MSU Extension Ag Alerts

The Montana State University Pesticide Education Program is offering a pesticide education train-the-trainer opportunity November 14th and 15th at the Holiday Inn Express (2305 Catron Street), Bozeman, MT. Attendees of this program can attain 4 commercial/government recertification credits in the categories of dealer, ag plant pest, right-of-way, demonstration and research, and regulatory weed pest.  This is a unique opportunity targeting Montana's pesticide trainers.

Pesticide applicators should be aware of the Montana Pesticide Waste Disposal Program and 2018 sites. Delaying removal of unused pesticide products often leads to corroded containers that pose unnecessary risks towards the environmental and human health.  By following a few simple steps applicators can ensure that unused pesticides are discarded and disposed of legally and safely.

Attached is a brief note on identification of Cephalosporium stripe, and a link to an extension publication from WSU on the effect of low pH soils on plant disease that some may find of interest.

--Mary Burrows

EPA is announcing the availability of new training materials covering the expanded pesticide safety training content required by the 2015 Worker Protection Standard (WPS) for training both agricultural workers and pesticide handlers. You may be affected by the 2015 Worker Protection Standard (WPS) if you work or employ individuals working in crop production agriculture where pesticides are applied including: agricultural establishments (i.e. farms, orchards, groves, greenhouses, and nurseries), tree production, timber tract operations and forest nurseries. WPS pesticide safety training of handlers and workers must be conducted using the new EPA-approved materials that have the expanded WPS content by December 19th, 2018.

Soils with pH < 5.5 have been identified in at least 20 counties and are causing yield losses to complete crop failure in some of those. Read the alert to know what to look for and how to soil sample to verify that have this emerging problem. 

Short disease update for cereals and pulses including Ascochyta blight on chickpea, Fusarium head blight on cereals, a shout-out to the NDSU Crop Pest Management Report and a special request for tan spot and Ascochyta blight on chickpea for research projects with South Dakota and a student in my research program. Please send prior to fungicide application, and leaves in an envelope are fine. Mark clearly if you don't need a report.

Thanks much!

--Mary Burrows

994-7766; mburrows@montana.edu

The Schutter Lab has started receiving pea, lentil, and chickpea samples with symptoms consistent with herbicide carryover. Symptoms include stunting, distortion, and/or chlorosis. 

I've been getting a number of texted photos of little brown spots on pulse crops. These can have various causes. Detailed information and recommendations are provided in the attached PDF file. Please contact Jessica Rupp (jessica.rupp@montana.edu, 994-5572), Frankie Crutcher in Eastern MT (Frankie.crutcher@montana.edu; 433-2208) or Mary Burrows (mburrows@montana.edu, 994-7766) if you have questions or concerns.

-- Mary Burrows

Damaging numbers of black grass bugs (Labops species) are being reported in range and pasture locations in Teton and Big Horn Counties.  Black grass bugs are plant sap feeders that target many introduced range grasses, including crested wheatgrass, intermediate wheatgrass, and orchardgrass. 

Reports are coming in about winter-killed crested wheatgrass stands in Montana, as well as an increase in annual weedy alyssum species. In this Ag Alert, Dr. Jeff Mosley explains the "unfortunate co-occurance of events" that led to the loss of some stands over the winter, as well as the observed proliferation of annual weeds. Management recommendations for alyssum are also discussed. 

In the spirit of National Pollinator Week, June 18 - 24, producers, bee keepers and pesticide applicators are reminded of best management practices to minimize negative impacts to pollinators when using pesticides. The value of insect pollinated crops in the US ranges from $18 to $27 billion annually, however insect pollinator numbers have been decreasing worldwide. One of the components of pollinator decline is pesticide use, not only on agricultural land, but also in urban areas.  This alert discusses best management practices and a new tool applicators, beekeepers and producers can use to decrease pollinator impacts, specifically to bees. 

The NCERA-184 Fungicide table is attached to this agalert and is available on the extension field crops plant path website at http://www.msuextension.org/plantpath/ 

Happy planting,

--Mary Burrows