Tech Talks is a online training series organized by the Technical Training and Certification Program. Rotating speakers cover a wide variety of technical topics at 1:00 on Mondays. The list of Tech Talks and links to replays for 2024 can be found below.
TTCP
United States
| Date | Topic | Description |
|---|---|---|
| January 22 | Seed Calculator Revisions | The new version of the seeding spreadsheet has the ability to do seeding checkouts based on seed tags listing a Pure Live Seed (PLS) applied column. This method streamlines the checkout data entry to just one number per species. The spreadsheet still accommodates doing a checkout with a seed tag using the traditional purity and germination data entries. It also provides for a two step process whereby a seed tag utilizing purity and germ data can be combined with a PLS style tag to get a single efficient printout to document the seeding meets standards and specs. All species included in the calculator can now be brought into a seed mix using a reference number assigned to that species. The reference number will bring in the data used for that species in mix evaluation, such as seeds per pound, bloom period and etc. The use of the reference number will streamline the process of customizing a mix. A replay of this session can be found here. |
| January 29 | Back to our Roots: Managing Alfalfa for Yield and Environment | Join Joshua Gamble, ARS Research Agronomist, for this session on the role alfalfa roots play in mediating yield, stand persistence, and ecosystem services. Joshua will discuss how root systems can be managed for improved outcomes, and he will highlight some of the current ARS research in breeding and root architecture. Craig Shaeffer, UMN, will provide an overview of alfalfa fertility with particular attention to K, S, and pH. A replay of this session can be found here. |
| February 5 | Source Water/Wellhead Protection | During this session Courtney Cheever (NRCS), Mark Wetlauffer (MDH), Aaron Meyer (MRWA), and Katie Breth (MRWA) will provide an introduction to the wellhead protection rule, Drinking Water Supply Management Areas (DWSMAs), and Source Water Protection (SWP) priority areas, including examples and success stories from existing plans. Conservation practices, planning tools, and financial assistance programs will also be discussed. A replay of this session can be found here. |
| February 12 | Updated Engineering Practice Standards | Join NRCS engineering staff as they go over the latest NRCS engineering practice standards. They will be discussing what has changed in the latest updates to several practice standards. A replay of this session can be found here. This replay will be available until January 31, 2025. |
| February 26 | Minnesota Seed Law | The Minnesota Seed Law is one of the oldest consumer protection laws in MN and also is in place to ensure a fair marketplace. The law requires certain content on seed labels so that the customer knows what they are buying. The Minnesota Seed Regulatory Program inspects seed labels and takes samples of seed lots at all sites where seed is produced, labeled, or available for sale. Samples are tested by the MN seed lab using American Official Seed Analysts (AOSA) rules and the result is compared to the label to see if they are truthful. Most of the MN seed industry follows these regulations and when there are issues the seed program works to help stakeholders achieve compliance. A replay of this session can be found here. |
| March 4 | Implementing Successful On Farm Research Trials: Lessons from MN Wheat's On Farm Research Network | Join Minnesota Wheat’s On-farm Research Network coordinator, Melissa Carlson, for an overview of how they work with growers in northwest Minnesota to successfully implement replicated on-farm research trials. Learn about helpful hints on how to move a trial from the first phone call to the final data report, as well as lessons learned as the network evolved over the last 11 seasons of conducting field scale research trials. A replay of this session can be found here. |
| March 18 | Pest Management Follow Up | This two hour Tech Talk is a follow up to the in person Basic Pest Management Concepts training sessions that were held in early January. Courtney Cheever, NRCS State Water Quality Specialist and TSP Coordinator will discuss the certification/check-out process for Integrated Pest Management Systems (CPS 595) as well as explain the relationship between NRCS, the producer, and the TSP. Adam Reed, Regional Agronomist, will demonstrate the Excel worksheet tool that helps document IPM techniques and conservation practices for reducing pesticide environmental risk using a MN specific WIN-PST scenario. A replay of this session can be found here. |
| April 1 | 2024 Pest Management Forecast | Join UMN Extension Integrated Pest Management Specialist Bruce Potter for a look at pest management considerations for the coming year. Bruce will discuss the expected effects of the 2023-24 winter on insect pest survival and pest problems to be aware of during the 2024 growing season. A replay of this session can be found here. |
| April 8 | Core Concepts for Designing and Evaluating Native Seed Mixes | Join Karin Jokela, Xerces Society Partner Biologist, for a training on how to design and evaluate native seed mixes using the latest version of the NRCS seeding and certification calculator plus some complementary tools. Finding the right native mix that achieves multiple conservation objectives and conforms to practice standards can be a complicated endeavor. This will be an overview of the unique considerations that should be factored into diverse native seed mixes used to support pollinators and other wildlife. A replay of this session can be found here. |
| April 15 | Brush Management (CPS 314) in Grasslands and Savannas | Brush Management is becoming increasingly needed on our grassland and savanna habitats to maintain their open character. However, this tool can be very expensive, and if not used properly, somewhat ineffective. This session will focus on the advantages and disadvantages of the techniques used in brush management, plus how knowledge of basic brush biology can increase the effectiveness of a brush management program. A replay of this session can be found here. |
| April 22 | Intro to Urban Soil Health for Conservation Planning and Management | In this webinar, Josh Beniston, NRCS Regional Soil Health Specialist covering urban areas, will present an overview of soil health in the context of urban soils. We’ll look at what aspects of urban soils may be different than rural agricultural soils and discuss the additional questions and observations we should address for conservation planning in urban soils. The information in the presentation will follow the topics that are presented in a new series of technical notes from the NRCS Soil Health Division. Specific topics in the presentation include:
A replay of this session can be found here. |
| April 29 | Soil Health Resource Concerns | Stephanie McLain (NRCS State Soil Health Specialist) provides an overview of the soil health resource concerns including how to evaluate them. This session also includes a brief introduction to the In Field Soil Health Assessments. A replay of this session can be found here. |
| May 6 | TTCP Onboarding (Repeat) | This training will provide newer employees with an orientation to the Technical Training and Certification Program. Participants will become familiar with the training resources that are available to them through TTCP. In addition, participants will start to develop their own personalized learning plan. Those who plan to attend should bring your job description to the training and ask around to find out the five most commonly used conservation practices in your work area. |
| May 20 | Conservation Tree Shrub Group (CTSG) Updates | CTSGs are a planning tool that aid in the selection of trees and shrubs for planting based on soil type. During this session Garett Christiansen (Forster, NRCS) and Brandon DeFoe (Soil Scientist, NRCS) will share information about recent updates to this tool and the lists of tree and shrub species recommended for different soil types. A replay of this session can be found here. |
| August 19 | Organic No Till Systems: Can it work? | Farm systems necessitate the understanding of natural systems adapted to an agronomic setting that promotes proper functioning of the soils, biology, and nutrient cycles. Prior to the use of synthetic fertilizers and pesticides tillage was one of the primary ways to control weeds. The effects of both tillage and chemicals can have negatively impacts on the environment in many ways. No-till and Organic systems help to alleviate the negative impacts of tillage and chemicals respectively. However, trying to combine No-till with Organic farm systems is a challenge. Join Patrick Carr, Montana State University, and Erin Silva, University of Wisconsin, to learn more about Organic No-Till systems and how they work…or don’t work. Get a better understanding of crop rotations, management, weed control tactics, equipment and necessary modifications, cover crops and termination, nutrient and pest management, and much more that go into No-till Organic systems. Plus get your answers from two experts in the Organic No-till world. A replay of this session can be found here. |
| September 9 | TTCP Onboarding (Repeat) | This training will provide newer employees with an orientation to the Technical Training and Certification Program. Participants will become familiar with the training resources that are available to them through TTCP. In addition, participants will start to develop their own personalized learning plan. Those who plan to attend should bring your job description to the training and ask around to find out the five most commonly used conservation practices in your work area. |
| September 23 | Cropland In Field Soil Health Assessment and Its Role to Evaluate Soil Function | During this session with Stephanie McLain, attendees will gain awareness and knowledge of the Cropland In-Field Soil Health Assessment developed by the NRCS National Soil Health Division found in Soil Health Tech Note 450-06. The Cropland In Field Soil Health Assessment is designed to be used as a diagnostic tool to support conservation planners determine and document if soil health resource concerns exist. We will review and discuss the 11 indicators that are used to assess soil function, which in turn affects soil health. Please review Soil Health Tech Note 450-06 ahead of time and plan for a 90 minute session. A replay of this session can be found here. |
| September 30 | Nitrogen Stabilizer Efficacy | Farmers use nitrogen stabilizers to enhance the efficiency and reduce environmental loss of nitrogen from fertilizer and manure. The stabilizers are used to either reduce ammonia-nitrogen volatilization, or slow the conversion of nitrogen to the plant-available but leaching-prone form nitrate-nitrogen. There are many stabilizer products available in the marketplace, but the documentation of their efficacy varies. In support of the implementation of the Minnesota Groundwater Protection Rule, the Minnesota Department of Agriculture (MDA) is developing an overview of proven stabilizer products. This presentation by Jeppe Kjaersgaard (MDA) includes a review of the most common active ingredients and an overview of MDA’s list of products. A replay of this session can be found here. |
| October 28 | Irrigation Management Assistant (IMA) Tool | Join Vasudha Sharma, U of M, as she demonstrates the Irrigation Management Assistant (IMA) Tool. She will discuss how to access the tool, how the tool is used, go through an example using the tool, and then how to interpret the results. For those planning to attend, please register for the IMA tool before the Tech Talk. |
| December 9 | Strategic Harvested Forage Management (ICPS 827) | Strategic Harvested Forage Management is a new interim conservation practice and consists of developing a planned winter feeding strategy that involves controlling livestock access and systematically moving feeding areas across a pasture or field. Planned winter feeding strategies are employed by producers to improve productivity, soil health, and reduce impact on sensitive features compared to traditional unplanned winter feeding strategies. This training will discuss the technical guidance for this practice, examples of common planned winter feeding strategies, an overview of the planning worksheet, and discuss practice evaluation. A replay of this session will be available soon. |
| December 16 | Virtual Fence | Join us for a Tech Talk presented by Meghan Filbert of No Fence covering "Virtual Fencing 101," an educational session aimed at conservation partnership staff and technical service providers. The training will explain the technical aspects of virtual fencing, its effectiveness, opportunities, and challenges, as well as its costs and vendors in the U.S. Participants will learn how virtual fencing can manage livestock using GPS collars and mobile devices to create boundaries, minimizing the need for physical interior fences. This technology reduces labor and enhances livestock management flexibility, making it easier to implement grazing plans and manage difficult terrain. A replay of this session will be available soon. |