Feed aggregator

Saturday, August 1, 2020

Early Detection and Rapid Response (EDRR) is a concept to identify potentially invasive species prior to or just as the establishment of the invasive is taking place.  An Integrated Pest Management plan (IPM) can be developed to manage, contain and eradicate the invasive species before it can spread further.  This will avoid costly, long-term control efforts.

Leafy Spurge 

a.k.a. - wolf’s milk, faitours-grass, tithymal
Scientific name:  Euphorbia esula L.
Family:  Euphorbiaceae – (Spurge family)

Spanish: 

Saturday, August 1, 2020

Whether grazed, harvested for hay, or cut for silage, warm season annual grasses are the kings of forage production.  Common species like forage sorghum, sudangrass, sorghum/sudangrass hybrids, and millets grow best under warmer temperatures, with peak performance at 75-90°F.  All species are highly productive with sudangrass on the lower end producing 3-5 tons per acre and forage sorghum recording yields up to 11 tons per acre.

Spanish: 

2019 Harlan County Wheat Plot Tour. Photo courtesy of Dawn Hetrick, Harlan County Extension Office. Variety selection is one of the most important decisions a winter wheat grower has to make. The right or wrong decision can enhance or negate all other factors in profitable wheat farming.

Corn is progressing near the five-year average with 61% silking, while soybean is progressing ahead of average with 75% blooming and 31% setting pods. Both crops declined slightly in condition since last week according to the USDA’s National Agricultural Statistics Service. The winter wheat harvest is progressing ahead of average at 79% complete.

Saturday, August 1, 2020

The 21st annual University of Nebraska–Lincoln Gudmundsen Sandhills Laboratory (GSL) Open House will be Wednesday, August 26, 2020. The GSL Open House committee made the decision this year to transition the program to live webinar and will offer attendees to interact with presenters. Morning speakers from UNL and Elanco will update producers on beef quality assurance (BQA) programming in Nebraska, discuss why low-stress cattle handling matters, explain the benefits of third-party audits, and review beef sustainability. 

Spanish: 

Last year in another state, 14 horses died and another 100 were sickened from hay that contained blister beetles. Usually Blister beetles are not a problem, but growers should be aware of the insect and what to scout for in their fields.

With corn tassels emerging across the state, there are more questions about foliar fungicide use in corn. Foliar fungicides are valuable tools for management of some important diseases of corn. For over a decade, fungicide use in corn has become increasingly popular for many farmers for a number of reasons, including physiological effects they may provide.

The following diseases were reported in samples submitted to the UNL Plant and Pest Diagnostic Clinic from July 1 through July 15.

Figure 1. Wouldn’t it be great to have a soil water gauge to help determine when the crop water supply is getting low just like the gauge in a pickup that tells how much fuel is left. Irrigation expenses are usually the biggest energy cost on the farm. On dry years, they become even higher. So how does one know when the system must be started and when it can be turned off? How should the low commodity prices this year affect these decisions?

July has resulted in numerous storm events. According to the Storm Prediction Center preliminary storm reports, so far there have been 16 tornado reports issued, 68 hail reports, and 197 wind reports this month.

With recent storm damage, the following are resources and considerations when it comes to crop insurance and irrigating storm damaged fields.

Simulations of 2020 end-of-season corn yield potential and real-time crop stage were performed on July 14 for 40 locations across the US Corn Belt using the UNL Hybrid-Maize crop model in collaboration with faculty and extension educators from ten universities.

A Nebraska Extension online course designed to help farmers and ranchers improve their decision-making by better understanding their current financial positions will begin Aug. 1.

Soil microbiology is a universal and essential component of agricultural soils. This NebGuide provides basic information of soil microbiology, microbial functions, microbial enhancement, and microbial assessment.

Saturday, August 1, 2020

Consumers who buy a live animal from a local cattle producer or 4-H member for custom processing are often surprised by the amount of beef they receive, the amount of freezer space needed and that they did not get back the entire live weight of the animal in retail cuts.  This article will discuss how to estimate how much meat you will receive when purchasing an animal to harvest.

Dressing Percentage is an important term to remember as it represents the portion of the live animal weight that transfers to the hot carcass weight.

Spanish: 

Silks and tassels are emerging and the smell of pollen is in the air in fields throughout the State! Two recent articles from Dr. Bob Nielsen, Purdue University, may be helpful for a refresher and also to learn something new regarding silk and tassel development and pollination.

Corn is rated 70% good to excellent and progressing ahead of last year but behind the five-year average. Soybean is rated 73% good to excellent and is progressing ahead of both last year and the five-year average. Winter wheat harvest is ahead of previous years with 50% complete. Pasture and range condition are rated 48% good to excellent, down from 63% from the previous report.

Early Detection and Rapid Response (EDRR) is a concept to identify potentially invasive species prior to or just as the establishment of the invasive is taking place.

Nebraska Extension has release a new NebGuide (G2326) to help growers understand the various herbicide-resistant soybean traits that are available commercially.