Sidney, Montana : Home

Photo Gallery

Froid Research Farm Tour - June 2006
NPARL Weed Ecologist, Dr. Andy Lenssen, and Soil Scientists, Dr. Jed Waddell, and Dr. Upendra Sainju, all with the lab’s Agricultural Systems Research Unit, are among the featured speakers at the annual Froid Research Farm Tour on June 21. The tour includes two-sessions, first the off-farm portion toured the Dry Prairie Rural Water Construction site, a camelina field, and organic farm fields in the area, while the on-farm portion included four stops beginning with Dr. Lenssen and concluding with the newest study at the site titled, "Alternate and Stacked Crop Rotation Trial," by both Dr. Lenssen and Dr. Waddell. (7 slides)

Diseases on Weeds in Europe – 2005
NPARL's Research Plant Pathologist, Anthony Caesar, traveled to Europe to collect invasive weed samples. The weeds that his research focuses on are hawkweed and hoary cress, which are both being affected by a fungus in Europe. With these studies, he is working to determine if the fungus could be a possible biological control agent in the U.S. for these same invasive species. (6 photos)

Outdoor Classroom Program - Sept. 2005
NPARL Biological Science Technician Deb Waters participated in a two-county “Outdoor Classroom” program September 20-21 for eighth-grade students from rural and urban schools in eastern Montana. Waters did a hands on presentation on insect identification, while using the program’s outdoor meeting site as her laboratory. Students were given nets to sweep for insects which they then identified and learned more about their roles in the ecosystem. The two-day Outdoor Classroom event for 8th grade students, now in its third year, is sponsored by the Richland and Roosevelt (MT) County Conservation Districts. (13 photos)

Grasshopper Research - July 2005
ARS Research Entomologist Stefan Jaronski and Biological Science Technician Rob Schlothauer are testing pathogenic fungi on grasshoppers and Mormon crickets. The research involves infecting a series of grasshoppers and Mormon crickets separately with either the beauveria or metarhizium species fungi. The impact on the insects are being recorded to determine whether both or either of these pathogenic fungi could be used as a biological control agent. (4 photos)

E-rase Your E-waste Event - June 2005
More than four tons of electronic waste products were collected during the community-wide “E-rase your E-waste” event held in Sidney this past Friday and Saturday, June 24-25, 2005. Altogether 93 computers and 73 monitors were recycled during the two-day event along with 42 printers, six fax machines, six slide projectors, five electric typewriters, four television sets, three microwaves, three copiers, two scanners, a VCR and an old turntable. Also included in the mix were assorted keyboards and other smaller computer components, scientific scales, and even an old DNA gene sequencing unit. (8 photos)

Froid Research Farm Tour - June 2005
The 2005 Froid Research Farm Tour was Thursday, June 23, and more than 90 area individuals showed up at the USDA-ARS Froid Research Farm located 8 miles North of Culbertson. Sheridan County Extension Agent, Terry Angvick, spoke about alternative dryland rotational crops being grown in the area and Montana State University Extension Entomologist, Sue Blodgett, talked about rotational benefits in managing pest insects. Both Angvick and Blodgett were guest speakers at the event along with USDA-ARS NPARL Soil Scientists Jay Jabro, Upendra Sainju, Jed Waddell, and Weed Ecologist Andy Lenssen. The NPARL scientists discussed a variety of soil and crop studies underway including soil horizons and soil moisture, no-till cover crops, weed, disease and yield studies, and rotational crop studies such as the alternate vs. stacked durum study. (7 photos)

Groundbreaking Ceremony - May 2005
NPARL celebrated on Wednesday, May 4, 2005, with many of it's long-time supporters and members of the local community at the Groundbreaking ceremony for the new Quarantine and Greenhouse facility. The ceremony included Montana Senator Conrad Burns along with nine other guest speakers, the Sidney Veterans of Foreign Wars, members of Montana's National Guard, and also the local high school choir, "Something Special," and middle school jazz band, "White Heat." After the ceremony NPARL employees gave virtual tours of the Quarantine and Greenhouse facility and enjoyed refreshments with all attendees. (20 photos)

MonDak Ag Days - January 2005
NPARL's Soil Scientist Dr. Jed Waddell and Agricultural Systems Research Leader Dr. Robert Evans both spoke at the 2005 MonDak Ag Days in Sidney, January 14-15. Dr. Waddell started the program with a talk to area farmers about irrigation and nitrogen management in malting barley, which is a joint research project with Busch Ag and Montana State University. Dr. Evans later provided an update on lab activities, including information on a new cropping systems research experiment in the area. NPARL also featured an informational booth at the event, to highlight areas of research as well as to answer questions and provide handouts. (5 photos)