PULLMAN, Wash. — Research trials on direct seeding for Conservation Reserve Program take-out and direct seeding demonstrations with seven drills will be featured in a field day near Ritzville, June 20.
They are part of Monsanto’s “Fields of Tomorrow” program in cooperation with Washington State University, University of Idaho, grower groups, agencies and agribusinesses.
The research trials and program are located about 4 miles west of Ritzville on the Ron Jirava/Grant Miller farms on Rosenoff and Dewald Roads. The land is in a 10- to 12-inch annual rainfall zone. The field is in its tenth year of crested wheatgrass. Hard red spring wheat plots were planted April 3 with seven direct seeding drills and air seeders, and under a minimum tillage system.
Direct seeding demonstrations will be conducted adjacent to Monsanto’s April-seeded research trials in undisturbed CRP grass. Copies of a March 1996 preliminary summary of a WSU statewide research project on management considerations for returning CRP land to crop production will be available at the field day.
Registration and refreshments begin at 8:00 a.m.. Drill demonstrations and tours of the CRP take-out and spring recropping trials are from 9:00 to 12:30..
Other morning tour topics include direct-seeded hard red spring wheat in winter wheat stubble, Monsanto’s new experimental selective cheatgrass herbicide, biotechnology field exhibits of Roundup Ready soybeans and Canola, and CRP weed control with Roundup Ultra RT.
A panel on direct seeding and annual cropping includes three producers: Darrel Oech, Beach N.D.; Larry Wood, Joplin, Mont., Dale and Gary Galbreath, Ritzville, and Frank Young, USDA-ARS research agronomist, Pullman. Two Monsanto representatives will give presentations on aspects of farming in the future. Dan Gigax, commercial development manager of biotechnology, will speak on biotechnology and the small grain producer, and Tom Hoogheem, environmental operations director will speak on pesticides, sustainability and the environment.
The program offers five credits for Washington pesticide applicator recertification and eight credits for Certified Crop Adviser continuing education. See your Monsanto retailer for preregistration and bus travel information on Fields of Tomorrow.
For more information on the CRP take-out and spring recropping research trials, and the statewide Washington CRP take-out project, contact Roger Veseth, WSU/UI Conservation Tillage Specialist, (208) 885-6386. Information on a similar program being offered June 18 at Waterville also is available from Veseth.
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