How to improve artificial insemination success, feeding cattle, composting and meat quality are key topics for the beef production field tour July 17 at North Dakota State University’s Carrington Research Extension Center (CREC).

This program is one of several educational events that will be held at the center that day.

The beef program will begin at 9 a.m. with coffee and a welcome. The beef tour will depart at 9:30 and continue until noon. Agronomy, Northern Hardy Fruit Project and sustainable agriculture/organic tours also will be held in the morning. Another agronomy tour and a hands-on “maintaining a vineyard” workshop will be held in the afternoon.

Topics and speakers for this year’s beef production program are:

• Improving artificial insemination success in beef cows - Carl Dahlen, associate professor, NDSU Animal Sciences Department
• Update on summer CREC research projects - Bryan Neville, animal scientist at the center
• Making high-quality manure compost - Mary Berg, livestock environmental management specialist at the center
• Success in cattle feeding with the Dakota Feeder Calf Show feedout - Karl Hoppe, Extension livestock systems specialist at the center
• Assuring high-quality beef with the Beef Quality Assurance program - Lisa Pederson, Extension livestock specialist, NDSU Central Grasslands Research Extension Center, Streeter
• How meat quality is affected by using the growth promotant ractopamine - Kasey Carlin, associate professor, NDSU Animal Sciences Department

Participants also will be able to see a demonstration of determining pregnancy with ultrasound at 30 to 45 days after breeding. Dahlen will discuss the value of early ultrasound detection.

The CREC is 3.5 miles north of Carrington on U.S. Highway 281. For more information about the beef production program, contact Hoppe or Neville at 701-652-2951 or by email at karl.hoppe@ndsu.edu or bryan.neville@ndsu.edu.

NDSU Agriculture Communication - June 11, 2018