For immediate release:
~2018 Wheat Walks
~USDA to ask about 2018 Crops, Stocks, Inventories and Values
~Sign Up for Scab Alerts
~Get Ahead of Scab with the Fusarium Head Blight Prediction Center
A special news release for South Dakota media outlets. Please contact Reid Christopherson at info@dwheat.org to set up interviews, gather additional quotes and graphics, or pitch a story.
2018 Wheat Walks
By: SDSU Extension
SDSU Extension is collaborating with South Dakota Wheat, Inc. to organize the 2018 annual Wheat Walks in Milesville, Sturgis, Mt. Vernon and Miller beginning May 31.
During the Wheat Walk, SDSU Extension staff will be available to discuss current production issues including: weed control, insect and disease identification, management and fertilizer options for winter and spring wheat.
Each Wheat Walk will also include the in-field program where SDSU Extension staff can help identify pests that are currently in the field, and also cover any other production issues or concerns attendees might have. Following the in-field portion of the program. SD Wheat Inc. will provide growers with information on crop rotation, protein and moisture sampling.
The event will include a meal sponsored by SD Wheat Inc., Agripro (Syngenta), First National Bank and The South Dakota Wheat Commission.
Wheat Walk details:
Milesville: The Milesville Wheat Walk will be held May 31 at 4:30 p.m. (MST). Location directions: Attendees should gather along the south side of SD Hwy 34, 3 miles east of the junction of SD Hwy 34 and 73.
Sturgis: The Sturgis Wheat Walk will be held June 5 at 4:30 p.m. (MST). Location directions: To attend turn west off SD Hwy 79 onto Bighorn Road and travel 1.5 miles. The plots will be on the north side of the road.
Mt. Vernon: The Mt. Vernon Wheat Walk will be held June 7 at 4:30 p.m. (CST) just north of Mt. Vernon, SD. Location directions: The location is 25287 397th Ave., Mt. Vernon, SD. From Mt. Vernon travel 0.5 miles north on 397th Ave. The field is on the east side of the road.
Miller: The Miller Wheat Walk will be held near Miller, SD June 14 beginning at 4:30 p.m. (CDT). Location directions: Interested attendees should travel 8 miles north of Miller on SD Hwy 45, turn east on 188th St. The field is located 6.5 miles east at 36630 188th Ave.
Each event will include a meal. Anyone planning to attend is asked to RSVP to 605-224-4418 three days prior to the event so organizers can plan appropriately for the meal.
More details can also be found at www.sdwheat.org or iGrow.org/events.
USDA to ask about 2018 Crops, Stocks, Inventories and Values
By: USDA, Erik Gerlach
During the next few weeks, USDA’s National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS) will conduct two major inquiries, contacting nearly 3,500 producers across South Dakota to determine crop acreage and grain stock levels as of June 1, 2018.
“These are two of the most important surveys NASS conducts, due to the widespread and significant impact of their results,” explained Erik Gerlach, South Dakota State Statistician. “When producers complete these surveys, they contribute essential information that determines the expected acreage and supply of major commodities for the 2018 crop year. The results are necessary for everyone who relies on agriculture for their livelihoods.”
Data for the June Agricultural Survey are gathered via the Internet, mail, phone, or by in-person interview. For the June Area Survey, trained National Association of State Departments of Agriculture enumerators representing NASS visit select tracts of land to interview the operators of any farm or ranch within that selected tract. Producers are asked to provide information on planted acres, acres expected to be harvested, and grain stocks. This survey also collects data on livestock inventory, cash rents, land values, and value of sales.
“NASS protects the privacy of all respondents and publishes only state- and national-level data in these reports, ensuring no operation or producer can be identified. I urge all producers to respond to these surveys when contacted, and thank them for their cooperation,” said Erik Gerlach.
NASS will publish the results in a series of USDA reports, including the Acreage and Grain Stocks reports, on June 29, 2018. Survey data also contribute to NASS’s Crop Production reports, Small Grains Summary, Farms and Land in Farms, and Land Values reports, as well as various livestock reports, including Cattle, Sheep and Goats, and Quarterly Hogs and Pigs.
These and all NASS reports are available online at www.nass.usda.gov/Publications/.
Sign Up for Scab Alerts
The U.S. Wheat and Barley Scab Initiative is offering real time alerts for Fusarium head blight updates/field reports. The alerts are based on the commentary of wheat disease specialists throughout the country and are part of the disease prediction and outreach efforts sponsored by the Initiative.
The free subscription alerts can be delivered via text messages and/or email alerts, and you can receive messages from as many regions as you like. The frequency and timing of alerts are dependent upon your area’s risk for scab problems.
Get Ahead of Scab with the Fusarium Head Blight Prediction Center
The Fusarium head blight Risk Assessment Tool provides daily estimates of disease risk for many of the areas of the US where head blight is a problem.
Fusarium head blight or head scab is caused by the fungus Fusarium graminearum. The disease causes tremendous losses by reducing grain yield and quality in many wheat production regions of the United States.
The goal of the Fusarium head blight prediction center is to help growers evaluate the risk of Fusarium head blight in their area. The system uses weather conditions reported for an area to estimate the risk of a severe outbreak of disease. The map is supplemented by commentaries from state university crop specialists.