Winter is a time of meetings, board conversations and more in any part of the country. Here in the West there are a few things on tap. What follow are some timely news items from around the region.

Apps are great on your tablet and smartphone, provided you know how to use them — and two hands-on workshops are coming up in Wyoming.

These workshops allow rangeland managers to explore new tools to monitor range and pasture conditions. “Electronic Range and Weed Monitoring for this Generation” is a free University of Wyoming Extension workshop set for two dates and locations.

In Glenrock, the event will be held at 4 p.m. Saturday at the Glenrock Community Library, 506 S. Fourth St. In Douglas, the event is set for 3 p.m. Dec. 12 at the Converse County Library, 300 E. Walnut St.

The workshop is free but requires registration. Instructor Scott Cotton is a certified rangeland manager and UW Extension agriculture and horticulture educator across three states. Learn more, or register, by contacting Cotton at 307-235-9400 or at [email protected].

Participants will use Web Soil Survey, a USDA range monitoring program that allows you to capture scientific data; and GrassSnap for photo monitoring, which helps producers get comparative landscape views year to year. Both apps work on smartphones or tablets.

Horse disease discovery
Recently, the Colorado State Department of Agriculture and the State Veterinarian’s Office were notified that a third Colorado horse has tested positive for equine infectious anemia. The investigation is ongoing but appears to be unrelated to the prior two cases of EIA in Colorado this year.

Keith Roehr, state veterinarian, says that the current risk to the general equine population is low at this time “given that we are nearing the end of vector season in Colorado. This disease occurrence also highlights the importance of disease prevention practices, such as not sharing needles, syringes, tack, equipment — along with routine testing of EIA.”

The horse was tested at a veterinary clinic in Weld County as part of a pre-purchase examination under the buyer’s name. This horse allegedly participated in unsanctioned horse races. The investigation into the current location of the horse is ongoing. 

You can learn more about the disease at the CDA equine infectious anemia webpage.

Talking barley, sugarbeets
The Montana and Wyoming Malt Barley and Sugarbeet symposium is set for Jan. 8-9 in Billings, Mont. The event will be held at the Billings Hotel and Convention Center and is hosted by the Mountain States Crop Education Association.

The first day of the event will focus on barley production topics related to seed treatments and grain storage, along with soil conservation and precision agriculture. Featured speakers include Raj Khosla, professor of precision agriculture at Colorado State University; and Frankie Crutcher, plant pathologist at the Montana State University Eastern Agricultural Research Center.

The second day will focus on sugarbeet production and feature Luther Markwart, executive vice president of the American Sugarbeet Growers Association, as keynote speaker.

Additional speakers include Andrew Kniss, professor of weed science at the University of Wyoming; Chris Augustin, North Dakota State University Extension soil health specialist; Mark Boetel, NDSU research and Extension entomologist; Alan Dyer, MSU professor in the Department of Plant Sciences and Plant Pathology; and Ashok Chandra, associate professor at the University of Minnesota.

Preregistration for the event is $20 per day, and on-site registration will be $25 per day. Note that a $5 convenience fee will be added to online transactions. A special hotel rate of $92 is available until Dec. 30.

Symposium registration and other details are available online at mountainstateag.org.

Noxious weed nomination deadline extended
Colorado is looking for five new nominees to fill openings in the State Noxious Weed Advisory Committee. The deadline for nominations has been extended until Dec. 10.

The primary responsibility of the committee is to discuss Colorado’s weed management challenges and craft solutions that best reflect public and private interests. The committee then makes recommendations to the Colorado Department of Agriculture concerning designation of state noxious weeds; classification of state noxious weeds; development and implementation of state weed management plans; and prescribed techniques for eradication, containment, and suppression of state noxious weeds.

Those interested in a position can learn more at the CDA noxious weeds webpage.

Sources: University of Wyoming Extension, Colorado Department of Agriculture, mountainstateag.org.