PULLMAN, Wash. — Wheat growers will learn how to improve jointed goatgrass control at a conference scheduled Feb. 22 at the Red Lion Inn at Pasco.
The weed, a close relative of wheat, cannot be controlled by selective herbicides and is extremely competitive in the field, says John Burns, Washington State University Whitman County Cooperative Extension agent.
Jointed goatgrass proved especially costly last fall, Burns said. This past fall growers were penalized as high as $1.50 to $2 per bushel at Portland for wheat containing high percentages of jointed goatgrass. Jointed goatgrass can be screened out at elevators, but projected costs are considered prohibitive by many growers.
The conference runs from 9 a.m. to 3:45 p.m. Participants will learn about the latest grain marketing policies, if winter wheat and jointed goatgrass can cross pollinate, how crop rotation may help control the weed and learn how other producers are dealing with it.
Register by Feb. 19 and receive a $10 discount from the $25 registration fee that will be charged after that date. The fee includes detailed reference materials, refreshments and lunch.
Make checks payable to Whitman County Cooperative Extension. Send them to Whitman County Cooperative Extension, N. 310 Main, Colfax, Wash., 99111. Call (509) 397-6290 for further information.
The conference is sponsored by Washington State University and the USDA’s Cooperative State Research and Extension Service.
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