The NDSU Extension Service's annual crop management field school will be offered Thursday, June 16, starting at 9 a.m. at the CREC. The school will provide updates, using hands-on training in field research and demonstration plots, on crop, pest and soil management recommendations. The targeted audience is crop advisers, but the program also will be beneficial for farmers.

Field sessions include:

• Weed identification - identify about 60 living weed exhibits, plus brief reviews of weed biology and control
• Herbicide site-of-action - identify herbicide classes by examining crop and weed injury symptoms
• Salt-affected soils - discussion will be on short- and long-term management strategies including use of cover crops
• Late-season wheat management - review of foliar and head disease control strategies with fungicides and increasing seed protein with post-flowering application of nitrogen
• Herbicide-tolerant soybean demonstration - identify post-emergence herbicides applied across soybean types based on plant injury symptoms
• Insect management update - review balance-of-season insect threats including soybean aphids

Instructors for the field school are the following  Extension specialists: Greg Endres, area agronomist; Jan Knodel, entomologist; Tom Peters, sugarbeet agronomist and weed scientist; and Abbey Wick, soil health scientist. Additional instructors are Shana Forster, NDSU North Central Research Extension Center director, and Jochum Wiersma, University of Minnesota Extension Service small grain agronomist.

Preregistration is required. A total of 50 participants will be accepted on a first-come, first-served basis. Participants will receive reference materials, refreshments and a noon meal. Certified crop advisers participating in the event will receive 5.5 continuing education units.

For further details and preregistration information, go to http://www.ag.ndsu.edu/CarringtonREC/events or contact the CREC at (701) 652-2951. A completed preregistration form and $75 fee is required by June 13 ($100 after June 13).

Greg Endres
Area Agronomist