FARGO, N.D. - The 45th Northern Ag Expo, Dec. 1 and 2 at the Fargodome in Fargo, N.D., will be a showcase for precision agriculture education and marketing help for farmers navigating a period of difficult commodity pricing.
Gary Knutson, executive director of the North Dakota Agricultural Association, which hosts the Expo, says economics might change, but one thing remains the same - the Expo is one of the first opportunities after harvest to gather input and commiserate on what’s ahead for the 2016 crop year.
The show features 200 exhibiting companies and typically draws 4,000 to 6,000 active dealers and farmers. This year, the show sold out “faster than normal,” despite challenges.
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The event kicks off with seminars, including a discussion on lawsuits involving the waters of the U.S. - rules being promulgated by the Environmental Protection Agency.
Knutson, who has managed 25 of the shows since 1990, says this year’s seminar series is an eclectic mix of topics, including seed application to tillage techniques.
Production seminars will cover marketing, fertilizer and pest control.
The NDAA has 475 members, representing seed, crop protection, plant food and related equipment.
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“The seminars complement the trade show,” he says.
Generally, seminar topics the first day will focus on soybeans and the second day on corn. The show this year will involve officials from the commodity councils to talk about new product uses and market opportunities.
Schedule
The following is a summary of some of the agricultural seminar topics and speakers. All are about an hour long and are in meeting and conference rooms at the dome.
Dec. 1
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10 a.m.: WOTUS lawsuit, North Dakota Commissioner of Agriculture Doug Goehring; Soil Salinity, Abby Wick, NDSU Extension Soils specialist and Garrett Knebel, sales, Agassiz Seed & Supply, West Fargo; Nitrogen Management for Grain Yield and Protein, Joel Ransom, NDSU Extension agronomist.
11 a.m.: Anhydrous ammonia dealers and new Occupational Safety and Health Administration rail transportation policy updates, Eric Delzer, fertilizer and anhydrous specialist, North Dakota Department of Agriculture; Marketing Next Year’s Soybeans, Randy Martinson, manager, Progressive Ag Marketing; Frayne Olson NDSU Extension crops marketing specialist; Chad Hart, Iowa State University Extension Grain Marketing specialist; Liquid Fertilizer Split Application Innovations, Josh Messer, regional agronomy manager, 360 Yield Center; Rachel Halbach, agronomist, Hagie Manufacturing, Woolstock, Iowa; and Shawn Gerdeman, product manager, Unverferth Manufacturing, Delphos, Ohio.
1:10 p.m.: Soybean Aphid Status, Matt Olson, Centrol Ag Consulting, Valley City, N.D.; Bruce Potter, University of Minnesota-Lamberton; Corn Marketing 2016, Hart, ISU Extension Service; Olson, NDSU Extension Service; Martinson, Progressive Ag; Feeding the World, Anti-GMO Roadblocks, Kellie Bray, Crop Life America; Laura Rutherford, sugar beet grower.
2:10 p.m.: Soybean Cyst Nematode, Sam Markell, NDSU Extension plant pathologist; Herbicide-resistant weed management, Rich Zollinger, NDSU Extension weed specialist; Reasons to include wheat in rotations, Jochim Wiersma, University of Minnesota-Crookston; Dan Wogsland, executive director, North Dakota Grain Growers Association.
Dec. 2
10 a.m.: 2016 Weather, Leon Osborne, University of North Dakota Weather Center; Pesticide Recertification Training; Promoting Corn Market Development; Dale Ihry, North Dakota Corn Utilization Council.
11 a.m.: Sclerotinia disease management on sunflowers, soybeans and dry edible beans, Michael Wunsch, NDSU Carrington Research Extension Center; Pesticide Recertification Training; Corn Marketing Techniques, Richard Brock & Associates, Milwaukee; Betsy Jensen, farmer-columnist.
1:10 p.m.: Barley economics, Steve Edwardson, North Dakota Barley Council; Pesticide Recertification Training; Drones: Scouting from the Top of Your Crop, Scott Schumacher, RDO Equipment; John Nowatzki, NDSU Extension machine specialist; Nolan Berg, Peterson Farms Seed; and Fertilizing Corn in a tight economy, Dave Franzen, NDSU Extension Soils Specialist.
