Lots of rain and more on the way

I know it is a bit difficult to determine what this is without seeing it before the water was there but the picture shows a Richland County producer's alfalfa hay field under water. This was taken on May 24th, and this was the third or fourth day the field had been under water. This field is located in the southern portion of Richland County, along the Yellowtone River.

Studies on the effects of planting dates and rates on Spring Wheat and Barley

With much of our spring wheat yet to be seeded, some questions have been raised regarding recommendations for planting rates and how these late seeding dates are going to affect yield and quality. In 2007 and 2008, a study was conducted at the Western Triangle Research Center in Conrad, MT. The study looked at three different planting dates and three different planting rates for both barley and spring wheat. Results of the study can be found at http://www.sarc.montana.edu/documents/mwbc/2008/WT08SeedDate.pdf

The study was also conducted in 2010 and those results can be found at http://ag.montana.edu/wtarc/Web2010/PlantingDatexRate.pdf.

Wetter than wet

As far as seeding is concerned in Richland County, we are in a holding pattern. For much of April and now into May, our fields have been either covered in snow or extremely saturated. There was some planting and tillage that took place around Easter and we had a few days since that provided more opportunities, but, for the most part equipment has been parked. There are several stories of people trying to push the envelope a little too much and winding up with tractors and equipment stuck in fields.

The wet weather and snow has been somewhat detrimental to our cattle herds as well. A blizzard that occurred on April 30 lead to the loss of several calves by several ranchers.

Voles and Pocket Gophers running rampant

Now that the snow has melted and grass can actually be seen, many people are reporting damage to their pastures and home lawns from both voles and pocket gophers. For options regarding control of both of these pests, here are some good sources.

When it comes to controlling voles (a.k.a. field mouse, meadow mouse), here is some great information.


For pocket gopher identification and control, click here.

IMPORTANT INFORMATION-Due to the products being improperly used and causing illness and death in some instances, fumigants (Fumitoxin, Phostoxin) are no longer labeled for use in residential areas. Use of these products in residential settings is not only potentially very dangerous but is now illegal.

Since you can't get in the field anyway...................

And it appears as though things are not going to change for the next couple of weeks either, now is as good of a time as any to be thinking about your private pesticide applicators license. If you are currently licensed in Eastern Montana, your license is due to expire on December 31 of 2011. In order to make sure that you are eligible to receive a new license after this one expires, you must have 6 continuing education credits.

If you are not sure how many credits you have, there is an easy way to check.

• Go to https://app.mt.gov/pest/index?_flowExecutionKey=_c503DAE2E-EE7F-4B6B-B0B9-5888FB43E7F4_k447DF3C9-4199-BC19-6C90-928E4F80B89E enter your pesticide license number and the next screen that pops up will be a screen with your name at the top and a listing of how many credits you have.

If you do not know what your license number is, you can go to http://services.agr.mt.gov/Pesticide_Applicators/, enter your name, and it will tell you what your number is.

If you have 6 credits or more, there is nothing that you need to do at this time. If you have not accumulated your 6 credits, there are a couple of options that you have.

1. If you are only 1 or 2 credits short, you have the option of getting credits online by passing a quiz or two. For complete details on how to do this, visit http://www.pesticides.montana.edu/PAT/OnlineCredits/index.html

2. If you need more than 2 credits visit
http://www.pesticides.montana.edu/PAT/2011/Region4.html for a list of programs
that are being offered in Eastern Montana where pesticide points will be given. You will
want to check this site and the Northeastern Montana Ag Crops blog site periodically
throughout the year for upcoming programs.

The last thing that I would say is don't panic. As the year progresses, there should be ample opportunities for those much sought after pesticide points.

Livestock Indemnity Program (LIP)

With the recent weather conditions and flooding risks that are predicted, livestock producers will want to make sure and keep accurate records of death losses, and, if there are losses due to extreme weather conditions (extreme cold, floods, and diseases caused by weather issues are just a few), make sure that the deaths are verified by a third party.

The reason for this is that the Farm Service Agency (FSA) office can provide a Livestock Indemnity payment for losses that occurred due to these events. Losses must be in excess of normal death loss rates and, as I mentioned above and cannot stress enough, must be verified by a third party not associated with the operation (a veterinarian, or someone from the FSA Office are your best bets).

To be eligible for a payment, losses must be reported to the FSA office within 30 days of the day the loss occurred and a request for payment must be made within 30 days of the end of the calendar year. I am sure that this post raises more questions than it provides answers so I would encourage you to contact your local FSA office for more details.

Ag Risk Management Seminar and Pulse Day

Winter season is meeting season for many agricultural producers. Unfortunately it is also cold/snowy season (especially this year) and sometimes limits the ability to attend meetings. Hopefully, though, these two meetings coming up will see more favorable conditions for travel.

AG RISK MANAGEMENT SEMINAR-Sidney, February 16 & Glasgow February 18
Duane Griffith who is MSU Extension's farm management specialist has been helping local agents across Montana conduct seminars for both farmers and ranchers. The Ag Risk Management Seminar will provide information, tips, and strategies to allow farmers and ranchers to make educated decisions when it comes to managing risks on their operations.

The focus of this seminar is to explain what options producers have, whether it be insurance, government programs, marketing, or combinations of each, to help alleviate some of the risk involved in producing crops and livestock. Both programs will consist of a morning session geared towards crop producers and an afternoon session that will focus on options for livestock producers.

For more information about the seminar in Sidney, contact the Richland County Extension Office. To find out details regarding the meeting in Glasgow, contact the Valley County Extension Office.

11TH ANNUAL MON-DAK PULSE DAY- February 17, Williston
The 11th annual Mon-Dak Pulse Day will be held Thursday, February 17 at the Airport International Inn in Williston, ND. There is a full day of presentations all related to helping producers grow pulse crops. A complete schedule and poster can be found by clicking here.

For producers who need them, 3 Private Pesticide Applicator points and/or 2 Commercial Pesticide Applicator points can be obtained for Montana licensed applicators.