When Drought-stressed Pastures Look Dormant in July
As the drought that has plagued the western U.S. since 2020 hangs on, much of Nebraska is currently experiencing moderate to severe drought. July tends to be a busy time for production cows, resulting in high nutrient demands, which further exacerbates the limitations of drought-stricken grass.
Spanish:Crop Progress: Nebraska Crop Conditions Take Slight Downturn
Pasture and Forage Minute: Managing Volunteer Wheat, Drought-stressed Corn Options
Maximizing Profits Under Drought Conditions, Higher Input Costs, and National Herd Liquidation
Flexible Leases, Price Risk Management Can Offer Relief Amid Poor, Expensive Pasture Conditions
May marked the beginning that pasture and range conditions are released by USDA-AMS in their weekly crop progress reports by state. This gives the industry its first barometer of how bad the drought could be this year across the United States to the overall industry and to specific geographic areas. The USDA-AMS reports pasture and range conditions in five categories: very poor, poor, fair, good, and excellent.
Spanish:Omaha Tribe Receives $671K Grant for Hydroponic Farming
A first-of-its-kind grant will fund the building of three hydroponic greenhouses on the Omaha reservation.
Tribal Planner Mike Grant and Attorney General Theresa Rachel of the Omaha Tribe joined representatives from the University of Nebraska–Lincoln’s Rural Prosperity Nebraska initiative and the U.S. Department of Agriculture earlier this month to finalize the terms of the $671,000 agriculture grant awarded to the tribe.
Manure Application Following Silage
With silage harvest coming up quickly, manure application will soon follow. Because silage is often the first crop to come off the field, it allows for earlier manure application and thus an earlier cleanout of pens before winter. As that manure application plan develops, include best stewardship practices for optimum rates and preferred application methods in final decisions. But, wait, what do those things mean?
Spanish:Estimated Crop Water Use: July 25
Drought-stressed Corn: A Feed Opportunity
Many areas of Nebraska and surrounding states are experiencing drought and lack of water for irrigation. What are the alternatives and considerations when grain harvest won’t be a viable option?
When harvesting drought-stressed corn to feed, consider:
Spanish:Managing Early Weaned Calves
The current map from the U.S. drought monitor (Current Map | U.S. Drought Monitor (unl.edu)) has all but a small corner of Nebraska listed as abnormally dry to extreme drought. This ongoing drought has been affecting parts of the state since 2020, forcing beef cattle producers to make drought related management decisions. One of the options often proposed to help reduce pressure on drought stricken pastures is early weaning.
Spanish:Without Trust, How Does a Family Function?
Many of us that work with farm families hear stories like this: the son is home from college to start his career on the farm. He visits with his parents on a change during action or management. The son identifies a field to be converted to “no-till,” and while he goes into town for parts, his father starts disking the field. In cases like this, the son will feel like he has not been trusted to make decisions. Lack of trust among family members can be a huge issue for any family moving forward, especially if they are working on farm/ranch succession plans.
Spanish:Strategic Culling for Cowherds to Cope with Drought or High Feed Costs
The US drought monitor is indicating that drought conditions for central states, including Nebraska, remain in 2022. Seasonal outlook for the remainder of summer in Nebraska and western states is characterized as drought tendent. Persistent drought pressured forage and grain prices and deteriorated pasture conditions. Concurrently, the January US beef cow inventory declined from a peak in 2017 of 31.2 million cows to 30.1 million cows in January of this year. Implications of lower beef cow inventory on supply of feeder calves are already evident in the marketplace: f
Spanish:Late Season Pasture Fly Control
Late August and September usually signal pasture fly season should be ending. However, over the last few years our fall seasons have remained warm, sometimes well into early November and flies persist at problematic levels longer than typical. This upcoming fall season may be no different based on several meteorology forecasts. If these predictions hold true, pasture fly control efforts may be required through late fall.
Spanish:Utilizing Wheat in Feedlot Diets
The United States produced 1.65 billion bushels of wheat in 2020, with wheat ranking as the third largest produced grain after corn and soybeans. As grain prices increase, dependent on availability, utilizing wheat may be an option for producers to implement in their feeding program.
Spanish:RPN Newsletter—Third Quarter 2022
Our newsletter for the second quarter of 2022 is here!
Download the latest updates from the RPN team on community developement and vitality in Nebraska.