Feed aggregator

USDA is aware that people across the country have received suspicious, unsolicited packages of seed that appear to be coming from China. USDA’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) is working closely with the Department of Homeland Security’s Customs and Border Protection, other federal agencies, and State departments of agriculture to investigate the situation.

Free legal and financial clinics are being offered for farmers and ranchers across the state in August 2020. The clinics are one-on-one meetings with an agricultural law attorney and an agricultural financial counselor.

Cutting and windrowing forage wheat in south central Nebraska for processing into wheatlage. (Photos by Todd Whitney) Several things need to be considered when deciding what value to place on standing forage. Forage prices reflect current inventories, demand, expected current season production and associated yield risk, and quality characteristics.

Corn is rated 75% good to excellent and progressing ahead of the five-year average. Soybean is rated 80% good to excellent and also progressing ahead of the five-year average, according to the USDA's National Agricultural Statistics Service. The winter wheat harvest is nearly complete (93%) and dry edible beans are progressing ahead of the previous year.

Rabbit Hemorrhagic Disease Virus Type 2 (RHDV-2) has been identified in the southern and western states in the United States. The State Veterinarian, the Nebraska Department of Agriculture (NDA), Nebraska 4-H, and the Nebraska State Fair are in on-going communication to determine how this disease will impact the State 4-H Rabbit Show.

At this time, RHDV-2 has not been diagnosed in Nebraska; we will continue to watch closely for any cases and stay updated with the NDA. The NDA is also collaborating and staying in close contact with the Nebraska Game and Parks Commission to increase awareness and surveillance if needed should the NDA receive any reports indicating an increase in deaths in our wild rabbit populations in the state.

With the increased concern of RHDV-2, all 4-H rabbits exhibiting at the 2020 Nebraska State Fair must have a Certificate of Veterinary Inspection (CVI) within 15 days of the exhibition. The CVI must list the Nebraska State Fair as consignee and will need to have the official identification (ear tattoo) listed on all rabbits being exhibited during the State Fair. The health papers will be checked by a representative of the State Veterinarians' Office.

Each CVI must:

• Be issued by an accredited licensed veterinarian.
• Show name and address of own or exhibitor.
• Show that the rabbit does not have signs of RHDV-2.

The NDA has created a link for rabbit owners to review information, guidance, and links for public knowledge to increase awareness and provide guidance regarding this disease. For more information, please visit Rabbit Hemorrhagic Disease (NDA).

Additionally, the 2020 State Fair Rabbit Show format will follow the NDA's biosecurity recommendations.

• Exhibitors will arrive the morning of the rabbit show (Sunday, August 30) and bring their own carrier(s) to keep their rabbits housed through the morning/afternoon. Rabbits will not be housed not he fairgrounds as they have in the past.
• Exhibitors will show their rabbits and go home after the exhibition.
• Bring your own carpet square to place your rabbit on during the show.
• All rabbits should be quarantined for 30 days after returning from the show and all equipment and cages should be sanitized once you return home. 

We will continue to monitor the situation and keep exhibitors apprised of any other changes that need to be made.

Rabbit Hemorrhagic Design (NDA)

Saturday, August 1, 2020

Ongoing dry and drought conditions in many parts of the state are supporting hay and forage prices as we look towards this fall.

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Wheat stem sawfly (WSS) has been a very significant pest of wheat in the northern wheat-producing regions of our country such as Montana and North Dakota and well into Canada. Larvae cut and weaken the stems of maturing wheat causing the wheat to lodge creating very significant harvest losses in many situations.

Figure 1. Glyphosate-resistant Palmer amaranth infesting a corn field in south central Nebraska. (Archive photo by Amit Jhala) The 2020 in-person Weed Management Field Days were not possible due to Covid-19. However, information about projects for this year's growing season were recorded for Virtual Field Days and are available online.

During a research plot tour at the 2019 Panhandle Agricultural Research and Technology Tour (PARTT), Integrated Weed Management Specialist Nevin Lawrence speaks in front of a weed control plot. The University of Nebraska Panhandle Research and Extension Center will partner with the Nebraska Dry Bean Growers Association on August 20 to host the annual Panhandle Agricultural Research and Technology Tour (PARTT). The in-person event will be conducted with social distancing and other precautions to prevent the spread of COVID-19.

Young lesions of the pathogen forming on sugar beet leaves. On July 13, symptoms characteristic of Cercospora leaf spot (CLS) were found on lower leaves of sugarbeets from research plots at the Panhandle Research and Extension Center at Scottsbluff.

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)

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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.

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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. 

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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.