria to form. When done correctly, this procedure offers your chickens various health benefits; however, caution must be taken to avoid contamination or spoilage. Once fermented appropriately, the treat can then safely be served up!

Offering Table Scraps

In addition to supplying quality feed and forage, it’s prudent to supplement a pasture-raised chicken’s diet with judiciously chosen table scraps. You must be mindful when deciding what scraps are fit for the chickens’ consumption. While it may be tempting to let your chickens indulge in all your table scraps, you should always watch the food you give them.

Be sure not to provide any rotten or expired items, and pay attention to how many fatty and sugary snacks they consume, as these are only meant for occasional treats. Alternatively, vegetable peels, cooked grains, and meat trimmings make great low-calorie snack options! Remember that rewards shouldn’t become their primary source of nutrition. Maintain their dietary balance with healthy meals!

If you want to do your part in ensuring a higher quality of life for poultry and producing more nutritious and scrumptious food products, then raising chickens on pasture is the way to go. With pastured chicken meat containing richer flavor than other methods –who could resist?!

To ensure the success of raising pasture-raised chickens, remember to start with high-quality baby chicks from an NPIP-certified hatchery. Additionally, highquality feed and various foraging options are essential. Adding table scraps as a supplement is also an option if desired. Furthermore, fermenting the food would improve its nutritional value even further!

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What do you call an alligator in a vest? An Investigator.

#####

What do you call a bear with no teeth? A gummy bear.

2231 HWY 89

Fairfield, MT 59436

406-467-3999

Brett’s Cell

406-590-5003 Come

Wagyu/Akaushi

Dare Day a Challenging Day

This holiday is always celebrated on June 1

Dare Day is a day to challenge someone and to do a dare yourself. This June 1 holiday is a day that daredevils truly relish. Today is definitely a call to action. It is not a day for procrastinators or for hesitation. As you issue dares to people today, you should be fully prepared to receive dares in return.

Dares take all forms and shapes. The type of dare is almost limitless. Whether it is a prank, a challenge to accomplish something, or a personal action (like asking someone out on a date), this is the day to make the dare. And, it’s the day to do the dare. We do recommend that dares be safe, and of course, legal.

Daring to the max: To dare someone to do something risky or challenging is one thing. Declaring the “double dog dare” heightens the challenge. The highest degree of challenge is to “triple dog dare” someone. It should not be used lightly, or frequently.

The most important DARE: We believe the most important dare is the D.A.R.E. (Drug Abuse Resistance Education) program.

How to Celebrate Dare Day

Here are a few ideas on how to celebrate this holiday:

Challenge someone to do something difficult.

Accept a challenge from someone. Play the party game Truth of Dare.

History and Origin of Dare Day

Our research did not find the creator or the origin of this day or when it started. We did discover, that Dare County, England celebrates a Dare Day on the First Saturday in June. It is possible, that this is the origin of the day. If we ever get the chance to hop across the big pond, we will certainly head to Dare County to further research this holiday.

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A man walks into a lawyer’s office and asks, “How much do you charge?” The lawyer says, “$5,000 for three questions.” The man asks, “Wow, that’s pretty expensive, isn’t it?” And the lawyer says, “Yes. Now, what’s your third question?”

USED EQUIPMENT

This 7-bar basket rake is the ultimate for producing clean hay. Equipped with front and rear gauge wheels, parallel linkage for precision raking and basket support, heavy duty drive motors, dual torsion axles, 6 function control box. Ready to rake MVE Price $26,890

with L108 loader/grapple. Equipped with suspended front axle, leather luxury cab, 4 electronic rear remotes, 3 mid-mount valves, auto guidance ready, 19x6 Powershift transmission, 2000 lb. rear weight, high flow hydraulic pump, front HID and LED work lights and more. Only 1961 hours. Fully serviced and ready to go. Book says $184,906 MVE Price $171,430

One owner unit with 16-ft. sickle header, cab and rear axle suspension, 190 hp, rotary air screen, two speed hydrostatic transmission, new guards and sickles. Only 1832 hours. Fully serviced and ready to work MVE Price $79,950

2009

with 16-ft. rotary header, cab and rear axle suspension, 190 hp, engine, 2 speed hydro, 108” wide conditioner, only 1376 hours. Fully serviced and ready to go MVE Price $64,950

Rake from 19-ft. to 28-ft. wide with this heavy duty hydraulic rake. Great condition and stored inside MVE Price $25,987

Clean, one owner baler with mesh and twine, 1000 RPM, endless belts, wide pick-up and 21.5Lx16.1 tires, only 1800 bales. Been through the shop and is ready to go to work.

Good Buy at $45,750

with 16-ft. sickle header, 150 hp, cab and active rear axle suspension, header reverser, hydraulic header flotation, hydraulic header tilt, two speed hydraulic transmission, deluxe cab and mirrors. Clean unit with only 1026 hours. Fully serviced and ready to work. Book says $117,236 MVE

5x6 baler with mesh and twine wrap. Well maintained unit with lots of life left $8977

Twinstar rugged built rakes are designed to rake two windrows together and for turning hay to speedup drying time prior to baling for high production hay farming, custom operators, dairies raking green chop and raking bio feed stocks. Twinstar Rakes produce consistent uniform windrows and the cleanest hay on the market. Twinstar rakes are designed for precision raking, functionality and built to last. If you’ve tried the rest, now buy the BEST.

2023 model rakes available!

2019 CASE IH MAXXUM 180

2000 JOHN DEERE 566 ROUND BALER

2019 CASE IH RB565 ROUND BALER

CASE IH WD 1903 WINDROWER

2016 VERMEER R2800 RAKE

2019 CASE IH WD 1504 WINDROWER

Price $113,950

2013 CASE IH WD 1903 WINDROWER

2018 CASE IH MAXXUM 150 with Case IH L105 loader/grapple, suspended cab, Class IV front axle, 29.75 GPM hydraulics, 3 remotes, 3-point, 540/1000 PTO, rear weights, Rimguard in rears, only 2488 hours. Book says $104,722 MVE Price $101,586

2017 TWINSTAR 2030 G2-7 RAKE

IRRIGATION EQUIPMENT FOR SALE

2-Used WadeRain wheellines, new in 2000. 5” pipe, 5-ft. wheels, 40-ft. pipe. Well maintained. Includes: inlet or center feed, hose, end plug and valve opener so irrigation ready. As is, you dismantle and haul.

1720-ft. long

1560-ft. long

$9000

$8600

2-Nelson P200 Big Guns on carts for 6” ringlock pipe. Includes cart $1500 ea. Approximately 1/3 mile A&M 6” ringlock Series 55 aluminum pipe. 6” x 30-ft. pipe. As is, pipe stacked, ready to go $135 ea pipe

Phone (406) 600-4146, Bozeman, Montana

A woman was taking an afternoon nap. When she woke up, she told her husband, “I just dreamed that you gave me a pearl necklace. What do you think it means?”

“You’ll know tonight,” he said.

That evening, the man came home with a small package and gave it to his wife. Delighted, she opened it to find a book entitled “The Meaning of Dreams.”

Glen & Stephanie Meier

Farm & Ranch Retirement - AUCTION -

Saturday,June3,2023–10:00am

AttheRanchsouthofGlasgow(592GalpinRoad)

Directions: South of Glasgow on Highway 24 over hill and turn East onTiger Butte Road. East to Galpin Road. (4 corners) turn south on Galpin Road. Approximately 1 mile south and turn left atAuction Sign.

AUCTION NOTE: Glen and Stephanie have sold their cows and leased the ranch. Glen was meticulous about his machinery. Everything has been washed and shedded at all times. Every piece absolutely field ready!

For More Information Call: Glen Meier at 406-263-8400

TRACTORS:

**2014 JOHN DEERE 6140 D WITH H310 LOADER AND GRAPPLE, 235 HOURS. SS#1PO6140DPE0060748.

**2005 JOHN DEERE 6420 SIGNATURE SERIES TRACTOR WITH 640 LOADER AND GRAPPLE, 3249 HOURS. SS#L06420H445464

TRAILERS:

**2002 FEATHERLITE 24’ GOOSENECK ALUMINUM STOCK TRAILER (NEW TIRES).

**2001 TRAVALONG 20’ GOOSENECK STOCK TRAILER (NEW JACK).

**2014 FINISH LINE TILT BED UTILITY TRAILER

6.5 X 10’.

**2005 MAY FLATBED TRAILER WITH DETACHABLE HAY RACKS, 30’, TANDEM DUAL TIRES.

**1985 HOMEMADE HEAVY DUTY UTILITY TRAILER.

**2005 ABU 20’ FLATBED TRAILER.

VEHICLES:

**FIRE TRUCK: 1974 FORD F250 PICKUP WITH 450 GALLON WATER TANK AND WATER PUMP.

**2003 FORD F650 DIESEL WITH 2014 NEW HOLLAND MANURE SPREADER.

**2018 JOHN DEERE 835M GATOR 4200 MILES, 620 HOURS.

LIVESTOCK EQUIPMENT:

**STAMPEDE LIVESTOCK CHUTE WITH ELECTRONIC SCALE.

**POWER RIVER SQUEEZE CHUTE.

**2 ROUND BALE FEEDERS (1 BEXTRA).

**7 PORTABLE FEED BUNKS.

**10 PORTABLE 10’ CORRAL PANELS.

**2-1200 GALLON FIBERGLASS WATER TANKS.

** LOTS OF A.I. AND VET SUPPLIES.

**ROPES/ROPE CAN.

**BLACK CALF SLED

FOR MORE INFORMATION:

Ed Hinton 406-783-7285

Jake Newton 406-390-5109 or Iva Murch 406-263-7529

Preventing grass tetany in the lactating beef cow

By Karla H. Wilke, UNL Cow/Calf Systems and Stocker Management, and Mary Drewnoski, Nebraska Extension Beef Systems Specialist

As spring nears and grass begins to turn green, producers are anxious to get cows out to grass. However, cool season predominate areas tend to have lush spring growth which can lead to grass tetany in cows. While there are treatments for cows caught quick enough, prevention is always the best policy.

Why are cows at risk of grass tetany in the spring?

Grass tetany occurs when circulating Magnesium (Mg) is low in the beef animal. Symptoms include staggering, convulsions, excitability, twitching, and can result in death. While it can affect growing cattle, it generally affects older lactating cows. The Mg requirement in the pregnant cow is 0.12% of the diet on a dry matter basis and jumps to 0.20% with lactation. Moreover, the Mg in colostrum is 3 times what it is in the milk the rest of the lactation. Thus, risk is highest early in lactation.

Additionally, unlike some other minerals, Mg is not stored and mobilized in the tissues for times when it is deficient in the diet. Magnesium is absorbed across the rumen wall and how much Mg is circulating in the blood is highly dependent upon how much was consumed.

In addition to the fact that the Mg requirement increases with lactation, feed that is high in potassium (K) or nitrogen (N) like lush rapidly growing cool season forages can decrease Mg absorption. So, more magnesium needs to be consumed when cows are grazing lush cool season pastures to get the same amount of magnesium into the blood. Furthermore, cool, cloudy days associated with wet springs often times increase the risk of grass tetany.

Using free choice minerals to prevent grass tetany

HAYING EQUIPMENT:

**2016 JOHN DEERE MOCO SWING TONGUE ROTARY MOWER WITH IMPELLER/CONDITIONER, 12’, UNDER 1000 ACRES.

**JOHN DEERE 566 ROUND BALER, TWINE OR NET WRAP.

**CASE IH WX301 12-WHEEL RAKE.

**2 WHEEL WINDROW TURNER, 3 POINT.

**1 ROLL 64 X 9000’ NET WRAP.

EQUIPMENT:

**FRONTIER 8’, 3 POINT BLADE.

**FRONTIER FORKLIFT ATTACHMENT, 4’ TONGS.

**JOHN DEERE 780 MANURE SPREADER.

**HAY BUSTER 256 HAY PROCESSOR.

**HYDRAULIC POST HOLE DIGGER, BUCKET MOUNT.

**BEGE SW74 SCRAPER, 4.5 YARDS.

**HOMEMADE 12’ LAND ROLLER.

**COCKSHUTT 12’ PLOW.

**GRAHAM HOEME 12’ PLOW.

**GRAHAM HOEME 14’ PLOW.

**JOHN DEERE 12’ DISK DRILL.

**3 ASSORTED SPECIALTY, 3 POINT HITCHES.

**NORTH STAR 30 TON WOOD SPLITTER.

**GAS POWERED, PRESSURE WASHER.

**5’, 3 POINT MOWER.

**RAILROAD TIES. **BARB WIRE.

**TOW ROPES. **LOG CHAINS.

**TIE DOWN STRAPS.

**2-LINCOLN WELDERS.

**CEMENT MIXER WITH ELECTRIC MOTOR.

**BROADCAST SEEDER FOR A 4-WHEELER.

**CHARGE AIR PRO 5-HP, 20 GALLON AIR COMPRESSOR WITH GAS MOTOR.

**PROPANE/OXYGEN CUTTING TORCH.

**JOHN DEER CHAIN SAW.

**AND MUCH MORE

LIVESTOCK BRANDS:

CATTLE LH HORSES LS

CATTLE LR HORSES RS

ITEMS MUST BE REMOVED WITHIN 5 DAYS. LOADERS WILL NOT BE AVAILABLE AFTER SALE DAY.

To help prevent issues with grass tetany, producers should start providing a high Mg mineral to cows about a month before turning out on lush pasture to get them used to consuming it, and continue to provide high Mg supplement until grass starts to elongate and mature and the risk of grass tetany is low.

Mineral mixes are typically formulated for 2 oz or 4 oz intake. At 2 oz intake, 100 cows should consume 87.5 lbs of mineral mix per week and 175 lbs/week for a 4 oz mineral mix. If they are eating more, then adding more salt will often decrease intake. However, the salt will dilute the mix so overall intake (salt plus mineral mix) should be greater than the initial target. Keep track of the actual mineral mix intake to ensure target intakes are reached. When using a free choice mineral mix to provide magnesium, do not provide separate salt as providing separate salt will reduce intake of the mineral mix.

To prevent grass tetany, a good target for a 4 oz target intake free choice mineral is 10 to 13% Mg. If adding magnesium to an existing mineral, then 9 lbs of magnesium oxide per 50 lbs of mineral mix would be needed. However, magnesium oxide is bitter and may reduce intake. If intake is low, then adding 1 lb of dried distillers or soybean meal may help increase intake.

Using a hand fed supplement to prevent grass tetany

If using a hand-fed energy or protein supplement, then 5 lb of Magnesium oxide per 100 cows would need to be added. Sodium deficiency can increase the risk of magnesium deficiency, so if using a mineral fortified supplement that is provided daily, such as a cake (and not a free-choice mineral) make sure that free choice salt is provided.

While providing high Mg mineral helps reduce the incidence of grass tetany, producers should talk to their local veterinarian and have a treatment plan in place for cows who do succumb to grass tetany, as treatment must take place quickly in those cows.

For more information on meeting the mineral and vitamin needs of beef cows, see G2340 Formulation Considerations for Mineral and Vitamin Supplements for Beef Cows https://extensionpublications.unl.edu/assets/html/g2340/build/g2340.htm

Jerome Silberman

One of the biggest names in comedy started out as a serious dramatic actor. But he couldn’t imagine seeing “Jerry Silberman as Hamlet” on a playbill, so in 1959, when he was 26 years old, he chose a new name by combining Eugene Gant, a character in Thomas Wolfe’s novel Look Homeward, Angel, with playwright Thornton Wilder. Later in his life the Willy Wonka actor joked, “I can’t imagine Gene Wilder playing Hamlet, either.”

2023 consignment sale

THURSDAY, June 8, 2023

3288 RD 600E, CHESTER, MT – On Hwy 2, West of Chester, between MM 313 & 314, TURN NORTH onto Rd 600 E 1.25 miles. WATCH FOR SIGNS!

LIVE ANDONSITEONLINE

Registration at 9:00 am, Sale at 10:00 am, Simulcast at 11:00 am MST

Register early for online bidding – Bid online at www.equipmentfacts.com – Lunch Available from Explore America This

AUCTIONEERS NOTE: Welcome to the 2023 Consignment Sale. Please remember that this is a partial listing and items are added daily. Watch equipmentfacts.com or fritzbull.com for updates. You may now scan our QR code to take you directly to our list of sales. To prevent online bidding delay, register and agree to Terms at least two days prior. You can preview onsite the week prior to sale and you can see loadout dates online. Small items will sell onsite only from 10-11 and will be listed on fritzbull.com. Every item sells as is without reserve. Miles/hour listed are numbers from odometer and should be used as a reference only. -- Jim, Dena and crew

TRACTORS

1990 CASE 9150 tractor, 280 Hp, 12F/2R

Powershift, 3 remotes, 5251 hrs.

HARVEST AND GRAIN HANDLING

CAT LEXION 450 combine, CAT eng, 3 speed hydro, straw chopper, chaff spreader, power fold hopper, 3966.7 eng hrs.

SEEDING AND LAND PREP

1993 CONCORD 4412 airseeder, double chute, dutch opener, 4.5” spread carbide tips, 15” rubber packers, CONCORD AS-3000 cart, 300 bushel 60/40 split, 7” auger, ag hopper.

5-JOHN DEERE 9350 drills, 10’, hydraulic transport, 10” spacing, fertilizer attachment, track wacker spring harrow, steel packers.

TRUCKS, TRAILERS AND PICKUPS

1973 CHEVROLET tandem truck, 366 V-8 gas, 5 speed Hi/Lo, grain sides.

1961 FORD F600 single-axle truck, 292 heavy duty V8 gas, 4 speed Hi/Lo,14.5’ MIDWEST box, hoist, BARBER grain drill filler.

1965 FORD bucket truck.

1992 CAT CH75 tractor, 325 Hp, 10F/2R

Powershift, 4 remotes, case drain, 5692 hrs.

MINNEAPOLIS MOLINE GBD D425-6 tractor, 1 remote, DU-AL 300 loader, 6’ bucket, forks.

1942 FORD 9N tractor, 3 speed straightcut, 540 PTO, 3 pt, original manual.

SPRAYING

NEW HOLLAND SF115 sprayer, 134’ wheeled boom, WILGER 5-10 gallon nozzles, windscreens, 1500 gallon, induction cone, 100 gallon rinse tank.

2003 SUMMERS sprayer, 90’, pick-up type, 500 gallon, 20” spacing, 3-way SUMMERS nozzles, T-JET caps.

MARFLEX sprayer, 60’, pick-up type, 440 gallon, low drift nozzles, boom height lift, 2” fill, 6 hrs on BRIGGS & STRATTON motor.

CENTURY sprayer, 100 gallon, 3 pt, 540 PTO, hand wand.

1993 JOHN DEERE 9500 combine, straw chopper, lots of new parts, 3525 sep hrs/5089 eng hrs.

RITE-WAY 7100 heavy harrow, 71’, 24” tines, hydraulic assist fold.

FLEXICOIL 85 heavy harrow, 70’.

PHOENIX spike harrow, 48’, hydraulic lift.

3-JOHN DEERE harrows, 5’, hitch.

INTERNATIONAL 5500 chisel plow, 45’, DEGELMAN harrows, deadrod.

2004 FORD EXPLORER EDDIE BAUER SUV, 4L S0HC, automatic, heated, power leather seats, 3rd row, key pad entry, 102,528 miles.

2003 FORD LARIAT F150 pickup, 5.4 Tritin V8, automatic, heated leather seats, 4 door extended cab, key pad entry, 4WD, 126,303 miles.

1999 FORD F250 pickup, 7.3L diesel, 5 speed, flatbed, 4WD.

FRUEHAUF pup trailer, 20’, hoist, pintle hitch, aluminum floor, 3 rear doors, AGRA roll tarp needs repair.

1958 road-oil tanker, 8000 gallon, aluminum, no title.

RECREATION & MISC

2016 HONEYBEE AIR FLEX 240 header, 40’, flex, finger reel, pea auger, CASE Flagship adaptor, slow speed transport.

HONEYBEE header, 36’, bat reel, windrow option, JD adaptor.

HONEYBEE SP6 header, 36’, single drive, bat reel, CAT Lexion adaptor, slow speed transport.

1993 JOHN DEERE 925 header, 25’, auger.

PERCISION pickup header, 14’, RAKEUP pickup, LEXION adaptor.

JOHN DEERE 912 pickup header, 12’, RAKE-UP pickup, JD quick attach.

JOHN DEERE 212 pickup header, 9’.

GLEANER header adaptor, fits S77. Header trailer, fits JD25

BRANDT 4000 grain vac, 7” tubes, 1000 PTO.

SAKUNDIAK HD8-1000 auger, 8x33, 540 PTO.

JOHN DEERE 1610 plow, 42’.

STOCKLAND 20T road grader, 10’, pulltype.

EVERSMAN 25D scraper, 2.5 yards.

HAYING AND RANCHING

JOHN DEERE 2280 swather, 22-ft., 6 cylinder diesel, 2 row movable canvas. 1990 HESSTON 820D swather header, 18’, fits HESSTON 8200, extra draper and sickle.

LEON BH855 round bale handler, 6 bale.

HESSTON BP 25 bale processor, fenceline extension.

HESSTON BP25 bale processor, 1000 PTO.

MORAND double alley, 8’, adjustable, transition to single alley, double rolling doors.

2013 ARTIC CAT WILDCAT 1000 ATV, 3924 hrs.

1987 BAYLINER CAPRI boat, 19’, 125 Hp force outboard, MINNKOTA 80# thrust trolling motor (needs work), cover, ESCORT trailer.

1994 POLARIS 750 jet ski, needs work, SHORELANDR single trailer.

WOODS rototiller, 6’, 3 pt, 540 PTO. 220 cord, 100’, heavy duty.

Fiberglass culvert, 3’x20’.

LINCOLN welder, 50’ 220 cord.

Facebook equipmentfacts.com

is a partial listing. Taking consignments until June 1.

PASTURE WANTED

For 300 cows, can lease in 50 head lots. Also 800 ewes & lambs for pasture or grazing of noxious weeds. Will provide herder.

Q: What do you do with a sick boat?

A: Take it to the doc. #####

Q: Why can’t a bicycle stand up on its own?

A: Because it’s two tired.

New tests, new ways to track COVID in wild and domestic animals

By Kim Kapla, ARS

Scientists with the USDA Agricultural Research Service are developing new tests to identify the COVID virus and its variants and tools for tracking the virus in wild and domestic animals, thanks to five projects funded by the American Rescue Plan.

The USDA Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) is currently implementing a $300 million provision in the American Rescue Plan Act to conduct monitoring and surveillance of susceptible animals for the COVID virus. Through this initiative, ARS, in partnership with APHIS, is conducting five research projects to improve its understanding of the virus and to help APHIS accomplish its goal of building an early warning system to potentially prevent or limit the next zoonotic disease outbreak or global pandemic.

Two of the projects call for developing easy-to-use field tests to provide quick identification of COVID infection in wildlife and domestic animals—each based on a different basic technology. Both technologies are being worked on by scientists in the Produce Safety and Microbiology Research Unit (PS&MRU) at the ARS Western Regional Research Center in Albany, California.

Currently, all official testing of animals for COVID requires sending samples to certified laboratories and can take a week or more to provide answers. This may be too long to prevent early spread of infection.

ARS microbiologist and PS&MRU research leader Vivian Wu’s goal is a hand-held, rapid test providing answers in 10-15 minutes, based on an aptamer lateral flow assay (aLFA) for animal and environmental COVID virus testing. Aptamers are very small synthetic strands of DNA or RNA that can be tailored to tightly bind to very precise targets. These molecules also are very environmentally stable, especially to heat, making them ideal for use in the wild and on farms. As important, aptamers can be easily manufactured in a relatively short time and cost.

Since aptamers recognize very specific viral proteins, multiple, individual COVID variants could be detected with each test and kits be rapidly modified as new strains emerge. The rapidity of this point-of-care, noninvasive test would facilitate monitoring of animals. It could be used as a surveillance tool and help the decision-making process of farmers, veterinarians and regulatory agencies.

“Farmed and wildlife species that have already been reported to be susceptible to COVID are our first priority for species-specific tests,” Wu said. “Besides farmed and wild mink, we are targeting white-tailed deer and hamsters. Tests for companion animals such as cats and dogs and animals in zoos such big cats and great apes also will be considered. Our list will be updated as new information becomes available on the susceptibility of animals with new variants. We also are looking at tests for on-farm environmental and wastewater sampling as a form of surveillance.”

ARS molecular biologist Robert Hnasko with the PS&MRU is heading the second ARP project developing portable COVID tests for domestic and wild animals, this one based on antibody immunoassay technology, a more established technology.

‘We are trying to build a better “mouse trap” that expands the utility of antibody-based tests with better sensitivity and viral variant identification,’ Hnasko said. “And by using monoclonal antibody technology that has a good history of commercial acceptance, we expect easier licensing to industry and speedy production. Getting low cost, disposable tests available to facilitate detection at remote locations and to increase testing frequency is part of the solution to COVID in animals.”

At the ARS National Animal Disease Center (NADC) in Ames, Iowa, medical veterinary officers Mitchell Palmer, Paola Boggiato, Alexandra Buckley and Eric Cassmann are using ARP funding, and working with APHIS Wildlife Services, to expand their studies of COVID and white-tailed deer. The ARS team, along with Cornell University collaborators, built on prior research showing that white-tailed deer carry a molecular receptor similar to one in humans in their cells that allows COVID virus to gain entry and replicate. Deer that the researchers exposed to the virus showed no clinical signs of illness but remained infectious to other deer for 5-6 days, primarily through nasal secretions and saliva. Both the virus and antibodies produced in response to it were detectable in the deer for at least 21 days—the length of the initial laboratory study.

New tests, new ways to track COVID in wild and domestic animals

CONTINUED FROM PAGE A24

“But we don’t know what happens beyond that 21-day period,” noted Palmer.

This latest round of studies supports field work being done by APHIS Wildlife Services to survey white-tailed deer populations for evidence of infection in the wild. The scientists have three key objectives 1) compare the different COVID variants in deer, 2) learn how long antibodies persist in their bodies and whether these antibodies protect deer from re-infection and 3) determine how long the virus is detectable in deer.

Ultimately, researchers want to know whether white-tailed deer can serve as a “reservoir species,” meaning an intermediate animal host in which COVID virus could survive in the wild and potentially mutate into new variants capable of prolonging or exacerbating the disease pandemic in humans.

“It is possible that a new variant may be more easily transmitted from deer to humans. Transmission from humans to animals, and then transmission back from animals to humans, has already been documented in mink and hamsters,” Palmer said. “There is a concern that this could happen in whitetailed deer, a more widespread species with a population of over 30 million in the United States.”

In another ARP-funded project that began in October 2022, the NADC group began collaborating with APHIS Wildlife Services to study the susceptibility of elk to learn whether these larger relatives of white-tailed deer could also serve as COVID reservoirs in the wild.

Researchers at the ARS Exotic & Emerging Avian Viral Diseases Research Unit in Athens, Georgia, also are expanding the investigation into which species may serve as reservoirs or hosts for the COVID virus. The scientists have already developed a cell culture model to better predict host susceptibility to the virus in the laboratory. In their model, a receptor from a different animal species can be put onto cells that the virus normally cannot infect. After adding a new receptor, if the virus can infect those cells, then the virus may be able to infect the species the receptor came from.

“The impact of the cell line is that we are able to screen diverse animal species without doing actual animal studies to see if any given species can serve as a host for the COVID virus,” said David Suarez, research leader of the unit in Athens. “Understanding the COVID virus’ host range is essential to understanding the ecology of the virus and the role different species may play as reservoirs or bridge-species to humans.

Suarez’s research team will be collaborating with APHIS Wildlife Services to apply their cell line technique to a larger number of wildlife species to screen for susceptibility to the COVID virus.

#####

Q: Why does a cow wear a bell around its neck?

A: Because its horns don’t work.

SCRAPER FOR SALE

Cat 627E scraper, radials on front, all tires good, good floor. The cushion hitch is tight. Good machine. Missing hook on back. Delivery available. $79,500 Phone

Moore, MT

FARM EQUIPMENT FOR SALE

Renn 40-ft. chisel plow basic, extended to 46-ft., tires are good, has a Honey Bee drag harrow. $5500

Flexi-Coil 67XL 113-ft. sprayer, 1500 gallon tank, tires like new. Enough spare parts to build a new one. $4500

1996 WilRay 8-ft. x 20-ft. gooseneck trailer, 2-7000 lb. axles. $3800 3-Water fire extinguishers, 21/2 gallon. Ea.$80

We sell all AIM Command, SharpShooter, AIM Flex & Hawkeye

Maloney Angus + Simmental Turner, Montana

Crossbred

Options for estrus synchronization this breeding season

By Kacie McCarthy, UNL Cow-Calf Specialist; Shelby Rosasco, Beef Specialist, University of Wyoming; and T.L. Meyer, Nebraska Extension Educator

A successful breeding season requires planning. Estrus synchronization is one tool that can benefit cattle producers if used correctly. Estrus synchronization can allow more females to be bred earlier in the breeding season and can shorten the postpartum interval in late-calving females, allowing them to become pregnant earlier in the calving season.

Increasing the number of heifers and cows bred early in the breeding season translates to more calves born early in the calving season. Calves born at a similar age tend to be a similar weight and size, resulting in a more uniform calf crop at weaning. Cows calving early in the calving season have more time to resume cyclicity before the breeding season, allowing them to be more likely to become pregnant early on.

Estrus synchronization can be used with natural service (bull-bred) herds, as well as facilitate the use of artificial insemination (AI). Artificial insemination allows producers to use proven bulls they might not normally afford to make genetic advancements to their herd.

Balewagons & Retrievers

When selecting an estrus synchronization protocol, consider the number of days a protocol requires, the condition of the facilities being used, the labor and skill needed and/or available, the number of times females will be run through a chute, and of course, cost.

Haying Equipment

Tractor

Miscellaneous

Many estrus synchronization protocols exist for cows and heifers. The most current protocols can be found at the Beef Reproduction Task Force site (beefrepro. org). When reviewing protocols, they can be divided into controlled internal drug release (CIDR) protocols and melengestrol acetate-prostaglandin (MGA®-PG) protocols. Please note MGA®-PG protocols are labeled only for use in virgin heifers. The advantages and disadvantages of both types of protocols are below.

Controlled Internal Drug Release (CIDR)

A CIDR is a T-shaped device that releases a constant dose of progesterone. Progesterone is the hormone responsible for maintaining pregnancy, but when used in a synchronization protocol, it prevents estrus. Using CIDRs provides some flexibility in controlling estrus with protocols available for 5, 7, or 14 days. In addition to controlling estrus in cycling heifers, a CIDR has been shown to initiate puberty in prepubertal heifers and cyclicity in anestrus cows. More information on managing postpartum anestrus cows can be found in a recent article, Managing Postpartum Anestrus in Beef Cows for a Successful Breeding Season.

Disadvantages of using CIDR-based protocols include the number of times cattle

will be handled through a chute and the labor required for those trips. At the time of this article, CIDRs cost roughly $14 to $15 per insert. The CIDR protocol requires more trips through the chute than a protocol that utilizes melengesterol acetate (MGA), another source of exogenous progesterone that can be utilized in heifers.

Melengestrol Acetate (MGA®)

Melengestrol acetate, or MGA®, is an orally active progestin and is labelled for use in heifers to suppress estrus. For this protocol, the target feeding rates are 0.5 mg/day per heifer for 14 days, followed by a prostaglandin (PG) injection 19 days later. Please note 2 to 3 days after the MGA® feeding period, heifers will likely exhibit estrus behavior. This is a sub-fertile heat and heifers should not be bred. The primary advantages of using MGA® are cost and simplicity. The MGA®-PG protocol (Figure 1) requires one trip through the chute to administer PG and a second trip if using AI. Using MGA® to synchronize estrus requires consistent consumption and delivery during the 14-day feeding period. In addition, this is a much longer protocol (39 days when using AI) compared with other synchronization protocols. Keep in mind the feeding/labor costs associated with delivery of the product in a bunk to evenly distribute the product.

Key Considerations

Protocols are generally developed to be utilized with heat detection and artificial insemination (AI) but can be used with natural service as well. Protocols can be broken down into three main groups: 1) heat detection and AI, 2) heat detection and timed AI (TAI), and 3) fixed-time AI. For protocols involving heat detection, heifers should be inseminated 12 ± 2 hours after detection of standing estrus. Heat detection and timed AI (TAI) protocols involve AI 12 ± 2 hours after observed estrus for 3 days, after which time any non-responders will be timed AI bred 72 to 84 hours after prostaglandin (PG) with GnRH given at TAI. For heifers, pregnancy rates from current TAI protocols tend to be 5 to 10% lower than using heat detection alone. Generally, fixed-time AI protocols are considered based on the number of females to inseminate, labor, and

facilities. For more information on estrus synchronization protocols, read this past article (https://beef. unl.edu/beefwatch/ estrus-synchronization-protocols).

While any of the heat detection protocols can be utilized with natural service, the one-shot prostaglandin (PG) protocol is an option that can increase the number of cows coming into

rears 21.5”. $6500

Allis-Chalmers 5050 tractor with front end loader, MFWD, cab. $19,500

National Hamburger Day

Date When Celebrated: This holiday is always held on May 28th

Hamburgers are America’s favorite sandwich. What would a Memorial Day, or Fourth of July picnic be without the very American hamburger? So, it only fitting that we have a special day to celebrate our cherished burgers.

Hamburgers are American in origin. However, there is much controversy as to whether Hamburgers were first created in the 19th or the 20th century. We won’t fret over when they were first created. We’ll just savor the flavor.

Have it your way. The best way to cook a hamburger, is grilled on an outdoor grill. You can also cook them indoors on a frying pan. Add your favorite fixings. Cheese is all but a must. Then, there’s lettuce, tomatoes, pickles, onions, bacon, and so much more. And, don’t forget the condiments. Mustard, ketchup, and relish are the favorites.

The World’s Largest Burger: On September 2, 2012, the Black Bear Casino Resort in Carlton, Minnesota cooked the world’s largest hamburger at 2,014 pounds. That’s the equivalent of 8,056 Quarter Pounders!

www.PetesGreatFalls.com

WHEEL LINE & BALER FOR SALE

1/4 mile irrigation wheel line, disassembled, ready to load $5000

New Holland BR780 round baler, twine and net wrap, updated stuffer, always shedded, used as a spare for last

10 years

Phone (406) 366-1320, Lewistown, Montana

––

2 DAY AUCTION ––

Montana State agriculture dean, vice president wins national award

By Meaghan MacDonald-Pool, MSU News Service

at RLP Sale Barn, Hamilton, MT

31/2 miles north of Hamilton on Hwy 93

$8000

Sreekala Bajwa, of Montana State University’s College of Agriculture and director of the Montana Agricultural Experiment Station, received a national award for her engineering achievement in agriculture.

production process and bought soybean straw materials from farmers in the region, keeping materials local and bringing revenue to the state.

Bajwa’s team also worked with a military contracting company to repurpose its drones for agricultural applications in the Red River Valley, which she said was the first time a large unmanned aerial system was used for that purpose in the U.S.

Preview: Friday, May 19, 2023 – 12:00 - 5:00 pm *COWBOY

These items are being auctioned through I Collector. You may bid in-house or online. Go to rplauctions.net to register for online bidding.

RLP Auctions

Weaver Grain Bins

Bajwa received the 2022 Cyrus Hall McCormick Jerome Increase Case Gold Medal from the American Society of Agricultural and Biological Engineers. The award, currently sponsored by CNH Industrial, honors exceptional and meritorious engineering achievement in agriculture that has resulted in new concepts, products, processes and methods that advanced the development of agriculture. Bajwa was recognized for her outstanding contributions to the industrial adoption of precision agriculture technologies, agricultural byproduct utilization and ensuing contributions to foundational technologies.

Bajwa was nominated by colleagues in 2019 when she was chair of the North Dakota State University Department of Agricultural and Biosystems Engineering and professor of agricultural engineering. Nominations are valid for three years. Bajwa’s research projects focused on industry collaboration and economic development in the Red River Valley.

“Although I graciously accepted this award, it was on behalf of all the people who have contributed to this research program,” said Bajwa, who has been with MSU since 2019. “My faculty colleagues, graduate students, postdocs and external collaborators all played an equally important role in developing and maintaining an impactful research program at North Dakota State University.”

In North Dakota, Bajwa and her team worked with a local company, Masonite, to identify new plant-based raw materials for making door components. The company had been using wheat straw for the fiber core of its manufactured exterior doors, but the material was becoming too expensive with unreliable quality. Bajwa and her team identified soybean- and corn-based fibers to mix with wheat fibers to maintain the quality of the doors and lower the raw material cost. Also based on their recommendations, the company modified their

As MSU’s vice president of agriculture and director of MAES, Bajwa said that one of her responsibilities is to understand the research needs of the agriculture sector in Montana from farmers, ranchers and other agriculture stakeholders, and to connect them with researchers to address those needs through producer engaged research.

Bajwa also advocates the adoption of precision agriculture practices in Montana, which include GPS, sensors, robotics and geographic information systems to help with farm planning, field mapping, soil sampling, tractor guidance, crop scouting, variable rate applications and yield mapping. The College of Agriculture hired four precision agriculture faculty members earlier this year to help create a precision agriculture program and facilitate research. Those faculty members meet with agricultural producers to learn about their most pressing concerns and create research plans to try and mitigate the issues, including invasive weeds, soil acidification, nutrient management and more.

“The key to my success has been bringing together a multitude of constituents and experts to work together to take advantage of research opportunities. This approach has been successful for me, and for many scientists I know. The MSU College of Agriculture is working on facilitating such collaborations for our researchers to address the challenges Montana agriculture faces,” Bajwa said.

An international organization with more than 8,000 members, ASABE represents educators, researchers and professionals tackling issues ranging from air and water quality to resource management, livestock environment, food engineering and Bajwa’s specialty, precision agriculture.

Options for estrus synchronization this breeding season

CONTINUED FROM PAGE A26 tunity to equally consume targeted intakes.

estrus early in the breeding season with decreased labor and expense as it only requires a single shot of PG and one time through the chute. This protocol calls for bulls to be turned out and then 5 days later, a single PG shot is given to synchronize a majority of the cows. Read more about this option in a past article (https://beef.unl.edu/ beefwatch/2020/simple-synchronizationcows-one-injection-one-time-throughchute-and-bull-breed).

Considerable research and field data support the use of these protocols. General comparisons of protocols used for beef heifers can be found in Table 1.

One of the major considerations to think about when feeding MGA is bunk management and delivery. The proper dosage is critical for success of these protocols. Poor bunk management leads to inconsistent intakes and consequently inconsistent results. By ensuring that there is adequate bunk space (generally allowing two feet per head), you are providing heifers the oppor-

Final Thoughts

Overall, an operation’s ability to provide proper labor, facilities, and experience will dictate which protocol can be efficiently carried out to successfully synchronize females. Furthermore, ensuring heifers are in adequate body condition and have proper nutrition and health management will significantly contribute to the success of synchronization and pregnancy.

To generate calendars specific to the timing of synchronization drugs, CIDR insertion and removal, and when to artificially inseminate, producers can utilize the Estrus Synchronization Planner. Another resource to evaluate costs associated with different protocols and breeding decisions would be the Breeding Cost Cow-Q-Lator. For more resources and information on synchronization protocols, visit https://beefrepro.org/ resources/ or contact your local extension personnel to help find the protocol best suited for your operation.

PREEC welcomes new communications specialist

The University of Nebraska-Lincoln Panhandle Research, Extension and Education Center in Scottsbluff welcomed Chabella Guzman, as its new communications specialist. She will be responsible for news media, social media, web content, video content, meeting technology, and other communications roles related to the Panhandle Center and Extension in western Nebraska.

She was appointed by John Westra, director of the Panhandle Center, and took over responsibilities on March 13, 2023.

Guzman has been part of the media in the Panhandle of Nebraska since 2003. She worked at the Star-Herald newspaper as a news clerk and reporter, owned a weekly newspaper The Index based in Mitchell, and was farm director at KNEB a part of the Rural Radio Network.

“I’m looking forward to working with the Nebraska Extension specialist, staff, administration, and the public. Agriculture is important to all of us, and I want to share all the great work going on right here in our backyard at the extension,” she said.

Guzman grew up in Mitchell on a small acreage, attended Scottsbluff Senior High School, and graduated from the University of Nebraska - Lincoln. She lived in Alaska, California, Kansas, and Missouri, before returning in 2001 to be closer to family.

Cherophobia

Do you hate all things fun? You might have Cherophobia! People with this phobia tend to avoid any kind of situation that others might classify as fun or joyful.

The word Cherophobia is made up of the Greek words chero, meaning “to rejoice,” and phobia, meaning “fear.”

Because I have to pay for land selling calves, I have to be a low input, least cost producer focused on profit. That means smaller cows, more of them, producing more pounds per acre, sold at a higher price per pound. Smaller pastures, grazing longer, feeding less. Calving later with more live calves, fewer cull cows, fewer replacements And it means using my own bulls.

SELLING: Yearling and 2-year-old bulls

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Considerations for annual forage production this season

North Dakota State University

This year’s long winter and late spring have eaten into livestock hay supplies.

“North Dakota ranchers will need another good year of hay production to restore what was fed during this winter and build a cushion for future hay demands created by environmental conditions,” says James Rogers, North Dakota State University Extension forage specialist.

NDSU Extension specialists recommend several annual forage crops that will produce a quality hay product that can meet nutritional needs of many classes of livestock.

Early spring planting (April-May)

In early spring, recommended cool-season cereal forages include oats, triticale and barley.

“These crops can produce good yields with excellent nutrient value when harvested from late boot to soft dough stages of development,” says Rogers. “Oat and triticale yields can be slightly higher than barley or wheat. These crops can also be planted into late June and can achieve good yields if rainfall is adequate.”

Seed costs and availability may dictate selection more than agronomic characteristics of the cool-season cereals. Cool-season cereals will take 60 to 80 days after establishment to reach a harvest point. These crops can be planted as a monoculture or blended with a legume crop such as forage pea.

“If planted as a monoculture, take a soil test prior to establishment to measure residual soil nitrate availability and adjust applications rates,” advises Rogers. “These coolseason cereal crops are all potential nitrate accumulators, and nitrogen application should be kept to 25 pounds nitrogen per acre for each ton of anticipated dry matter production.”

In a research study at the NDSU North Central Research Extension Center (NCREC) in Minot, nitrogen response for forage oats peaked at 50 pounds nitrogen per acre.

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FORESTRY

Planting a cool-season cereal and legume blend can eliminate the need for nitrogen fertilizer. Many commercial seed companies offer a 60% forage pea, 40% forage cereal blend that is ready to plant. These blends should be harvested based on maturity of the cool-season cereal.

Another option is to blend with a warm-season annual grass, such as foxtail millet or sorghum-sudan, which can produce two harvests from a single planting. At the NCREC, a blend of 25% forage oats and 75% sorghum-sudan had higher total yield from two harvests compared to a single harvest of forage oats and was similar in yield to two harvests of a sorghum-sudan monoculture.

Early summer planting

As the season moves into late spring and early summer, production potential shifts to the warm-season grasses. Annual millets (foxtail, proso, pearl and Japanese) are the most popular of the millets used for hay crops in the northern Plains. The foxtail millets offer good production, nutrient content and drought tolerance and will mature at 55 to 70 days, depending on variety. They can be planted as a monoculture or in combination with a legume or other warm season annual grasses. Regrowth potential of foxtail millet is little to none when harvested closely for hay.

Pearl millet has higher yield potential than the foxtail millets and has good regrowth potential following harvest. Pearl millet works well on lighter soils types and can be used for haying or grazing. Pearl millet does not respond well to alkaline soils. Brown mid-rib (BMR) and dwarf types are available in some pearl millet varieties. The millets can also be nitrate accumulators but tend to accumulate at lower levels than cool-season cereals. Unlike sorghums, millets do not accumulate prussic acid.

“Pearl millet is a high water use grass that also requires heat to fully be productive,” says Kevin Sedivec, NDSU Extension rangeland management specialist. “If conditions are dry and the forecast is for droughty conditions, pearl millet would not be recommended.”

According to Rogers, the crop with the highest production potential is the sorghums: forage sorghum, sudangrass and sorghum-sudangrass hybrids. This group establishes best when soil temperatures are at 60 degrees Fahrenheit and rising. Within this group, many combinations of production traits are offered, such as BMR with lower fiber and higher digestibility, dwarf types, male sterile, dry stalk, maturity, and others. They can be planted as a monoculture or combinations of legumes, millets or other crops.

As with the other crops listed here, sorghums can be nitrate accumulators. They also can develop prussic acid.

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Considerations for annual forage production this season

CONTINUED FROM PAGE A30

Piper sudangrass has the lowest potential for prussic acid development of the sorghums. New sorghum types are being developed that contain no dhurrin, which is a precursor to prussic acid development and will be a welcome addition to the market. Harvesting forage sorghum and sorghumsudangrass hybrids contain a large stem and can be difficult to achieve sufficient dryness to harvest for good quality, dry hay. Varieties with the dry stem trait can aid in dry down time. These forages are not restricted to use as a hay crop. All have the potential to be grazed or made into a silage. For annual forages with good regrowth potential, such as the sorghums and pearl millet, take advantage of the flexibility the crop offers and consider haying the first cutting and grazing the second.

“Think in terms of increasing the diversity of mixtures, which can often extend seasonal distribution of forage, lower production risk and increase forage nutrient content,” says Miranda Meehan, NDSU Extension livestock environmental stewardship specialist. “Be aware of any chemical applications that might have been made to the planting area prior to establishment. Some residual soil chemical activity may interfere with seed germination. Also consider seed costs and availability. Pick the forage that works best for you in your growing season of opportunity.”

For more information on annual forage options for the northern Plains, refer to the NDSU Extension publication, Annual Cover Crop Options for Grazing and Haying in the Northern Plains (ndsu.ag/covercrops). Reach out to your NDSU Extension county agent for assistance in selecting the right annual forage crop for your system.

Jonathan

The oldest-known living land animal is a tortoise named Jonathan, who is about to turn 190 years old. He was born in 1832 and has lived on the island of St. Helena in the Atlantic Ocean since 1882.

#####

Q: Why did King Kong climb the Empire State Building?

A: He couldn’t fit in the elevator.

To discover how one or both of these systems can benefit you, call us today at (406) 492-8229

ATTENTION GRADUATING SENIORS

Recipe Patch by Geri

Speedy One-Pot Chicken Couscous

1 tablespoon vegetable oil

½ teaspoon salt

½ teaspoon black pepper

4 skin-on chicken breasts

1 small yellow onion

1 green chili

1 red chili

3 cloves garlic, peeled and minced

½ teaspoon cumin

½ teaspoon ground coriander

¼ teaspoon paprika

pinch of saffron (optional)

1 1/4 cups (216g) couscous

1 3/4 cups (420ml) hot (almost boiling) chicken or vegetable stock

2 lemons

seeds of half a pomegranate

small bunch fresh cilantro, chopped

Peel the onion, then chop into small pieces. De-seed and chop the chiles into small pieces too.

Heat the oil in a large skillet and sprinkle the salt and pepper onto the skin side of the chicken breasts. Place in the pan skin-side down and cook on medium-high heat for five minutes. Turn the chicken over and cook for a further five minutes. Add the onion, green and red chiles, garlic, cumin, coriander, paprika and saffron to the pan and stir until the onions are coated in the spices. Cook for three minutes, stirring occasionally until the onion starts to soften.

While the onion mixture is cooking, remove the seeds from the pomegranate. Take a medium-sized bowl and hold the cut side of the pomegranate in your hand. Create a cup with your hand and hold it over the bowl. Whack the back of the pomegranate with a wooden spoon and the seeds will fall into your hand. Then you can tip them into the bowl. Any stubborn seeds can be removed by pulling the skin of the pomegranate outward a little, then repeating the spoon whacking until all seeds are removed. Put the seeds to one side.

Peel the zest from the lemons and squeeze the juice into a small bowl. Put to one side.

Add the stock and bring to a boil, place the lid on and simmer for ten minutes.

Take the lid off and pour in half the lemon juice, then carefully add in the couscous to the sides of the chicken, making sure not to leave any couscous on top of the chicken (as it won’t get cooked). You can move the chicken breasts to the side of the pan if it makes it easier. Stir everything, ensuring all of the couscous is covered, then place a lid on the skillet and turn the heat down to very low. Cook for five minutes, then turn off the heat.

Take off the lid and fluff up the couscous with a fork. Add the zest from one of the lemons and all but one tablespoon of the cilantro. Stir into the couscous.

Top with the remaining lemon zest, the pomegranate seeds and the chopped parsley. Serve with the remaining lemon juice.

Roasted Turnips

Turnips are an easy side dish to just about any meal. This is a very basic, simple recipe, and roasting not only brings out delicious flavor, but it allows the turnips to really shine.

1 ½ pounds turnips

2 tablespoons olive oil

½ teaspoon dried thyme

salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste chopped fresh parsley for garnish (optional)

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C).

Peel and trim turnips. Then cut into 1-1/4 inch pieces and place into a bowl. Drizzle with olive oil and season with thyme, salt, and pepper; toss until turnips are well coated. Spread out in 1 layer on a large baking sheet.

Roast for 15 minutes. Turn and roast until fork-tender and lightly browned, 10 to 15 more minutes.

A golfer is on the 4th tee when he hits a terrible hook into the adjacent fairway. Unfortunately, it hits another golfer right in the head. The incensed victim screams, “You moron! I’m going to sue you for five million dollars.” The golfer, now trying to do damage control, says “I said ‘fore.” The injured player thinks for a second and then says, “I’ll take it.”

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• Increased early season vigor

• Phosphorus and Zinc to drive rooting & cold start the crop.

• Zinc to help with early season hormone production, ie. Auxin for root and shoot growth.

• Convey Technology to help with early season stresses, such as cool soils and excess moisture. It also improves nutrient use efficiency.

• Other essential nutrients target at each specific crop, ie. Boron for cell wall strength; Manganese for efficient photosynthesis.

• Second chance for a starter fertilizer

• Formulations are targeted at early season root growth (more root = more efficient moisture and nutrient uptake).

• Proactive way of managing the crops nutritional requirement.

• Convey Technology helps with early season stresses such as cool soils, excess moisture, and drought. Also improves nutrient use efficiency.

• Speeds up recovery from herbicide hangover - the correct supply of nutrients helps the crop metabolize the herbicide more quickly.

• Contains novel Phosphorus nutrition, providing increased nutrient uptake and movement within the plant.

• Targeted at the reproductive phse of the plant.

• Proactive way of managing the crops utritional requirement

• Contains other essential nutrients targeted for each specific crop, ie. Boron to aid pollen tube growth, Zinc to help produce Auxin, to ensure healthy pollen tube growth.

Understanding scours

By Halden Clark, DVM MS, Health Stewardship; Great Plains Veterinary Educational Center and Lindsay Waechter-Mead, DVM, Nebraska Extension Beef Educator

Neonatal calf diarrhea, or scours, is a common concern among cow-calf producers. Understanding why scours occurs is the first step in preventing the problem. Calf scours outbreaks are the result of a contaminated calving and nursing environment. This environmental contamination develops following a period of pathogen (germ) buildup, or amplification. Cows shed relatively small amounts of these bacteria and viruses into the environment often without showing any clinical symptoms. Other scours-causing pathogens, such as coccidia, can persist in the environment year after year. As calves are born, they are exposed to these pathogens and begin the cycle of replication and shedding of disease potentials. They shed many times more germs than they were originally exposed to, which is why we call this “amplification.” The first calves born may not show clinical symptoms of scours because the pathogen load may not be high enough to overwhelm the immune system. However, as more calves are born and stocking density increases, the pathogen load can become too much. This is when a scours outbreak occurs.

Reducing the risk of scours can be accomplished by addressing different areas of management. One way to do this is by following the Sandhills Calving Method, or a modified version of it. The concept is to place calves into similar age groups, calving on clean environments with each group. Ideally, calves should be within 10-14 days of age in each calving area. Late gestation cows will then be moved away from new babies to calve in a fresh environment and begin another age group, and so on. This will allow reduction of pathogen shedding and exposure dose. The original concept can be modified to fit most operations by having an idea of calving dates and a little creativity.

Limiting stress during calving is another preventative measure. One example of stress includes weather concerns. Having a place for calves to get out of storms and mud may help. This can be accomplished by utilizing shelters or creating a calf escape area by adding a hot wire in the corner of the lot where calves can freely enter but cows remain outside the space. Shelters can become sources of contamination if left unclean and wet. Because ventilation and sunshine are vital factors in keeping calves healthy, moving shelters or utilizing open air concepts have been shown to be beneficial.

Testing is necessary to get a final diagnosis on what pathogens are causing problems and often the condition contains two or more species of bacteria, viruses, or protozoa. Age of calf is helpful in knowing what may be causing the problem as each pathogen affects calves at different time frames. Understanding crucial management areas and establishing prevention protocols with your veterinarian are essential for your operation’s calf health plan.

Will last year’s drought lead to severe grasshopper outbreaks?

By Samatha Daniel

Based on last year’s drought conditions and 2022 adult grasshopper surveys, much of central and western Nebraska is projected to be moderate to high risk for grasshopper outbreaks this season. Does that mean severe grasshopper outbreaks in forages and rangeland will occur? Not necessarily.

Grasshoppers tend to thrive in dry, hot conditions and are most likely to cause damage in forage and rangeland in areas with less than 30 inches of annual rainfall. The western two-thirds of Nebraska fall into this precipitation category, so why aren’t grasshopper outbreaks a severe issue every year? Outbreaks can be severely limited by cool, wet spring weather conditions. Cool temperatures and more spring rainfall increases the time required for grasshoppers to mature which increases juvenile mortality. This in turn reduces defoliation and the number of eggs produced for the following year’s population.

If spring conditions turn out to be favorable for grasshopper development and potential subsequent outbreaks, there are measures producers can take to mitigate defoliation in forage and rangeland. Properly managing forages and rangeland according to accepted practices can mitigate the effects of grasshopper feeding and scouting when grasshoppers begin to hatch in May will ensure producers stay one step ahead of grasshopper populations.

Calf processing and branding

As we move into branding time, it is a good time to discuss some calf processing and branding best management practices.

First things first: Establish a Veterinary Client Patient Relationship (VCPR) with a veterinarian. The purpose of the VCPR is for a vet to know the cattle, and the situation, and present health/disease challenges.

Relevant information to examine prior to processing young calves includes current health status of the herd, previous health challenges within the same management and environmental constraints, and operation goals for the vaccination protocol. Your veterinarian has the potential to be your best resource when developing these protocols.

Calf processing, and specifically branding time, can hold great traditions of family and community. It can also be leveraged as an opportunity for giving those not directly involved in cattle production a glimpse into the science and work that goes into our businesses. With the increased amount of labor present that represents a wide cross-section of experience levels, priorities and expectations should be communicated regularly in an effective way.

A common area of focus would be the expectation of effective (low-stress) cattle handling. This includes set up and design for both permanent and temporary facilities (i.e., how cattle will flow, pen size, distance from branding fire, etc.). You should visit with your help to refresh them on basic cattle handing do’s and don’ts on your operation. Additionally, briefing on expectations of cattle gathering, sorting, and the steps to follow at processing is a good way to ensure everyone is on the same page. Depending on branding methods, discussing the expected branding etiquette can improve the efficiency of the day.

One major issue typically observed during calf processing and branding, is mishandling of animal health products, especially vaccines. Best management practices to ensure vaccines work include:

When products require mixing, only mix them as needed and not more than one hour prior to administration. The efficacy of the product deteriorates outside of that time frame.

When mixing vaccines, do not over shake. Simply swirling the vaccine in the bottle is enough to ensure a good mix. When products are over shaken, they can be destroyed and release endotoxins, which could be harmful to your animals.

Keep vaccines protected from the elements. Store them according to the temperature range on the manufacturer label and do not allow them to be exposed to sunlight.

Label syringes and do not allow them to get mixed up.

If modified live vaccine is placed into a syringe that previously held killed vaccine and a residue of the killed vaccine is present, it may

damage or destroy the modified live vaccine. Change your needles every time a syringe is refilled. It is recommended to replace needles every 10 – 15 head. Additionally, by replacing your needle each refill, you ensure you’re not contaminating the remainder of the product left in the bottle with a dirty needle.

Give all injections in front of the shoulder in the neck region unless the label specifically advises to administer in a different location.

Try to utilize products that are labeled for subcutaneous administration.

When branding, ensure those who are overseeing the placement of the brand are properly trained and competent in the procedure and know what issues or complications to look for when branding. For example, does the person branding understand how long to hold the brand on, how much pressure to use, how to identify a branding iron that is too hot or not hot enough.

Research has shown that the stress related to processing and branding for calves was correlated more with the amount of time separated from the dam than the actual processing method. The more efficiently we can get calves back with their dams, the less stress those calves will experience. Sufficient communication between all individuals present will lead to prevention of stress in all areas.

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2-Westgo 1310 grain augers, 65-ft. hydraulic swing augers, 1 left, 1 right side. PLUS 2 8” shorter augers.

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Indoor ‘queen banking’ could help beekeepers deal with changing climate

By Scott Weybright, College of Agricultural, Human, and Natural Resource Sciences, Washington State University

Keeping queen bees chilled in indoor refrigeration units can make the practice of “queen banking” — storing excess queens in the spring to supplement hives in the fall — more stable and less labor-intensive, a Washington State University study found. It may also help strengthen honey bee survival in the face of a changing climate.

In a paper published in the Journal of Apicultural Research, researchers compared queen banks stored in refrigerated units to those stored in the conventional way outdoors and an “unbanked” control group. They found that the queens stored at cooler temperatures had a higher survival rate and required less maintenance than those stored outdoors. This study, and future potential refinement, could be another piece in the ultimate puzzle of reducing the loss of bee colonies each year, said senior author Brandon Hopkins, an assistant research professor in WSU’s Department of Entomology.

“A lot of honey bee losses are queen-quality issues,” Hopkins said. “If we have a method that increases the number of queens available or the stability of queens from year to year, then that helps with the number of colonies that survive winter in a healthy state.”

In the beekeeping industry, queen producers often “bank” queens over the summer by storing them in small cages. Those small cages are then put into a large colony with many workers to care for the caged queens, with as many as 200 queens per bank. A bank of 100 queens has a value of more than $5,000, and producers may have 10 to 20 banks on hand. For this study, the team prepared 18 banks with 50, 100 and 198 queens per bank. The refrigerated banks matched survival of the outside groups, and in the banks of 100, survival was higher, with 78% of queens surviving the six weeks of storage compared to 62% in the outdoor group. The queens in both groups were of the same quality, showing similar good health. The cooled queen banks also needed less maintenance.

Beekeepers need honey bee queens to sustain colonies that pollinate crops, and there’s a huge spike in demand for queens in the spring. That’s when beekeepers replace their losses from the previous year.

Once queen producers meet that demand, they can’t just turn off queen production. Producers can bank excess queens to help meet the future needs of beekeepers, who often replenish their queen supplies after the summer.

Queens can’t be produced in hot temperatures, Hopkins said. Banking keeps an inventory on hand for when demand returns in the fall.

Keeping a supply of queens available for beekeepers to purchase is growing increasingly difficult. The vast majority of U.S. queen producers are based in California, where rising temperatures and wildfires are becoming more common.

“We heard queen producers in California are having a difficult time banking queens when temperatures are over 100 degrees in the summer,” said Hopkins. “It’s a little scary to be banking 80% of the country’s queen supply in a location prone to wildfires, smoke and high temperatures.”

Hopkins was surprised by how well the experiment worked, considering the challenges of queen banking.

“It’s an art,” he said. “There’s a significant amount of maintenance, skill and care required: managing, feeding and moving resources around.”

The team found that in the refrigeration units, the bees fared well with just food and no human interference.

Hopkins worked on the study with WSU colleagues Anna Webb, Stephen Onayemi, Rae Olsson and Kelly Kulhanek. This project was supported with funding from Project Apism. #####

Jim, Scott and Alex are tired after traveling all day and check into a hotel. When they get to reception, they find out they’ll have to walk 75 flights of stairs to get to their room because the elevator is out of order.

406-531-8079 bjc0595@gmail.com

Jim suggests that they do something interesting to pass time while they walk the 75 flights. Jim will tell jokes, Scott will sing songs, and Alex will tell sad stories.

So Jim tells jokes for 25 flights, Scott sings songs for 25 flights and Alex tells sad stories for 24 flights. When they reach the 75th floor, Alex tells his saddest story of all, “Guys, I left our room key at the reception.”

Great Falls Sales: Andy – 590-0372; Lance – 788-8012; James – 868-2570; Hunter – 868-8312; Adam – 403-5987

Lewistown Sales: Anna – 231-4251

USED TRACTORS

USED CONSTRUCTION

Bobcat S205 skid steer. stk# 22962. (G)

USED SWATHERS

New Holland 1118 with 14-ft. header. stk# 27582. (G)

USED SPRAYERS

New Holland T7.210 stk# 22264. COMING IN SOON (L)

Bobcat T750 skid steer. stk# 26506. (L)

New Holland L228 skid steer. stk# 21279. (G)

Quick Attach Sledge Pounder skid steer mount. stk# 29228. (G)

Massey

swather. stk# 17659. (G)

NEW ROCKPICKER

New Holland TM150 tractor. stk# 29559. (G) Case IH Puma 165 tractor. stk# 30255. (L)

Tool Cat 5600 stk# 21420. (G)

Toro 22319 Dingo stk# 30114. (G) 2009 Bobcat 325G compact excavator, 2800 hours. stk# 15179. (G)

USED COMBINES

Case 2188 stk# 29206. (G)

Case 1660 with header. stk# 13168. (G)

New Holland TR98 with headers. stk# 19692. (G)

New Holland SP310 self propelled sprayer, 110ft. boom, 1500 gallon tank, Raven controls, Inteli Spray, MFWD, GPS Guidance. Stk #28843. (G)

New Holland SF115 sprayer. stk# 28655. (G)

Spra Coupe 7650 full run Raven monitor, mechanical rear drive, front hydraulic assist, 90-ft. boom, hydraulic extend axle. stk# 9067. $49,900 (G)

Versatile SX275 sprayer. stk# 12327. (G)

USED AIR DRILL

Kubota BX2380 compact tractor. stk# 30042. (G)

Massey Ferguson 8570 with 30-ft. header. stk# 9896. (G)

NEW & USED HEADERS

Agco 8610 stk# 30061. (G)

Allis-Chalmers 185 tractor. stk# 30601 (G)

Massey Ferguson 1735 35 hp tractor, open station, MFWD, backhoe attachment, front loader. Stk #26242. (G)

USED TILLAGE

Melroe 501 plow with 40-ft. harrow. stk# 25282. (G)

Gysler 39-ft. plow. stk# 25477. $6900 (G)

Gysler 46-ft. plow with roller harrow. stk# 28579. (L)

Haybuster 256 stk# 29172. $2495 (G)

Haybuster BB256 left-hand discharge. stk# 29173. $2495 (G)

Haybuster 2800 square and round. stk# 30239. (G)

Haybuster 256+II stk# 30261. (G)

Haybuster 256+II round only. stk# 30279. (L)

Vermeer BPX9010R processor. stk# 29561.(L)

Vermeer BPX8000 round only. stk# 11189. (L)

Vermeer BP8000 round only. stk# 11240. (L)

USED AUGERS

Buhler MKX 13x84 auger. stk# 29296. $6995 (G)

NEW MacDon R216 header. stk# 30590....(G)

MacDon FD75D 45-ft. header. stk# 29023. (L)

MacDon 962 stk# 27101. (G)

Gleaner 24-ft. header. stk# 10119. (G)

Morris 1400 Hay Hiker. stk# 21195. (G)

Canola Roller 34371 adapter 9-ft. with Freeform Plastics MT2000 roller. stk# 28550. (G)

Woods GBC48 box blade. stk# 26754. (G)

Land Pride RCR1860 cutter. stk# 29730. (G)

USED LAWN & GARDEN

Toro 74720 riding mower. stk# 20089. (G)

Toro 74730 riding mower. stk# 23442. (G)

Toro 74624 riding mower. stk# 30527. (G)

Blec Blecavator BV130 stk# 30276. (G) Check

Jacobsen Greens King IV riding mower. stk# 28435. (G)

Snapper 7800920-00 riding mower. stk# 20898. (G)

Toro 20017 walk behind mower. stk# 10492. (G)

Toro 20017 walk behind mower. stk# 16445. (G)

Toro 20040 walk behind mower. stk# 26977. (G)

Concord ATD-4012 air drill. stk# 30184. (G)

USED ROUND BALERS

New Holland RB560 net/twine. stk# 28314.(L)

New Holland BR780 net/twine. stk# 27848. (L)

New Holland 688 net/twine. stk# 30181. (L)

New Holland 664 net/twine. stk# 30105. (G)

New Holland 660 net/twine. stk# 27027. $2900 (G)

Vermeer 605L twine only. stk# 21490. (G)

John Deere 566 net/twine. stk# 29080 $6900 (G)

Hesston 956A twine only. stk# 9821.$6900 (G)

Hesston 856A stk# 22105 $4900 (G)

Gehl RB1870 stk# 28492. $2495 (G)

Ferguson WR9760

NEW Haybuster 3106 rockpicker. stk# 30518 (L)

Sorghum Sudangrass

Early fungicide applications may help some wheat producers

By Pat Melgares, K-State Research and Extension news service

A Kansas State University plant pathologist is urging wheat producers to take the time to think through the timing and type of fungicide they may be applying to their crop this spring.

Kelsey Andersen Onofre said that some producers are considering an early fungicide application -– perhaps between the green-up and jointing stages – but there are important points to consider while thinking through that option.

“An early application can be economical for the producer in some scenarios,” she said. “Usually that (application) will go in with a fertilizer or herbicide application, so we might put that in the tank at the same time. Some studies have shown that there can be small yield benefits of an early fungicide application; it doesn’t happen in all years and in all environments.”

Andersen Onofre said some of the fungal diseases commonly seen in Kansas fields include stripe rust and leaf rust. Eastern Kansas farmers also are wary of the rusts, as well as leaf spot diseases such as tan spot and Septoria tritici blotch which are more common in no-till wheat on wheat rotations, as the fungi survive in wheat residue.

“Early fungicide applications may stem early disease development and protect the lower canopy of the crop,” she said. “This may prevent these fungi from moving to the upper canopy as easily later in the season.”

Andersen Onofre said it’s important to remember that early season applications are not a substitute for flag leaf applications, which can provide a much higher yield benefit when the environment is conducive for disease. The flag leaf in wheat is the last leaf to emerge and drives about 75% of grain yield.

“Those flag leaves drive much of our yields in wheat,” Andersen Onofre said. “With an early fungicide application, those leaves are not protected.”

“One of the things to think about regarding an early application is that a lot of these fungicides have use restrictions that limit the amount of active ingredient that can be applied in a season,” Andersen Onofre said. “So, if you know you want to apply (a product) early in the season, you would maybe lose the ability to apply that same product later in the season.”

One option, she notes, is a split-rate application, in which the producer makes two passes with the same fungicide.

“There are a few products available where, for example, the full application rate is 10 fluid ounces per acre, but they have a special label that allows you to make one five ounce application early, followed by another five ounce application later,” Andersen Onofre said. “Not all products have that type of special label, so it’s really important to plan both applications accordingly.”

“Alternatively, some products have lower rates labeled for early season disease suppression, where a lower rate can be applied with your herbicide or fertilizer and a later full rate application may be made at flag leaf.”

Each year, Kansas State University and universities around the country compile data on the efficacy of fungicides on wheat. The most current data is now available online in the publication, Foliar Fungicide Efficacy Ratings for Wheat Disease Management.

Andersen Onofre said the publication includes researchbased information on efficacy of widely available fungicides in Kansas. She also notes the importance of paying attention to disease scouting reports in the producer’s area, knowing the vulnerabilities of wheat varieties, and knowing overall crop condition and estimated yield potential.

Wheat badly damaged this year by drought or cold injury may not be the best candidate for an early application, she said.

“We try to put as much information in (the publication) as possible, but it doesn’t replace reading the label of the fungicides you’re using,” she said. “It’s always good to read labels to make sure you’re in compliance with what’s written when choosing a fungicide.”

K-State also publishes an annual wheat variety guide to help producers understand the susceptibility of varieties they are currently growing, as well as those they may want to plant later this year. Varieties highly susceptible to the diseases would be better candidates for fungicide applications.

, AGCO diesel engine, CVT transmission, air ride cab, Soilection Four Bin dry air flow system, 70-ft. boom, Agri-Cover SRT-2 spool electric roll tarp, Dakota Micro Inc backup camera, Raven lightbar, Raven GPS, Raven Viper Pro monitor, 4530 hours. Must see truck, amazingly clean, and well cared for. $82,500

Titan

2017

TG8400B dry floater, diesel engine, CVT transmission, AirMax Precision dry air flow system, 70-ft. stainless steel boom, single product, electric roll over tarp, Viper 4, autosteer, 3245 hours. $154,000

diesel engine, Allison transmission, New Leader L4000 G4, 14-ft. stainless steel dry spreader box, twin spinner, all hydraulic, New Leader stainless steel insert, Ag Leader monitor, 4253 hours. $124,500

2015 Case IH Titan 4530 with Flex Air 810 box, 2353 hours, 70ft. booms, auto steer, triple bin. Incredibly well cared for, clean, rust free truck. $162,000

4700 fuel truck, DT466 diese engine, 6 plus speed transmission, single axle, spring suspension, 1989 Brownie 2200 gallon, 5 compartment (600-500-300-400-400) petroleum body, 2 - Veeder Root meters with LC controls, 2 - electric hose reels with hose, 11R22.5 tires, aluminum rims, 300,126 miles. $29,500

diesel, hydrostatic, front quick tach bucket, forks, aux hyd, 911 hours $26,000

Cat 3126 diesel engine, Eaton Fuller 7 speed transmission, heat, AM/FM radio, cruise control, single axle, air ride suspension, cheater axle, 1985 Allied 2800 4 compartment (500-600700-1000) aluminum bulk petroleum body, 2 - electric hose reels with hose, 2 - meters, 11R22.5 tires, 235/75R17.5 cheater

762,178 miles. $44,000

cab, red leather seat, 6 speed Allison automatic transmission, 8.7L Case IH FLP engine, 1512 hours, 1050/50 R32 front and rear tires, Raven Viper 4, Agri-Cover roll tarp $167,000

2011 TerraGator 8204, Cat diesel engine, AirMax Precision, 70ft. stainless steel boom, Raven SmarTrax, Viper Pro, 4495 hours. Exceptionally clean truck! $84,000

2015 Case IH Titan 4530 Dry Floater, Flex-Air 810 - VRT dry flow system, 70-ft. boom, Raven Viper Pro, 2922 hours $148,000

1985 Freightliner, Willmar 16-ton rear auger tender, tires are fair. Working truck and tender $24,500

2018 RBR 380, with 810 Flex Air Bed, 1825 hours with Raven Viper 4. $228,000

2001 Kenworth petroleum truck,

tires, 283,312 miles, 16,104 hours. $31,000

2019 TerraGator TG8400C1619 hours, Airmax Precision 2 bed, capable of spreading two products, 70-ft. stainless steel boom, Raven Viper 4 controller, auto steer, automatic section control, variable rate. Amazing machine....$248,500

2015 Case IH 4530, 810 Flex Air system, 70-ft. stainless steel boom, micro ingredient bin, electric roll tarp, Raven Viper Pro, Smartrax, 2384 hours $155,000

2016 Case IH 4540 Case FPT diesel engine, Allison 6 speed transmission, Case FX 810 air spreader, 70-ft. boom. Raven Viper 4 controller, auto steer. $138,000

1969 Lubbock NH3 transport trailer, 10,400 gallons, Blackmer pump. 5 to choose from $45,000 each

1967 Fruehauf 8500 gallon lead and 5700 gallon 1969 Beall fuel trailer $34,000

2018 TerraGator TG8400B floater, 1505 hours, AGCO SISU power, diesel CVT transmission, Air Max Precision 2 bed, stainless steel 70ft. boom, Raven Viper 4, electric roll tarp. $236,000 $228,500

2007 John Deere 724J wheel loader, quick attach with 13,019 hours $112,500

Swinger 2000 loader,

1995 International

2013 RoGator 1300, New Leader L4258 G4, Raven monitor, Raven GPS, 3072 hours $88,500

2015 TerraGator TG9300B

TerraGator

2014 Case IH

floater,

Willmar 16-ton rear auger tender, mounted on 2007 Wilray tandem axle pup, air brakes. Honda powered hydraulic system, roll tarp. $19,000

1990 Freightliner liquid tender with pup trailer, 2-2800 gallon tanks, both the truck and pup have gas powered 2” pumps, Detroit diesel engine,

1993 International 8200 dry tender truck, Cummins L10, full screw, cheater axle, Ray Man model 20CH2FB 5 compartment dry tender box, overhead discharge auyger, roll over tarp, 11R22.5 tires, 10R17.5 cheater tires, 689,222 miles. $31,500

2004 Peterbilt floater sprayer truck, 76-ft. boom, 20” nozzle spacing, Raven Envizio Pro control valves, 4368 hours $73,000

Cat 938F payloader, Cat diesel engine 140 hp. 4 speed shuttle shift drive, enclosed cab, 3.25 yard bucket, 20.5-R25 tires, 10,270 hours. $48,500

Hyundai HL730-9A wheel loader, EROPS, Cummins diesel engine, heat, air conditioning, AM/FM radio, 8-ft. bucket, 2.5 cubic yard capacity, 17.5R25 tires, operating weight 23,500 lbs, rear view camera, 5684 hours. $92,500

1989 Kenworth T800 tender truck, 350 Cummins engine, 10 speed Eaton Fuller transmission, steerable pusher axle. 16-ton Wilmar side shooter tender $29,500

& Conrad MT C19

Circle G Salvage, Walhalla, ND C30

Circle S Seeds, of Montana, Three Forks MT A10

Clearview Seed, Denton MT A6

Courtesy Ford, Conrad MT C17

Cut Bank Tire, Cut Bank MT C28

Dakota Truck & Farm, Minot ND C38

DBL Sales & Service, Dave & Brock Linker, Coffee Creek MT A18, C18

Doane Western of Montana, Bozeman MT C24

Double Diamond Truck & Equipment Sales, Missoula MT B14

Dry Fork Ag, Ledger MT A19

Exchange Services, Inc, Whitefish MT B6

First State Bank, Shelby, MT A32

Fisher Metal Products, Fort Benton, MT C20

Flaman Rentals, Power MT A29, C33

Fort Benton Realty, Fort Benton MT B24

Fox Ford, Wolf Point MT A7

Frank Merchant Roofing, Great Falls MT A19

Fraser’s Oil Inc., Inverness MT A34

Frieling’s Agricultural Equipment, Great Falls MT A40, B12, B13, C19

Frontline Ag Solutions Dillon, Dillon MTC40

Frontline Ag Solutions, Choteau, Conrad, Cut Bank, Dillon, Lewistown, Havre, Chester, Great Falls, Belgrade, Livingston MT C36, C37

Gateway Arch & Fence, Wayne Thiem, Bozeman MT C4

Glass Trucking, Denton MT B3

Golden Harvest Seeds, Big Sandy MT B21

Golden Triangle Seeds, Rudyard MT B19

Gordon Repair, LLC, Miles City MT A12

Greenway Seeds, Caldwell ID C5

Greyn Fertilizer, Choteau, Dutton, Valier MT A39

Grossenburg Equipment, Winner, Pierre, Philip, Belle Fourche SD, Wayne, Bloomfield, Harrington NE, Sundance WY C13

GSI Auction Service, Glasgow MT C16

H & H Spreading, Conrad MT B14

Heartland Ag Systems, ID, KS, MT, ND, NE, SD, WA A25

Hedman, Inc, Grass Range MT A33

Helfert’s Helena Farm Supply, East Helena MT C14

Henke Enterprises, SprayFlex & Big Dog Mowers, Chester MT C17

Henry Building Systems, Pelican Rapids MN B16

Heritage Timber, Bonner MT C1

Highline Communications, Cut Bank MT C34

Hoven Equipment Co., Great Falls MT A37

Hwy 12 Equipment & Repair, Baker MT A12

J & T Equipment Sales, John Jones, Stevensville MT A14

Jamieson Motors, Inc., Chinook MT B23, C8

Johnsen Trailer Sales, Inc., Bismarck & Fargo ND C4

Krogmann Mfg. C22

Lattin & Sons, Power MT A29, C33

Lee’s Trapworks, LTD, Swift Currant Canada B2

Lewistown Polaris, Lewistown MT A27

M & M Auto, Trailers, & Welding, Stevensville MT C36

M & W Machine, Three Forks MT C34

Mahindra, Big Sky Harley, Great Falls MT C1

Milk River Ag, Chinook, MT A38

Montana Ag Safety Program B20

Montana Airguns, Great Falls, MT C30

Montana Farrier Supply, Livingston MT A26

Montana Fence, Billings, Bozeman, Great Falls, Kalispell MT A24, C9, C29

Montana Holster & Shoulder Rig, Norm Schertenlieb, Great Falls MT C39

Montana Metal Fabrications, Great Falls MT A10

Montana Seeds, Conrad MT A16

Montana Valley Irrigation, Great Falls MT A2

Mountain View Metal Works, Wilsall MT B1

MQS, Montana Quality Structures, Stevensville MT C39

MT Tractors, Matt Pendergast, Stevensville MT B15

Musselshell Valley Equipment, Roundup MT A20, A21, C30, C31

New Homes of the Future, Billings MT B6

North Star Equipment, John Myers, Simms MT C23

Northern Ford, Cut Bank MT C27

Northern Prairie Auto Sales, Wolf Point MT B10

Ophus Auction, Big Sandy MT C32

Pete’s Auto Sales, Great Falls MT

Gopher Traps by Lee’s TrapWorks

• Easy to set

• Easy to empty

• Built-in stake is part of trap

• Kills quickly

• Very visible if painted bright color

• Traps are sold unpainted, paint them your favorite color

• Traps are currently $22 each Canadian and roughly $18 US at today’s exchange rate

• Postage for package of 10 traps is around $51 Canadian

• Check us out at www.leestrapworks.com Call 306-778-2083 evenings for more information or to order

2023 Antibiotic label changes

Authored

by Hayley R. Springer, MS, DVM

What you need to know regarding upcoming changes to antibiotic labels. Why is this change happening?

The upcoming changes to antibiotic labels are part of a coordinated effort to improve antibiotic stewardship practices. These practices are put in place to minimize the development of antibiotic resistance, which can lead to untreatable infections in both humans and animals. By reducing our need for antibiotics through disease prevention and improving how we use antibiotics, we can help assure that we can continue to use these vital medications to treat human and animal disease for generations to come. One important aspect of antibiotic stewardship is judicious use of antibiotics, which means that for each disease being treated, the best antibiotic at the best dosage is used to improve the likelihood of recovery while minimizing the risk of resistance. In both

human and animal medicine, practitioner oversight of antibiotic use is considered critical to judicious use. Food animal veterinary medicine has long had many prescription antibiotic products under veterinary oversight. In January 2017, several over the counter (OTC) products were shifted from OTC to veterinary feed directive (VFD) status to bring these products under veterinary oversight. This change targeted “medically important” antibiotics because these are the products related to antibiotics vital to human health and in-feed antibiotics because this route of administration most directly puts antibiotics in contact with potential foodborne pathogens, which largely reside in the gut. This change did decrease the amount of antibiotics being purchased for use in animal agriculture (Figure 1), with many veterinarians reporting no ill effects to animal health and wellbeing.

VERY GOOD CONDITION IN-LINE STINGER 4000 WRAPPER FOR SALE

What is the change?

To further improve antibiotic stewardship, the remaining OTC “medically important” antibiotics will transition to prescription status in 2023. This means that beginning around June 2023, these products will no longer be able to be sold as OTC products. They will only be available with a veterinary prescription and will need to be purchased from a veterinarian or a pharmacy.

When will this change occur?

For more details, a full list of products, including manufacturer information is available on the FDA website.

OTC Antibiotic Active Ingredients

Impacted by the June 2023 Changes

Injectable Products

Penicillins

Tetracyclines

Sulfa Antibiotics

Erythromycin

Tylosin

Lincomycin

Wraps rounds or up to 3 stacked 3x4x8 square bales. Remote control enables 1 man operation. Bale and preserve valuable hay at higher moistures. Greatly reduce loss and make highly palatable feed. Selling since we no longer bale hay. Shedded when not in use. Located in central WY. $35,000

Please call or text (307) 351-1264 for more information.

There is not an exact date that this will occur, but expect the change to occur around June, 2023. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has asked manufacturers to stop shipping OTC products and provide only products labeled for prescription use by June 11, 2023. The change on the store shelves may occur earlier or later than this depending on several factors. Some manufacturers have already shipped the last of their OTC products, some of which may run out before June 11, 2023. Other products have plenty in retail and distribution channels. These products may be on the shelves beyond June 11, 2023. FDA will honor these remaining products as OTC until their expiration date, so it will be legal to sell and use these products without a veterinary prescription until they expire.

What products are impacted?

The changes are targeted at products that are both OTC and “medically important” antibiotics. OTC products are those that are available at retail locations, whether locally or online, without a veterinary prescription or veterinary feed directive. Medically important antibiotics belong to classes of antibiotics that are shared between human and veterinary medicine. These classes are targeted because resistance to these types of antibiotics pose the most risk to both human and animal health. Impacted product types follow.

Spectinomycin

Gentamicin

Intramammary Products (Mastitis Tubes)

Erythromycin

Penicillins

Dihydrostreptomycin

Novobiocin

Cephapirin

Cephapirin Benzathine

Oral Liquids and Boluses

Dihydrostreptomycin

Sulfa Antibiotics

Tetracyclines

Spectinomycin

Gentamicin

Eye Ointments

Gentamicin

Tetracyclines

What products are not impacted?

The upcoming changes will not alter access to products that are already under veterinary oversight, including all VFD and prescription products. There are also a wide range of non-antibiotic and non-medically important antibiotic products that will remain available over the counter. Examples of the types of products not impacted by these changes are shown below.

Products not impacted by the June 2023 Changes

Products Under Veterinary Oversight

Prescription Products

Figure 1: FDA 2021 Summary Report on Antimicrobials Sold or Distributed for Use in Food-Producing Animals (Dec. 2022).

GTA grant awardees to advance

Montana

Governor Greg Gianforte and the Agriculture Development Council announced recipients of the state’s $896,003 investment in innovative, value-added agriculture projects through the Montana Department of Agriculture’s Growth Through Agriculture (GTA) program.

“By investing in innovative, value-added ag projects, we can help Montana producers keep pace with a transforming agricultural industry and capture more of the tremendous value they create,” Gov. Gianforte said. “I look forward to seeing what these ag businesses are able to accomplish with this investment.”

From Circle to Libby, a total of 23 agricultural businesses throughout the state were awarded funds to advance Montana’s agricultural economy.

“Year after year, Montana’s Growth Through Agriculture Program boosts agricultural businesses toward their goals,” Montana Director of Agriculture Christy Clark said. “The Department of Agriculture is proud to invest in these innovative projects that will add value to Montana agriculture and boost our economy.”

The GTA program was established by the Montana Legislature in 1987 to strengthen and diversify Montana’s agriculture industry through innovative agricultural business improvements and the commercialization and marketing of new, value-added agriculture products.

All GTA funding awards require businesses to invest at least $1 in matching funds for every $1 in grant or loan assistance received. The Montana Department

agriculture

of Agriculture administers the program with counsel from the Agriculture Development Council, a seven-member committee appointed by the governor. Successful projects ranged from meat alpaca fiber processing to extending local produce availability.

2023 GROWTH THROUGH AGRICULTURE AWARDS

Kuvu Bio Solutions – Bozeman –$50,000 loan for the commercialization of a novel weed management innovation.

Montana Greenhouse Project 365, LLC –Kalispell – $48,382 grant to build a sunken greenhouse to grow year-round.

Black Dog Farm – Livingston – $34,647 grant for the expansion of chicken and egg production in Livingston.

Good Mama Farm – Harrison – $17,625 grant to extend local produce availability in rural areas using value added products.

Aspen Grove Farm, LLC – Corvallis – $50,000 grant for value added product expansion.

Cold Springs Organics, LLC – Bozeman – $25,000 grant and $25,000 loan for the value-added expansion of an organic grain processing operation for a flour mill and bagging machine.

Montana Alfalfa Company – Malta –$35,000 grant and $25,000 loan for leaf cutter bee processing and storage facility. SporeAttic LLC – Bozeman – $33,154 grant for SporeAttic Mushroom Farm expansion.

Genuine Ice Cream – Bozeman – $41,571 grant for ice cream manufacturing expansion.

CONTINUED ON PAGE B4

GLASS TRUCKING, INC.

Grain, Liquid, Hay & Livestock Hauling

• In business since 1960 •

Visit us at www.glasstrucking.com

Denton, MT

406-567-2232 800-325-8859

TRACTORS FOR SALE

$125,000 each

Phone

BARLEY:

Moravian 165, Bill Coors 100 (Molson-Coors contract varieties available here) Hockett, AC Metcalfe, Haymaker and others

SPRING WHEAT:

WB9879CLP*, WB9724CLP*, WB9668, Lanning (high yield Vida replacement) Fortuna, Duclair, HammerAx CoAXium* and others *(PVP) Varieties CLP - Clearfield Plus

DURUM:

Alzada

PULSE CROPS: Lentils, Early Star Yellow Peas, Banner and Aragorn for contract production

FORAGE BLEND

Custom blended or stock blend of 1/3 hay barley, 1/3 forage peas, and 1/3 oats

ALFALFA:

Alforex varieties: AFX429 Rugged and AFX 439 NEW Resolute, Magnum 7, Magnum 7 wet, L-442RR, HayPro, Ladak, Ladak ‘65, and others

2012 John Deere 8235R with H480 loader, 800 hours. Will sell with or without the loader.

2017 John Deere 6110M with new 620R loader, 300 hours. Both are like new, always shedded, fully serviced and ready for the field. Both are loaded and have AutoSteer. Can sell with or without monitors and receivers.

Custom cut to your specs

780 1st Rd. S - Vaughn, MT

Call The Weaver Family (406) 788-7989

www.bigskysawmill.vpweb.com

e-mail: bigskysawmill@gmail.com

#####

On a Monday morning at work, Maurice asked his coworker, “How was your weekend?” to which the coworker replied, “It was fantastic.” “What made it so good?” Maurice inquired. “I put a bunch of hooks in the water.” “Wow, I didn’t know you were a fisherman.” “Who said anything about fishing?” The coworker responded. “I was playing golf.”

Live Auction with Live Internet Bidding!

Getting the most out of grazing cereals

By Mary Drewnoski, Nebraska Extension Beef Systems Specialist and Daren Redfearn, Nebraska Extension Forage and Crop Residue Specialist

When grazed from early April to early May, forage quality of cereal rye, winter triticale, and winter wheat is similar. All three species can be very high quality. When managed correctly, growing calves can gain 3 to 4 lbs/day. Cereal rye can have greater growth during cooler conditions compared to wheat or triticale. This is the reason it can often provide earlier spring grazing. On the other hand, triticale retains its feed value better into late spring since it does not mature as quickly. This makes it well-suited for hay and silage, or for grazing well into June. If planning on harvesting hay after heading, make sure to choose an awnless variety to increase palatability.

When grazing, the key to optimizing performance of cattle with high nutritional requirements, such as growing calves or lactating cows, is to keep the grass from becoming overly mature. Remember, with lactating cows you want them on an increasing, or at minimum, steady plane of nutrition as they move into breeding. Managing forage maturity is key to maintaining availability of high-quality forage. Small cereal forages grow fast and mature rapidly, so it is important to actively manage the grazing to ensure the plants are not allowed to become overly mature.

HENRY .44-40

50+

C. M. Russell, Tim Sullivan, Harvey Rattey, Sam Terakedis, Marvin Morin, C. R. Cheek, Chappel

Clarence Cuts The Rope, C. R. Cheek, Ace Powell, J. D. Makin

Nancy Glazier & C. M. Russell

1894, .30 WCF, 20” rnd. barrel, s#1131090

Win. 1895, .30 Gov, 1906, 23” rnd. barrel, s#81877

Win. 55, .30 WCF,24” rnd. barrel, ½ magazine, s#1039441

Win. 63, .22 LR, no serial #

Win. Model 70, .375 H & H Magnum, hooded sight, s#436910

Win. 94, .30 WCF, 26” rnd. barrel, s#55308

Win. 94AE, .44 Rem. Mag., 16” rnd. barrel, s#6006929

Win. 1887, 10 gauge, 28” barrel, s#57476

Marlin 1893, .32-40, 30” rnd. barrel, crescent butt, s#182619

Marlin 1893, .30-30, 26” oct. barrel, s#186234

Marlin 1895, .40-82, 26” oct. barrel, s#134622

Marlin 27-S, .25-20, take down, 24” oct. barrel, crescent butt, s#918

Marlin, .38-55, oct. barrel, tacked stock, crescent butt, s#19082

Marlin 24, 12 gauge pump, 32” barrel, s#104155

Browning BT-99 12 gauge trap shotgun, single shot

Rem. Model 8-A, .35 Rem, 22” rnd. barrel, s#41153

Rem. Model 12C, .22 S, L & LR, 24” oct. barrel, crescent butt, s#540869

Rem. 44 Rem CR, .44 WCF pump, 22” rnd. barrel, s#47057

Rem. Model 14, .35 Rem. pump, 19” barrel, s#29080

Rem. 17, 20 gauge pump, 28” ribbed barrel, s#27697

Rem. derringer, .32, 2 barrels, early piece, no serial #

Savage 99, .300 Savage, 24” barrel, brass counter, sling swivels, s#338611

Savage 1899, .303, 26” barrel, s#161339

Savage 99, .250-3000, 22” barrel, take down, s#202998

Colt D. A., .45, U. S. Army Model 1917, s#5257

Colt Army Special, .32-20 WCF, s#473786

Colt 1903, .380, semi, auto, Mother of Pearl grips, s#92717

Colt 1903, .380, semi auto, Mother of Pearl grips, s#81396

Ruger Model 77/22, .22 Hornet w/High Country scope, s#720-23553

Ruger New Model SA Blackhawk, .30 carbine, s#51-0479, near mint

A. Varti 1873 SA Cattlemen’s Carbine, new in box, unfired, s#U97177

WIN 1892, .25-20

WIN 1886 DELUXE, .45

MARLIN 1893, .30-30

Begin grazing when the plants are about 5 to 6 inches tall and manage to keep the maximum height at 8 to 10 inches. Rotational grazing with higher stocking densities can assist with keeping the plant maturity more uniform and reduce selective grazing. Look ahead 1 or 2 pastures and move based on how the grass is recovering in those pastures. These forages grow fast and recover from grazing fast. The most common mistake when spring grazing small cereals is letting the grass get ahead of the cattle. It is important to increase stocking density as the spring progresses to ensure the cattle can keep up with the rapid forage growth. This can be achieved by either adding more cattle or reducing the number of acres being grazed. A good starting point is about 0.5 cow or 1 stocker calf per acre in early spring and increasing from there.

Like most cool-season grasses in early spring, small cereal forages are also high in potassium. This means there is a need to provide supplemental magnesium as potassium interferes with magnesium availability to the animal. A free choice mineral with a targeted 4 oz per day intake should contain at least 10% magnesium to prevent grass tetany in lactating cows and 5% magnesium to increase gains in stocker calves.

Remember, the key to getting the most out of grazing small cereal forages is managing the maturity by having the “right” amount of grazing pressure.

GTA grant awardees to advance MT agriculture

CONTINUED FROM B3

Hoot Owl Farm – Libby – $30,000 grant for improvements to farm infrastructure to increase efficiency and productivity.

Fort Belknap Community Economic Development Corporation – Harlem – $25,000 grant to build a Wasay Wakpa Greenhouse in the snow.

Beauty and the Beef – Helmville – $50,000 grant for business expansion.

Montgomery Distillery – Missoula – $50,000 grant for grain distillery expansion.

JWK Enterprises dba MR. BEEF – Bridger – $10,000 grant for new market expansions.

41 Grains – Circle – $28,000 grant for business and marketing expansion project.

Ag Processing Solutions, Inc. – Great Falls – $50,000 grant for APS cert, sort, and store medium lot processing.

Daniel’s Gourmet Meats and Sausages – Bozeman –$24,783 grant for business expansion and commercialization.

Clark Fork Organics, LLC – Missoula – $50,000 grant for Clark Fork Organics farm store construction.

Sapphire Suri Alpaca Farm & Mill, LLC – Helena –$50,000 grant for alpaca fiber mill construction in Helena, MT.

Planted Foods, Inc. dba Unwaffle – Bozeman – $30,000 grant for manufacturing equipment.

Big Sky Orchards & Hops Farm – Flathead Lake / Polson – $30,000 grant for refrigerated transportation for Montana grown cherries, hops, and apples.

Key to the Mountain – Missoula – $32,039 grant for equipment expansion.

Nature’s Enhancement, Inc. – Stevensville – $50,000 grant for transportation system improvement.

HENRY .22

J MACKIN

C. M. RUSSELL

x 6’6”h, single center gate, sliding center and rear, alum. floor, mats Wilray stock trailer, gn, 19’, 7’w x 6’8”h, wood floor in good cond., mats, single center gate, sliding rear, front escape

1981 Keifer stock trailer, 24’, 7 w x 6’6”h, 3 compartments, fir decking, rear & center sliding gates

1979 International Flatbed truck w/ 350 Cummins, 15 speed fuller transmission, tandem duals

2007 Dodge RAM w/ 5.9 cummins (less than 10k miles on a Ravina remanufactured diesel), ODO:187k miles, 6 speed manual, grill guard, Deweeze 8’ bale bed, 7500# air bags, comes with original 8’ box John Deere 40 row crop tractor, gas, dual pto, 3 pt., sells with Danuser post auger w/ 12” bit S/N 66819

HAYING EQUIPMENT

1982 New Holland 1116 swather, 14’ header, Perkins diesel, 2118 hours, Sells with new set of sickles, guards, drive belt, and batteries. S/N 324150

Wilray swather trailer, custom, 20’l x 11’6”w, 7’ ramps

H & S Hi capacity 12 wheel rake

New Holland Baler 1000, 1000 pto, twine only, S/N 981984

NH 1281 self propelled square baler, ran within last 5 years, S/N/ 1728

Worksaver bale unroller, 3 pt., hyd.

TILLAGE & FARM EQUIPMENT

Wishek 612 offset disk, 12’, serreted fronts 23”, standard rears 22”, new gang bearings & wheel bearings

JD BWP tandem disk, double wing, 14’ - 20’, serreted fronts 17.5”, standard rears 20”

JD chisel plow, 16’, near new shovels

Melroe 505 chisel plow, 22’, doulbe wing hyd. Lift, spikes (100% on reverse side),

JD 9350 disk drills, sells as set, 10” sp, accu-points, w/ hitch, steel packers in good cond.

Triple K springtine cultivator, 21’, double roller basket

SHOP TOOLS & OTHER

Craftsman 2 speed band saw, 1 1/8 hp, tilthead

2”x 42” Disc Sander/6” Belt Grinder

10” Craftsman tablesaw, 2 hp

Craftsman radial arm saw, 10”

Windbreak material, appx. 1000’ board feet of 1x6, 1x8, 2x6, (5) +/- 2” x 12’ x 12’ treated planks

2 5/8” drill stem, (30) pcs +/(2) Fuel tanks, 300 gallon on homemade stand, one fill-rite monitor, sells as unit

TRACTORS

John Deere 4630 tractor, 2x4

John Deere 4630 tractor, 2x4

IH TD14A crawler, 11’ Amundson blade

John Deere 4000 tractor, 2x4, Farmhand 11

loader

John Deere 4020 tractor, 2x4, w/ Farmhand

loader

John Deere 4020 tractor, 2x4, w/ Farmhand

loader w/ spear

IH 606 tractor, 2x4

John Deere tractor, 2x4, diesel

Farmhand bucket, 5’

CAT motor grader, 12’ blade, front ripper

IH Farmall McCormick 656 tractor, diesel

HAYING EQUIPMENT

8 -packer square bale attachment

8 -packer square bale attachment

Windrow turner, front mt

John Deere 569 round baler, Megawide Plus

Vermeer R23A twin rake, hyd

1998 MacDon 2930 Permier swather, 920

14’ header

Vermeer BP8000 bale processor

Freeman 200T small square baler, 540 pto, w/

Farmhand 8-bale accumulator

MacDon 9000 swather, 920 14’ header

TRUCKS & VEHICLES

1971 Chevrolet C50 2-ton truck, 16’ steel box

1993 Freightliner semi, Cummins 330 hp, 9 spd

1981 Ford 2-ton truck, gas, auto, 18’ steel box

1996 Dodge 3500, 4x4, Hydrabed bale bed

1974 IH 500 pickup w/ sprayer, 400 gal, 50’

booms

1970 Chevrolet C50 2-ton truck, 16’ box

1984 GMC 3500 dually, 4x4 w/ DewEze

Yamaha 4-wheeler, 4x4

TILLAGE EQUIPMENT

Toolbar, 16’ mtd harrows

IH 620 Disk Drill 14’, 7” sp

10’ Roller Packer

Spike Tooth Harrow, 27’

Spike Tooth Harrow, 22”

IH 4500 Cultivator, 12’

Krause 1900 Disk, 20’

Gysler 26’ Toolbar

3-Section Land Roller, 12’/ea, 36’ total, water filled

Schafer Tandem Disk, 16’, 20” disks

IH 150 Disk Drill 14’, 9”sp

Krause toolbar, 24’, Flexicoil mtd harrows

Melroe disk drills, 28’, 7” sp

Drill transport, 28’, hyd., w/ lights

Spike-tooth harrow, 3-section, 15’, w/ bar

1982 Chevrolet K30 spray pickup, 4x4

TRAILERS

Flatbed trailer, 20’, gn, wood deck

Ravens alum trailer, 40’ x 96”w, w/ hay rails

Flatbed trailer, 14’, tandem

Circle D stock trailer, 24’, 2 center gates

Timpte grain trailer, 38’ x 60”h, manual slide

hopper bottom

Donahue implement trailer

ATTACHMENTS

Leon blade, 10’, w/ quick-attach loader

bracket

Elston gopher poison applicator, 3 pt

3 pt cement mixer

JD bale spear, quick attach

3 pt cultivator, 10’

FARM EQUIPMENT

Irrigation Pipe

LIVESTOCK EQUIPMENT

Powder River Panels, 14’

Powder River Portable

COMBINE FOR SALE

2012 Case IH 7230 with full GPS, 2206 engine hours, 1787 separator hours, one owner, always shedded. 2013 MacDon D65 40-ft. header with transport

$115,000 for both obo.

Phone (406) 868-1590

TRAILER FOR SALE

1996 Timpte Super Hopper grain trailer, 46-ft. tri-axle, electric tarp $26,000

Phone (406) 595-3276, Belgrade, Montana

Turn Out Time!

Offering 35 Black Angus bulls with sons and grandsons of Stevenson Easy Money, Declaration, Security, Turning Point, Turbo

Calvingease,growth,fedtolast - Checkitoutyourself!

50K Tested Bulls Available Limited Selection Available for Lease OAC

Rimrock Cattle Co.

Wayne & Roxy Gillespie, Kevin, MT 406 -337- 2863

Chris & Lacy Roberts, Kevin, MT 406-209-5378

2023 Antibiotic label changes

CONTINUED FROM PAGE B2

Veterinary Feed Directive Products

OTC Animal Health Products

Vaccines

Dewormers

Fly Control

Hormone Implants

Teat Sealants

Ionophore Products

How will farms have access to medications?

Access to these medications will be no different than current requirements for prescription products. To obtain a veterinary prescription, you will need to establish a veterinary-client-patient relationship (VCPR) with a veterinarian. Entering a VCPR has responsibilities for both the veterinarian and farm:

Veterinary responsibilities

Be responsible for clinical judgements on the operation

Have sufficient knowledge of the operation, animals, and management to make good clinical judgements.

Be available for follow-up, either personally or through collaboration with other veterinarians

Farm responsibility

Owners and management agree to follow veterinarian’s instructions

These are the basic requirements of a VCPR as defined by the FDA, but some states may have more strict requirements. Each veterinarian or veterinary clinic will define exactly what they require to establish and maintain a valid VCPR. This will often include a farm visit for a non-emergency reason, and may also require written treatment or vaccination protocols for the operation. If your farm does not already have a VCPR, it is important to reach out to local veterinarians to determine what is needed to establish a VCPR.

Once a VCPR is established, the veterinarian can provide a prescription for products they deem appropriate for the operation. The product itself may be purchased directly from the veterinarian, via a mail order service through the veterinarian, or from a pharmacy, often online, that carries livestock medications. Do not expect your local farm store to carry these products, as they are likely not a pharmacy, which typically requires a pharmacy license and a pharmacist on staff.

What about emergencies?

date. Any product carrying a Rx label will require a veterinary prescription. This is a bit confusing, but the short version is that if the product was purchased as an OTC product, it can be used as an OTC product until it expires, but a veterinary prescription will be needed for future purchases if the product was impacted by the 2023 changes. How should farms prepare?

The impact of these changes will vary greatly from farm to farm. For operations that already have an established VCPR and get most of their medications from their veterinarian, the change may be unnoticeable. For operations relying solely on OTC antibiotics, the impact will be much greater. Some important steps to prepare include:

Assure your operation has a valid VCPR

If you do not have a VCPR, establish one by calling local veterinarians to learn what is required to set up and maintain a VCPR and schedule needed appointments.

If you do have a VCPR, check with your veterinarian to assure your VCPR is up to date and to determine what is needed to maintain your VCPR.

Acquire necessary veterinary recommendations to assure animal health

Once a VCPR is established, your veterinarian will make the final call on prescription medication use on the operation. Among other things, they may:

Write a prescription for the product you have been purchasing OTC

Write a prescription for a different product they prefer for the condition being treated

Recommend a visit to assess sick animals before prescribing product

Recommend preventative measures to reduce the likelihood of disease

Know how to acquire medications once you have a prescription

You may purchase medication directly from your veterinarian, via a drop-ship service through your veterinarian, or through a pharmacy, often online.

In some cases, your veterinarian may allow you to keep certain products on farm, so they are available to treat animals when illness arises.

Catherine Witmer, Qualified Intermediary for 1031 tax-deferred exchanges Esi1031@gmail.com

EXCHANGE SERVICES INC. 200 Parkhill Drive Whitefish, Montana 59937 406-862-6995

For more information go to www.exchangeservicesinc.com

Proactive planning is an important part of raising livestock. The upcoming changes to antibiotic access do not require a veterinarian to examine each animal personally. By establishing a VCPR and written treatment protocols, some veterinarians may allow specific products to be kept on hand for use as cases of common diseases arise. Although establishing a VCPR by telemedicine is not allowed, once established, in many jurisdictions, telemedicine is allowed for continuing care. This provides an option to get veterinary input on treatment recommendations when a visit may not be feasible. What should be done with impacted products already on the farm?

When the VFD changes came into effect in January 2017, to legally feed any VFD-containing feed already on farm, the operation had to acquire a VFD order from a veterinarian. This type of requirement will not occur with this change. The newly labeled prescription products will carry verbiage similar to “use by or on the order of a veterinarian only” (Rx label). Prior to the change, the product label will not carry this type of a phrase, which allows it to be sold OTC (OTC label). Any product purchased with an OTC label will be honored as OTC until the product’s expiration

The upcoming antibiotic label changes will hardly be noticed by some and will be a big change for others. Taking proactive steps to assure you will have access to medication by establishing a VCPR and talking about medication use with your veterinarian are a great starting point. Although this transition may be challenging for some, it is an important step towards improving antibiotic stewardship and preserving the medications both physicians and veterinarians rely on to fight disease.

#####

Two friends, Sylvia and Judy, are about to play a friendly round when Sylvia says, “Do you want to make it interesting and bet $5? Low score takes the cash.” Judy agrees, and on the eighteenth Sylvia is ahead by one stroke when she slices her approach into the rough. Both women go searching for the ball, but neither can find it. Knowing that the two-stroke penalty will likely cost her the bet, Sylvia takes a ball out of her pocket and drops it on the fairway and pronounces that she found her errant shot. Judy, outraged, yells, “How dare you cheat me!” to which Sylvia, now incensed as well, replies, “What do you mean cheat? I found my ball.” Judy, now even more agitated, responds “And you’re a liar too!” “How can you be so sure?” Sylvia inquires. “Because I’ve been standing on your ball for the last ten minutes!”

PREEC battles growing Palmer amaranth problem

By Nevin Lawrence, Assoc Professor & Weed Management Specialist, Panhandle Research and Extension Center

Palmer amaranth has been in the Panhandle for at least the past ten years. However, only in the past few years has the population surged throughout the region. If you are an irrigated crop producer and you are not currently dealing with Palmer amaranth, you will be soon. Palmer amaranth is a pigweed similar to redroot pigweed. Palmer grows faster, produces more seeds, and has a larger germination window. More importantly, it is resistant to group 9 (Roundup™) and group 2 (Raptor/Beyond™ and Pursuit™) herbicides that control other pigweed species.

When we consider the irrigated crops grown in the Panhandle of Nebraska, some crops are highly impacted by herbicide-resistant Palmer ― sugarbeet and dry edible bean ― as there are few, or in some cases no, alternative herbicides available. Sugarbeet and dry bean are also extremely susceptible to yield loss from Palmer amaranth. In studies conducted at the Panhandle Research Extension and Education Center, season-long Palmer amaranth interference at densities of one plant every five yards of row caused a 30 percent reduction in dry bean and sugarbeet yield. At one plant every yard, yield reduction in dry edible bean and sugarbeet was as high as 60 percent and 90 percent, respectively. This compares to 60-90 percent yield losses in corn and soybean only observed from densities as high as eight to ten plants per yard.

Small grains, corn, and alfalfa are not as impacted by Palmer amaranth competition and also have more herbicide options available to control herbicide-resistant Palmer. However, Palmer management is almost certainly going to get worse for those crops. Outside of western Nebraska, Palmer is resistant to group 27, 14, 5, 3, 15, 10, 2, and 9 herbicide modes-of-action, and these herbicide-resistant biotypes will continue to spread throughout the United States.

Palmer amaranth management is currently the most critical issue facing irrigated crop production within the Panhandle and the major focus of the Panhandle Weed Science Program. In past years, research projects focused on Palmer amaranth management focused on dry bean, sugarbeet, alfalfa, potato, sunflower, soybean, and corn. In 2023 research will be conducted looking at four potential new herbicides in sugarbeet and two potential new herbicides for dry edible bean; comparisons of best herbicide programs in corn and potato; the use of directed-spray applicators and wick wipers to control Palmer amaranth escapes; and the use of cover crops, the timing of crop planting, and other cultural strategies to manage Palmer amaranth.

For 2023, sixteen separate field trials are planned for Palmer amaranth management. Most of these trials will be taking place at the Panhandle REEC, but several will also be taking place on cooperator’s fields. These trials are also mostly funded by grower-directed groups such as Western Sugar Cooperative, the Nebraska Dry Bean Commission, and the Nebraska Potato Board, along with funding from the Nebraska Department of Agriculture and industry partners.

While much of this research may not have an impact this year, these projects are focused on benefiting Panhandle agriculture in the short-term; local, publicly available research focused on immediate needs. If you have questions about managing Palmer amaranth or would like to know more about this year’s ongoing research, or if you would like more information on upcoming field research tours, reach out to Dr. Nevin Lawrence at the PHREEC.

The High Plains Weed Tour is planned for June 22, and the Panhandle Agriculture Research and Technology Tour will be held in August. The High Plains Weed Tour will focus predominantly on irrigated small grains, potatoes, soybean, corn, and sugarbeet weed control trials, while PARTT will focus more on dry edible bean research.

Michael John Douglas

When this young comedian left Pittsburgh in the early 1970s (after a brief stint as one of the “Flying Zookeeni Brothers” on Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood), he had trouble making a name for himself in Hollywood because there were already two famous Michael Douglases (an actor and a talkshow host). Legend has it that he chose his new surname because of a crush on actress Diane Keaton, but Michael Keaton actually got it from one of his all-time favorite funnymen, silent-film star Buster Keaton.

#####

A man got hit hard in the head with a can of 7Up. He’s alright though, it was a soft drink.

#####

Have you guys heard about the claustrophobic astronaut? They say he just needs a little more space.

2019 New Holland 560 baler, ISOBUS, Specialty Crop Plus, endless belts, in cab density, 6150 bales, fully loaded baler $39,500

2008 John Deere 7930 with new John Deere 700M loader, new rubber, front axle suspension, 20 speed, left hand reverser, bucket and bale spear, 6250 hours $137,500

2014 Case IH DH363, 35-ft. draper header for Case IH swathers, like new $33,500

2013 Case IH DH 302 30-ft. triple delivery header for Case IH swathers $23,500

2020 John Deere W235 with 16-ft. 500R header, V10 conditioners, premium cab with fridge, full serviced 1261/915 hours, remaining emissions warranty $156,500

2020 John Deere W260 with 16-ft. 500R header, V10 conditioners, Pivot Pro and AutoTrac activations remaining power train and emissions warranty, 975/825 hours..$167,500

2010 John Deere 9770 STS with 2014 635D, Contour Master, 208x38 duals, 3508/2479 hours, lots of history. Located in Hingham, MT $125,000

2012 Case IH 1903 with 18-ft. header, steel on steel conditioners, draper ready, 1250 hours.

2010 Case IH 1203 with 36-ft. header, 1500 hours, factory transport, double knife drive $62,500

2008 New Holland 8040 with 30-ft. draper header, triple delivery, factory transport, Trimble GPS $62,500

2007 John Deere 6715, 3750 hours, 16 speed Power Shift, left hand reverser...........$56,500

Sensor-based fertigation management research boosts efficiency, profitability

By Geitner Simmons, IANR Media

For the past four years, University of Nebraska–Lincoln researchers have studied the prospects for using sensor-based fertigation management, or SBFM, to increase the efficiency and profitability of nitrogen use. The latest results are now in from multiple Nebraska sites, and they show that the technology enables major gains in both regards.

“This method allows the sensors and imagery to detect what that crop needs, so that you’re not overapplying nitrogen,” said Taylor Cross, a graduate research assistant who oversaw the project last year. “You’ll really see a lot of nitrogen savings with this method.”

For the project, drones provided weekly updates on crop-condition data by using multispectral imagery that showed nitrogen levels. Analysis of the data via N-Time software then directed specific applications of liquid fertilizer by irrigation equipment in a set of eastern Nebraska cornfields.

At all three on-farm test sites in 2022, the approach produced greater efficiency in nitrogen use than did conventional management, with efficiency measured in pounds of

nitrogen per bushel of grain. The two SBFMrecommended approaches produced about 44 pounds more grain per pound of nitrogen than did the growers’ traditional method. The two SBFM-recommended methods also showed the potential for boosting profitability. The increases ranged from $28 per acre to just over $40 per acre, on average, across the three sites.

Sensor-based fertigation management “allows the farmer to really take advantage of all these sources of nitrogen, not just having to rely on nitrogen products such as (urea and ammonium nitrate) or anhydrous,” said Cross, who is pursuing a master’s degree in mechanized systems management under the mentorship of Joe Luck, associate professor of biological systems engineering. “We’re putting nitrogen in season more effectively, and in a timelier manner, to allow for optimum efficiency.”

The project contributes to Nebraska Extension’s longstanding On-Farm Research Network. The 2022 results from all the network’s projects are now available in a comprehensive online roundup.

Former day jobs

Actor Rock Hudson, cartoon tycoon Walt Disney, and crooner Bing Crosby worked for the post office: Hudson as a letter carrier, Disney as an assistant letter carrier, and Crosby as a postal clerk.

Legendary lover Casanova founded the French state lottery.

Actor/director Clint Eastwood was a firefighter, lumberjack, steel mill furnace stoker, and lifeguard, so he comes by those craggy, manly good looks honestly.

Speaking of craggy good looks, actor Robert Mitchum was a heavyweight boxer, and actor Lee Marvin was a plumber and a U.S. Marine.

Singer Rod Stewart was a grave digger.

Actor Harrison Ford was, famously, a carpenter, who installed kitchens and such for moguls who would later pay him much more handsomely for his theatrical labors.

Actor/six symbol Jayne Mansfield was a concert pianist and violinist before she became what some people labeled “the poor man’s Marilyn Monroe.”

Actor Dustin Hoffman was once a janitor, but even that had to be easier than his other job, that of attendant in a mental hospital.

Actor Greta Garbo toiled as a latherer in a men’s barbershop.

Actor Al Pacino was variously employed as a theater usher, porter, and superintendent of an office building.

Receptionist Day

Date When Celebrated: Second Wednesday of May

Don't confuse this day for Administrative Professionals Day or Secretary's Day. Receptionists, this is your day! Okay, maybe it's not a day off. But, it's a day to recognize and appreciate all the things that you do!

The purpose of Receptionists Day are two-fold. First, of all it gives recognition to receptionists. After all, they are the first person your customers see when they walk through the door of your company. The great first impression is molded in large part thanks to your smiling, cheerful receptionist.

The second reason for Receptionist Day is to promote pride and professionalism in the position.

On this day, treat your Receptionist with flowers, candy, or a lunch!

Note: There is also a "Receptionist Week. It is celebrated the Second week of May.

Quote for Today: " The brain is a wonderful organ; it starts up the minute you get up in the morning and does not stop until you get into the office." - - Robert Frost

CHISEL PLOWS FOR SALE

Gysler 36-ft. plow with self turning rod.

1977 Melroe 505 32-ft. plow with Flexi-Coil harrows.

Melroe 505 30-ft. extended to 36-ft. plow with new FlexiCoil harrows.

1990 John Deere 610 41-ft. plow with Degelman harrows. Great shape.

Phone (406) 567-2492, Denton, MT

Sensor-based fertigation management research boosts efficiency, profitability

CONTINUED FROM PAGE B10

As part of the project, treatments were applied via pivot irrigation of wedge-shaped sectors on quarter sections. Sectors using various SBFM treatments were adjacent to or near sectors using conventional nitrogen management.

One of the advantages of SBFM is its ease of use, said Cross, a cohost of the university’s FarmBits podcast.

“If you’re a farmer who’s already fertigating, and the site has been set up in NTime, the technology is very simple in that your pivot is really doing all the work for you,” she said. “This technology’s automation is really easy to use and has a lot of functionality with all the data it provides.”

The multi-year approach helped researchers make adjustments over time. Some of the refinements resulted in greater efficiency and profitability.

As participating producers became more familiar with the project, researchers began the SBFM approach earlier in the growing season, at the V6 stage. That earlier start, Cross explained, “allowed for more control over the growing season, to really allow this method and imagery to perform at its best.”

Another adjustment was the development of a method called the Increased Rate Treatment, which boosted the nitrogen-uptake curve.

“From the V9 to V14 growth stages,” Cross said, “we increased the rate of application to 60 pounds of nitrogen per acre compared with the conventional 30 pounds per acre.”

Since 2020, the standard 30-pounds-of-

nitrogen approach has returned an increase on profitability of $19 across 10 on-farm field study sites; the Increased Rate Approach has increased profitability by $40 per acre at three sites. These approaches have improved nitrogen-use efficiency by producing 26 more pounds of grain per pound of nitrogen, on average, compared with the growers’ management practices.

“We’ve tested other variations,” Cross said. “We extended into the R4 growth stage, where typically we’d stop at R3. So there’s been some fine-tuning here and there to adjust these efficiency and profitability metrics.”

The sensor-based approach is used by Sentinel Fertigation, whose founder and CEO, Jackson Stansell, wrote the N-Time software. When the on-farm research began in 2019, Stansell, then a Husker graduate research assistant, headed the field studies.

The SBFM technology “has a lot of potential” for future adoption in Nebraska agriculture, Cross said. Given the major increases in nitrogen-use efficiency the technology enables, “that’s really promising for Nebraska farmers to minimize overapplication and any nitrogen that could be leached to groundwater.”

A central, unique aspect of sensor-based fertigation management, Cross said, is that “we don’t have to make our ultimate nitrogen plan at the beginning of the year. In fact, we don’t need a total nitrogen goal or a yield goal for this technology to be successful.” Instead, producers are “just solely watching that crop and what it needs that week.”

Alfalfa seed selection, grasshoppers after drought

By Todd Whitney - Extension Educator

The new free publication, “2023 Winter Survival, Fall Dormancy & Pest Resistance Ratings for Alfalfa Varieties” is now available online through the Alfalfa and Forage Alliance. For Nebraska producers, the two most serious alfalfa diseases are anthracnose and Phytophthora root rot. Both disease symptoms are most devastating on susceptible alfalfa varieties. Therefore, proper seed selection will be the first disease management line of defense. Select improved seed varieties with at least a moderate to high resistance to anthracnose and Phytophthora root rot to effectively prevent yield and stand losses. Also, consult your seed representative to get the best protection for your alfalfa fields.

Anthracnose can appear anytime of the year on any age of alfalfa stand. Affecting stems and crowns, this disease can move rapidly and lower forage production in as little as one to two growing seasons. In some cases, disease stress can reduce alfalfa’s ability to withstand cold temperatures resulting in winter or spring kill.

Phytophthora root rot is the most common root rot affecting all stages of alfalfa causing seedling death. This pathogen can cause seedling damping off in new stands followed by plant death in wet conditions in as little as a few days. In established stands, Phytophthora root rot causes taproot lesions resulting in up to a 50% yield loss and progressive decline over time and potential kill.

More alfalfa disease management information is available on CropWatch. Also, positive alfalfa disease identification can be confirmed by submitting samples to our UNL Extension Plant and Pest Diagnostic Clinic.

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Lost Sock Memorial Day

Date When Celebrated : Always May 9

Lost Sock Memorial Day recognizes your drawer full of unmatched socks. Each unmatched sock represents a missing sock. We never throw away our unmatched socks. After all, it may show up someday.

On Lost Sock Memorial Day, we suggest you spend a little time (as little as possible) searching for those missing socks. After a (very) brief search, and in good "Memorial" spirit, spend a minute reflecting upon how warm and comforting the missing socks were on your stinky toes. Then, by all means, get on with your life.

We encourage you to use this special day, to toss out all of your unmatched socks. Let's face it, you're never gonna find the missing one.

History and Origin of Lost Sock Memorial Day: Despite exhaustive (tee,hee) research, we found no one who was brave enough to claim responsibility for starting this wonderful day of remembrance.

Trader’s Dispatch, May 2023 — Page B16

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Early-season interseeding into corn and soybean research

By Jenny Rees - Extension Educator | Steve Melvin - Extension Educator Irrigated Cropping Systems | Laura Thompson - Extension Educator | Taylor Lexow

- Nebraska On-Farm Research Program Coordinator | Katja Koehler-ColeExtension Educator | Mary Drewnoski - Beef Systems Specialist

Interseeding cover crops is the process of seeding cover crops into a growing cash crop. The goals can include weed control, removing excess nitrogen, providing additional nitrogen, providing diversity, and establishing forage production prior to harvest.

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Beyond drilling cereal rye and/or hairy vetch after corn harvest, few options exist for successfully establishing cover crops after a corn crop. Over the past five years, there’s been increased interest regarding drill or broadcast interseeding of cover crops into corn and soybean early in the growing season. Two Nebraska on-farm research studies in 2019 showed no yield difference between the check treatment and interseeded cover crops. This spurred additional interest for more comprehensive studies.

the impact of interseeding into soybeans. Sites were located in Seward, York, Clay and Hamilton counties in 2020-2022 (Figure 1). Site details are displayed in Table 1. All cover crops were interseeded at the V3-V5 growth stage for corn and VC or V2 growth stage for soybean. Cover crop and weed biomass were measured for all corn sites in late September (Figure 2). Beginning soil and soil health (PLFA and Haney) samples were taken in September 2020 and September 2022 to determine any impacts to the soil (Table 2).

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The on-farm research results shared here are the result of a three-year (2020-2022) collaboration of Nebraska Extension, The Nature Conservancy, Upper Big Blue NRD, Kellogg’s, and cooperating farmers. The studies evaluated the impact of interseeded cover crops on early-season corn (V3-V5) and soybean (VC-V2) yield and soil quality. All the plots were interseeded using a drill to place the seed into the soil between the corn rows. The soil moisture was excellent in 2020, resulting in good cover crop emergence. However, the soil surface was dry in 2021 and 2022, resulting in poor emergence without irrigation.

Sites

Six sites evaluated the impact of interseeding into corn while two sites evaluated

Results: Weed and Cover Crop Biomass

Weed and cover crop biomass was measured in late September each year prior to harvest and frost. Area equivalent to the row width squared was clipped a total of three times in the center of each treatment and rep. The samples were sorted into weeds and cover crop. The Check treatment only contained weeds. Average cover crop biomass accumulated varied by site and year (Figure 2).

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Figure 2. The average for weed and cover crop biomass for interseeded and check treatments for corn sites one through six. Values with the same letter are not significantly different at a 90% confidence level. Sites 3, 4, 5 and 6 in 2022 were lost due to June 14 hailstorm. Note: scales are different each year on the Y axis. cover crop emergence and growth occurred at sites 1 and 2 due to early watering of the cover crops. A very tall, wide-leafed corn hybrid at site 2 shaded out the emerged and growing cover crop, greatly reducing the biomass by late September. At site 1, lack of rain and a subsurface drip irrigation system rather than center pivot may have reduced the efficacy of the residual in the pre-emerge herbicide. This coupled with dry conditions at post-emerge herbicide application may be responsible for the higher weed biomass at this location. Cover crop biomass ranged from an average of 121 lb/ac at site 2 to 3,926 lb/ac at site 1.

In 2020, there was greater biomass due to aggressive growth of Red Ripper cowpea and a July 9, 2020 windstorm that opened the corn canopy. Average biomass ranged from an average of 277 lb/ac at site 2 to 2,192 lb/ac at site 4.

In 2021, Iron and Clay cowpeas replaced the Red Ripper cowpeas in the nitrogen and diversity mixes to reduce aggressive growth. The cover crop in the corn at many of the 2021 sites would have benefited from an irrigation shortly after interseeding to help with establishment during a dry early June. Cover crop biomass ranged from an average of 87 lb/ac at site 3 to 710 lb/ac at site 6.

In 2022, a June 14 hailstorm resulted in the loss of sites 3 and 6. Sites 4 and 5 were abandoned due to residual herbicide issues interfering with interseeding. Excellent

In 10 of 12 cases where biomass was measured, the interseeded cover crop treatment had a greater total biomass (weed and cover crop) compared to the check treatment.

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Figure 1. 2020-22 Early-season interseeding study locations.

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Early-season interseeding into corn and soybean research

Soybean biomass was not measured at site 7 to avoid damage to the soybeans prior to harvest and there was no biomass to measure at site 8 prior to harvest due to the thick soybean canopy shading out the cover crop.

Results: Yield and Net Return Yield and marginal net return impact varied by site (Figure 3). Yields were all collected via calibrated yield monitors or weigh wagon.

Corn yield for six of the 12 site years was reduced where cover crop was interseeded compared to the check. Overall, corn yields for both 2020 and 2021 were impacted by a July 9 wind event at seven of the 10 corn locations. In 2022, yield was only obtained from two of the six locations due to hail, impacting the corn crop at two locations and residual herbicide from the previous soybean crop, which impacted interseeding feasibility at the other two locations.

Soybean yield did not differ between the interseeded and check treatments.

Marginal net return was lower where the cover crop was interseeded compared to the

check in 10 of the 12 corn site-years and one of the two soybean site-years. Included in the marginal net return economics is the cost of seed and seeding the cover crop but no additional benefits the cover crop could be providing, such as grazing, soil improvements, etc.

Results: Soil Measurements

Soil phospholipid fatty acid (PLFA), Haney tests, and standard soil tests were collected September 2020 and September 2022 — year one (2020) and year three (2022) of the study — for the check and interseeded cover crop (Table 2). Total microbial biomass and fungal species are used as indicators of soil quality. The Solvita® test measures carbon dioxide emitted from microbes. The Haney soil health score is an aggregated indicator of soil health. Samples were collected at zero to eight-inch depth in September 2020 and September 2022. Within a site, samples from all replications of a given treatment were combined for analysis. The following analyses examine the impact of interseeded cover crops on soils across six sites.

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Figure 3. Average yield (top) and net return (bottom) for interseeded and check treatments for corn (sites 1 through 6) and soybean (sites 7 and 8). Values with the same letter are not significantly different at a 90% confidence level. Sites 3, 4, 5 and 6 in 2022 were lost due to June 14 hailstorm.

Evaluating alfalfa plants

By Ben Beckman

As temperatures begin to rise, don’t’ forget to take a bit of time to assess alfalfa stand health going into this year’s growing season. While much of the state had plenty of snow cover to help insulate plants from extreme temperatures, older stands or late harvested alfalfa still have a potential for winter kill.

Even before plants begin to green up, individual plant assessments can be done. While assessment before green-up occurs may seem a bit preemptive, pre-scouting now can focus scouting efforts to problem areas later on when time becomes precious during spring planting.

Dig up 4-5 random plants per 20 acres, being sure to get the crown and a good portion of the tap root (around 6 inches at least). Split the root and crown open. A healthy plant will be white and firm while winter damaged taproots will be yellow to brown in color and stringy. Yield will begin to be impacted when damage is greater than 30% of the total root/crown area.

Look for alive, in-tact basal buds at the crown of the plant. Buds formed last fall will start growth sooner and boost first cutting yields. A lack of basal buds doesn’t mean that the plant won’t recover, but first cuttings may be smaller.

If plants have begun growth, look at where it is occurring on the crown. Healthy plants will have growth fully throughout the crown while damaged plants will often have asymmetrical growth with more stems on one side than the other.

If more than 30% of the plants assessed have significant damage, yield for the upcoming year may be impacted. Options like interseeding perennial grasses, seeding a warm season forage crop after the first harvest, or terminating the stand may need to be considered.

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Tables 2-3. Microbial biomass, diversity index, bacterial biomass, fungi biomass, Solvita®, Haney, pH, P, and S were all greater in 2022 versus 2020 (data not shown); however, there were no differences between the check and interseeded treatment for soil health indicators or nutrient values between 2020 and 2022. Soil OM, pH, H sat %, K sat %, Ca sat %, Mg sat %, and Na sat % did not increase between 2020 and 2022.

Key Observations and Summary

It is possible to obtain emergence and establishment of a variety of cover crop species when interseeding into V3-V4 corn and while using a number of pre-emerge herbicide chemicals. Good seed to soil contact obtained by drilling is key. We recommend interseeding into V3 corn.

Irrigation and/or rainfall after interseeding in a dry spring is critical for cover crop establishment. It may be necessary to run the pivot one to two times, putting on 0.5inch each time.

Cover crop biomass was always present at harvest. Other than the dry winter of

2021-2022, we have consistently had cover crop survival (sweetclover, red clover, hairy vetch, ryegrasses) over the winter.

Overall, there was minimal yield loss due to interseeding with the exception of 2020, when wind damage caused the corn canopy to be opened up and cover crops received more sunlight.

In one site (site 3) where soil moisture was monitored, the cover crop did not use more water compared to the check treatment.

Insects (grasshoppers and Japanese beetles) fed on the cover crop preferentially. In the interseeded strips, insects were observed feeding on the cover crop, whereas in the check strips, insects were observed feeding on the corn.

Buckwheat and flax appeared to increase the number of pollinators and insect diversity where the cover crop was interseeded.

Buckwheat and cowpea were the first covers to emerge and quickly shaded the ground with their large leaves, assisting with weed control. The fast emergence

Second Nebraska Soil Health School

By Nicole Heldt, UNL PREEC Soils Research Coordinator

The University of Nebraska-Lincoln (UNL) will host a second, two-day Nebraska Soil Health School sponsored by the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS). The event will begin on Tuesday, June 27, at the West Central Research, Extension and Education Center, 402 West State Farm Rd., North Platte, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. The program will continue Wednesday, June 28, from 8 a.m., concluding at 12:30 p.m.

The Nebraska Soil Health Schools are designed to build upon soil-related knowledge and practices for producers, ag professionals, UNL faculty and students, USDA NRCS employees and others. Attendees will hear talks on fundamental soil principles, carbon markets, and the latest soil health practices paired with hands-on opportunities and demonstrations. New to the second school, UNL students will be competing in a research poster contest giving away $600 to winners and a panel discussion with extension educators and producers.

Aaron Hird, State Soil Health Specialist, USDA NRCS, will be presenting two hands-on soil health sessions including rapid assessments and a live rainfall simulator. “We will have live soil health demonstrations to showcase the differences improved soil health properties make when your soil is responding to disturbance and weather,” Hird said. “Then, we will let it rain and watch a live rainfall simulation act on soil from different management systems.”

Dr. Bijesh Maharjan, Associate Professor, UNL Panhandle Research, Extension and Education Center (PREEC), is an organizer of the schools. He is motivated by the positive feedback from attendees at the first event, held in Bridgeport earlier this year, to move the school across the state. “The UNL institution has a great wealth of knowledge when it comes to soil conservation and soil health and our stakeholders in the state can take advantage of it through events like this,” Maharjan said. “I am very grateful to all the UNL faculty and invited speakers who make this event happen.

Maharjan acknowledged the support from the USDA NRCS for funding the schools that will be offered at a third and final location in August.

Certified crop advisor Continuing Education Units will be offered to attendees.

There is no fee to attend.

Lunch will be provided on both days, featuring smoked brisket on Tuesday, June 27.

Pre-register by June 20.

The full agenda is below:

Tuesday, June 27

9:30 Registration and Refreshments

10:00 Welcome from Bijesh Maharjan, Associate Professor and Extension Specialist, UNL-PREEC

10:10 – 11:10 Keynote Address – Systems Approach to No-till: Paul Jasa, Extension Engineer, UNL

11:10 – 12:00 Biological Underpinnings of Soil Health: Rhae Drijber, Professor, UNL

12:00 -12:50 Lunch (smoked brisket sandwiches) and student Poster Contest

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12:50 – 1:40

Plants for Healthy Soils: Katja Koehler-Cole, Extension Educator, UNL-ENREEC

1:40 – 2:40

Understanding Soil Health and Rapid Assessments: Aaron Hird, State Soil Health Specialist, USDANRCS

2:50 – 3:20

Biological Nitrogen Fixation – One Building Block of Healthy Soils: Carolina Córdova, Assistant Professor and Extension Specialist

3:20 – 3:50

Harvesting Light, Feeding the Ground: Nicolas Cafaro La Menza, Assistant Professor UNL-WCREEC

4:00 – 4:30 The Role of Manure in Soil Health: Leslie Johnson, Extension Educator, UNL-Haskell Ag Lab

4:30 – 5:00

Livestock Grazing and Soil Health: Jerry Volesky, Extension Specialist, UNL-Center for Grassland Studies

Wednesday, June 28

8 – 8:10 Welcome back

8:10 – 8:40

Addressing Soil Health Challenges with Innovative Research: Saurav Das, Assistant Professor, UNLPREEC

8:40 – 9:25

Carbon Markets: Shannon Sand, Extension Educator, UNL-WCREEC

9:35 – 10:30

Panel Discussion with extension educators and producers

10:30 – 11:30 No-till and Soil Health: Paul Jasa, Extension Engineer, UNL

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Interpreting manure analysis results

By Sarah Fronczak, Michigan State University Extension and Amanda Douridas, The Ohio State University

Applying the appropriate amount of manure requires correct interpretation of manure test results. Moisture and nutrient levels on the test results need to match crop nutrient needs. Under-application of manure will not meet crop needs and over application may allow excess nutrients to escape into ground or surface water. This article discusses how to interpret manure sample test results.

Manure test results

expressed as organic N, is available. The remaining amount of organic N must be broken down before becoming available, which usually occurs over a three-year period.

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Basic manure sample test results include moisture, total nitrogen (N), ammonium N, organic N, phosphorus as P2O5 and potassium as K2O. Micronutrients and additional information can also be requested for analysis. For liquid manure, nutrients are often reported in pounds per 1,000 gallons of manure. Solid manure nutrients are reported in pounds per ton of manure. If the manure is not reported in a useable unit, the lab can often convert the report to the desired reporting unit. The exception is moisture, which is only able to be reported as a percentage.

Keeping nitrogen available

Nitrogen is divided into two parts: organic and ammonium. Each reacts differently in the soil once manure is applied. When manure is applied in September through June, only one-third of the organic nitrogen,

Ammonium nitrogen, expressed as NH4, is stable in the soil. However, through a process called nitrification, soil microbes convert ammonium to nitrate which is readily available to the plant but can be lost easily to the environment through volatilization. Therefore, manure applied and left on the soil surface during hot, sunny conditions may lose ammonium, and consequently nitrate N, into the atmosphere. Because of this, nitrogen availability depends heavily on when the manure is applied and how quickly it is incorporated into the soil.

Soil cover created by incorporation provides protection from the sun and reduces runoff loss from rain. Depending on conditions associated with seasonal weather, incorporation timing may be slightly extended before significant nitrogen losses occur. Table 1 provides estimations of nitrogen availability based on timing and incorporation. Applying manure as close to planting or directly to a growing crop will increase the amount of nitrogen utilized by the crop.

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Notes:

The calculations are for all animal manures. It is assumed that 50 percent of the organic N in poultry manure is converted to NH4rapidly and is therefore included in the NH4column for calculating available N.

Incorporation is the mixing of manure and soil in the tillage layer. Disking is usually enough tillage for conserving nitrogen availability.

*The 75 percent available nitrogen (NH4) is based on the nitrogen being used in the year it is applied. If the nitrogen is

carried over to the following year, then 25 percent available nitrogen estimates should be used.

Phosphorus and potassium (also referred to as potash) are reported on test results as P2O5 and K2O, respectively. The manure sample test reports these nutrients identical to analysis of commercial inorganic fertilizer. Crop nutrient needs can be determined from the Tri-State Fertilizer Recommendations.

Source: Adapted from Ohio State University Extension Bulletin 604, 2006 Edition.

Early-season interseeding into corn and soybean research

CONTINUED FROM PAGE B20

made them ideal for an interseeded cover crop mix. Forage collards were helpful in controlling weeds by covering the ground and were available for grazing post-harvest.

Cereal rye in the interseeded mix had patchy winter survival. Annual and Italian ryegrasses worked well in interseeded mixes and provided more winter survival compared to cereal rye.

Yellow sweetclover provided excellent survival and nitrogen production but was difficult to kill. This was problematic in a corn-soybean rotation.

When interseeding in soybeans at emergence, wheat did not survive, but clover did. Clover and wheat did not impact soybean yield.

Corn hybrid is especially important when interseeding. Very tall, large-leafed hybrids resulted in shading out of the interseeded cover crop.

To assess nutrient contributions from cover crops, we learned to submit cover crop biomass samples for nutrient analysis.

Soil moisture is critical. The top few inches of soil in subsurface drip irrigated fields can become very dry during the summer and result in cover crop death. Additionally, even in pivot irrigated corn fields, the top foot of soil can become very dry in the fall after irrigation has stopped; however, cover crops are still using moisture at this time and have not senesced. If soil moisture is not maintained after corn harvest, cover crops can die.

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Table 1. Estimated nitrogen availability of manure based on time and application method

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Caring for the heifers at calving

By Lisa Moser, K-State Research and Extension news service

When starting a family, first-time mothers tend to experience longer labors than those who’ve given birth before. In much the same way, heifers need to be managed differently than cows at calving time, said the experts at the Kansas State University Beef Cattle Institute speaking on a recent Cattle Chat podcast.

“Heifers have to be monitored more closely at calving than cows do,” said Bob Larson, veterinarian.

He explained that heifers are typically only 80% of their full skeletal size when they have their first calf.

“Because heifers haven’t reached their full skeletal size, there just isn’t as much room in the pelvis for the calf to come through during the birth process,” Larson said.

Nutrition plays a key role in helping the heifers grow to their full mature size and in assuring that the developing calf gets what it needs to thrive, said the experts.

“Ideally the heifers and cows need to be calving at a body condition score of six,” Larson said.

And with heifers, the ration needs to be closely evaluated to make sure that they are getting the energy and protein requirements needed to grow their bodies, said Phillip Lancaster, beef cattle nutritionist.

“Regardless of whether it is a cow or a heifer, it is important that her nutritional needs are being met to avoid negative long-term impacts for her or her calf,” Lancaster said.

Larson agreed and added that females in a negative energy balance can experience uterine inertia.

“Uterine inertia is when the smooth muscle in the uterus is not able to really contract to push that calf out, so if cows are depleted of their energy reserves the muscles become fatigued faster,” Larson said.

When it comes to calving, heifers tend to experience a longer first stage of labor -- which involves contractions that push the calf into the birth canal – compared to cows, said Larson.

“However, once the water breaks, heifers and cows should be making noticeable progress every 15 minutes. If that isn’t happening, the producer or veterinarian needs to assess the situation and be ready to assist if needed,” Larson said.

Evaluating alfalfa stands

By Ben Beckman, UNL

Were you expecting more from last year’s alfalfa yields? Did your plants get enough time to winterize in the fall? Do you have concerns about stand winter kill? Evaluating your alfalfa stand in the spring is key to planning management and setting expectations for this year.

As stands begin greening up, alfalfa stand assessment can be completed using a hay square as a quick and easy way to look at the overall stand health. While we call it a hay square, square or circle shapes work equally well. A 17 x 17 inch square or 19 inch in diameter circle are the size needed Next, determine what to count. There are two options when evaluating your stand: 1) by the number of plants per square foot (typically recommended for new stands, planted last fall) and 2) by the number of stems for established stands. Stem count will more accurately predict yield compared to plant number. However, either method will provide information for making management decisions.

Pick 4 to 5 random areas in your field to sample. Then count the plants or stems that would be harvested, typically anything over 6 inches, to determine your count. Then divide those numbers by 2 to get stems or plants per square foot. For established stands, having 4 to 5 healthy plants per square foot or 55 stems per square foot would warrant a productive and healthy stand. Stem counts below 55 see a significant decrease in dry matter production.

For stands planted last fall, you will see more plants per square foot compared to stems. Remember, a good rule of thumb is, for every pound of seed planted, expect 3 to 5 plants. New plantings that contain fewer than 12 plants per square foot may need to be reseeded.

Nebraska Soil Health School

CONTINUED FROM PAGE B21

11:30 – 12:30 Soil Health Demonstrations and Live Rainfall Simulator: Aaron Hird, State Soil Health Specialist

12:30 Lunch (grab & go bag)

For more information or questions, email nheldt@unl.edu or call (308) 632-1233.

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An older golfer was out with his caddie on a beautiful summer day. Unfortunately, the round was not going so well, as the hacker duffed shot after shot. Finally, when the day was mercifully coming to a conclusion, the golfer looked at his caddie in a self-loathing manner and proclaimed, “Surely I’m the worst player you’ve ever seen?” The empathetic caddie responded, “Don’t be so hard on yourself. There are plenty worse than you.” The golfer brightened and said, “Really? You’re not just being nice?” To which the caddie replied, “No, it’s true.” The golfer, now enthused, said, “Maybe you could pair me up with them. It would be nice to play with someone on my level.” The sheepish caddie then responded with, “I wish I could but they all quit years ago.”

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Understanding soil residual nitrogen and its dollar value for next crop

By Javed Iqbal - Extension Nutrient Management and Water Quality Specialist; Laila Puntel - Extension Soil Fertility and Precision Ag Specialist; Bijesh Maharjan - Extension Soil and Nutrient Management Specialist; Aaron Nygren - Extension Educator; Laura Thompson - Extension Educator

The 2023 cropping season is just around the corner. Unfortunately, drought continues to influence nutrient management decisions for the upcoming season even with significant snowfall in parts of the state.

cially when the prices for nitrogen fertilizer are higher than a couple of years ago.

UNIQUE 66.85 ACRE EQUESTRIAN RANCH located along Sun River Road about 1 mile W of Great Falls, MT and along the Sun River for 3/4 of a mile. This property consists of approximately 51 acres of flood irrigated hay land for grass-hay production and 10 acres of grazing land. It features a ranch-site area of about 6 acres for the equestrian buildings and two very nice ranch homes having a view of the river valley, with a new 72-ft. x 140-ft. indoor riding arena, a combination shop hay barn, several horse sheds with corrals, a round pen, and a well with good potable water. The current use of the property is for horse boarding, breeding, riding, and training with good potential income. The river frontage, with brush/trees along the bank, supports a population of Pheasants, Ducks, Geese, and Deer, plus there’s fishing and floating on the Sun River. Mild winters here in Central Montana. This very special property has an incredible and convenient location and we are proud to present it at $2.5 Mil. For more details, or to schedule a showing, contact: Eric Easterly at 406-621-0161, or Dennis Franz at 406-7881163. Fort Benton Realty LLC, Broker Mark Pyrak, 406-788-9280. For the info brochure, go to: https://www.fbrealty.com/wp-content/ uploads/2023/01/2-Lazy-C-Brochure-1C-B-1.pdf

The 2022 corn grain yield in Nebraska was reported at 1.46 billion bushels (USDA’s National Agricultural Statistics Service), down 22% from 2021. The 2022 average corn yield was 165 bushels/acre, down 29 bushels from 2021. Lower yields in 2022 were likely due to hot and dry growing conditions as well as hail events. These conditions might have reduced crop nitrogen uptake, leaving higher-than-normal residual nitrogen in many growers’ fields. Drier conditions could also reduce nitrogen losses through leaching or denitrification, resulting in a build-up of nitrogen from the mineralization of soil organic matter. Residual nitrogen (see below on residual N testing) should be accounted for and used at “no cost” to help supply the nitrogen needs of the next fertilized crop. This will help to reduce the cost of N fertilizer applied, espe-

Table 1

Table 1. Comparison

If you plan soybean following last year’s corn, then no N fertilizer management would be desired. However, if you plan corn-on-corn and applied normal amounts of N fertilizer to corn in 2022 corn, but had a low yield, a significant amount of residual nitrogen is likely available for the 2023 corn crop. Therefore, the University of Nebraska-Lincoln recommends a lower N application rate when you account for residual nitrate-nitrogen in the N fertilizer prescription for the 2023 growing season. Here we provide an example of N recommendation with and without accounting residual N in the N recommendation. Table 1 provides a comparison of N recommendations with vs. without residual N credit. In this example, growers can save $27 per acre by crediting 36 pounds of N per acre (see Table 1). Of course, the saving can vary across the grower’s field, owing to previous crop, precipitation pattern, geographical location and irrigated vs. dryland fields.

If you plan soybean following last year’s corn, then no N fertilizer management would be desired. However, if you plan corn-on-corn and applied normal amounts of N fertilizer to corn in 2022 corn, but had a low yield, a significant amount of residual nitrogen is likely available for the 2023 corn crop. Therefore, the University of Nebraska-Lincoln recommends a lower N application rate when you account for residual nitrate-nitrogen in the N fertilizer prescription for the 2023 growing season. Here we provide an example of N recommendation with and without accounting residual N in the N recommendation. Table 1 provides a comparison of N recommendations with vs. without residual N credit. In this example, growers can save $27 per acre by crediting 36 pounds of N per acre (see Table 1). Of course, the saving can vary across the grower’s field, owing to previous crop, precipitation pattern, geographical location and irrigated vs. dryland fields.

of nitrogen fertilizer costs without and with crediting residual soil nitrate*.

How to Sample Soil, and Test and Utilize Residual Nitrogen for 2023 Crop

Accurate soil sampling and testing is a critical step in knowing residual N and adjusting soil fertility levels in the field. To estimate residual N, sample the soil at 24 inches, although 36 inches or 48 inches is preferable to better capture nitrate present in the soil profile following dry conditions. These cores should be split into 1-foot increments instead of mixing together into one sample to give a better understanding of where nitrate is present in the soil profile. Cores should be air dried, refrigerated, or frozen if they can’t be submitted with 24 hours to a soil testing lab for soil nitrate-N analysis.

How to Sample Soil, and Test and Utilize Residual Nitrogen for 2023 Crop

Accurate soil sampling and testing is a critical step in knowing residual N and adjusting soil fertility levels in the field. To estimate residual N, sample the soil at 24 inches, although 36 inches or 48 inches is preferable to better capture nitrate present in the soil profile following dry conditions. These cores should be split into 1-foot

A sample consisting of six to eight soil cores for deep samples should be collected to represent no more than 40 acres if fields are uniform. However, drought conditions often result in uneven yields across fields depending on soil types and landscape position. In fields with soil and yield variability, consider doing the soil sampling by zones within the field to better capture the patterns of residual nitrate-N. Yield monitor data, digital soil maps, and elevation are some of the data layers that could be used to identify zones for nitrate sampling.

More information can be found in our extension circular, “Soil Sampling for Precision Agriculture” — EC 154. The residual soil nitrogen values can be entered into the university’s N recommendation equation to adjust the soil N recommendation. More information can be found in our extension circular, “Fertilizer Suggestions For Corn”.

Summary

With the continued drought, a considerable amount of residual nitrogen is likely left from the previous corn crop that can save the cost of N fertilizer for corn-on-corn scenarios in the 2023 growing season. With the higher fertilizer prices, such fertility adjustments for the next crop can be profitable as well as environmentally friendly. We recommend soil testing to account for all sources of nutrients for the upcoming crop.

#####

Sweden has a rabbit show jumping competition called Kaninhoppning. The world record for the highest rabbit jump is 42 inches (106 cm).

#####

The seagulls in the Alfred Hitchcock movie “The Birds” (1963) were fed a mixture of wheat and whisky so they would stand around and not fly too much.

We love being able to send the Trader’s Dispatch free of charge but...... we hate seeing them not being read and thrown out.

NDSU Field Days set

The North Dakota State University Research Extension Centers’ annual field days are set. The events take place at the Research Extension Center sites across the state and feature speakers, presentations and tours covering a diverse array of topics. The field days are open to the public.

The dates and locations for the field days are:

July 10 – Central Grasslands Research Extension Center – Streeter (10 a.m.-3 p.m. CDT)

July 11 – Hettinger Research Extension Center (5-7 p.m. MDT followed by supper)

July 12 and 13 – Dickinson Research Extension Center

July 12 – Livestock tour at Manning Ranch (9 a.m.noon MDT followed by lunch)

July 13 – Horticulture tour (9 a.m.-noon MDT followed by lunch), agronomy tour (1:30-5 p.m.)

July 12 and 13 – Williston Research Extension Center

July 12 – Main site agronomy and horticulture (4-8 p.m. CDT)

July 13 – Irrigated tour – Nesson Valley Irrigation Research and Development farm, located 23 miles east of Williston on Highway 1804 (8:30 a.m.-Noon CDT)

July 17 – Agronomy Seed Farm – Casselton (5 p.m. CDT agronomy, 7 p.m. supper)

July 18 – Carrington Research Extension Center – Carrington (9:15 a.m.-3:30 p.m. CDT)

July 19 – North Central Research Extension Center –Minot (8:30 a.m.-Noon CDT)

July 20 – Langdon Research Extension Center – Langdon (8:45 a.m.-Noon CDT)

July 25 – Horticulture Research and Demonstration Gardens – Fargo (3-7 p.m. CDT plants, local foods and outdoor spaces)

Aug. 3 – Carrington Research Extension Center’s Oakes Irrigation Research Site – Oakes (8:30 a.m.-noon CDT followed by lunch)

Sept. 9 – NDSU Research Arboretum – Amenia (12:30 p.m.)

NDSU is an R1 research institution as defined by the Carnegie Classification of Institutions of Higher Education.

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Graduate students selected to USDA leadership program

By Reagan Colyer, MSU News Service

Two graduate students from the Montana State University College of Agriculture were selected last month for a unique leadership experience coordinated by the U.S. Department of Agriculture and will travel to the USDA’s largest annual meeting later this month.

Caleb Hale and Trevor Palone are both doctoral students in MSU’s Department of Plant Science and Plant Pathology studying different aspects of grain genetics. They are two of only nine graduate students selected nationwide for the 16th annual cohort of the USDA Future Leaders in Agriculture Program. Twenty-one undergraduate students were also selected from land-grant institutions around the country.

“At the College of Agriculture, our educational mission is to prepare agricultural leaders of tomorrow,” said Sreekala Bajwa, dean of the college and MSU vice president for agriculture. “The USDA Future Leaders training is a wonderful opportunity for Caleb and Trevor to meet with current leaders in agriculture and further their leadership skills. I congratulate them both for winning this unique opportunity for professional development and their professors for being excellent mentors.”

Hale and Palone both came to MSU with the intention of earning master’s degrees but found their academic and university mentoring experiences so positive that they stayed to continue toward doctorates. Hale, in the third year of his doctoral studies, researches wheat genetics with a focus on genetic diversity and yield potential in the durum wheat breeding lab led by department head Mike Giroux. Palone, in the second year of his program, studies barley genetics in the MSU Barley Breeding, Malt Quality and Brewing Research Lab directed by associate professor Jamie Sherman. His research investigates methods for streamlining the development of new barley varieties through phenotyping and data analysis.

Both will travel to Washington, D.C., for the USDA’s annual Agricultural Outlook Forum Feb. 23-24. In addition to touring the capital, they will meet with agricultural leaders across government, industry and academia; and learn about career development across agricultural topics from agribusiness and agricultural policy to statistics and conservation.

“There are so many agricultural science opportunities through the USDA, so it’ll be great to learn about those,” said Hale. “There’s also a lot of federal initiatives that are important to agriculture. I’m partially funded by a federal initiative that people go to Washington to lobby for every year. It will be invaluable and fun to learn more about that process.”

Palone noted that, in addition to providing opportunities through the USDA, the program will also allow the cohort to practice communicating its research and engage with agricultural stakeholders who may not have a deep scientific background. Because their programs have direct impact on the types of grains producers can select for their fields, both students see the benefit of being able to effectively share their research to a broad audience in an approachable way.

“I’m interested in practicing talking science to nonscientists,” said Palone. “There will be some good soft-skill opportunities there, and we’ll get to learn about career opportunities through the government and other avenues.”

At the Agricultural Outlook Forum, Hale and Palone, along with the rest of the selected students, will receive awards presented by U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack. Sessions across the two-day event will include topics from agricultural economics and marketing to data visualization, global trade and climate adaptation.

For the MSU graduate students, the honor comes as the result of advocacy by their respective mentors. Hale and Palone each wrote an essay application for consideration, and both note that support and encouragement from MSU advisers helped them to feel confident in taking advantage of the opportunity.

“The mentorship here has been super awesome,” said Hale. “I get along so great with my adviser and get so much out of this program. I don’t think I could find a better one anywhere else.”

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Finalists for agritourism and sustainable agriculture program

The Montana State University College of Agriculture has announced finalists for a new leadership program focused on sustainable agriculture and agritourism.

The Montana Agritourism Fellows Program will center on the goal of developing leaders to advance sustainable agritourism. The fellowship is designed to engage agricultural producers and train them in methods of communicating and promoting sustainable agriculture for farmers, ranchers, professionals and communities. It was funded by a grant from the Western Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education, or Western SARE, program. The inaugural cohort consists of 14 fellows, listed below with their city, occupation and the focus of their outreach efforts.

Todd and Molly Barkley, Baker, owners of Barkley’s Home Grown LLC, exploring year-round greenhouse agriculture.

Tana and Tienna Canen, Glendive, multi-generational ranchers exploring the Ranching for Profit sustainability program.

Andy Fjeseth, Helena, Montana Department of Agriculture bureau chief, exploring agritourism development.

Laura Garber, Hamilton, director of Cultivating Connections and owner of a diversified vegetable farming operation, exploring community agriculture education.

Susan Joy, Helena, manager of the Made in Montana program, exploring agritourism development.

Carissa McNamara, Plains, owner of Wild Horse Lavender Farm and ambassador for Northwest Farmers Union, exploring agritourism development.

Tamara Robertson, Forsyth, diversified rancher and farm tour host, exploring sustainable ranch management practices. Haylie Shipp, Glasgow, rancher, exploring communications outreach and agritourism.

Jon and Erin Turner, Missoula, owners of Turner Farms and hosts of outreach events, exploring community engagement and community-supported agriculture.

Liz and Toby Werk, Hays, ranchers, exploring cultural agritourism.

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Agritourism links agricultural operations with tourism by welcoming visitors to farms and ranches for entertainment, recreation or education. Examples include organized tours, community supported agriculture programs, public education events and more. Organizers hope the program will promote a holistic approach to farming focused on profitability, land and natural resource stewardship, and improved quality of life for the producers as well as their communities.

“We are excited to engage with this outstanding cohort of agricultural professionals and producers over the next two years,” said Shannon Arnold, the program’s faculty lead and a professor in MSU’s Department of Agricultural and Technology Education. “The fellows program focuses on developing these leaders to promote, educate and build community awareness about the sustainable agritourism industry in Montana.”

The inaugural group of fellows will attend four two-day seminars at various sustainable agritourism operations across Montana over the next two years, with the first to be held in Helena February 16-17. The second and third seminars will be hosted in central and eastern Montana at locations to be determined, and the fourth will be in Bozeman, where fellows will apply what they’ve learned to plan and host a statewide agritourism conference in 2024.

The seminars will consist of workshops, tours and networking opportunities exploring the facets of agritourism, including management, business, media relations, planning and communication. Fellows will also learn how to advocate for sustainable agritourism and conduct outreach events for industry promotion.

The Western SARE organization is hosted by MSU through 2023. The faculty team on the project includes Arnold; Dustin Perry, head of the Department of Agricultural and Technology Education; Kim Woodring, Toole County Extension agent; and Beth Shirley, assistant professor in technical communication.

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USDA-ARS joins WCR Global Coffee Breeding Network

By Kim Kaplan

USDA’s Agricultural Research Service has joined Innovea Global Coffee Breeding Network coordinated by World Coffee Research (WCR), which will offer the Agency broader opportunities to develop more climate resilient coffee varieties with resistance to pests and diseases.

Kona coffee, one of Hawaii’s most legendary and valuable agricultural crops, has come under increasing threats from new diseases and pests, especially since 2020 when coffee leaf rust race XXIV was found on Maui. Other threats include the coffee berry borer and root knot nematodes that are already in Hawaii and those that could be in the offing such as coffee berry disease, coffee wilt disease, leaf miner or new races of coffee leaf rust.

ARS’ Daniel K. Inouye U.S. Pacific Basin Agricultural Research Center (PBARC) has a strong program to develop ways for Hawaii’s coffee growers to deal with these issues either by changing management protocols or by breeding varieties that have better genetic resistance.

“Within our existing germplasm collection, we don’t have enough genetic diversity to develop all of these new coffee traits quickly,” said PBARC Center Director Marisa Wall. “Now, by joining Innovea, we’ll have a partnership with coffee growing countries around the world that will expand our ability to add pest and disease resistance and greater climate resilience to the coffee crop and supporting U.S. growers. And it will aid coffee production around the world.”

“Participating in Innovea also will help us prepare for future threats. We will be receiving access to more than 300 samples or evaluations of coffee in diverse growing regions not currently in our research collection,” she added.

Coffee beans and tropical flowers A new international agreement will help the ARS coffee research program based in Hilo, Hawaii, expand their ability to add pest and disease resistance and greater climate resilience to the U.S. coffee crop. (Photo courtesy of Synergistic Hawaii Agriculture Council.)

Research and expertise contributed by ARS scientists to the global network also will end up bolstering the U.S. coffee industry because coffee companies rely on stable supplies of coffee from around the world. The coffee industry contributes $225 billion annually to the U.S. economy and supports 1.6 million American jobs.

The Innovea network’s goal is to bring together collaborating countries to transform coffee breeding and accelerate the pace of genetic improvement to the crop’s yield, quality, climate resilience, and resistance to pests and diseases. Nine

countries have joined the network so far, including Costa Rica, India, Indonesia, Kenya, Mexico, Peru, Rwanda, Uganda and now ARS in the United States.

Innovea is sponsored by the more than 200 coffee companies worldwide that comprise WCR’s membership base.

“By funding Innovea, leading coffee companies in the United States and beyond have united to drive agricultural solutions to urgently secure a diverse and sustainable supply of coffee today and for generations to come,” WCR Chief Executive Officer Jennifer “Vern” Long.

Suzanne Shriner, administrator of the Synergistic Hawaii Agriculture Council (SHAC), a key stakeholder for coffee in Hawaii, said, “Hawaii growers have hopes of great benefits from this research. Coffee leaf rust has devastated our Kona Typica variety, causing extensive crop loss and tree death. New varieties through Innovea will help our growers recover from invasive pests and disease and ensure a path forward for Hawaiian coffee.”

Rockwell Scales

OVERSEED ALFALFA with Grazing Corn

alfalfa. If we had to do that over we would follow third cut. We grazed 400 head for two weeks on 20 acres” Cory Veterre - Greenriver, Utah

HERE’S WHAT RANCHERS ARE SAYING

Casey Calvin - Monte Vista, CO

We grazed lambs on GX80. They ate it all the way to the ground. Unbelievable! (See website for photos)

Crawford Cattle - Winnemucca, NV

Planted mid July, it was way over our heads. We were surprised as to how long we were able to graze. We also baled some of it. We’re buying again.

Roberti Ranches - Loyalton, CA

We grazed pairs. They ate it all to the ground. We also baled it. The cows like it. We plant GX80 every year.

Coffin Butte Farm and Ranch - New Leitzigg, ND

We planted 400 acres on dryland and fed out 800 pair. We grazed it from Oct 20 to Nov 24. The corn was 7-1/2 ft. tall. The program was a success!

* Jesse Norcutt, Currant, NV

28 Ton Silage Pasco, WA

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MFG Supercoulter 30-ft. vertical tillage, 12” individually mounted straight & waffle blades, 3 bar tines, extra blades included. Very good condition.

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2015 Versatile SX280 100-ft., 3 auto, 3 sensors, full guidance Raven controls, 1200 gallon stainless tank, 3” side fill, mixing cone, 200 gallon fresh water tank, triple nozzle bodies, 5 boom control, very clean.

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IS IT EVER GOING TO BE SPRING SALES EVENT?

Nebraska tractor and farm equipment safety course

Teens 14 or 15 years of age who work on farms, or others who are interested in learning about tractor and farm equipment safety practices, can register for a safety training course offered at seven locations across Nebraska from May 22 through June 8.

The course is sponsored by the University of Nebraska Extension and the Central States Center for Agricultural Safety and Health at the University of Nebraska Medical Center College of Public Health.

Students will complete the first day of the course by attending a hands-on event at one of two locations or online through the eXtension Foundation Campus website. The hands-on events will occur on May 22 in North Platte and May 30 in Grand Island. After completing the hands-on event or the online course and testing, the required driving test will be offered at seven locations across Nebraska from May 23 through June 8.

Federal law prohibits children under 16 from using specific equipment on a farm unless their parents or legal guardians own the farm. However, certification received through the course grants an exemption to the law allowing 14- and 15-year-olds to drive a tractor and to do field work with specific mechanized equipment.

Aaron Yoder, PhD, associate professor at the UNMC College of Public Health, reports that a common cause of agricultural-related injuries and deaths in Nebraska is overturned tractors and ATVs and equipment entanglements. He emphasized that this course trains students to avoid these incidents and many other hazards on the farm and ranch.

The hands-on event and the online course will cover the required elements of the National Safe Tractor and Machinery Operation Program, including quizzes that students must pass to attend the driving portion of the training. Once a student is registered, the coordinators will send instructions, materials, course paperwork and a link to the online course if they do not attend one of the two hands-on events.

The onsite driving training and exam will include a driving test, equipment operation and ATV safety lessons. Students must demonstrate competence in hitching and unhitching equipment and driving a tractor and trailer through a standardized course. Instructors also will offer education on emergency preparedness, personal protective equipment, and safe behaviors and laws for ATVs, utility-task vehicles (UTVs) and other off-road vehicles (ORVs).

Instructors for the course are members of the Central States Center for Agricultural Safety and Health: Aaron Yoder, PhD, Ellen Duysen, Risto Rautiainen, PhD, and graduate student Sarah Tucker; and Nebraska Extension educators Randy Saner, Ron Seymour and John Thomas.

The course costs $35 and includes educational materials and supplies. Participants can pay at the time of registration or before the driving exam. Only checks and cash are accepted.

Hands-on training, driving dates, site locations and site coordinator contact information are below.

Hands-On Safety Days (If not attending a Hands-On Safety Day, online course must be completed).

May 22 – Lincoln Logan McPherson County Extension Office, 348 West State Farm Rd., North Platte, Nebraska Contacts: Randy Saner (randy.saner@unl.edu) and Vicki Neidhardt (vicki.neidhardt@unl.edu) at 308.532.2683

May 30 – Raising Nebraska, 501 East Fonner Park Rd., Grand Island Contacts: Randy Saner (randy.saner@unl.edu) and Vicki Neidhardt (vicki.neidhardt@unl.edu) at 308.532.2683

Tractor Driving Days

May 23 – Lincoln Logan McPherson County Extension Office, 348 West State Farm Rd., North Platte Contacts: Randy Saner (randy.saner@unl.edu) and Vicki Neidhardt (vicki.neidhardt@unl.edu) at 308.532.2683

May 31 – Raising Nebraska, 501 East Fonner Park Rd., Grand Island Contacts: Randy Saner (randy.saner@unl.edu) and Vicki Neidhardt (vicki.neidhardt@unl.edu) at 308.532.2683

CONTINUED ON PAGE C9

Fritz Haber

Fritz Haber (December 1868—January 1934) co-developed with Carl Bosch the process of ammonia synthesis, which is known today as the “Haber Synthesis.” While his work led to the production of nitrogen fertilizer, which has helped to feed billions of people (the entire global population, in fact), he also contributed to human destruction with his involvement in chemical agents during WWI.

Nebraska tractor and farm equipment safety course

CONTINUED FROM PAGE C8

June 1 – Legacy of the Plains Museum, 2930 Old Oregon Trail, Gering

Contacts: John Thomas (jthomas2@unl.edu) or Stacy Brown (sbrown7@unl.edu) at 308.632.1480

June 2 – AKRS Equipment, 49110 US Hwy 20 in O’Neill

Contact: Debra Walnofer (dwalnofer2@unl.edu) at 402.336.2760

June 6 - Adams County Extension, 2975 South Baltimore Ave., Hastings

Contact: Ron Seymour (ron.seymour@unl.edu) at 402.461.7209

June 7 - Cuming County Fairgrounds, W. Washington St., West Point

Contact: Mary Jo Lueckenhoff (mlueckenhoff1@unl. edu) or Melissa Hagemeister (mhagemeister5@unl.edu) at 402.372.6006

June 8 – Cass County Fairgrounds, 8400 144th St, Weeping Water

Contact: Sandy Prall (sprall2@unl.edu) at 402.267.2205

Registration form located here: https://go.unl. edu/2023tractorsafety

Balkans

Comprising a mostly mountainous region in southeastern Europe, the Balkan Peninsula is bordered by the Adriatic Sea on the west and the Aegean and Black Seas on the east. Countries making up the Balkan states: Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, Greece, Macedonia, Romania, Servia and Montenegro, Slovenia, and the European tip of Turkey. Balkan is the Turkish work for “mountain.”

Sliced bread

Sliced bread was first manufactured by machine and sold in the 1920s by the Chillicothe Baking Company in Missouri. It was the greatest thing since…unsliced bread?

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Human Cannabinol exposure from consuming meat

By Maribel Alonso

Scientists from the USDA’s Agricultural Research Service (ARS) and North Dakota State University (NDSU) recently found that when cattle were fed with the industrial hemp byproduct, hempseed cake, very low levels of Cannabis chemicals (cannabinoids) were retained in muscle, liver, kidney, and fat tissues.

Price Truck & equiPmenT

Hempseed and hempseed cake. (Photos courtesy of USDA-ARS)

Currently, hempseed cake cannot legally be used in food animal rations because the magnitude of cannabinoid (Cannabidiol [CBD] and Tetrahydrocannabinol [THC]) residues remaining in edible animal tissues have not been characterized.

To determine if hempseed cake could be safely used as a source of protein and fiber in cattle feed, a team of USDAARS and NDSU researchers, led by Research Physiologist David J. Smith, evaluated cannabinoid residues (CBD, THC) in edible tissues of cattle that were fed hempseed cake. Scientists found that the concentrations of these chemical compounds in meat products contributed only a small fraction of the total amount global regulatory organizations consider safe for consumers.

Products from Cannabis plants (hemp; Cannabis sativa L.) have been used for fiber, food (seeds and oil), and medicinal purposes for thousands of years. Although the plant contains over 80 naturally occurring compounds called cannabinoids, the best-known cannabinoids are CBD and THC which are biologically active. In the modern era, plant breeders have cultivated Cannabis plant varieties to produce high amounts of CBD and THC (used for recreational and medicinal purposes) and varieties used for fiber and oil seed production (“industrial hemp”), which contain relatively low CBD and THC concentrations.

In the 2018 Farm Bill, Congress authorized the legal production of industrial hemp in the United States (U.S.) with the stipulation that industrial hemp would contain less than 0.3% THC on a dry-matter basis. The low percentage of THC differentiates hemp products from marijuana or medicinal Cannabis varieties, which may contain greater than 5% THC

As industrial hemp develops as an agricultural commodity in the U.S., companies are now producing hemp seed oil from cultivars with very low THC content (< 0.01%). However, producers of hemp seed oil are having difficulty finding a market for hempseed cake, a major byproduct formed during oil extraction from industrial hempseed.

Hempseed cake is highly nutritious. In fact, a study completed by NDSU, in partnership with USDA-ARS, shows that hempseed cake is a viable alternative feed source for cattle. In the study recently published in Food Additives and Contaminants led by Smith, groups of heifers were fed either a control diet or a diet containing 20% hempseed cake for 111 days. When the feeding period was completed, cannabinoid residues in the liver, kidney, skeletal muscle, and adipose tissue were measured in animals harvested 0, 1, 4, and 8 days after hempseed cake was removed from the diet to learn how quickly cannabinoids are cleared from tissues. The hempseed cake used in the study contained an average concentration of 1.3 ± 0.8 mg/kg of CBD and THC combined, which is 1/3000 of the legal threshold of 0.3% (3000 mg/kg) THC.

Cannabinoid residues were sporadically detected in urine and plasma of cattle during the feeding period, and low levels (about 10 parts per billion) of CBD and THC combined were measured in adipose tissue (fat) of cattle harvested with no withdrawal period. In liver, kidney, and skeletal muscle, however, CBD and THC were below detectable levels in the cattle fed hempseed cake.

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“According to our exposure assessment, it would be very difficult for a human to consume enough fat from cattle fed with hempseed cake to exceed regulatory guidelines for dietary THC exposure,” said, David Smith with the Animal Metabolism-Agricultural Chemicals Research Unit in Fargo, North Dakota.

“From a food safety view point, hempseed cake having low cannabinoid content can be a suitable source of crude protein and fiber in cattle feed while offering industrial hemp producers a potential market for this byproduct of hempseed oil extraction,” added Smith.

Final determination and approval for the legal use of hemp products in animal feeds remain with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.

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By Kim Kaplan, ARS

Potato chips are America’s classic snack: crunchy, salty, greasy and tasting of potato or flavored with sour cream, vinegar, BBQ, maple bacon or Cajun dill. And on March 14, chip lovers across the country can celebrate them on National Potato Chip Day.

It shouldn’t be a surprise that Americans eat more potato chips than any other nation; more than four pounds a person a year, according to Potatoes USA. About 22 percent of the U.S. potato crop—nearly 7,500 million pounds annually—are made into chips. Consumers spend more than $7 billion dollars buying potato chips at retailers. And USDA’s Agricultural Research Service helps ensure that the country always has the perfect potato for frying into chips.

ARS’ potato breeding program has already produced some major winners in the potato chip category. One is Atlantic, a variety ARS developed and released in 1976, that remains the number two chipping variety in the United States

But potato producers have been ready for an Atlantic replacement for years. Atlantic is vulnerable to internal heat necrosis, where darker spots or flecks form in the flesh of the potato particularly in sandy soils during warm, dry seasons. It is also susceptible to Hollow Heart, a condition in which a hollow depression forms in the center of the potato when moisture levels are very uneven while the potatoes are growing.

“But diseases and pests keep evolving, so we need to keep breeding new varieties to stay ahead of them,” explained Research Geneticist Richard Novy, with the Small Grains and Potato Germplasm Research Unit in Aberdeen, Idaho.

Every year, scientists in the ARS potato breeding program make thousands of chipping potato crosses with an eye to improving not only disease and pest resistance, but also achieving perfect potato chip color and proper sugar levels, good storage ability and a whole host of superior agronomic traits such as yield, time to harvest and tuber size.

Novy has a very promising new chipping potato in the pipeline at Aberdeen, known right now as A13125-3C, which is showing much potential in Idaho and in the National Chip Processing Trial (NCPT). ARS participates alongside universities and industry in the NCPT, which is run through Potatoes USA, to test potatoes simultaneously at sites all over the country.

A13125-3C won’t get a catchy variety name until after it successfully completes several years of trials and then goes through a tissue culture process to remove any viruses and bacteria to allow the production of certified seed for producers.

“By sharing access to germplasm and testing nationally, you can more quickly identify candidates having variety potential for the chipping industry,” Novy said. “Such a program helps regional chip companies to identify promising new potato varieties for their production of chips.”

Across the country from the Aberdeen lab, ARS Plant Research Geneticist Paul Collins in Orono, Maine, is concentrating on breeding chipping potatoes with better disease resistance for eastern potato growers. One major focus is potatoes that can better withstand Late Blight, a fungal disease that causes an annual loss of $210 million.

“Most diseases we are working on can affect the farmer’s ability to produce a potato crop and they can have a staggering economic impact,” Collins said. “Potato Virus Y, for example, causes annual losses of $103 million in yield and tuber quality

While ARS scientists are breeding potatoes to fight diseases, most consumers do not have to worry about their snack being affected by any of these viruses. The chipping varieties for the snack aisle, usually Atlantic, Snowden and Lamoka, are not found in the grocery store’s produce bins.

“Our goal is to breed potato varieties which are resistant to these diseases, and with other agronomic traits that are important to farmers while also having quality traits like color, shape and size that are important to consumers and processors,” Collins said.

World records

There’s a world record for the holder of the most world records: Ashrita Furman, who’s set more than 600 records and currently holds more than 200. His records have ranged from fastest mile on a pogo stick, longest time to hula hoop underwater and greatest distance traveled on a bicycle balancing a milk bottle on the head.

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Feral swine impact and damages to game species

Feral swine directly impact native game species by preying on the nests, eggs, and young of ground-nesting birds and the young of larger animals such as deer. They compete with native wildlife for important food sources, displace other animals through aggression and competition, and can spread diseases and parasites. The most far-reaching impact feral swine have on game species and other wildlife is habitat change and destruction through their rooting wallowing, trampling, and feed behaviors Feral Swine are ecosystem engineers, which means they can change their environment by altering water quality and runoff in wetland environments, shifting plant composition and distribution in grasslands, and decreasing tree diversity in a forest. Feral swine are a risk to native game species such as deer, quail, grouse, turkey, and many others, as well as to the economic stability of businesses that depend on these game species to succeed.

Upland birds

Upland game species such as quail, woodcock, and grouse are at risk from predation by feral swine because they nest on the ground. In addition to direct predation, feral swine destroy important upland game bird habitat by rooting up and eating native plants, allowing the growth and spread of invasive weeds.

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The feral swine diet consists largely of vegetation; therefore, they compete with herbivores for food sources. Most notably, feral swine compete with deer (white-tailed, mule or black-tailed) for seasonal resources such as acorns or beech nuts. The easily disperse deer from prime feeding areas, will prey on fawns, and transmit diseases to which deer are vulnerable.

Turkey

Wild turkeys are ground nesters, leaving their eggs and young exposed to feral swine predation. Additionally, feral swine compete with wild turkeys for important seasonal resources such as acorns. Since feral swine can eat larger amounts of food and digest it more quickly than turkeys, they easily outcompete these birds for vital seasonal food sources.

Furbearers

Foxes, weasels, raccoons, and other furbearers prey on eggs, small mammals, carrion, and invertebrates, which are also desirable food sources for feral swine. A group of feral swine can easily displace smaller, often independent, furbearers from a food source. Feral swine also carry many diseases and parasites, such as giardia, which may be passed on to furbearers.

Small game

Feral swine outcompete small mammals for important seasonal resources such as acorns. They have also been known to raid the buried food caches of squirrels, leaving them no stores for winter. Feral swine even actively hunt small mammals such as ground squirrels. Furthermore, feral swine rooting and feeding behaviors alter forest growth and diversity, damaging crucial habitat for small game animals.

Big game

Feral swine feeding behaviors and preferences are similar to black bears, meaning they may compete for food resources such as vegetation, berries, acorns, and more. Some large predators, such as mountain lions, may benefit from feral swine as pray, but this can put them at risk of contracting the diseases and parasites feral swine carry.

Farm

Mariana Azevedo and Jaoa Flavio Azevedo of Cut Bank enjoyed the Montana’s Next Generation Conference in Shelby. Mariana even won a prize for farthest distance traveled to attend, claiming her Brazilian hometown! Photo by Eric Morrisett.

UPCOMING AUCTIONS

Sat., June 17, 2023 - Glasgow, MT

Large Building/Warehouse 72-ft. x 165-ft.

Sunday, July 16, 2023 - Glasgow, MT

Building/Property with contents

GSI AUCTION SERVICE

P.O. Box 1170 • Glasgow, MT 59230 • 406-228-9306 gsi@nemont.net • www.glasgowstockyards.com

Ed Hinton 406-783-7285 • Jake Newton 406-390-5109

Iva Murch 406-263-7529

Montana State teams place first and second at agriculture-technology summit

By Reagan Colyer, MSU News Service

Two Montana State University teams found success at the Montana AgTech Innovation and Investment Summit in Great Falls last month, where representatives across the fields of business, entrepreneurship, agriculture and technology networked and presented ideas to expand their reach. The inaugural event was organized by the Montana Agricultural Business Association and the Montana Department of Agriculture in collaboration with the MSU College of Agriculture.

The event included speakers, networking sessions and opportunities for invited teams to present their products and ideas to members of the agricultural and technological communities from across the region.

our front-facing poster for the public, not necessarily for other geneticists who may already understand what we’re doing.”

The prize money for their win will support further work to develop improved pasta, said Hogg. With a unique breed of durum identified and bred, there’s already an opportunity for partnership with interested companies to test and refine products that could ultimately end up on supermarket shelves.

“Besides just doing breeding for yield in normal lines, we also study genes that affect quality traits. A lot of the time, those can be novel things,” said Hogg. “We spend a lot of effort creating these unique lines, but they don’t always go into production.”

Scott Schmiedeke (406) 240-2572

Victor, MT

Henry Kallis (605) 639-1904

Spearfish, SD

See us on the web: www.tte-inc.com

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Capping off the daylong event was the Montana Agricultural Speed-Pitch Competition, which is designed to recognize and help fund innovative ideas in agriculture. Each selected project was described in a one-minute presentation, and winners were judged and voted on by the summit’s attendees. The top three projects were awarded funding of $25,000, $15,000 and $10,000, respectively.

The winning team came from the Department of Plant Science and Plant Pathology in MSU’s College of Agriculture. Doctoral student Brandon Tillett and professor and department head Mike Giroux presented research out of the MSU durum wheat breeding lab led by Giroux and research associate Andy Hogg centered on identifying genetic traits in durum wheat to make firmer pasta that resists overcooking. The project was titled “Al Dente Forever.”

“We work on improving and releasing durum varieties so that Montana farmers can select the line best suited for their conditions with excellent product quality,” said Tillett of the durum lab. “That could be anything from trying to improve yield to working on a specific metric that contributes to qualities that farmers want or dealing with issues like sawfly resistance.”

Coming in second place at the summit was a team from Aizy Tech, a robotics company founded by MSU mechanical engineering student Morteza Hosseinnejad. Business management student Emily Adams serves as the company’s business development manager, senior financial engineering student Landon Sielaff is the business sales manager, and Yoni Shchemelinin, who received his master’s in mechanical engineering in December from MSU, is the company’s engineer.

The team presented its first product at the summit: a drone called the Whitehawk, designed for precision agriculture, which is slated for production this summer.

“We’re really trying to provide services around crop analytics, cattle management and fertilizers, working with farmers, ranchers and agronomists to help Montana producers better manage their farms and ranches,” said Sielaff, who helped design the company’s business plan and its one-minute pitch for the competition. “The biggest thing for us was just talking to potential customers. Who is someone who would use this? What are issues and pain points that they’re experiencing currently? How can we better work with them to create a product and a solution that meets their needs?”

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The first-prize research centered on boosting the durum’s amylose content. Amylose is a type of starch that contributes to increased fiber content in a final product. Wheat with higher amylose content absorbs less water during cooking, resulting in pasta that can maintain an al dente texture after up to 10 minutes of extra cooking – long past the point where traditional dried pastas become mushy.

The Blackstone LaunchPad also played an integral part in Aizy Tech’s project by first connecting Sielaff with the company’s founder, Hosseinnejad. The introduction to Aizy Tech felt like kismet for Sielaff, who grew up seeing how aviation is applied in precision agriculture. His uncle was a helicopter pilot who worked in the commercial agriculture industry, and Sielaff said he was mesmerized after flying with him.

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Through traditional breeding methods –the novel durum breeds are non-GMOs, or not genetically modified organisms – the team was able to develop a high-quality durum variety with increased amylose content.

Durum with high amylose content can’t be used for bread because it inhibits dough rising and bread loaf volume, Tillett said. But because pasta doesn’t require leavening, it’s an ideal avenue for implementing research like this.

Translating that science effectively for an audience not made up of professional plant geneticists was a challenge, but the team used MSU’s Blackstone LaunchPad as a resource. The LaunchPad provides resources and services to students with entrepreneurial ambitions and ideas for businesses of their own.

“Making a pitch in one minute is quite hard to pull off,” Tillett said. “Trevor Huffmaster and Brian Arthur of the Jake Jabs College of Business and Entrepreneurship were very effective in giving us some coaching about what to target in that one-minute explanation and how we wanted to create

“It’s how I got interested in flying and grew to love agriculture,” he said. “When I got introduced to Morteza, I knew this was an opportunity I had to take advantage of.”

Sielaff said the $15,000 prize for the team’s second-place finish will be applied to the first phases of the Whitehawk’s production. He hopes it will be the first step of a successful launch.

For a company that spans scientific realms, Sielaff noted, the AgTech Innovation Summit was crucial in helping create connections. It provided the team an opportunity to present its idea to more potential users, as well as a forum for teaching others about the business and learning from active agriculturalists and entrepreneurs about the voids that need to be filled in the field of precision agriculture. Some of the connections initiated at the event fostered relationships with departments back home at MSU.

“At the conference, we connected with professors in the College of Agriculture who I’d never met,” said Sielaff. “The precision agriculture projects here are huge, and that’s one resource that we’re excited to use.”

Want to raise chickens at home?

In response to growing interest in raising backyard chickens, the University of Wyoming Extension recently released a free online guide outlining best practices for chicken care and management.

The 10-page publication, titled “Raising Backyard Chickens,” provides an overview of breed selection, housing, nutrition, extermination of lice and mites, waste management and more.

The guide is designed to be accessible for beginners and specifically caters to poultry keepers living in a residential setting.

In addition to addressing management considerations, co-authors Vicki Hayman, Hudson Hill and Ellie Riske offer suggestions for avoiding conflict with neighbors who may or may not be accustomed to backyard flocks.

“For people who have never had chickens or grew up with chickens but are now living in town, this resource offers basic information to help them to get off to the right start,” says Hayman, a UW Extension educator based in Weston County.

Visit https://bit.ly/wyo-chickens for a free downloadable copy of the guide. For Newcastle residents, hard copies of the guide are available at the Newcastle City Hall.

Contact a local extension office with questions about chicken care and management. Always check local ordinances before purchasing and housing chickens in a residential area.

Montana State teams place first and second

CONTINUED FROM PAGE C16

Taking third place in the pitch competition was 406 Agronomy, a Havre-based precision agriculture company that provides services surrounding crop planning, agricultural data management, satellite imagery and soil science optimization. More information about the summit can be found at https://www.mtagtechinvest.io/.

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FARM/RANCH FOR SALE

LAND: 397.24 acres, 90 acres of usable crop land that is in sainfoin and brome grass for hay and pasture. Reseeded most of it again in the fall of 2021. Seeded right into standing grass. The rest is pasture, most of it reseeded to better grass in past years. Not all native grass. Bullhead creek running through. We own water rights to the creek water for irrigation and 2 reservoirs.

23 WATER SHARES

2 HOMES: Brick home with basement, 3 plus bedrooms, 13/4 bathrooms, attached 1 car garage, 2 car unattached garage.

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Contact Dave Freebury, 1715 Bullhead Rd, Conrad, MT 59425 (406) 278-3970 home/(406) 470-0894 cell - Leave message and phone number. email: twistit73@yahoo.com

Feeding market lambs for show

Providing proper nutrition to your market lamb is very important for that lamb to reach its full potential at the market lamb show. Making sure that the lamb receives appropriate protein, energy, and minerals allows the lamb to not only grow to reach market weight, but also ensures that the lamb develops muscle and reaches an appropriate fat cover for show day. Proper nutrition starts by selecting appropriate concentrates, roughages, and minerals for your lamb and providing high-quality water daily.

Concentrates

Concentrates is another name for grains. Most grain mixes range from 14%–18% protein, with many exhibitors feeding a 16% grain mix. Many grain mixes also add a fat source to provide additional energy for developing fat cover. Three to five percent fat is very common in commercial feeds. Start by feeding a small amount of grain, ½ to ¾ lb. per feeding two times per day, and over a week to ten days gradually increase the amount until the lamb consumes all the grain in 10–15 minutes. This varies by weight as explained in the table on the next page. Many commercial lamb feeds are a complete feed, which means that the grain mix also includes a fiber source for rumen development.

Additives in Concentrate Feeds

Commercial concentrate feeds often include two additives to maintain lamb health. The first additive is a coccidiostat that prevents coccidiosis, an internal parasite that causes diarrhea. If severe, coccidiosis can result in death. The feed label on commercial feeds intended to control coccidiosis will indicate that the feed is medicated with either bovatec or deccox. The second additive is ammonium chloride. Ammonium chloride is fed to prevent urinary calculi, which blocks the urethra in show wethers. When the urethra is fully blocked, the animal is unable to urinate. Urinary calculi can also result in the death of the animal.

Roughages

Most show animals are fed hay to provide the roughage portion of the diet. Lambs should receive a handful of hay each feeding to keep the protozoa in the rumen functioning well for digestion.

The goal with feeding hay is to prevent the rumen from becoming too acidic. This causes an issue called acidosis and acidosis can result in the animal eating less than desired. Some exhibitors will provide free choice access to baking soda to neutralize the acidic environment in the gut.

Water

Always provide clean and fresh water. Be sure to scrub water buckets on a regular basis to encourage water consumption. Poor-quality water or not enough water can affect feed intake. Reduced feed intake will in turn affect animal growth.

Vitamins and Minerals

Commercial feeds are formulated to meet the vitamin and mineral requirements of animals when fed as directed. Therefore, you do not need to provide additional minerals if you are feeding according to the label. However, some custom grain mixes do not include vitamins and minerals. In these cases, be sure to provide access to a high-quality salt and mineral mix formulated for sheep. Lambs are susceptible to copper toxicity so never provide feeds or mineral mixes formulated for other livestock species.

How Much Do I Feed?

Market lambs should consume 2.5%–3.0% of their body weight daily in dry matter. Dry matter is the amount of feed the animal should consume without any water in it. All feeds

MFB Foundation announces youth speech contest winners

Sadie Branham, a student with the Malta FFA Chapter, scored first place in the Montana Farm Bureau Foundation (MFBFo) Youth Speech Contest held during the 2023 FFA State Convention, March 23, at the Montana ExpoPark in Great Falls.

Branham tackled the challenging topic regarding Gen Z Consumers: What makes them unique and how will their purchasing power affect the agricultural industry, how will farmers and ranchers need to adapt to compete in these market trends, and what role do youth in ag organizations play in this conversation?

The Youth Speech Contest was open to students in the 7th, 8th and 9th grades and needed to be between 2.5 and 4 minutes in length.

Branham won $400 and bragging rights for

winning the tough competition. The MFBFo awarded more than $1000 in prize money to first place through fifth place students.

The runners up included Kealie Hixson, Stevensville FFA, second place; Adelaide Meyer, Stevensville FFA, third place; Joel Stermitz, Gardiner FFA, fourth place, and Joel Standley, Missoula FFA, fifth place.

“I’ve judged the Montana Farm Bureau Foundation Speech Contest a couple of times, and it’s nice to see some of the kids competing again and progressing to being comfortable with speaking in front of people,” said MFBF District 9 Director Scott Stoner. “I appreciate that the Foundation sponsors this competition to provide students with a venue to hone their research and speaking skills.”

Montana Farm Bureau Foundation Speech Contest Winner Sadie Branham with District 9 Director Scott Stoner and MFBF President Cyndi Johnson.

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Sorghum preemergence weed control

By Brent Bean, Director of Agronomy, USCP

Although grass in emerged sorghum can be a major problem, the new igrowth®, Double Team™ and Inzen™ sorghum technologies provide good options for grass control. However, the list of herbicides for control of broadleaf weeds once sorghum has emerged is small and their effectiveness has been lessened due to the development of resistant weeds. For this reason, it is imperative that a good pre emergent program is implemented in sorghum.

There are seven active ingredients that are primarily used that fall under four mode-of-action categories. These are:

The use of at least two active ingredients is critical for successful preemergence control in sorghum with today’s tough weeds. A popular mix is atrazine plus one of the Group 15 herbicides listed in the table. Two popular premixes used are Bicep II Magnum (atrazine + s-metolachlor) and Fultime NXT (atrazine + acetochlor). For growers wanting to limit the amount of atrazine being used, Fultime NXT might be a better choice since at a 1X rate this treatment has significantly less atrazine in it compared to Bicep II Magnum.

A popular non-atrazine treatment is the use of Verdict + Outlook. Verdict contains saflufenacil and dimethenamid. Some additional dimethenamid (Outlook) is usually added to increase the longevity of residual control while boosting the control of grass. This is an especially good choice on sandy soils.

Mesotrione use has become a more popular herbicide to use in sorghum the last few years, with several premixes with other herbicides now being sold. Mesotrione is often applied in a two way mix with atrazine or s-metolachlor, and often, as a three way mix of all three active ingredients. In herbicide comparison studies, treatments that include mesotrione are typically the most consistent in giving good broadleaf weed control, especially of Palmer amaranth. However, it is important to note that mesotrione cannot be used on sandy soils or unacceptable crop injury will occur. Check the herbicide label for soil type prior to use.

The final and newest active ingredient that is used for preemergence in sorghum is imazamox and is sold as ImiFlex by UPL. This can ONLY be used with igrowth® sorghum. ImiFlex is primarily used for grass control but does have broadleaf activity. Always apply ImiFlex with one of the Group 15 herbicides.

Feeding market lambs

CONTINUED FROM PAGE C18 have a portion of their weight as water. Most feeds typically are 88%–90% dry matter. See the table provided to help you with feeding amounts at 2.5%–3.0% body weight. As the lamb reaches its appropriate market weight, feeds may need to be adjusted such that the lamb reaches or maintains desired fat cover.

Joan Alexandra Molinsky

While attending college in the mid-1950s, the comedienne called herself “J. Sondra Meredith,” mostly to distance herself from the surname of her disapproving parents, who thought that female comics were “as bad as showgirls.” The owner of the first comedy club didn’t like “Meredith” and called her “Pepper January,” but she hated that. When she finally got an agent, Tony Rivers, he told her, “I can’t send you out with that name.” So she chose his, and became Joan Rivers.

Survey about drought impacts

From the MSU News Service

Montana State University Extension and a group of scientists who are studying drought impacts on Montana and Wyoming pasture and soil health are seeking feedback through a survey of beef cattle producers.

Over the past few years, Montana and Wyoming have had record-setting droughts, and producers regularly altered management decisions to reduce drought impacts on pastures and cattle, said Megan Van Emon, MSU Extension beef cattle specialist and one of the researchers. Van Emon said the survey will help determine the predominant practices of beef cattle producers when preparing for and during drought.

The researchers have been studying single and multiyear drought impacts on pasture and soil health preand post-grazing. Part of this project aims to determine how beef cattle producers prepared for drought and how the drought impacted management decisions. The research sites are located at the USDA Agricultural Research Service, or ARS, rangeland beef cattle research facility at Fort Keogh in Montana and Thunder Basin National Grasslands in Wyoming.

The voluntary survey, designed for Wyoming and Montana beef cattle producers, is estimated to take five to 10 minutes to complete. No identifiable information will be collected. The survey can be accessed at montana.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/ SV_0JMVf7QDUKJhkVg.

The information collected will be summarized in an Extension publication, and research findings will also be presented at research sites this summer.

In addition to Van Emon, the group of researchers includes Sally Koerner, University of North Carolina, Greensboro; Kurt Reinhart, USDA ARS, Miles City; Lauren Porensky, USDA ARS, Fort Collins, Colorado; Kimberly Komatsu, UNC, Greensboro; and Kevin Wilcox, UNC, Greensboro.

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What do you call a hen who counts her eggs? A mathemachicken!

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What do you call a story about a broken pencil? Pointless!

2008

automatic, Terex Commander 7000 boom, remote control, outriggers, 18-ft. flatbed with stake racks, 102,000 miles, absolutely like new condition Call

nice Call

Call

2011 Ford F550 crew cab, 4x4, gas motor, automatic, 12-ft. flatbed with toolboxes and lumber rack, one owner, ex-municipal truck, very clean Call

1992 GMC 7500 topkick bucket truck with chipper dump body, Altec LR11-55 boom, 60-ft reach, Cat diesel, Allison automatic, rust free, 75,000 miles. Call

1997 Ford F450 mechanics truck, 7.3 Powerstroke diesel, automatic, 3200 lb. auto crane, service body/flatbed, air/heat, 126,000 miles Call

1992 Dorsey 45-ft. flatbed trailer, air ride suspension, set up for donkey forklift, closed tandem, stake pockets, pristine rust free condition Call

1997 John Deere 772CH motor grader, 14-ft. mold board, 6x6 rear ripper, front push block, powershift transmission, clean, one owner/ ex government machine with 7,700 hours Call

2000 IHC 2574 Truck Tractor, C10 Caterpillar (305 hp), 4560P Allison transmission, 5th wheel, ex government truck with only 36,000 original miles Call

2009 Vermeer BC100 wood chipper, 12” self feed, 4 cylinder diesel, ex municipal machine with only 571 hours Call

2001 Freightliner Fl80 flatbed with stake racks, 22-ft. bed, rear lift gate, Cat diesel, Allison automatic, air ride suspension, 156,000 miles, rust free truck. Call

1992 Sullair 185 CFM towable air compressor, John Deere diesel, dual hose reels, 120 volt generator, 2900 hours, one owner Call

2005 Yale GDP120MJ forklift, 12,000 lb. capacity, 197” lift, 3 stage mast, diesel, 4200 hours Call

2013 Ingersoll Rand/Doosan P425/375 air compressor, dual pressure , 425 CFM, Cummins diesel, cold weather package, air dryer, 2400 hours Call

1986 Cat D4H dozer, 6-way blade, high tracks, 3014 Cat diesel, ROPS, excellent undercarriage, clean, ready to work Call

1990 Clark GPS15 shop forklift, 3000# capacity, 122” lift, dual stage, propane motor. 3300 hours Call

2004 Belshe DT235-2AP flatbed tandem dual equipment trailer, 25-ft. long, 23,500 lb. GVWR, air brakes, flip over ramps Call

International 7500 boom truck, diesel, Allison

2003 International 7400 snowplow dump truck, DT570 diesel (pre-emissions), 10 speed manual, 11-ft. dual direction front plow, passenger side wing plow, 11-ft. dump bed, plumbed for sander, complete Call

2008 Ford F550 4x4 service truck, crew cab, diesel, hydraulic wet kit with tool circuit, high end service body, west coast clean, very

1986 Case W14 front end wheel loader, general purpose bucket, full cab, heat, removable rear backhoe, auxiliary 3rd valve hydraulics, ex-government machine, 1100 hours Call

2003 International 7400 cab & chassis 4x4, DT466 diesel, 9 speed manual, heavy specs, rust free only 67,000 miles

1986 Case W11B mini front end loader, 3.9 Cummins diesel, Powershift transmission, GP bucket, 629 hours, one owner, (full factory cab available), clean Call

2002 John Deere 744H front end wheel loader, Quick Attach, general purpose bucket, ride control, 280 hp, 53,000 lb. machine, one owner, ex-municipal machine, 9600 hours Call

2012 ford F550 4x4, bucket/chipper dump truck, Terex LT38 articulated, telescopic over center boom, 43-ft. reach, dump box, cab guard, insulated boom, gas motor, automatic, 53,000 miles Call

1994 Fruehauf PSD-T-2-40W stepdeck trailer, 40-ft. bed, 11-ft. upper, 29-ft. lower, 102” wide, steel composition, air ride suspension, rust free, clean/straight ex-municipal trailer Call

2006 Sullivan D185Q towable air compressor, John Deere diesel, 185 CFM, 125 PSI, extended tongue, ex municipal machine, hose real, hose, and air wand included, 303 actual hours Call

1993 International 4800 digger derrick, 4x4, DT466 diesel, Allison automatic, Altec boom, rust free, (will separate chassis) Call

1992 Cat It18B Front end loader, auxilliary 3rd & 4th valve, quick attach, GP bucket, only 5600 original hours, one owner (Very Nice) Call

2002 Ford F450 4x4 service truck, V10 gas, automatic, Miller Bobcat welder and air compressor, utility body with tip ups,102,000 miles, one owner, clean Call

2004 Freightliner M2 mechanics/service truck, Cat diesel, Allison automatic, 160 CFM PTO air compressor, IMT 1007 crane, enclosed service body, 103,000 miles Call

1994 John Deere 624G front end loader, 4 & 1 bucket, auxilliary 3rd valve, hydraulics, full cab, AC/heat, one owner, tight clean ex government machine with only 4800 hours Call

1997 Multi Quip/Whisperwatt diesel generator, single or 3 phase, 120/240/480 volt, multi-switch controls, John Deere diesel, extra quiet enclosure, only 800 hours, absolutely like new condition

1988 International 4x4 brush fire truck, DT466 diesel, 5 speed transmission, Champion pump and body, only 38,000 miles, pristine condition Call

2011 Case SR200 skidsteer, auxilliary hydraulics, quick attach, only 450 total original hours, ex-utility company machine, extra clean Call

1986 Ford F700 4x4 flatbed, V8 gas, 5 speed manual, 24,000 lb. GVWR, hydraulic brakes, only 15,000 original miles Call

2011 Great Dane trailer /converter dolly, air ride suspension, 94” tongue, clean Call

2000 Keifer IRH 300 carousel/ pipe spool trailer, self-loading, elect over hydraulic, 7000 lb. GVWR Call

2014 Doosan/Ingersoll Rand C185 air compressor, Kubota diesel, 185 CFM, 125 PSI Call

1997 Alloy ATCFF-20 flatbed pup trailer, 20-ft. bed, steel composition, stake pockets, winches, clean, rust free trailer Call

2007 Custom Carousel/ pipe spool trailer, fair leads, 3500 lb. GVWR, pintle hitch Call

STOKES FENCING

Conrad, Montana

Lance Stokes (406) 450-2149

Fencing Done Right

ESTATE SALE SERVICES

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Sandy Rose-McDonald - Collecting & Appraising for 55 years.

We specialize in handling Mom &/or Mom’s things with care!

Text (907) 419-8801 for appointment or show us items for sale.

TRUCKS FOR SALE

1972 International 4300 12-yard dump truck.

1981 Freightliner with Cat, 5th wheel, good tires.

1978 International Transtar II 400 Cummins BGII.

1982 40-ft. utility flatbed 5th wheel trailer.

1987 Farmbed 42-ft. trailer, roll tarp.

1984 Mack RL700L V8, 5th wheel.

1974 IHC 1600 truck, 16-ft. grain box with hoist.

1976 GMC 6000 truck, 16-ft. grain box with hoist.

1974 Ford 750 truck, 16-ft. grain box with hoist.

1978 International 1700 truck, 5 yard dump.

1967 Ford 600 truck, 16-ft. bulk box, 20” belt.

1978 Chevrolet C60 line truck, 5000 lb. crane, 40-ft. boom.

1959 Chevrolet C60 truck, 16-ft. bulk box, 24” belt.

1978 GMC C70 tandem, 20-ft. grain box with hoist.

1982 Chevrolet tandem, 20-ft. bulk box, self unload.

1974 Chevrolet C65 tandem, 20-ft. bulk box, self unload.

1954 GM military 21/2-ton truck with 5th wheel, 302.

1956 GM military 21/2-ton truck with 1200x20 tires.

Lots of truck tires with wheels.

Lots of trucks for restoration.

Lots of bumper pull trailers.

Lots of trucks not listed.

Reducing nitrate leaching potential and increase soil organic carbon sequestration

By Arshdeep Singh - Agronomy Graduate Research Assistant | Javed IqbalExtension Nutrient Management and Water Quality Specialist | Tahseen AfzalGraduate Research Assistant | Bryan Woodbury - USDA ARS Agricultural Engineer | Charles Wortmann - Emeritus Extension Soil and Nutrient Management Specialist

Increasing nitrate-nitrogen (NO3-N) contamination of groundwater has raised significant environmental and health concerns in Nebraska. One way to reduce the nitrate contamination of groundwater is to follow best nutrient management practices (BMPs). Including a perennial crop in the annual corn-based cropping system is one of the BMPs to potentially decrease NO3-N load to the groundwater.

Including alfalfa in rotations to reduce NO3-N leaching is a long-recognized concept. Several past studies have found that alfalfa aggressively scavenges nitrogen in the soil. However, the effect of alfalfa in the rotation on NO3-N, soil organic carbon (SOC), and water content in the vadose zone remained uncertain. Therefore, we conducted a study to evaluate the impact of alfalfa in rotation with annual crops for rooting plus vadose zone to 24 feet depth (zero to 24 feet) on NO3-N and NH4-N concentration, and soil organic carbon sequestration in Nebraska (Singh et al., 2023).

The objectives of this study were to determine the impact of alfalfa rotation compared with continuous corn after 20 years on (i) NO3-N leaching potential, (ii) NH4-N, SOC, total soil nitrogen (TSN), and soil organic nitrogen (SON) in zero to 24 feet, and (iii) soil water for a subsequent annual crop. We

hypothesized that for zero to 24 feet with alfalfa rotation compared with continuous corn (i) NO3-N in zero to 24 feet would be reduced, (ii) SOC, TSN, and SON will be increased, and (iii) soil water would be reduced in the root zone of a subsequent corn crop.

Experimental Measurements

The experiment was conducted at the Roman L. Hruska U.S. Meat Animal Research Center (USMARC) near Clay Center, Nebraska. The soil was well-drained and deep Crete silt loam formed in loess. The experiment was a randomized complete block design consisting of six pairs of fields with greater than 12 of the past 20 years (20012020) in alfalfa rotated with either corn (one to nine years in past 20 years) or soybean (zero to one year in past 20 years) (alfalfa rotation) compared with continuous annual cropping dominated by corn following corn (continuous corn) rotated with either soybean (one to three years in past 20 years) or alfalfa (zero to three years in past 20 years).

Soils from six pairs of alfalfa rotation versus continuous corn observation points were sampled to 24 feet depth in one-foot increments. The uppermost one-foot was divided into zero to six inches and six to 12 inches. The soil samples were analyzed for NO3-N, NH4-N, SOC, TSN, SON and water in zero to 24 feet.

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Results on Nitrate Leaching Potential and Soil Organic Carbon Sequestration

For the zero to 24 feet depth, the alfalfa rotation compared with continuous corn had 26% less soil water (3.48 vs. 4.68-inch ft-1) and 55% less NO3-N (328 vs. 735 lbs. N ac-1), indicating less NO3-N leaching potential with less deep soil water percolation in the zero to 24 feet soil depth (Figures 1 and 2). The cropping system and NO3-N concentration did not affect NH4-N in the vadose zone (Figure 1). The greater depletion of soil water and NO3-N with alfalfa rotation was primarily below the rooting zone of corn, suggesting no negative implications for corn following alfalfa but greatly reduced potential of NO3-N leaching to the aquifer with the alfalfa rotation.

The alfalfa rotation compared with continuous corn had 47% higher SOC (47.3 ton ac-1 vs. 32.2 ton ac-1) and 23% higher total soil TSN (5.34 ton ac-1 vs. 4.34 ton ac-1) in the zero to four feet depth. The higher SOC at zero to four feet in alfalfa rotation indicates long-term potential for SOC sequestration. Increasing alfalfa in cropping systems may have more potential to increase SOC, and TSN if the SOC level is low relative to comparable field situations.

Summary Rotation of annual crops with alfalfa is

a highly effective means of reducing NO3N leaching to aquifers and to the lateral flow of water to seepage areas with costeffectiveness dependent on the commodity values. The 55% less NO3-N stock in the zero to 24 feet soil depth, and increased SOC, TSN and SON in the agronomically important zero to four feet soil layer with

alfalfa in rotation may contribute to increased productivity and sustainability.

Water quality is important to the public, and implementation of improved management practices by increasing alfalfa in crop rotations could be an effective way to protect this valuable resource.

I believe the Krogmann BaleBed is the most outstanding bed on the market. I like the features this bed has over the competition.”

- Roger Miller, Booker, TX

Lift, Haul and dump with the Krogmann Carry-All quick connects.

Figure 1. Inorganic N (lb. N ac-1) (a), nitrate-N (lb. N ac-1) (b), and ammonium-N (lb. ac-1) (c) are shown by soil depth for continuous corn (red) and alfalfa rotation (black) treatments.

Figure 2. Volumetric water content (in ft-1) is shown by soil depth for continuous corn (red) and alfalfa rotation (black) treatments.

FOR RENT

Also have Kubota 95 hp tractor available. Call for pricing and availability

Case IH 9170-9280

New Holland 9480-9882

John Deere 8960-8970

Call or text 1-306-563-8482

Mack manure truck for Rent! Call for prices

lb. front axle, tri drive, full lockers, double frame, wet kit Call For Price Fordson Major diesel, 35 hp tractor $4500

1993 Case 7140 MFWD tractor, 240 hp, 18R42 duals, 2 remotes, 8950 hours $52,500

2014 New Holland 340S 3x4 baler, Intelliview 3 monitor, folding roller chute, 25,000 bales $52,500

1979 Cat 988B loader $29,500

Scoopmobile, bale spears, forks, 4000 lb lift capacity, towable, gas engine. Works good! $6000

2014 Transcraft 48-ft. flatbed, sliding tandems. $19,500

1979 Cat 627B twin engine scraper $39,500

2016 McCloskey 36”x80-ft. radial gravel stacker, electric drive, scales. Rental Unit!

1995 Manac 54-ft., 3 axle step deck, beavertail and ramps. $21,500

(4) Grader Snow wings (Cat & JD). Call For Pricing (3) Dozer winches, CAT D8T and D6T. Call For Pricing

2016 Komatsu D61PX-24 dozer, 6 way blade, wired for grade control, New hydrostatic transmission. $140,000

Delta S3 24-ft. carted harrows.

2010 Kobelco SK140 excavator, zero tail swing, aux. hyd., 4800 hours, extensive work orders $50,000

2014 John Deere 7290R MFWD tractor, 7300 hours, 290 hp. $129,500

2001 Ingersoll-Rand SD122 84” padfoot roller, enclosed cab.

gallon tank, spray bars.

DD15 560 hp, 18 speed, lift axle, 745,000 miles. $62,500

2008 Terex 636 telehandler. $37,500

2003 Sterling water truck, Cat 3126, automatic, 20,000 fronts, 46,000 rears, 4000 gallon tank.

2014 Case 1021F XR loader, 8000 hours. $99,500

2015 Cat 140M3 AWD grader, rippers, pushblock, 17.5 rubber. $199,500

2004 John Deere 160C LC excavator, 10,000 hours, hydraulic thumb. $49,500

1989 White/GMC water truck, Cummins, automatic 4000 gallon tank, spraybars, hose reel. $25,000

2005 JLG 600S 60-ft. manlift, 3400 hours. $30,000

Bob Welker and Joel Sewell were popular presenters at Montana’s Next Generation conference. Bob Welker shared about, ‘Expanding the Pie,’ speaking on his experiences of bringing two sons back to the farming operation while Sewell shared calf marketing information. Photo by Kari Lewis.

High winds can worsen pathogen spread

By Sara Zaske, WSU News & Media Relations

Farmers who keep their chickens outdoors may want to watch the weather. A study of chicken farms in the West found that high winds increased the prevalence of Campylobacter in outdoor flocks, a bacterial pathogen in poultry that is the largest single cause of foodborne illness in the U.S. Researchers found that about 26% of individual chickens had the pathogen at the “open environment” farms in the study, which included organic and free-range chicken farms. High winds the week prior to sampling and the farms’ location in more intensive agricultural settings were linked to a greater prevalence of Campylobacter.

“Farmers need to be aware of the risk,” said co-lead author Olivia Smith, a recent Washington State University Ph.D. graduate in the School of Biological Sciences. “These environmental factors are influencing if the poultry are going to have foodborne pathogens, so farmers need to be aware of what’s around them. If there’s a lot of wind and if they’re in really agricultural areas, that’s a problem.”

To help reduce Campylobacter exposure, the researchers suggested farmers consider installing windbreaks and watch weather patterns, so they can bring chickens inside during periods of high winds that could be blowing the bacteria onto their farms from nearby fields and livestock areas.

For the study, published in the journal Animals, researchers tested chicken feces taken from 27 farms in California, Oregon, Washington and Idaho. They took samples at most of the farms once a year for three years. They found that the majority of the flocks at these farms, 69.4%, had some instance of campylobacter.

Researchers also interviewed the farmers about their management practices as well as types, breeds and ages of their chickens. Only 11 of the farms in the study were officially certified organic producers, but all of the farmers avoided using chemicals in their flocks, including antibiotics, vaccines or medications that kill parasites.

This is almost the exact opposite of commercial poultry producers who typically raise birds indoors in enclosed barns and treat them with medicines. These producers also select chicken breeds for efficiency, such as “broiler” chickens that can grow fast and big providing a lot of meat, or “layer” breeds that can produce the most eggs, with the least amount of feed.

The growing market in local, organically minded food production has a different set of values, said Jeb Owen, a WSU entomologist and senior author on the paper. These farmers reduce or fully eliminate chemicals, keep a wide range of chicken breeds and allow their flocks to roam outside because they believe it is better for the animal and the environment. It is also what many consumers want, Owen said. But it doesn’t come without risks.

“We’ve spent a century raising birds indoors and forgotten about all of these parasites and pathogens that chickens used to be afflicted with, but they didn’t go away,” he said. “Now you have this rapidly exploding market of producers who want to raise their birds outside, but they have no background knowledge of the disease risk.”

Being outside means chickens are exposed to disease from wild birds and simply from contact with the ground, where they can pick up pathogens spread by feces of other infected birds.

Owen’s lab has taken on a range of research to better understand the disease risk that faces open environment chicken farms, including a study on enteric parasites like worms that live in the birds’ digestive systems and another on ectoparasites, those that are found on the skin and feathers. His team is also undertaking a study to better understand the disease resilience of the many different breeds raised on these types of farms. The overall goal is to help farmers mitigate the risk.

“If they aren’t doing it already, farmers should set up a professional relationship with a veterinarian to get their flocks checked and monitored on a regular basis,” he said. “Whether for productivity or for animal welfare, you don’t want your animals to be sick.”

Natalie Hershlag

She chose her stage name at age 13 when she landed her first movie role in 1994’s The Professional. It’s not because Hershlag isn’t “Hollywood” enough–rather, she wanted her family’s privacy protected if she ever became famous. She chose her grandmother’s maiden name and is professionally known as Natalie Portman.

gallon tank with pump, hose, nozzle and filter, 120 volt pump,

long, low profile, all aluminun. (Truck does

drive and is not included). Excellent condition. Good ranch storage unit.

Forestry plow, fold up behind John Deere 550D or 550G. Great shape, hydraulic lift, folds up behind ROPS on dozer. $1200

1953 Ford NAA tractor with new gas tank, professional rebuilt carburator, new steering wheel, brakes repaired, new seals, 6-bolt battery (one year old) $3500

1969 Ford 5000 tractor, new spindles, new front end bearings, new front tires and tubes, new seat and frame, new muffler, new dirt separator, new filters, new battery and cable, new radiator 4 row tubes and hoses, new steering wheel, new steering rods, painted fenders, steering system works great - one hand turning, Ford blue paint (3 quarts), Ford light grey paint (1 quart) $10,000

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Detection of Avian Influenza confirmed in Montana

On Friday April 14, 2023, the Montana Department of Livestock (MDOL) confirmed Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI) in a Rosebud County backyard poultry flock. This is the 17th HPAI affected flock in the state of Montana linked to the 2022 outbreak of HPAI infections in the United States. The disease was last confirmed in poultry in the state in January.

The disease caused 100% mortality in the Rosebud County backyard chicken flock, which numbered several dozen birds. The animals did not show obvious signs of illness prior to sudden death. To prevent further spread, infected premises are placed under quarantine and any remaining birds are euthanized. In addition to restrictions on the affected flock, the department is contacting flock owners within 6.2 miles of the affected premises to provide education on minimizing risk for disease exposure.

“In past years, the department has seen cases of HPAI ramp-up on the East Coast, then move west with the season,” stated Dr. Merry Michalski, a veterinarian with the Department of Livestock. “We are noticing a similar trend this year. Therefore, we expect that the risk of HPAI to Montana poultry will increase with the spring migration of waterfowl and other wild birds.”

Migratory waterfowl are the primary source of avian influenza. Wild birds can appear healthy but carry infection and shed the virus in the feces, saliva, and respiratory secretions. Domestic poultry become infected through direct contact with infected wild birds, or through contact with contaminated objects, equipment, or the environment. With this new Montana detection, the department is reminding bird owners to house birds indoors and prevent exposure to wild birds and wild bird bodily fluids. This recommendation also applies to birds enrolled in certified organic programs. Enrolled organic producers should contact their certifier before moving birds indoors to ensure program compliance.

Sick poultry can exhibit signs such as swollen eyes, discolored comb and legs, a significant drop in egg production, or decrease in water and feed consumption. However, the most common presentation with this virus variant has been sudden death of multiple birds within a flock.

Biosecurity measures to protect flocks include:

Prevent contact between wild or migratory birds and domestic poultry, including access by wild birds to feed and water sources.

House birds indoors to the extent possible to limit exposure to wild or migratory birds.

Limit visitor access to areas where birds are housed. Use dedicated clothing and protective footwear when caring for domestic poultry.

Immediately isolate sick birds.

Report sudden onset of illness or high death loss in domestic poultry to your veterinarian or MDOL at (406/4442976) immediately. If you find sick or dead wild birds, please contact your local Fish, Wildlife, and Parks (FWP) Warden, Biologist or Regional office, or call the FWP wildlife veterinarian (406/577-7880). MDOL would like to remind veterinarians who are submitting samples suspicious for HPAI to contact Montana Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory (MVDL) prior to shipment so laboratory staff are prepared to receive the sample and follow an increased biosecurity protocol.

While HPAI is considered a potentially zoonotic disease, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) continues to consider the risk to people from wild birds, backyard flocks, and commercial poultry to be low. However, it is advisable to wear gloves and face protection when working with sick or dead birds. The department also recommends that individuals practice good hand hygiene and refrain from eating and drinking whenever working with livestock and poultry. Existing safeguards to keep food safe and wholesome are sufficient to protect people, and the food supply in the United States is one of the safest in the world. As a reminder, the US Department of Agriculture recommends cooking poultry to 165 degrees Fahrenheit.

Montana FWP continues to track HPAI infection in predatory mammals (i.e.: fox, skunk, and bears). Additionally, there is concern for transmission to domestic cats and dogs that ingest dead infected birds. Mammals with HPAI may exhibit neurologic symptoms, such as incoordination or increased aggression. If you notice abnormal neurologic behavior in your pet, please contact your veterinarian and provide any history of recent ingestion of a deceased bird by the pet. Rabies is also a concern when dealing with animals that exhibit neurologic symptoms.

Butte, Montana

I-BEAMS FOR SALE

8 total pieces of used MDOT bridge beams/structural steel I-beams. Each piece is 48-ft. 6” long, 12” wide, 24” tall, 7/8” thick top and bottom, 1/2” web. Good shape. Call for price

For pricing contact: Chris Hafer 406-490-4418

AIR SEEDER & DISC DRILLS FOR SALE

Flexi-Coil 33-ft. air seeder with 1330 pull between cart, 12” spacing, excellent shape, extra meter rolls, 2 sets of points. $25,000 obo International 620 double disc drills, 24-ft. set (2 12-ft.), 6” spacing. $2500 Phone 406-428-2267, Grass Range, MT

Weekly MasterGardener

By Kathy Tando, Nebraska Extension Master Gardener

Knowing the enemy is the first step to winning the battle. The battle all gardeners need to deal with is weeds. If you know the characteristics of the weed you are trying to control, you will know the best approach. Perennial weeds are best controlled in the fall where, and annual weeds and grasses respond best to spring control. The type of control also depends on the weed, so knowing the enemy helps you choose the best battle plan.

Want instant color in your yard? Instant color is one of the real values of annuals over planting perennials. Most annuals bloom their hearts out from planting time until frost if cared for properly. It’s true annuals complete their life cycle in one season, which is why they are called annuals. However, they end their life in seed production and often put seeds down in the soil, which will re-appear next year. Want color now? Plant annuals!

Did you know that some statistics say 16 percent of methane, a greenhouse gas, comes from rotting food in our landfills? Close to half of the waste comes from households. Many food scraps can be gold in the landscape if composted. Coffee grounds, eggshells, fruit, and vegetables provide nutrients back into the soil. Some foods like dairy and meat are not for the compost pile. The US Environmental Protection Agency has a great list to guide you.

I’ve talked about helping the environment by composting food waste instead of adding it to landfills. No space for a traditional compost bin? No problem. With a proper selection of food scraps, they can be added directly to your garden soil. Buried a foot or so into a bare spot next to your existing vegetation will break down supplying nutrients. Shredding or cutting into small pieces speeds up decomposition.

Word is that, like everything, prices are going up in the nurseries. Maybe planting from seed might be a way to stretch your budget. You don’t have to have a greenhouse to start many seedlings, but choosing a sunny window area and using a seed planting medium might be all you need. But don’t want to mess with that. Many can be directly seeded in the ground. Read the seed label carefully, no matter which way you choose.

By Elaine Pile, Nebraska Extension Master Gardener

Oh, to plant or not to plant – that is the question! Our spring weather has been crazy this year, and soil temperatures are not warming up very fast. Here’s some information to help you decide what to plant and when. If soil temps are in the 40-degree Fahrenheit range, you can safely plant such things as arugula, kale, lettuce, parsnips, peas, radishes, and spinach seeds. Stay tuned for more soil temp info this week. The question - to plant or not to plant! Here are more tips to help you decide what to plant and when. If soil temps are in the 50-degree Fahrenheit range, you can plant Chinese cabbage, leeks, onions, Swiss chard, and turnips. Once soil temps hit 60 degrees Fahrenheit, plant beans, beets, broccoli, Brussel sprouts, cabbage, carrots, and cauliflower. Be careful with beans as they are prone to freeze damage. Stay tuned for more soil temp tips.

Are you ready to plant your garden? Here are more tips to help you decide what to plant and when. When soil temperatures reach 70 degrees Fahrenheit, you can plant tomatoes, eggplants, peppers, cucumbers, squash, corn, and melons. These crops are very prone to damage from a light freeze as transplants. They also may take a while to germinate even when the soil is at the 70-degree temperature threshold. Happy Gardening!

Do you know where to find information on soil temps? Google “CropWatch,” and click on Soil Temperature Update. You’ll find data on the seven-day average of soil temps. It’s easy to determine the soil temperature in your garden. Soil thermometers may be purchased at lawn and garden stores for a reasonable price. Place the thermometer in the soil at the depth of the seeds to be planted, and you can determine what to plant and when!

Is your soil healthy? To find out, you can do a soil test to determine the nutrient properties and deficiencies. Search extensionpublications.unl.edu - NebGuide #G1740 Guidelines for Soil Sampling. Although this publication is for large scale production, the principle of soil sampling remains the same regardless of the plot size. For assistance in conducting a soil test, contact your local

By Laurie Zitterkopf, Nebraska Extension Master Gardner May is Garden for

Wildlife

Month -

the perfect time of year to establish or improve your habitat for bumble bees and other native wildlife. Native plants are best because they have coevolved with native bees. Plant a variety of native plants, some that bloom in the spring, some that bloom in the summer, and some that bloom in the fall, to provide three

Weekly MasterGardener

CONTINUED FROM PAGE C28 seasons of food for bumble bees and other pollinators.

A great number of our native insects overwinter in small holes on or just below the ground’s surface or in the fallen leaves avoid raking, tilling, or mowing your yard until May.

If you do need to mow, do so with the mower blade set at the highest level and leave fallen leaves where they fall on your property. It’s natural mulch and offers cover for bumble bees.

Several bumble bee species are rapidly declining, and the status of others is unknown. The western bumble bee, the yellow-banded bumble bee, and Franklin’s bumble bee have all vanished from large portions of their range, and the rusty­patched bumble bee was recently listed as officially endangered. Plant native!

For too many people, the words “native wildlife garden” conjures up images of scruffy meadows filled with an impenetrable tangle of prickly brambles, crabgrass, and overgrown flowers flopping over each other and onto sidewalks and driveways-in short. This hot horticultural mess can drive the neighbors crazy. But “a native wildlife garden does not have to be messy. Check out our local native plantings in the parking lots of Scottsbluff.

Now is the perfect time to make your alley space more attractive to birds, butterflies, and other wildlife. All wildlife needs four things to survive and thrive: natural food sources, water, cover, and places to reproduce and raise their young. Nebraska Extension office.

MONTANA AIRGUNS

Backyard target practice quietly Effectively shoot gophers around buildings or cattle without issue.

Bird control, much cheaper ammo, shoot indoors in the winter, no ATF regulations so suppressors and SBR’s are OK.

A quality air rifle will be more accurate than a rimfire. Options with effective ranges exceeding 150 yards.

(406) 590-4559 or follow us on Facebook

WANTED TO BUY

Fire damaged or non-running tractors

TRACTORS WANTED

Allis-Chalmers, John Deere, IHC, Moline, Massey-Ferguson or what have you got? NEED ALL MECHANICAL FRONTS.

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Phone Circle G Salvage

Robert Grube, 403 Emmerling Circle, Walhalla, ND 58282

Phone 701-265-2220 leave message

Please text pictures to: 701-265-2487

8 things you need to know before starting your own dairy

Penn State Extension

Whatever your background and experience, there are some things you need to know before you start milking cows.

It is important to remember that a dairy farm is a business. Development of detailed business plan and a SWOT analysis (Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Threats) of your plan and the resources you have available will be critical to the success of your business. How many cows will you milk? Where will you market your milk? Will you hire employees? How much money do you need to live on after the dairy bills are all paid? Your business plan should include a cash flow plan that will help you set reasonable expectations for your expenses and cost of production.

Consult the Experts

Even if you grew up on a dairy and learned how to feed and milk cows from your parents and grandparents it is important to consult experts in the dairy industry as you develop your business plan and design your management system. Other dairy producers are great resources. Attend field days and open houses on dairy farms in your area and other parts of the state or

farm

country. When visiting other farms find out what has worked well on those farms and what has not worked, but keep in mind that just because something worked on one farm does not mean it will work for you on your farm. In addition to farmers, talk to veterinarians, nutritionists, agronomists, bankers, extension educators, and others that can provide different perspectives on management of your dairy.

Create a Cropping and Feeding Program

Whether you are going to feed a TMR (total mixed ration), graze your cattle, or some combination of both; dairy cattle require a certain set of nutrients to support themselves, produce milk, and grow a calf. Work with a nutritionist to develop rations for your lactating cows and dry cows and heifers if these animals are to be raised on the farm. Many dairy farms in Pennsylvania produce most if not all their own forages and many of their concentrate (grain) needs. Raising all your own feed takes land and time, not to mention equipment for planting and harvesting the crops. Hiring custom

CONTINUED ON PAGE C32

FLEXIBLE SPIKE TOOTH HARROWS

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TWICE THE COVERAGE, TWICE THE PERFORMANCE THE TOTAL TILLAGE TOOL

McFarlane’s 16-Bar Spike Tooth Forward-Fold Harrow is more than a harrow. It’s a total tillage tool. It’s a tool that provides superior performance for field finishing, field preparation and chemical incorporation.

The 16-Bar Forward-Fold gives you double coverage, and double performance.

With 2-to-3 times the normal number of bars and spikes, McFarlane’s 16-Bar Forward-Fold thoroughly breaks and stirs the soil, significantly reducing field preparation time. Depending on soil conditions, some operators use the McFarlane 16-Bar Forward-Fold alone for spring field prepar

The 16-Bar Forward-Fold Harrow is the ideal tool for shallow chemical incorporation. It provides superior coverage taking chemicals to the 1"-to-2" depth recommended by many manufacturers. The result is better incorporation and better performance from your herbicides.

shallow chemical incorporation. It provides superior coverage taking chemicals to the 1"-to-2" depth recommended by many manufacturers. The result is better incorporation and better performance from your herbicides.

The 16-Bar Forward-Fold Harrow, built for durability and ease of operation, combines McFarlane’s long standing tradition of rugged dependability with features designed to provide maximum coverage and performance.

The 16-Bar Forward-Fold Harrow, built for durability and ease of operation, combines McFarlane’s long standing tradition of rugged dependability with features designed to provide maximum coverage and performance.

Single hydralic circuit

Long hitch for easy turning

Heavy-duty 1 piece frame fabricated out of square tubular steel

• Excellent for leveling chisel plow ridges in spring

Ideal when teamed behind a field cultivator or disc

Good for broadcast seeding

Complete with 16-Bar harrow

• 16 Harrow bars for superior leveling

Fully flexible

20 Teeth per foot for excellent coverage

High-carbon replaceable diamond-shaped teeth

• Two positive pitch teeth settings -50º or reverse harrow pull

WING REST UHMW cover prevents paint scuffing. Securing pin provides positive lock.

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Increased strength does not require a pull cable which allows for tighter turning when pulled in tandem with another tillage tool.

low boy service

40-ton RGN trailer for hire to transport combines, tractors, sprayers, floaters, construction equipment, etc. Within Montana & surrounding states. We also have 48-ft. step deck trailers available. Insured & experienced.

Call Roger at Roger Rader Inc., Sun River, MT 406-264-5475 or 406-799-5162 (Roger’s Cell) (MC# 170263 US DOT# 128029)

Fred: “Why do elephants wear red nail polish?”

Bob: “I don’t know, why?”

Fred: “To hide in cherry trees.”

Bob: “But I’ve never seen an elephant in a cherry tree.”

Fred: “See, it works.”

Ophus Auction Co. Spring 2023 Calendar

Thursday, May 18 - The Kickbush online Real Estate auction selling a 14.9 acre ranchette just outside of Havre, MT - 7464 Highway 2 W Havre, MT. Very nice yard with fruit trees, 2 wells, house, traditional barn, newer garage.

Saturday, June 17 - The Dave Heppner Farm equipment auction west of Box Elder MT - see the June Trader’s Dispatch

Tentative Wednesday, June 28 - Ken Holman Estate near Portage MT gravel & Construction equipment, farm equipment

We are planning a classic/collector car auction this summer. We already have 5 restored cars consigned. For more info call Auctioneer Blaine Ophus 406-390-5279 or Auctioneer Real Estate Broker Shane Ophus 406-788-6662

Check out all the great inventory at www.OphusAuctions.com

8 things you need to know before starting your own dairy farm

CONTINUED FROM PAGE C30

operators to plant and harvest crops, or making arrangements with neighbors to share equipment and labor can reduce your capital investment as you get started with your dairy business and are building capital. Double cropping systems, with small grain crops following corn silage, are used successfully on many Pennsylvania farms.

Create a Waste Management Plan

Dairy cattle produce a lot of manure. While this manure is often referred to as waste, if managed and used properly it can be a great resource on the farm. Manure management will be tied closely to your cropping and feeding program. If you are able to use a double cropping system on your farm it will not only allow you to produce more feed but will also allow you to apply more manure to your land. Alternatives to direct land application of manure include composting and anaerobic digestion of manure, while these options may provide additional revenue and other benefits to your dairy they will also increase the capital investment required to get your dairy started. Every farm will need a manure management plan, but depending on the size of your farm a nutrient management plan may also be required. Check with your county Conservation District or local Extension office for more information.

Build Your Equity Over Time

Dairy farming requires a large capital investment. Land, buildings, equipment, and cows are expensive and few new dairy farmers will have the capital required to purchase everything when they get started in business. Many beginning farmers begin by purchasing their cows first and renting the farm and land. These initial animals are your farms equity.

Dairy Farming is a Biological System

The dairy farm is dependent on the cow’s ability to live a healthy life, produce milk, and have calves that can become the next generation of the farm. Dairy farming requires detailed programs for herd health, reproduction and calf care in addition to the nutrition and financial aspects on the farm. Working with your veterinarian, genetics representatives and extension agents can help you develop comprehensive farm plans to create a positive future.

One Size Does Not Fit

All

All dairy farms are different based on the producer’s wishes, resource requirements, market needs and more. Multiple systems exist and can be profitable. Some producers contract out their replacements to a custom heifer raiser while others diversify by selling crops, raising steers or creating a home-bottling plant. How you farm will depend on your desires, resources, and drive.

You are a Manager First

All these previous items are just pieces of the puzzle. In order to succeed you will need to combine each aspect of management into a whole farm plan. However, you don’t need to do it all. Work with trusted consultants to help you build a plan, and stick with your strengths.

If you love milking cows but hate planting corn, find someone to work with who does, or contract that work out to a third party. Consider creating a farm management team or profit team that engages your consultants to be active participants in the farm’s progress.

Growing tomatoes and peppers successfully in WY

By Catherine Wissner, University of Wyoming

You don’t need a greenhouse to grow vegetables successfully in Wyoming, but a few tricks will help you get great yields. On average your tomatoes and peppers should be yielding 10 pounds per plant. Getting that production takes a couple easy tricks.

It helps to know how long your average growing season is for your area. The growing season technically starts after the last frost and goes to the first frost. Most of Wyoming will have around 112 days some areas in the mountain west a short 50 days. Each year’s growing season will vary, plan on 90 days be happy when we get more.

Starting from seed opens up a new opportunity for vegetable varieties you can’t buy at the store. Seed packet will have a days to harvest or maturity number, this should be well below 90 days (sweet corn should be around 70 days) for Wyoming. Tomato seeds are fast to germinate about 4 to 5 days, Peppers can take 14 days or more. Add 14 to 21 days for the plant to get to transplant size of 4 to 6 true leaves. At transplant size start to harden the plant off by taking it outside on nice days, then back into the house at night until you can plant outside for the growing season.

There are varieties of tomatoes that do much better here, they will have a harvest number of 70 days or less, these are typically around 8 ounces. While we all love beefsteak tomatoes, they need an exceptionally long growing season that doesn’t fit Wyoming, skip this variety.

The best and most efficient way to water your garden is with soaker hose or drip tape. Keep the water on the ground and not up in the air. Another must have tool for successful gardening is a water timer. Vegetables are not drought tolerant and must be watered consistently every day or every other day to produce, a timer is your best garden friend.

Tomatoes, peppers, eggplant, green beans and watermelon all love very warm soil around 85 degrees. This is hard to achieve here in Wyoming, but not impossible with the help of black plastic laid over the garden soil, place the irrigation under the black plastic. This also creates a weed free water wise garden.

The fertilizer you used is very important. The first number on a box of fertilizer is Nitrogen (n). For a vegetable garden and tomatoes it should be 10% or less. Excess nitrogen will cause huge growth, attract all sort of insects especially aphids. Reduce your fertilizer and hose off the bad bugs. Never use insecticides in your garden, pollinators are your best friends and this will kill them.

When amending the soil for a vegetable garden avoid using manures. Manures can be contaminated with weed seeds, have excess salts which are what makes the manure “hot”. Harbor a host of unknowns especially bacteria and parasites.

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A polar bear can smell a seal up to 18 miles under a sheet of ice.

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Manure improves soil health and provides yield stability and reliability

By Saurav Das, Research Assistant Professor, Department of Agronomy & Horticulture; Bijesh Maharjan, Soil and Nutrient Management Specialist

Cattle manure is a valuable resource for farmers, as it contains an abundance of macro and micronutrients that are essential for plant growth and development. The nutrients present in manure, such as nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P), potassium (K), and other minerals are essential for soil fertility. One of the most significant advantages of using cattle manure as a fertilizer is that it can enhance the soil organic matter (SOM) content. Soil organic matter plays a crucial role in improving soil structure, waterholding capacity, and nutrient availability. Moreover, cattle manure can also increase the changeable fractions of carbon (C) & nitrogen (N) and enhance soil microbial activity, which is crucial for the decomposition and stabilization of soil organic carbon (SOC). The Knorr Holden plot, located at the Panhandle Research, Extension, and Education Center, Scottsbluff, Nebraska presents a unique opportunity for studying the impact of long-term manure (more than 77 years) applications on soil health and crop productivity.

The Knorr-Holden (KH) plot is the oldest experimental irrigated corn plot in North America, established in 1910. Since 1912, the plot has been continuously planted with corn, and until 1941, no amendments or treatments were carried out. In 1942, the plot was divided to include beef cattle manure (at 12 tons per ac) treatment, and in 1953, a split-plot design was introduced with manure treatment as the main factor and inorganic fertilizer N treatment as a subplot (Figure 1). In 2014, the treatments were revised to reflect contemporary agronomic practices, including the development of precision agricultural tools (Figure 1).

Soil organic matter and carbon

Over a period of 77 years of applying manure to soil:

Soil organic carbon (SOC) increased by more than 60% (to 1.4%) from non-manure plot (0.8%)

Soil organic matter (SOM) increased by more than 60% (to 2.7%) compared to the non-manured plot at (1.6%).

Water-extractable organic carbon (WEOC) and active carbon (AC or POXC) were increased.

Plant-available water content increased by 6.94% compared to the non-manured plot.

Soil nitrogen and phosphorus fractions

Manure application can increase nitrogen mineralization and nitrification, leading to improved soil fertility and plant growth.

The manured plots had higher concentrations of NO3-N, indicating a higher rate of nitrification, and lower concentrations of NH4-N compared to non-manured plots.

Manured plots showed higher concentrations of ACE protein, water-extractable

nitrogen (WEN), water-extractable organic nitrogen (WEON), and potentially mineralizable nitrogen (PMN), suggesting an increase in microbial activity and nitrogen mineralization.

Long-term manure application can significantly increase all measured P fractions, which may increase the susceptibility of P losses via leaching.

Soil enzymes

Soil enzymes are a valuable indicator of soil health, responding to various soil factors such as temperature, moisture, and nutrient availability.

At the Knorr-Holden plot, manure application resulted in a significant increase in all four tested soil enzymes: β-glucosidase, Arylsulfatase, N-acetyl-glucosaminidase, and Alkaline Phosphomonoesterase.

This increase in soil enzymes indicates a positive effect on soil health due to manure application.

Yield Stability and Reliability

In the Knorr-Holden plot, there was a decline in grain yield over time (1912-1941) until manure application was introduced in 1942.

Corn grain yields in the manured plot linearly increased in the first decade since manuring began (1942-1952).

Corn yields did not vary significantly with or without inorganic N in the manured plots, indicating potential economic and environmental disadvantages to supplementing manure with inorganic N fertilizer unnecessarily.

Non-manured nutrient-depleted soil always showed a positive correlation between inorganic N rates and grain yield.

Long-term application of manure can enhance yield stability and reliability, with the manured plot supplemented with N and P having the highest yield reliability index.

Actual crop N requirement should be considered when planning the use of manure and inorganic fertilizer as in high C systems such as manure inorganic N content can be immobilized, and crop nutrient needs may not always be met with manure alone.

To summarize, using manure in corn production improved yield stability and soil health by increasing organic matter and nutrients, as well as improving water holding capacity and soil enzyme activity. However, to achieve a sustainable and reliable yield, it is important to optimize the use of both manure and inorganic fertilizer nutrients. Manure plot with supplemental N and P showed the highest yield reliability.

Figure 1. Dynamic plot design of the Knorr-Holden Plot.

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HAY PRODUCTS

Fertilizing brome pastures

By Todd Whitney, UNL

Now is the time to fertilize cool-season grasses such as bromegrass for optimum production. Generally, recommended fertilizer rates for hayed or rotationally grazed brome or cool-season pastures is 60 to 70 pounds of nitrogen per acre. For conventionally grazed brome, the nitrogen rate is 50 to 60 pounds of nitrogen per acre based on grazing efficiency likely being lower.

However, if drier weather is a limiting factor for brome production, then nitrogen fertilizer rates might need adjusted downward. For full production, bromegrass requires at least 16 inches of moisture per acre between winter soil stored and growing season rainfall and/or irrigation.

In UNL bromegrass fertility studies (without moisture stress), unfertilized check pastures yielded 1.35 tons of hay per acre; whereas, 60 pounds per acre of nitrogen applications increased hay yields to 2.52 tons per acre. The other benefit of higher fertility was increased protein content being raised 4-6 percentage points in fertilized plots.

The bottom-line is that economics will likely favor fertilizing brome if moisture is not limiting. Ideally, fertilizer rates will be based on field soil samples lab analyzed last July. Although water and nitrogen are nutrients needed in the highest amounts by brome, other nutrients like phosphorous, potassium and sulfur availability might also need balanced, and brome yields are directly linked to the first limiting nutrient level for total production.

For example, if accumulated moisture soil profiles and projected rainfall totals are only half of the 16 inches per acre minimum; then, either supplemental irrigation will be needed and/or recommended nitrogen fertilizer rates will need reduced to 30 to 35 lbs. of nitrogen per acre.

More information is available on our UNL Extension website, such as NebGuide G1977, “Fertilizing Grass pastures and Hayland,” available at: https://cropwatch.unl.edu.

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The name “daisy” is thought to come from the Old English “daes eag.” “Daes eag” means “day’s eye,” after the way in which the delicate flower opens at dawn.

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2015 Case IH DC163 rotary mower conditioner, 16-ft. cut width, rubber roll conditioner, 2-point hitch, hydraulic tilt. Stock #82338 $27,500 (16)

4WD, ROW CROP AND UTILITY TRACTORS

Spring is here. Take a look at our selection of 4WD, loader, utility and row crop tractors that we have available! Anything to match your operation and budget!

2008 Case IH Steiger 535 Quadtrac with 535 hp, Cummins QSX15 6-cylinder engine, 3-point hitch, rear tracks in good condition, 4 rear hydraulic remotes, clean cab. Stock #82884 $257,500 (1)

2014 John Deere 6715 with standard cab, MFWD, PowrQuad 16/16 with LH reverser, 18.4x38 rear, 14.9x24 front tires, 3 SCVs, rear PTO 540/1000, loader with bucket, 129 hp. Stock #82997 $59,900 (4)

2022 John Deere 6145R with 640R with grapple and loader, lights, 20 speed AQ transmission, MFWD, no suspension, premium cab with suspension, premium seat and radio, heated rear window, fuel heater, Cold Start II, fuel tank bottom guard, no receiver, 4200 Display, 3 E-SCV with 450 couplers, premium lighting with glass roof, 480/80R42 rear tires with rear fender extension, 420/85R28 front tire with turnable fender, 1800 lbs. of rear wheel weight. Stock #85036 $205,000 (14)

2022 John Deere 6155R with AQ Plus 20 speed transmission, triple link front suspension, 640R loader (MSL) with 5 tine grapple, AutoTrac ready, no receiver, 4200 display/processor with AutoTrac unlock, premium cab with suspension, Panorama glass roof with deluxe light package, 3 ESCV remotes, 480/80R42 rear with fender extensions, 420/85R28 fronts with turnable front fenders, Cold Start II, heated rear window, 1800 lb. rear weights inside rear tire. Stock #84571 $235,000 (14) 2010 John Deere 8225R IVT transmission, ILS, AutoTrac ready, 3-point hitch, PTO, rear duals, 4 SCVs. Stock #84749

2020 John Deere 6175M 20 speed Power Quad, 660R loader, bucket and grapple, AutoTrac ready (no display, receiver or activation), 3 mechanical SCVs, 540/1000 PTO, 3-point, Firestone tires, 480/80R42 rear tires, 2- 450 lb. rear wheel weights per side, 42/85R28 front tires, comprehensive Powergard warranty until June 4, 2024, or 4000 hours. Stock #84331 $157,500 (11)

2010 John Deere 7130 standard series tractor with MFWD, 18.4R38 rears, 13.6R28 fronts, 16 speed Power Quad with LH reverser, steel rear wheels, flanged axle vertical exhaust, air seat, rear worklight, rear wiper/washer, 3 SCVs, telescoping draft links, includes JD 640R loader Serial #1P0640RXCKC010458 self leveling with bucket and grapple and joystick control. Stock #84695 $64,500 (16)

2012 John Deere 7215R tractor, 20 speed PowerShift, 10,458 hours, triple link front suspension, front 3-point and PTO, rear 3-point and PTO, 3 SCVs, 540/1000 PTO, front single 600/70R30 tires, rear dual 650/85R38 tires. Stock #84827 $79,000 (11)

1974 John Deere 410 backhoe loader, diesel, 2WD, shuttle shift, rear tires 40%, 18” bucket on standard stick, factory cab, no heat or air, runs great and everything works. Stock #85058 $14,000 (16)

$165,000 (11)

2021 John Deere 8R370 row crop tractor with Signature Edition, IVT with independent link suspension, air seat with cab suspension, 84 gpm hydraulic pump, 6 SCVs, 1000 PTO, Cat 4 3-point Quik Coupler, 520/85R46 rear duals, 480/70R34 front duals, front fenders, weights - front and rear. Includes 4600 display with 3.0 AutoTrac Activation (no SF6000 receiver). Stock #83132 $457,500 (1)

2012 John Deere 8360RT 360 hp, row crop track tractor with 16” tracks, (very good condition), IVT, 4 SCVs, 3-point, 1000 PTO, 60 gpm hydraulic pump, deluxe cab, work lights, 22 front weights, 80” track spacing, no GPS included. Has rebuilt transmission, hydraulic pump, and engine harness completed this winter. Stock #79965 $139,000 (4)

2014 MTZ tractor with loader/bucket, cab with heat and air, 122 hp, 3 SCVs, 540/1000 PTO, front weights, 24 speed transmission, MFWD, 18.4Rx38 rear tires. Stock #80539 $45,000 (3)

2013 Massey-Ferguson 7624 Classic with cab, self-leveling loader with bucket and grapple, MFWD with suspension, IVT, rear 540/1000 PTO, 4 SCVs, rear fenders, duals, rear weights. Stock #81856 $120,000 (15)

2015 Case IH Farmall 120C tractor with MFWD, 12 speed transmission, 2 rear SCVs, 540/1000 PTO, 3-point, no loader, 465/85R34 rear tires, 14.9-24 front tires. Stock #84905 $51,000 (11)

DRILLS & SEEDERS

Check out our selection of good used seeding tools for spring.

#83627

2021 John Deere N560F drill with 60-ft., 10” spacing, double shoot air package, All Run Blockage, cast serrated closing wheels, spoked narrow gauge wheel, tow behind air cart, tank scales C850, SN 1A8C850HLMK790125. Stock #84934 $729,000 (1)

2022 John Deere N560 no-till air drill with 60-ft. 10” spacing, Pro Series opener with TruSet down pressure control, single shoot, narrow spoked gauge wheel, crumbler closing wheel, JD relative flow blockage, 430 tow between 1910 cart (no section control), 2 black and 1 green roller, 12-ft. conveyor with KSI flip over hopper. Stock #84739 $425,000 (14)

SELF PROPELLED SPREADERS & SPRAYERS

Several used John Deere and competitive self-propelled sprayers and applicators in stock! Variety of boom and widths available. Several units are ready to roll with turnkey GPS!

2022 John Deere 616R sprayer with 120ft. steel, 20” spacing, auto solution control, hi-flow pump, 5 sensor boom level, boom air purge, premium vis lights, eductor, ultimate comfort package, active seat II, Cat 1 cab filtration, fence row nozzles, VF420/95R50 tires. Non Exact Apply 4.0 AT act, 4600 armrest display, section control, no SF6000.

Stock #85105 $532,500

2020 John Deere R4060 with 120-ft. steel boom, 20” nozzle spacing, automatic solution control, JD ExactApply, hi flow pump with dual flow meter, boom air purge, full boom breakaway, SS tank. Stock #82879 $393,000 (1)

#81278

Apache AS1220 with 120-ft. booms, 20” spacing, boom leveling, Raven Viper 4 rate controller, VF380/90R46 tires.

2021 John Deere R4045 with 120-ft. boom, boom leveling, 20” spacing, stainless steel tank, hydraulic tread adjustment, traction control, display, 480.80R50 tires and floater tires, fence row nozzles, less eductor. Stock #85073 $450,000 (12)

2018 John Deere R4045 sprayer with 132-ft. carbon fiber booms, 20” spacing, boom air purge, Boom Trac Pro, premium CommandView III cab, auto solution command system, SF6000 receiver, section control, command center premium activation, 420/95R50 tires. Stock #84966 $357,500 (1)

2017 New Holland SP295F with 120-ft. booms, 20” spacing, 1200 gallon stainless steel tank, Intellisteer ready, Raven Viper 4 receiver, Viper Pro, hydraulic tread adjust, traction control, new engine and other. Stock #78627 $215,000 (2)

1=Conrad: 877-278-5531

2=Cut Bank: 800-273-5530

3=Choteau: 866-466-5741

4=Dillon: 888-213-2793

Check

2003 Case IH SPX3150 with 90-ft. boom, 750 gallons, 20” spacing, 2 nozzles, hydraulic tread adjust, Starfire 3000, 2600 display, AutoTrac and swath control, 320 tires. Stock #84262 $50,000 (15)

2007 Terragator 8204 fertilizer spreader, stainless boom, section control, AirMax 1000 box, 6 cylinder Cat engine, 330 hp, 11/3 Terrashift transmission. Stock #83180 $69,000 (11)

2012 Terragator TG8400 spreader, 70-ft. boom, CVT transmission, single box, section control, electric roll tarp, Raven GPS, foam marker. Stock #79261 $110,000 (11) www.frontlineagsolutions.com

www.frontlineagsolutions.com out our website: www.frontlineagsolutions.com

11=Lewistown: 800-823-3373

12=Havre: 800-621-5701

13=Chester: 406-759-5010

2011 John Deere 1890 60-ft. drill, 7.5” spacing, single shoot, 6 run double shoot system, single shoot air package for tow behind cart, All Run Blockage warning system. Stock #83118 $142,500 (1)

2019 John Deere 1830 60-ft., 7.5” spacing, 8 run, all run blockage, 1” points, steel press wheels, 550 bu. tow behind tank, single shoot, 10” auger, hydraulic drive (less section command) big singles on cart. Stock #84830.$225,000 (1)

2008 John Deere 1895 43-ft. drill, 10” spacing, double shoot, dry fertilizer delivery tube, narrow gauge wheels, cast closing wheel, 430 bushel tow behind cart, Intelligent Ag All Run Blockage, loading conveyor, 1910 cart SNA01910H725956. Stock #84752 $95,000 (2)

2015 Case IH 700/3430 60-ft. air drill, 10” spacing, single shoot, big tire packers, 1” points, tow between 3430 cart, 3 compartment tank. Stock #84475 $96,000 (1)

14=Great Falls: 888-760-2005

15=Belgrade: 866-282-3337

#82884

#85036

#84749

#85073

Stock #81278 $118,900 (1)

2005 Case IH ATX4812 drill, 48-ft. wide, 12” spacing, rubber packer wheels, 1” tips, includes 3380 tow behind cart. Stock #83627 $36,500 (1)

FULL TIME DRIVER WANTED

ID weekly.

High Sided Belt Trailer.

2 years CDL experience required.

Pay: DOE

Phone Heath (712) 395-0688 for more information.

##### God, I was sure I told my sister to meet me on Cedar Street for coffee and dessert at Sandy’s. How could she mistake the invitation as cider and sandwiches at Cedar’s? She’s old, that’s how. Or was it my mistake? I’m not so young anymore either. I’ll never know because we didn’t meet.

Spring grazing to control weeds

By Jerry Volesky, UNL

Given the drought conditions that Nebraska experienced in 2022, it is likely that many pastures will have an abundance of spring and summer weeds this year.

Drought last year also has led to the general recommendation of delaying turn out to pasture, but early flash grazing can be an option to capitalize on growth of some of those weeds. Flash grazing is the process of quickly rotating through pastures early, before they are scheduled for their main summer grazing period.

When flash grazing mixed cool- and warm-season grass pastures, we do want to be a little more cautious as to not overgraze any desirable cool-season grasses. In areas where cheatgrass or downy brome is a problem, grazing at strategic windows, such as during the cheatgrass elongation phase right before seed set, appears to be the best time to apply grazing. Grazing at this time matches diet preference by grazing animals with the cheatgrass growth period and limits over use on perennial cool-season grasses growing at the same time. Targeted grazing is a long-term management option that can utilize cheatgrass as a forage resource and limit the potential seed proliferation within a system.

In warm-season grass pastures, an abundance of early weeds will remove moisture that could be used for grass growth later on and they remove valuable nutrients from the soil. Early weeds also can develop so much growth that they can shade, smother, and reduce early growth of your summer pasture grasses.

While early flash grazing of some pastures will not eliminate all the weeds, it can actually make for some pretty timely and valuable pasture.

Does it pay to fertilize your pasture?

By Shannon Sand, UNL

Given the increased moisture that parts of Nebraska have experienced some producers may be asking themselves should I fertilize my pasture?

Before answering this pasture fertility question, somethings to consider:

What type of forage do I have?

What sort of increase in forage can I expect if I fertilize?

How much fertilizer will I need?

How much will it cost?

Then, consider some common reasons for fertilizing pasture:

Increased nutrient density of the forage

Increased production

To support more grazing livestock

The last couple of years have seen quite a high level of volatility in the fertilizer market with prices dropping about 10% just the past month while prairie/grass hays have maintained values around $200 per ton.

According to University research on sub-irrigated grazed hay meadows, a suggested fertilizer application of 70 lbs. of N, 25 lbs. of P and 20 lbs. of S per acre resulted in an average grass increase of about three quarters of a ton per acre. So, a $150 potential hay value increase only requires $56 per acre of fertilizer investment plus application costs. Thus, this would be a 3:1 ROI ratio (return on investment).

Nebraska grazing research shows one pound of additional calf or yearling gain for every pound of nitrogen fertilizer applied. However, this fertilization rule-of-thumb assumes that the amount applied is within general recommendations, which are based on the potential amount of extra grass growth expected. This is affected mostly by moisture.

Some things to look at before deciding:

Cost of fertilizer for your pasture

Pasture production and how much it can support.

Expected cattle prices.

Your own historical margins

Knowing these things can help producers to make an informed decision on whether fertilizing is worth it. In some parts of the state where they have received a fair amount of moisture and given the current futures market and basis, as well as the other factors previously mentioned it might be a very effective strategy to invest in and help producers capture some additional gains. For others it just may not be feasible for their current situation.

Pesticide applicator reminders

By Sarah A. Sivits, Dawson/Buffalo/Hall County Extension

The amount of field work in the last couple of weeks has been tremendous across the area. I just wanted to share a few gentle reminders for pesticide applicators that are using agricultural chemicals for pest management this year. Spray when the conditions are right. I understand this can be incredibly difficult when the spraying and planting window is short, and we want to give the crop as many growing degree days as possible with good pest control. However, I have seen many sprayers in the field over the last few weeks when conditions are not ideal. There have been many situations in the last few weeks where I have been able to smell herbicide and can’t see a sprayer but I knew off-target drift was occurring due to high winds across the area. Ideal wind speeds for a pesticide application are between 3 mph and 7 mph to avoid offtarget movement. Anything below 3 mph could indicate a temperature inversion is occurring and anything over 7-10 mph can lead to long-distance pesticide drift. To help make sure applications are made within the appropriate wind speeds, hand-held wind meters can be used at boom height to determine if the wind speeds are ideal or if the application should be done at a different time. Some labels require applicators to write down wind speed, direction, in addition to other requirements about the chemical application to ensure drift is mitigated and minimized as much as possible. If wind speeds or weather conditions are not ideal, it’s best to wait until another time when conditions are more appropriate. Again, I understand this can be difficult when the application window is small. However, many

complaints and lawsuits are filed each year due to misapplications causing damage to sensitive areas. Agricultural chemicals can be an effective tool in an integrated pest management strategy, but we want to make sure they are applied as safely and effectively as possible to reduce possible drift, human risk, and environmental hazards. Please read and follow all label directions carefully as the label is a legal document and is enforceable. In addition, don’t forget to wear the appropriate person protective equipment (PPE) when mixing, loading, handling, and applying pesticides.

This past week we also had an applicator come into the office asking about the status of his license. He had attended my training this winter and still hadn’t received his license in the mail. If this sounds familiar, please contact the Nebraska Department of Ag as soon as possible. The local Extension office handles all training requirements for pesticide applicators. However, we do not handle the licensing. There have been some changes within the staff at the Department of Ag due to retirements and as a result, things were slightly delayed this winter as positions were getting filled. We appreciated producers being very patient this year as the NDA worked through these transitions. However, with licenses now expired (as of April 15, 2023), new licenses must be used to purchase and use restricted use pesticides. If you attended training this winter and still have not received your new license in the mail, please contact the NDA immediately to inquire on its status (Holly Hillebran, Pesticide Certification & Worker Safety Specialist, 402-471-6806).

Montana Holster & Shoulder Rig

1911’s