Feed aggregator

As we get close to soybean harvest, some herbicides can be applied as harvest aids (desiccant) to desiccate weeds and improve harvest operation. While weeds can interfere with harvest equipment, some producers see the benefit of a harvest aid in creating a more rapid and efficient harvest.

Our forecasts suggest a near-average year for irrigated corn at most sites. For rainfed corn, the scenario is diverse across regions.

Time spent waiting in a grain cart or truck on the edges of fields while the combine fills may feel like wasted time and lead to frustration. Why not make the most of that time by using it to collect soil samples for soybean cyst nematode (and other) analyses?

Poor stalk quality can cause stalk lodging and breakage, leading to harvest difficulties. This could cause yield loss and create issues of volunteer corn for next year's crops due to ears lost from lodged corn.

Acetolactate synthase (ALS)-inhibitor resistant Palmer amaranth is difficult to control in dry beans. Currently labeled pre-emergence (PRE) and preplant incorporated (PPI) herbicides are effective for controlling ALS-inhibitor resistant Palmer amaranth. However, a post-emergence (POST) herbicide is generally needed to provide season-long control.

Since 1976, when the initial group of 235 campers arrived at the Eastern Nebraska 4-H Center to enjoy a week of summer fun, our mission has been to serve the youth of Nebraska and provide opportunities for them to Discover, Learn, and Grow. Over the past 44 years, we have been successful in supporting our mission through a variety of program options, including adult and youth retreat, outdoor education, summer overnight camp, and day camp programs.

As you know, COVID-19 has had an unprecedented impact on the world that we once knew, including having significant impacts to our camp program. In early April, we made the very difficult decision to cancel all of our in-person programs including spring outdoor education and summer camp events. As a primarily seasonal business where most of our operating revenues are collected during the summer months to support our operations year-round, this decision had a significant impact on our budget. Thankfully, as sound fiscal managers, we had a reserve revenue fund to continue to operate through this time to continue programming virtually and salaries for five full-time employees. Unfortunately, we have come to the end of this reserve fund and discussions have turned to our next steps.

As part of the process, we explored how the Nebraska 4-H camp program can better reach youth where they are with innovative programs, utilizing research-based curricula delivered with a hands-on experimental learning model by talented youth development professionals. We are pleased to announce a NEW environmental education program series that will include both virtual and place-based programs for schools, home-school families, and afterschool programs. Of course, current and future 4-H members will always be among our key clients. As part of our goal to reach more youth, and with thoughtful consideration of the University of Nebraska–Lincoln, our state 4-H team, and the Nebraska 4-H Foundation, we have made the extremely difficult decision to cease all operations at the Eastern Nebraska 4-H Center in Gretna effective August 1, 2020.

While we may not have the same site presence, one thing that remains the same is our commitment to our partnership with you to help us work toward our mission to provide opportunities for youth to Discover, Learn, and Grow and we invite you to consider continuing your partnership with Nebraska 4-H in various ways.

Although we are disappointed in the closure of the Eastern Nebraska 4-H Center, we are hopeful that our renewed commitment to broader environmental education offerings for youth will bring a new era of Nebraska 4-H Camping.

Wednesday, September 9, 2020 This is the final session of a four-part webinar series on calf health management on arrival. Dr. Brian Vander Ley discusses the limitations of remote drug delivery devices (dart guns) for cattle health management.Spanish: 

Wednesday, September 9, 2020 This video is part of the Calf Health Management on Arrival webinar series. John Schroeder, manager of Darr Feedlot near Cozad, NE, highlights some of their receiving protocols and feeding programs for calves on arrival.Spanish: 

Wednesday, September 9, 2020 This is the third session of a four-part webinar series on calf health management on arrival. Dr. Clint Krehbiel discusses the role of nutrition in health maintenance of calves.Spanish: 

Wednesday, September 9, 2020 This is the second session of a four-part webinar series on calf health management on arrival. Dr. Dan Thomson discusses arrival health programs for high-risk calves. Dr. Thomson shares some handling procedures that reduce arrival stress and promote health.Spanish: 

Wednesday, September 9, 2020 This is the first session of a four-part webinar series on calf health management on arrival. Dr. John Groves shares a systems approach to maintaining health in high-risk calves. Dr. Groves provides a virtual demonstration of how he works with clients on penning cattle to minimize health risk.Spanish: 

Patches of yellowing or dying soybeans have been observed and are a cause of concern across many areas of Nebraska in the last 2 weeks. Some of these areas are due to several diseases described here.

Over the past two years of the study across multiple locations, we found that yield response to applied N rates was evident only in the wet year. In a dry year, grain protein was elevated in an inverse reciprocation to the reduced grain yield. These findings suggest for the need to be able to manage and adjust N according to weather, particularly to spring moisture. There were benefits of applying N in spring or split over fall application, but the effect was not consistent across sites and years. There is much to do before crop sensors can be used in winter wheat N management in the state, but we have encouraging results suggesting their potential use.

The following diseases and pests were reported in samples submitted to the UNL Plant and Pest Diagnostic Clinic from August 16 through September 2, 2020.

Are you seeing ears drooping over earlier? What should you expect come harvest time?

Nebraska 4-H camps in partnership with Douglas-Sarpy County Extension is offering a handful of science-based school-year day camps this fall. Through these experiences, youth have the opportunity to explore the natural world at Schramm State Recreation Area. These day camps allow youth to connect with friends while enjoying their natural surroundings. The sessions are open to all youth ages 6-14. Youth do not need to be enrolled in 4-H to participate. All of the sessions will follow CDC and ACA guidelines for in-person activities, with hand sanitizer, masks, and social distancing. For more details and a complete list of sessions, visit the School Year Camps webpage. 

School Year Camps

The 2020 State 4-H Livestock Judging Contest will be held on Sunday, October 20th at the University of Nebraska–Lincoln Animal Science Complex. Registration/Check-in will be at 7:00 AM that morning with the contest beginning at 8:00 AM. As of now, the National 4-H Livestock Judging Contest is moving forward as planned, and our state-level contest is vital for a team to qualify for the national level.

There will be changes to this year's contest:

• This will be a senior division only contest. Each team will be limited to 5 contestants and only one coach and one other chaperone if needed.
• Everyone attending the contest will wear a mask and hand sanitizing stations will be present throughout the facility.
• Livestock classes will be arranged in a more spread-out fashion and we may implement a 2-round system for the placings portion of the contest.
• Youth will maintain at least a 10-foot distance from the reasons takers during that portion of the competition.
• We will not arrange a live awards ceremony on site. Awards will be announced online. Awards will be mailed.
• We will not provide any pencils, clipboards, paper, etc. Each team must bring their own materials. We will only handout placing cards and contestant numbers in the team packets.
• We will not provide lunch. We plan to have the contest finished by 1:00-2:00 PM. If a hotel room is needed for Saturday night, the Staybridge Suites I-80 will be providing a special rate.

If hotel rooms are needed for Saturday night, the Staybridge Suites I-80 will be providing a special rate.

Registration is open now and will close at noon on Wednesday, September 16th. Registration must be completed through county Extension offices. 

State 4-H Livestock Judging Contest

As many farmers are getting ready to begin harvest, those who grow winter wheat are preparing to plant. There are many reasons why growers have been planting winter wheat in eastern Nebraska.