Latest Updates from cropwatch.unl.edu

Figure 1. ARS scientists have discovered genes in sorghum that can double the amount of grain that the plant produces. (Photo by Robert Klein, USDA ARS) ARS scientists have discovered genes in sorghum that can double the amount of grain the plant produces.

This week the USDA Farm Service Agency announced that payments now are available to eligible producers in Nebraska who lost stored commodities due to natural disaster in 2018 or 2019.

These clinics are private, one-on-one meetings with an agricultural law attorney and an agricultural financial counselor.

Meeting the education needs of youth and lifelong learners in agriculture and natural resource is the goal of a new education compact among the University of Nebraska–Lincoln and six Nebraska institutions.

Figure 1. This fall is an optimum time to assess the need for buffer strips to protect waterways from potential runoff of pesticides, fertilizers, and sediment. Funding assistance for buffers is available from the Nebraska Department of Agriculture. (Photo courtesy of NRCS)

Local farmers and ranchers with experience grazing cover crops on row crop acres will be among the speakers at Grazing Cover Workshops to be held at four sites in November.

While the ARC and PLC programs were carried over from the 2014 Farm Bill with relatively modest changes, the substantial drop in market prices and outlook since 2014 pointed toward a widespread shift in enrollment away from ARC and toward PLC due to the increased relevance of the price safety net. However, with this year’s extreme weather events, concerns over crop production, and hopes for improved trade prospects, there has been some recovery in commodity prices that could affect farm program supports and producer preferences. The author looks at various program options and the impacts of selecting them.