Mark Bernard

Agronomist, writer, shepherd, Studebaker driver and part-time janitor in South Central MN. Opinions expressed are those of whoever I happen to be at the time.

[Mark Bernard @MNWeedWizard]

@ChipFlory Congrats, Big Gun! 4 wood ducks in the yard this a.m. You should have more time to chase them now, right? 😉

[Mark Bernard @MNWeedWizard]

@GrageDustin Out here in the land of rocks & cows, I see those lights start flashing & it's time to STOP!!!! Those are my neighbor's kids for crissake! Could never face them if I hit one of their kids. ☹️

[Mark Bernard @MNWeedWizard]

@NWSTwinCities D'oh!

[Mark Bernard @MNWeedWizard]

@BerdoMike @FastGrassGuy They need to take lessons from the Whippy Dip in Monroeville IN. Repeat business is the name of the game & I'm going back 1st chance I get 👍

[Mark Bernard @MNWeedWizard]

@LouiseCarduner They are in areas of MN, particularly around the TC, Rochester, & the Sand Plains. Saw them there in the late 70's feeding on strawberries being harvested from test plots at Becker. Ick! 🤮 Have only seen the false Japanese beetles locally. 🪲

[Mark Bernard @MNWeedWizard]

Done sampling Benton Co. & IN on our route! Buh bye bean leaf beetles! Buh bye Japanese beetles! #pftour24

[Mark Bernard @MNWeedWizard]

@LouiseCarduner It's what they do that time of year besides chewing the snot out of things. One of my 1st yrs. on Crop Tour they were bad out east. Must've been some crawling on me when we left the field. Found them in my dirty clothes when I got home! 🙄

[Mark Bernard @MNWeedWizard]

Coming off #pftour24 with a bang. Dylan Nohner & his crack staff had our PKA Cheviots looking like a million bucks all day. Lotsa class winners. Congrats to Avary Hopper on her Reserve Champion w/a PKA March ewe lamb today & in 4-H yesterday.

[Brian Roemmele @BrianRoemmele]

Up next…

[Mark Bernard @MNWeedWizard]

Thanking Pro Farmer, the entire team, scouts, @BGrete, @ChipFlory, @emily_floryag14, @brent8320r, & @iwatchcorn for the great week on #pftour24. Time to exhale a bit then on to MN State Fair Sat.

[Bruce Potter @SWMNpest]

Thanks MN Soybean. It was a great run. Hope to be able to continue to support MN in other ways. https://t.co/mfhjEyMzei

[Mark Bernard @MNWeedWizard]

@LouiseCarduner Yes, in the 1st photo. They vary in color from yellow to almost brown. Technically they are multi-colred Asian lady beetles.

[Mark Bernard @MNWeedWizard]

Hmmm...wonder what all these ladybugs are doing? Eating soybean aphids in White Co. IN, that's what. Parasitic wasps helping themselves too. #pftour24

[Mark Bernard @MNWeedWizard]

Half milk line corn 🌽 in White Co. IN. Dan Sturgill today's hand model. Check is in the mail! #pftour24

[Mark Bernard @MNWeedWizard]

Lots of 4 bean pods in this Cass Co. IN sample #pftour24

[Mark Bernard @MNWeedWizard]

Lunch at the Whippy Dip Monroeville IN #pftour24

[Meaghan Anderson @mjanders1]

Waterhemp vs. Palmer amaranth: look for the length of the petiole on a mature leaf to tell the difference! Palmer amaranth will have long petioles; waterhemp has short ones. #ISUCrops

[Bruce Potter @SWMNpest]

Soybean aphids are present on Early planted V4 soybeans in SW MN.

Very low numbers at this point. Hope they stay that way.