The NDSU Hettinger Research Extension Center has set its annual field tour for Tuesday, July 9, at 5 p.m. MDT.
All activities are free and open to the public.
Prior to the tour, the center also will host a meet-and-greet with Yuri Montanholi, the new NDSU Extension beef cattle specialist, from 3:30 to 4:30 p.m. in the center’s classroom. Refreshments will be served.
This year's tour will feature an industrial hemp variety trial. This is the first year industrial hemp has been grown at the center, as interest in this crop continues to grow.
Burton Johnson, a professor and scientist in NDSU's plant sciences department, will discuss industrial hemp production, marketing and economics.
Other tour speakers and topics are:
• Weed management update -- Joe Ikley, NDSU Extension weeds specialist
• Spring wheat varieties and breeding program -- Andrew Green, NDSU professor and hard spring wheat breeder
• Wheat diseases and seed treatments -- Andrew Friskop, NDSU Extension plant pathologist
• Weed-control research conducted at the center -- Caleb Dalley, weed scientist
• Pea varieties and soybean research -- John Rickertsen, research agronomist
• Information on new varieties of durum wheat, winter wheat and barley
Participants will see trials of several crops being grown at the center and be able to talk with Extension specialists and research scientists.
"The tour will give producers information about new varieties, agronomic practices and current crop production issues," said Rickertsen. "We also are excited to have an industrial hemp trial at the station this year to see how this new emerging crop performs in a semi-arid climate."
A free meal at the Agronomy and Range Research Lab follows the tour.
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