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Nebraska’s P. Stephen Baenziger has developed wheat varieties that are used on more than 50% of Nebraska’s wheat acres. Craig Chandler | University Communication

In the spring of 2020, the pesticide safety training season — like most everything else — was upended by COVID-19. Numerous in-person training sessions were canceled, and alternative training methods were devised.

Figure 1. Soybean plant with dark discoloration at the soil surface. Dissection of this area shows two larvae, assumed to be in the third instar. Since 2018, soybean gall midge has expanded its range, claiming eight new counties in Nebraska this year. With its aggressive spread, Midwestern producers are encouraged to attend a three-part webinar series featuring the latest information on this invading soybean pest.

The 2021 Nutrient Management Record Keeping Calendars are now available from Nebraska Extension. Tracking manure application rates, part of the calendar’s recordkeeping tools, is important for getting the maximum crop nutrient value from manure and documenting one’s environmental stewardship.

A drone’s eye view of UNL dry bean variety trial plots at the Mitchell Ag Lab north of Scottsbluff. Results of the 2020 variety trials for dry edible beans and field peas conducted by the University of Nebraska Panhandle Research and Extension Center are now available.

The 2021 Nebraska Crop Production Clinics will feature live presentations on research updates and information tailored to regional crop issues and grower interests via Zoom for nine days throughout January. The 2021 Nebraska Crop Production Clinics will feature research updates and information tailored to regional crop issues and grower interests in a new online format this year. The sessions, which will be hosted via Zoom, will cover a wide range of topics, including cropping system management, soil nutrition, irrigation, pest management, ag technology and agribusiness management.

2020 is delivering more challenges than many of us have experienced before. The holiday season is quickly approaching and potentially could be more stressful than previous years given all of the events of the past year. As individuals and families plan holiday gatherings during a global pandemic, many will be modifying holiday traditions based on ensuring the safety and well-being of families and others. Breaking from rituals can be challenging and upsetting, however, with some planning and creative thinking these changes might help your family develop new traditions.

Children and youth often anxiously await the holidays which often mean a time to gather with family, share gifts, and participate in traditions such as baking favorite holiday foods, decorating one’s home, or attending religious celebrations. Changes to holiday traditions and routines might add to youth’s feelings of anxiety, sadness, or depression. Research shows that the social, emotional, and mental health of our youth have been negatively affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. The mental health impacts of COVID-19 and potential changes to a typical holiday routine can compound the feelings and emotions youth are experiencing.

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Friday, December 4, 2020

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. More information about the BeefWatch Webinar Series can be found on our webpage: https://beef.unl.edu/beefwatch-webinar-series 

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Dipak Santra, alternative crops breeding specialist, stands in the field pea variety trial plots. Results of University of Nebraska-Lincoln’s 2020 variety trials for field peas have been compiled and posted in the variety trials section of the CropWatch website.

Photo by Glennis McClure

The 2021 University of Nebraska-Lincoln crop budgets include 83 production budgets for 15 crops as well as information on crop budgeting procedures, standard costs used and a production cost summary. One new spring wheat budget was added this year, No. 74, using southwest Nebraska land values.

Wednesday, December 2, 2020 In a joint effort, Nebraska, Iowa, and Missouri Extension are hosting a free three day webinar series in January to address how producers can capture the economic value of decisions. Each webinar will begin at 7:00 PM Central Time and will last for about an hour. Registration includes all three webinars.Spanish: 

Manure application on frozen or snow-covered soil poses a higher risk of nutrient loss through runoff. A blanket of fresh white snow and icicles hanging from the trees and fences make for beautiful winter photos. They don’t, however, make for beautiful manure application weather.

Image Source: by K Kohel in Canva

Traditions, rituals, and routines are good for all of us. They contribute to a shared sense of meaning, increase our connection to others, and can even support resilience in difficult or stressful times. The winter holiday season is one that is looked forward to by many families and young children. Various traditions bring family and friends of all ages together to share meals, exchange gifts, and simply be in the presence of loved ones.

The 2020 holiday season is not exempt from the changes brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic. We know this holiday season may be experienced differently by many of our readers, and we want to acknowledge any feelings of confusion, frustration, sadness, or anger that you may be experiencing. We hope this blog provides encouragement and a few ideas for connecting with loved ones and making this a meaningful holiday season.

Young children are often more perceptive of adult emotions than we expect. They may not understand why the adults in their lives are upset, but they can sense that something is not quite right. As adults, it is important that we model emotional awareness and self-regulation for young children and invite them into conversations about emotions. Read for Resilience is a Learning Child program that is free and available to all through our website. This program aims to help adults and children share conversations about difficult topics through the process of reading and discussing storybooks.

If this holiday season is made more difficult due to loss or feelings of grief, sadness, and frustration, consider a ritual that acknowledges those feelings and helps your family share them together. For example, if you have lost a loved one this year, consider making a special ornament to hang on your tree with their picture or a symbol that reminds you of their life. Use the hanging of this ornament as a special time to share memories of that person.

Although your traditions may look different this year, it is still important to connect with loved ones. If you are “gathering” with your family online, consider having a conversation with your children about why your traditions are important to you and your family. Ask older members of the family to share how some traditions have been passed down and others have changed over the years. Encourage older family members to reminisce about the holidays when they were children, and have young children talk about how things are both the same and different than they used to be. Have all members take time to share what they are grateful for. These intentional conversations help build relationships among the many generations in your family.

Finally, many families and communities of different backgrounds have special celebrations that occur throughout the year. In addition to celebrating your family’s treasured traditions – perhaps in new ways – consider taking the time to learn about the traditions and holidays of others.

Image source: by K Kohel, in Canva

For more on routines, rituals, and traditions during the holiday season, check out these other Learning Child blog posts:

1. Teaching Kindness and Giving with a Holiday Twist
2. Connect with Your Children this Holiday Season
3. Tips to Manage Holiday Stress
4. The Power of Storytelling
5. Keeping Routines is the Secret to a Calm Holiday

And these additional resources (also linked in the blog):

1. How Important is Thanksgiving Soup to a Child’s Wellbeing?
2. Creating Routines for Love and Learning
3. Let’s Use this Time to Strengthen, Not Weaken, Bonds Between Generations

Staying Connected During Social Distancing

KARA KOHEL, EXTENSION EDUCATOR | THE LEARNING CHILD

Peer Reviewed by Leanne Manning, , Lisa Poppe, and Lynn DeVries, Extension Educators, The Learning Child

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

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With the legalization of various hemp types across the United States, there is also interest in organic (chemical-free) production of hemp. This is especially true for those hemp types that are grown for various oils, for pharmaceutical and medical use, where chemical residues are not allowed. Weed control without chemicals can be challenging, however, one method of weed control that leaves no chemical residues in plants, soil or water is commonly known as flame weeding.

Tuesday, December 1, 2020

What is a respectable beef replacement heifer value for the coming 2020-2021 production season? The weather and COVID-19 gave the beef industry a wild ride this past year and may affect the decision to buy or sell replacement animals for the upcoming year.

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