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Reducing Yield Loss in Wheat Through Fungicide Seed Treatments

Latest Updates from cropwatch.unl.edu - Tue, 09/01/2020 - 15:39
Fungicide seed treatments help to reduce losses caused by seed transmitted and soilborne fungal diseases of wheat. Some systemic seed treatment products contain a fungicide and an insecticide and offer additional protection against fall season foliar diseases and insects such as aphids which also transmit barley yellow dwarf virus.

Precision Nitrogen Management On-Farm Research Project

Latest Updates from cropwatch.unl.edu - Tue, 09/01/2020 - 15:33
Are you interested in how agriculture technologies can improve nitrogen management on your farm? Nebraska Extension received a $1.2 million On-Farm Conservation Innovation grant from USDA – Natural Resource Conservation Service which connects corn and wheat producers across Nebraska with access to cutting-edge technologies through on-farm research.

Wheat Stem Sawfly in 2020

Latest Updates from cropwatch.unl.edu - Tue, 09/01/2020 - 09:06
A few more growers and wheat acres in Nebraska became familiar with wheat stem sawfly damage during this past growing season.

More than Counting: Incorporating Math into Daily Interactions with Preschoolers

Latest Updates from child.unl.edu - Tue, 09/01/2020 - 08:00
Image Source: Pixels, Cottonbro

Many parents report that time is their biggest barrier to teaching their children. Because there are limited hours in the day, math is the topic that often gets left out. However, it is important to recognize that we do not have to set aside specific time dedicated only to math. Math concepts can be incorporated into activities and routines that you are already doing. These strategies can help you maximize your time, and also show children how math applies in real world settings. It takes intentional effort, but once you have made math engagement a norm, your child will initiate many of the interactions.

1. Eating

Help your child set the table. How many people are eating the meal? Each person needs one plate, one fork, and one napkin. Meal and snack time also provide a great opportunity to expose your child to mathematical language terms (Would you like more carrots? Who has the most bread?). You can also count small snacks like raisins or crackers and ask questions (How many will you have if I give you one more? How many will you have left after you eat two?).

Resources: One Gooey Layer after Another, Eating Up Patterns

2. Reading

While reading to your child, try asking math-related questions and initiating math-related conversations (How many ducks can you see? Let’s count the animals with two legs and the animals with four legs and add them up.). ,

Resources: Mighty Math Books, Maths through Stories

3. Driving

While you are in the car or on the bus, you can help your child count and compare the things that you see. Turn it into a game! “You count the red cars and I’ll count the blue cars. Then we can compare them and see if we saw more red or blue cars.” or “I noticed that car is stopped.  You look for a car that is moving.”

Resource: Get Ready for Road Trips with Our Math On the Go Printable!

4. Playing

Think about some ways that you can incorporate math into playing with your child’s favorite toys. Does your child like dinosaurs? Sort them (by color, size, etc.) and then count the groups. Which group has the most? Which group has the fewest? Then try sorting them by a different trait and compare the groups again.

Resources: Sorting Socks , NAEYC Math at Home Toolkit

5. Talking

Ask questions that prompt your child’s mathematical thinking. Sometimes your child will say things that surprise you, or respond incorrectly to a question. Rather than immediately correcting, try to find the right answer together. Ask follow up questions that help your child figure it out on their own. This is also a good strategy when your child responds correctly. Try prompting with “Wow! How did you figure that out?” or “Show me why you think there would be three.”

Resource: Talking about Math All Around Us! On-The-Go Cards The most important thing to remember when engaging your child in math is to have fun. Set an example that math engagement is a positive and enjoyable experience. The interaction should center on a positive experience with you, with math learning as an added bonus.

AMY NAPOLI, EXTENSION SPECIALIST | UNIVERSITY OF NEBRASKA

Peer Reviewed by Lynn DeVries, Extension Educator, The Learning Child and Linda Reddish, Extension Educator, The Learning Child

Make sure to follow The Learning Child on social media for more research-based early childhood education resources!

Drought Decisions: Profit Maximizing Decisions During and After Drought Conditions

Latest Updates from beef.unl.edu - Mon, 08/31/2020 - 10:23
Tuesday, September 1, 2020 Forage, pasture, and weather conditionsSpanish: 

Corn, Soybean Condition Declines, but Progressing Well

Latest Updates from cropwatch.unl.edu - Thu, 08/27/2020 - 15:30
Corn condition is rated 66% good to excellent, down from 73% the previous week, with 96% dough and 60% dented. Soybean condition is rated 71% good to excellent, down from 76% the previous week, with 98% setting pods and 5% dropping leaves.

Extension Crop and Pest Reports (Aug. 24-28)

Latest Updates from cropwatch.unl.edu - Thu, 08/27/2020 - 15:21
Extension educators report on what they are seeing in the fields this week in the panhandle, Platte, Boone, Nance, Phelps, Harlan, Furnas, Gosper, Adams, Kearney and Webster counties.

Webinar - Cover Crops in Corn Systems: Opportunities for Dual Use - Set for Sept. 15th

Latest Updates from cropwatch.unl.edu - Thu, 08/27/2020 - 15:10
Can planting cover crops in corn systems provide the dual benefits of improving soil health and be an economical source of forage? This webinar will cover lessons learned on incorporating cover crops after corn silage, high moisture corn, and dry corn harvest in Nebraska. The session will consist of short presentations with ample time for questions and discussion.

How Much Nitrogen Does My Cover Crop Take Up and When Do I Get It Back?

Latest Updates from cropwatch.unl.edu - Thu, 08/27/2020 - 14:39
Rye in continuous corn April 19, 2018 at the Eastern Nebraska Research and Education Center near Mead. With growing interest in cover crops, it is important to understand how cover crops might impact soil fertility for the following cash crop. Nitrogen (N) provided by cover crop biomass may be used in the short-term by the following crop, and in the long-term through improving soil N content and reducing fertilizer input costs.

Drought and Pasture Lease Considerations

Latest Updates from beef.unl.edu - Thu, 08/27/2020 - 14:28
Tuesday, September 1, 2020

Few words cause as much concern for those with pasture or rangeland as drought.  In 2012 when the latest widespread drought covered most of the state, some of the most difficult conversations were occurring between landowners with pasture and their tenants.   

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Nebraska Extension to Host BeefWatch Webinar Series

Latest Updates from beef.unl.edu - Thu, 08/27/2020 - 13:41
Tuesday, September 1, 2020

The University of Nebraska-Lincoln Extension will host the 2020 BeefWatch Webinar Series. The webinars will take place weekly beginning on Tuesday, October 6.

The BeefWatch Webinar series is designed to highlight management strategies in grazing, nutrition, reproduction, and economics to increase cow/calf and stocker production efficiency and profitability. Each session will feature industry experts and plenty of opportunity to interact to get your questions answered. 

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Cover Crops in Corn Systems: Opportunities for Dual Use Webinar Scheduled for September 15th

Latest Updates from beef.unl.edu - Thu, 08/27/2020 - 13:20
Tuesday, September 1, 2020

Can planting cover crops in corn systems provide the dual benefits of improving soil health and be an economical source of forage? This webinar will cover lessons learned on incorporating cover crops after corn silage, high moisture corn, and dry corn harvest in Nebraska. The session will consist of short presentations with ample time for questions and discussion.

The webinar will be held via Zoom on September 15th at 7:00 pm to 8:30 pm (central time).

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2020 Corn Yield Forecasts as of August 25

Latest Updates from cropwatch.unl.edu - Thu, 08/27/2020 - 11:33
This article summarizes the simulated crop stages and yield forecasts performed on August 25 for 40 locations across the US Corn Belt using the UNL Hybrid-Maize crop model.

Husker Harvest Days Goes Virtual, Nebraska Extension Providing Multiple Presentations

Latest Updates from cropwatch.unl.edu - Thu, 08/27/2020 - 11:19
While Husker Harvest Days won’t be in person this year, Nebraska Extension is still planning a variety of presentations for this year’s virtual experience. Nebraskans are quite creative in developing successful endeavors, particularly in times of need. With a struggling farm economy and the unknowns of the spread of viral infections, there is special emphasis on cultivating new opportunities to improve the lives of Nebraskans.

Considerations for Leasing Land for Solar Development

Latest Updates from cropwatch.unl.edu - Wed, 08/26/2020 - 10:55
The state’s largest solar farm – located just west of Lincoln off Interstate 80 – features 15,333 solar panels on 30 acres. Developed by the Lincoln Electric System and completed in June 2016, it generates approximately 5 megawatts of electricity, enough to power 900 typical homes in Lincoln. (Photo by John Hay) Renewable energy has increased significantly in recent years and the number of wind farms and the size of wind turbines are a visual reminder of renewable development. Due to higher development cost, solar electric systems, also called solar photovoltaic (PV), have lagged in commercial electric development.

Scheduling the Last Irrigation of the Season

Latest Updates from cropwatch.unl.edu - Wed, 08/26/2020 - 10:29
After a year of record flooding over much of the state, we are now in various stages of drought. With limited rainfall over most of the state this year and fairly extended hot, dry periods, many irrigators may be wondering when is the irrigation season going to end?

Overgrazing Pastures

Latest Updates from beef.unl.edu - Mon, 08/24/2020 - 13:10
Tuesday, September 1, 2020

Fully utilizing a pasture doesn’t mean it should look like a golf course. If good grass is seen in the pasture when moving to another pasture, that is usually a good thing; that’s proper management. Even during drought or drier years, management can be done well. Trying to push pasture during drought years is especially hard on pasture and can have detrimental long-term effects. Many of our pastures are very resilient and have been through very tough times. Repeat or severe abuse will take over that resiliency.

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What Are the Barriers and Benefits of Manure Use in Cropping Systems? (part 1 of 2)

Latest Updates from beef.unl.edu - Fri, 08/21/2020 - 13:47
Tuesday, September 1, 2020

Animal manures can be a “valuable asset” or a “pain in the assets”.  The right amounts in the right location can be very beneficial to Nebraska’s crop, soil, and water resources.  Too much manure or manure in the wrong place is an environmental concern. Our ability to place manure where its benefits are maximized and to manage manure so that its challenges are minimal is important to agriculture’s sustainability.

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