Latest Updates from cropwatch.unl.edu

Finding, hiring, and retaining quality employees are major challenges for Nebraska agricultural businesses. In December Nebraska Extension will host seminars to help ag employers learn practices to help motivate and empower their employees.

Nebraska's corn harvest was 96% complete, near 99% for both last year and the five-year average. Sorghum harvest was 97% done, near 99% for both last year and the average.

Figure 1. Fusarium head blight (Photo by Stephen A. Harrison, Louisiana State University)

Achieving major advances in crop production while preserving Nebraska's healthy agricultural ecosystems is the topic of a panel discussion Nov. 25, the first of the 2019-2020 Heuermann Lectures. Attend in person or view live online.

With warmer days last week, corn harvest made good progress and by Nov. 17 was 85% done, near last year's 86% but still behind the five-year average of 91%.

Agricultural economist David Kohl will be the first speaker in the 2019-2020 Farmers and Ranchers College Series.

Our stretch of relatively dry weather is coming to an end, with three storms now forecast to roll through Nebraska in the next two weeks. Rain and snow are likely in some areas so stay informed and prepared for winter weather.

Free clinics with an agricultural law attorney and an agricultural financial counselor are being offered for farmers and ranchers at five sites across the state in December. The clinics are confidential, one-on-one meetings.

Based on November 1 conditions, Nebraska's 2019 corn crop is forecast at 1.77 billion bushels, down 1% from 2018. Soybean production is forecast at 282 million bushels, down 13%.

Two new guides from the Midwest Cover Crops Council and Nebraska Extension offer key "how to" information for growers interested in integrating cover crops into their traditional corn-soybean rotation.

Female agriculture landowners, farmers, and ranchers looking to increase their business management skills are encouraged to register for the 2019 Women Managing Agricultural Land conference.

Figure 1. Study of irrigated chickpeas at Grant (left) and harvesting irrigated chickpea plot in 2019. (Photos by Strahinja Stepanovic) Research in southwest Nebraska looks at potential water savings of adding field peas and chickpeas into corn and soybean rotations where irrigation water is limited. Both crops efficiently used early season precipitation to produce good dryland yields.

Low temperatures in western Nebraska may have caused some sugarbeets to start decaying, making them unacceptable for sugar production for human consumption but an economical source of feed for cattle.