Grain, Soil, And Weed Seed Samples

          For the next couple of weeks I will be traveling around the county collecting spring wheat and durum samples for the North Dakota wheat Commission’s annual quality survey. I will also be collecting soil samples for the Orange Wheat Blossom Midge (OWBM) cocoon survey. The OWBM cocoon survey tracks the numbers of OWMB cocoons present in soil samples across the state helping to predict the possibility of an OWBM outbreak in next years crop. The survey also tracks the presence or absence of a parasitic wasp which provides a natural control of OWBM.

          The wheat quality survey provides millers and other potential North Dakota Hard Red Spring Wheat and Durum customers with information to help them purchase the high quality wheat and durum they expect from North Dakota producers.

          Do you have herbicide resistant kochia? The North Dakota Soybean Council and the North Dakota Corn Utilization Council have provided funding to help investigate the genetics of resistant pigweed and kochia in the state. I have five collection kits for submitting herbicide resistant samples to the National Agricultural Genotyping Center located on the NDSU campus in Fargo. If you have fields with suspected herbicide resistant kochia or pigweed please give me a call at the office (701) 377-2927 or on my cell at (701) 339-1133.

Other Cropping Issues

          As you spend time harvesting please be observant for possible Palmer Amaranth, increased levels of Wheat Stem Sawfly or other issues which you would like to see as topics during winter meetings or would just like more information about.