County spray day, February 24

Carter County's Spray Day will be held on Wednesday, February 24. The annual program is a collaboration of efforts between the Extension office and county weed department. Organizers have put together another great list of speakers this year and hope all interested individuals will join.

Spray Day will run from 9:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. at Carter County Events Center. Lunch will be provided. To get an approximate head count for the meal, attendees are asked to RSVP by calling the weed office at 406-775-6278 or emailing [email protected] by February 19. Individuals may still attend Spray Day if they forget to RSVP.

Jesse Scott, Carter County Weed Coordinator, will kick the program off by speaking about avoiding tank mix errors. Scott will review the basics of proper tank mixing and its importance. After, she will delve into pesticide ingredient composition, compatibility, jar testing, factors that could lead to incompatibility and how to handle compatibility problems.

Clint Saunders, Nutrien Ag Solutions, will next discuss how to maximize the performance of the chemicals in our spray mix and how water quality can negatively impact the effectiveness of the chemical.

Before lunch Rory Lewis with Helena Agri-Enterprises LLC, will bring to light the various ways herbicides move during and after application. He will discuss the environmental impacts and issues of herbicide movement through the air, land and water. Lewis will also talk about tools and resources available to applicators to reduce herbicide movement to benefit one's spraying operation.

At noon, a lunch provided by the weed board and catered by Wagon Wheel Café will be served. Door prizes will also be given during the break.

At 12:30 p.m., Denise Zolnoski and Mark Buchanan from the US Forest Service will go over the current weed condition and progress with the National Forest in Carter County, treatment programs they are currently doing and planning, high priority areas, as well as new invaders they have found. They will also discuss how to report noxious weeds found in the forest, and be addressing any concerns folks may have.

Afterwards, Claire Volk, Corteva Agriscience, will identify Ventenata, what has been learned about its presence in grazing lands, and why action needs to be taken. During the presentation some successes in restoring grazed lands from annual grasses co-mingled with broadleaves will be shared.

Eric Clanton, District 5 Plant Science Specialist/Inspector Dept. of Agriculture, will then cover changes to some pesticide products available and rule changes from the Montana Department of Agriculture that may effect pesticide usage. He will also provide updates to department procedures for inspections, and update on crucial staff.

Fallon/Carter Extension Agent Michael Millward will give a presentation at 2:30 p.m. about pesticide modes of action. The mode of action is how a specific pesticide actually kills the pest, and what the pest is trying to resist in order to survive. Millward will discuss how many modes of action are available for use and what pests have been able to do to resist the effects that those pesticides have.

At 3 p.m., Scott will give a final presentation about Avenza Maps. Scott will explain the app, what is needed to use it and the types of maps it makes available. She will also demonstrate how it can be a great resource in one's weed management tool box by being able to effectively and accurately pinpoint infestations and how it can help when one needs weed maps for weed plans.

Another spray program will be taking place in Baker on February 25. Private pesticide applicators and individuals with chemical or government license will receive five credits for their attendance in either program. Persons with a private applicator license must have all of their credits by December 31, 2021 in order to renew. For any questions call the weed office at 406-775-6278.