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Wednesday, March 27, 2024 Water is often a limiting resource when considering both animal and grazing management. Checking water levels can often account for a considerable proportion of time and labor costs, especially when water sources are few and far between or during extreme weather events. Producers who are looking to minimize time spent checking water may consider investing in one of many modern water monitoring solutions. Many options are available based on needs, product features, budget, and connectivity concerns. For simplicity’s sake, we will start with the most basic options and work our way up.Spanish: 

Even before plants begin to green up, individual plant assessments can be done. While assessment before green-up occurs may seem a bit preemptive, pre-scouting now can focus scouting efforts to problem areas later on when time becomes precious during spring planting. Extension educators review options for interseeding grasses into alfalfa and assessing alfalfa stand health.

Alfalfa weevil larvae (pictured at left) spend nearly all their time feeding on fresh leaf tissue, causing alfalfa plants to wilt and turn brown (at right), which can look similar to the effects of drought and cold injury. (CropWatch file photos) Recommendations on scouting for alfalfa weevil in the coming weeks, and resources for ag producers dealing with stress and other impacts to their health and wellbeing.

Historical crop progress data for Nebraska is available at USDA. While winter wheat condition improved slightly in March, soil moisture supplies generally decreased.

The Handy Bt Trait Table has been updated for 2024. This reference guide alphabetically lists all trade names for hybrids with Bt traits, and includes Bt protein(s) expressed, targeted insects, refuge requirements and herbicide traits. Updated for 2024, the Handy Bt Trait Table can help producers avoid the development of resistance from using the same traits repeatedly and in troubleshooting insect injury or preparing to apply herbicides.

Monday, March 25, 2024 Program Participants in Nebraska Eligible to Donate Grazing and Haying Rights LINCOLN, Nebraska, March 25, 2024 - The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) authorizes the release of emergency haying and grazing of Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) acres nationwide, including CRP acres in Nebraska, to livestock producers affected by the recent wildfires in Nebraska, Oklahoma and Texas. Spanish: 

Monday, March 25, 2024 A new resource developed by the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association and CattleFax helps cattle producers maximize profitability from their culling decisions. “Right Way. Right Time. – A Guide to Cull Cattle Management” is now available at www.ncba.org. Spanish: 

The Nebraska Corn Board and Nebraska Soybean Board encourage those who work in and around grain bins to have a plan in place for safety and to properly learn safety steps. With proper safety procedures, grain bin accidents are preventable. The Stand Up 4 Grain Safety Week initiative strives to raise awareness among farmers and agricultural workers about the importance of safety when working in and around grain bins, and overall safety practices on the farm.

Figure 1. Photo of Palmer amaranth abundance in the dry bean only (left) and cover crop (right) plot. Research insights from UNL's Weed Science Program trials investigating the benefits of using winter and spring seeded cover crops to control weeds in dry beans.

Tuesday, March 19, 2024

Ranchers and cattle producers interested in learning about the latest research in range livestock production from the University of Nebraska–Lincoln are encouraged to register for the 2024 Nebraska Ranch Practicum offered by Nebraska Extension.

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To learn more about USDA programs geared toward helping farmers add renewable energy to their operations, view this webinar series. The new initiative will provide funds for hundreds of farmers to deploy smaller-scale wind projects, small-scale hydropower, geothermal, biomass-based and other clean energy.

The award is for Zuppa's research project on wheat stem sawfly — how it affects winter wheat residue, soil-water storage, soil health, and crop yield in dryland cropping systems.

Two upcoming land management webinars will include information tailored to different regions of the state — March 27 will be more relevant to western and central Nebraska residents, and March 28 will be for eastern Nebraska residents. (CAP photo) Two upcoming workshops will review a wide variety of land management concerns for Nebraska producers, from land value trends and cash rents to creating estate plans.

It wouldn't be the Midwest without balmy weather on the first day of spring and then lots of snow. Check out next week's storm predictions in this latest update from the Nebraska State Climate Office.

Thursday, March 14, 2024

Two live, online sessions remain of the annual Three-State Beef Conference.  

The Three-State Beef Conference provides essential updates on cow-calf and stocker topics to beef cattle producers and industry stakeholders. With specialists from leading beef cattle land grant universities—University of Nebraska, University of Missouri, and Iowa State University—alongside insights from industry experts, the conference serves as a vital platform for knowledge exchange.

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TAPS leaders discuss the effect of the many different strategies and decisions made in the 2023 contest in the wake of hail damage and a declining corn market.

This Center for Agricultural Profitability webinar features discussion by Ken Harrison, a crop insurance expert with more than 40 years of experience in the industry. Agricultural economics experts discuss projected prices for the upcoming crop year, the importance of projected prices in managing risk exposure, and different insurance contract options for managing 2024 risk.

The Nebraska Sprayer Drone Conference will feature presentations by several industry experts, who will discuss how to get started using sprayer drones, legal requirements for using drones with ag chemicals, and how to operate drones in manned aircraft airspace. This one-day event will provide participants an opportunity to interact with fellow sprayer drone enthusiasts and learn the necessary steps to enter the sprayer drone arena.