The 4^th annual MonDak Ag Research Summit was moved online due to Covid-19 and included a series of Zoom webinars focusing on ag issues and research applicable to area farmers and ranchers in Eastern Montana and Western North Dakota. Recordings of all six webinars featuring keynote speakers on timely topics in addition to local researchers are available here.

While COVID-19 may have put the kibosh on our Field Day activities this year, we have developed recordings of research updates, two weed ID webinars, and more to let you know what we’re working on. Click here for additional details and to access the recordings.

Sidney ARS technicians collecting wheat stem sawfly larva, Cephus cinctus, in wheat stubs. This pest of wheat spends most of its life cycle inside the wheat stem which makes management extremely difficult. Sidney ARS scientists are studying biological control options that attack the sawfly inside the wheat to aid farmers battling the pest.

Pest Management Unit scientists are studying the biology and ecology of grasshoppers to find new ways to manage outbreaks without chemical pesticides. Scientists are also studying benefits grasshoppers provide, such as increased nutrient cycling. Click here for the most recent grasshopper outbreak and survey maps.

Miles City, MT ARS researcher collecting seed from Russian olive at the Fort Keogh location as part of a joint RO seed longevity project with the Sidney, MT ARS lab. The longevity project is testing how long seeds are viable in the soil. Russian olive is listed as a noxious weed in many states so researchers are studying the plant to find ways to limit its spread.

A primary focus of NPARL's Pest Management Research Unit is understanding grasshopper and Mormon cricket ecological interactions as a foundation for developing sound management practices for battling these age-old agricultural pests. Click here for the most recent grasshopper and Mormon cricket outbreak and survey maps.