Roundup Record Tribune & Winnett Times -

BOZEMAN — The Montana State University Central Agricultural Research Station will host its annual research roundup event in Lewistown from 9 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. on Tuesday, Dec. 10. The event will showcase ongoing projects at the research center and offer time for public input along with a local meal.

One of seven Montana Agricultural Experiment Station research centers, which constitute the research arm of the MSU College of Agriculture, the Central Agricultural Research Center in Moccasin conducts projects focused on soil and water management, cereal variety testing and best practices against weeds and crop diseases, among other regionally-focused projects. Along with an annual summer field day, the winter event allows a greater opportunity for public involvement at the research center.

The roundup is free and open to the public, sponsored by the Fergus County Farm Bureau, Wilbur Ellis, Gavilon Grain, Stockman Bank, Moore Farmers Oil, Central Montana Propane and Corteva Agriscience. The event will be hosted at the Central Feed Grilling Company in nearby Lewistown, beginning with a welcome from Chouteau County Extension’s Tyler Lane followed by discussion sessions with MSU faculty.

“Our goal at each Research Roundup is to provide Montana farmers with a summary of ongoing and recently completed research in central Montana and to highlight some hot topics of interest to area farmers,” said Pat Carr, superintendent of the Central Agricultural Research Center and an associate professor of cropping systems. “This year, an important focus is the management of low pH soils, a problem of growing concern not only in central Montana but across the state.”

Research associate Simon Fordyce will speak on cultivar selection in high-acidity soil. Assistant agronomy professor Jed Eberly will highlight cropping system diversity and soil respiration. Assistant professor Jamie Sherman will discuss developments in barley breeding. Professor of soil nutrient management Rick Engel will highlight causes and solutions for soil acidification, and professor and Extension soil specialist Clain Jones will give an update on how Montana has identified and learned about soil acidification.

Carr will wrap up the day with a discussion of how to best select diverse crop rotations. All sessions will be open for questions and input from attendees. A full agenda and more information on the research roundup can be found at http://agresearch.montana.edu/carc/reports-pdf/ResearchRoundup.html.

The Montana Agricultural Experiment Station research centers are designed to conduct statewide agricultural research locally tailored to fit the diverse needs of Montana’s regions. Each center is overseen by an advisory committee and values public input as to the needs and questions of local farmers, ranchers and producers. Research centers are located in Bozeman, Conrad, Corvallis, Creston, Havre, Huntley, Moccasin and Sidney.