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This webinar on pasture lease considerations features discussion by Anastasia Meyer, extension agricultural economist, UNL Center for Agricultural Profitability; and Aaron Berger, livestock systems educator, Nebraska Extension. This Center for Agricultural Profitability webinar reviews lease provisions that producers should have in pasture leases, as well as information about beef cow share agreements.

Thursday, April 11, 2024

Calf prices are encouraging cow-calf producers to increase cow inventories to have more calves to sell. Consider the following points when evaluating growing the cowherd.

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Nebraska Extension Educator John Thomas, right, discusses a tractor's engine with a student before the driving exam. (Photo by Chabella Guzman) The annual event will provide the training and testing necessary for Nebraska youth who require certification to perform duties on a farm, including a Hands-on Safety Day, and tractor and equipment safety training.

Extension insights on the year-to-year variability in corn yield response to irrigation and nitrogen (N) fertilizer rates throughout seven years of the TAPS sprinkler irrigated corn competition.

Coal char is applied to a cattle pen for research. After a snowfall, coal ash-applied pens dried quicker than the control pens, which was beneficial for cattle health. A byproduct of processing sugarbeets, coal char has the potential to optimize soil nutrients and increase crop yields. In this article, UNL researchers share results of a study on incorporating coal char amendments into corn and dry bean cropland.

Though the farm finance and ag law clinics are offered monthly at sites across Nebraska, remote sessions are another option — call the number below to arrange a one-on-one meeting via phone or virtual platform. There are two dates left in April for producers who are interested in receiving free legal and financial services — April 25 in Norfolk and April 26 in Greeley.

Though the startup costs can seem daunting, drones can help producers save time and reduce costs on numerous tasks involved in managing livestock. This week, extension educators weigh in on the pros and cons of drone use for livestock, and considerations for drought-damaged pastures and controlling winter annual weeds in alfalfa.

Historical crop progress data for Nebraska is available at USDA. Oat planting continues to surge ahead of average pace this year, and the winter wheat crop conditions showed slight improvement following recent precipitation.

The new Fertilizer Recommendation Support Tool, which provides critical phosphorus and potassium soil test values, will soon include a research-based phosphorus or potassium rate response information to assist farmers in selecting the minimum fertilizer rate expected to produce maximal crop yield.. The new web-based tool represents a significant advancement in soil testing for phosphorus and potassium and nutrient management, and will potentially save farmers millions of dollars annually while reducing excess nutrient losses to the environment.

Monday, April 8, 2024

Reprinted from Protein Producers, Spring 2024, and updated with statistics current as of April 2, 2024. 

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Rural Prosperity Nebraska, the community development arm of Nebraska Extension, is kicking off a series of discussions focusing on climate resiliency in rural communities. Funded by the U.S. National Science Foundation, this project, titled Rural Confluence, seeks to help educators understand and address climate issues that directly impact rural residents. An informational meeting takes place Tuesday in Niobrara. Niobrara area residents are encouraged to attend to learn how to get involved.

Friday, April 5, 2024

Disposable hypodermic needles are a necessary tool in maintaining cattle health. They provide a convenient and economical route to deliver products to animals in a safe and effective manner. Understanding when and how to use them are key components in a herd health protocol.  

Choosing the right needle

Source: BQA Field Guide, www.bqa.org

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Are you prepared for severe weather in 2024? In this episode, extension reviews some of the most important aspects of preparing for weather-related emergencies on the farm.

Nebraska Extension Educator Amy Timmerman reflects on how the 2019 bomb cyclone affected Nebraskans, both then and now, and where individuals can seek help to cope with lingering impacts.

The current outlook is trending toward favoring an early planting window in the core production areas of Nebraska, with drier conditions likely most of next week into the week of April 15.

This online resource highlights groundwater and surface water facts and statistics for the state of Nebraska.

Figuring out the best manure application plan for their fields are Sam Cares (left) and Lance Chandler at the recent Nebraska Extension “Manure Better” land application training. (Photo by Chabella Guzman) Attendees of the Manure Better workshop delved into multiple hands-on activities, from calculating and calibrating manure applications to looking at the nutrients and crop needs.

The Cover Crops Field Day is free to attend, scheduled for 1-3 p.m. April 30 in Concord. (ENREEC photo) Attendees of the Cover Crops Field Day will learn about the N equivalence of cover crops, identifying species and understanding growth stages, and ways to incorporate cover crops to mitigate nitrate leaching in cornfields.

Jamie Lahowetz manages the High Plains Regional Climate Center’s Automated Weather Data Network, which collects and processes a range of climate data across a six-state region. The center, affiliated with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, is operated by the School of Natural Resources at Nebraska. (Photo by Ryan Soderlin, University of Nebraska at Omaha) The new online wind climatology tool provides detailed wind data for any location in Nebraska, which will have practical, valuable applications for the agriculture industry, energy sector and emergency services.