Feed aggregator

Tuesday, July 23, 2024

Western Nebraska is a low-rainfall area with annual rainfall ranging from 8 to 18 inches. Precipitation usually occurs in the early spring benefitting the predominately cool-season grasses of this high altitude (3,800-5,000 ft.) area. Unfortunately, limited summer rainfall and declining quality of cool-season pastures creates a challenge for producers needing a quality forage resource in the fall. Additionally, many areas of the High Plains are under irrigation restrictions, so limited water is available for crops and forages.

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Bales stacked in alfalfa field. (Photo by Chabella Guzman) Extension Educator Gary Stone shares an update on crop conditions and water use for this week.

Historical crop progress data for Nebraska is available at USDA. Most Nebraska crops have experienced a slight decline in condition over the last three weeks but remain well above conditions in July 2023.

Historical crop progress data for Nebraska is available at USDA. As of July 14, winter wheat harvest progress was at 70% complete in Nebraska — well ahead of 18% last year.

Maturing wheat near Sidney, Nebraska. (Photo by Chabella Guzman) Extension educators report on wheat harvest progress and irrigation use in western Nebraska and the Panhandle.

Friday, July 19, 2024 Sweet clover is a biennial plant that grows abundantly following a wet year. As a grazing resource, sweet clover can be excellent feed. Research from North Dakota State University has documented yearlings gaining over 2 pounds per head per day grazing sweet clover pasture.Spanish: 

Friday, July 19, 2024

For ranchers, risk is an accepted part of doing business. “No risk, no reward” is quoted when thinking about day-to-day operations and strategic, long-term decisions. Another familiar phrase is “if it were easy, everyone would do it.” To be in business is to take risks.

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Thursday, July 18, 2024 Lincoln, Neb. July 18, 2024 — The Gudmundsen Sandhills Laboratory (GSL) Open House will celebrate its 25th anniversary on August 21 in the heart of the Sandhills near Whitman, Nebraska. The open house encourages all to attend at no cost for the latest updates in the beef industry and current research.Spanish: 

Monday, July 15, 2024 Husker researcher Dave Sandahl’s work aims to increase awareness of the benefits of regenerative ranching.Spanish: 

White mold significantly impacted Nebraska soybean yields in 2023, and proactive management is crucial for this season. 

Figure 1. Early installation of sensors helps minimize root and leaf damage and makes it easy to get around the field with the pickup or ATV to install the equipment. The amount and timing of irrigation applied in recent years may have very little to do with what's needed this year. Review the factors before making a decision.

Figure 1. Tar spot black stromata develop on the upper leaf first then become visible underneath too. Over time, the spots increase in size and elongate. (Photos by Tamra Jackson-Ziems) Tar spot has been confirmed in several eastern Nebraska counties in recent weeks, and distribution of the fungus is expected to continue expansion this year.

When you're grabbing herbicide at the local box store, it's crucial to take a minute to review the active ingredients before heading to checkout. Extension Educator Amy Timmerman explains in this new segment of N Field.

Nebraska producers should be on the lookout for tar spot — watch this episode of N Field for quick tips on scouting and identification.

Record-breaking heat is the weather woe for Nebraska — temperatures will surge into the 100s statewide, likely triggering excessive heat warnings for many areas.

By adding hogs to his corn and soybean operation, Nebraska farmer Walter Traudt realized benefits beyond additional revenue for the farm by using manure to increase soil health and crop yields. For one Nebraska corn and soybean producer, an attempt at expanding operations revolutionized his whole approach to farming. Read more about his experience here.

Two Nebraska Department of Agriculture programs, NextGen and Negotiations, are valuable resources for Nebraska producers seeking help as beginning farmers and ranchers, and to solve various operational setbacks, such as ag loan and credit issues, fence repairs, and more. A new webinar shares details on NDA's beginning farmer tax credit and the farm mediation programs.

Key findings from the study indicate that while current adoption rates are relatively low — only 14% of cattle operations with cropland used cover crops as of 2017 — there are notable variations depending on the type of operation. (IANR News photo) The research team's work underscores the potential for significant expansion in the use of cover crops, particularly in areas where integration with livestock is feasible.

Amit Jhala discusses a project titled "Critical Time of Cereal Rye Termination for Better Palmer Amaranth Suppression After Corn Planting." Nebraska producers learned about the latest extension research at this year's Weed Management Field Day, including pre-emergence herbicides for Palmer amaranth in soybean, herbicides for herbicide-resistant weeds in corn, volunteer corn in Enlist corn and more.

The focus of this workshop will be on the practical aspects of managing data and performing mixed model analyses, and participants are encouraged to bring their own datasets to explore options.