Irrigation Technology Important, But Mechanics Also Key To Water Management

Technology’s role in agriculture is rising exponentially, but that doesn’t mean there aren’t other factors of equal importance, particularly in irrigation management. That’s the message to be delivered by Dr. Thomas Scherer on Thursday, Jan. 28, in the second webinar of this year’s fourth annual MonDak Ag Research Summit online seminar series.

“Over the last 15 years, there have been many technological developments for more informed irrigation water management,” Dr. Scherer, Extension Agricultural Engineer and Associate Professor in the Agricultural and Biosystems Engineering Department at North Dakota State University in Fargo, said. “However,” he added, “quite often, the mechanical side of irrigation is not emphasized and inefficient or poorly working mechanical components can have a significant effect on crop yields and water management.”

In his presentation titled The Mechanical Aspects of Precision and Variable Rate Irrigation, Scherer will address methods for “maintaining or checking mechanical problems that can hinder good irrigation water management.” His talk begins at 10 a.m. Connection details are below.

The MonDak Ag Research Summit is coordinated by MSU’s Eastern Agricultural Research Center and USDA ARS’s Northern Plains Agricultural Research Lab, both in Sidney; and NDSU’s Williston Research Extension Center in Williston. Normally a one-day, in-person event, this year’s MonDak Ag Research Summit was moved online due to Covid-19 and consists of a series of six webinars featuring keynote speakers addressing a variety of topics of interest to ag producers as well as shorter reports from local scientists on research results immediately applicable to MonDak area farmers and ranchers.

In addition to Scherer, the Jan. 28 webinar includes the following presenters and presentations: •Irrigation study for sugar beet and pulse crops - Dr. Chengci Chen, superintendent, PhD; Cropping Systems Agronomist; MSU Eastern Agricultural Research Center – Sidney

•Soil moisture sensors -Dr. Bart Stevens, Research Leader (Agricultural Systems Unit) and Research Agronomist (Irrigated), USDA-Agricultural Research Service; Northern Plains Agricultural Research Laboratory – Sidney

•Comparing tillage systems in an irrigation environment -Tyler Tjelde, irrigation agronomist, NDSU Williston Research and Extension Center The webinar will conclude at 11:30 a.m. All interested persons are invited to take part in this webinar and anyone can join the day of the event by using the following (Zoom program) link: https:// ndsu.zoom.us/j/91453448686 Remaining webinar dates and keynote presentations in the 2021 MonDak Ag Research Summit webinar series include the following:

•Feb. 9: Managing Root Rot of Pulses - Dr. Mary Burrows, Professor; Plant Sciences & Plant Pathology; Assoc. Director, Montana Ag Experiment Stations; Montana State University – Bozeman

•Feb. 25: Weed Control Update in the MonDak - Dr. Brian Jenks, weed scientist; North Central Research Extension Center – Minot; North Dakota State University

•March 11: Seasonal Outlooks and Potential Climate Change Impacts for Eastern MT and Western ND - Patrick Gilchrist, Warning Coordination Meteorologist/Service Coordination Hydrologist, NOAA, National Weather Service Station – Glasgow

•March 25: Topic: marketing; Title: pending; Keynote -Dr. Vincent Smith, Professor, Initiative for Regulation and Applied Economic Analysis, Department of Agricultural Economics and Economics, Montana State University – Bozeman; Note, all webinars run from 10 to 11:30 a.m. and include opportunities to ask questions of the speakers during the live sessions. Also, pesticide applicator points for Montana participants will be available for those joining in the live webinars on Feb. 9 and Feb. 25. Sorry, viewing the subsequent recordings — also to be made available online — does not qualify for points.

For questions or more information on this series, contact Beth Redlin at 406-433-9427; beth.redlin@usda.gov, or Violeta Hobbs at 701-774-4315; Violeta.hobbs@ndsu. edu or visit our website at www.ars.usda.gov/pa/nparl/ agsummit.