Latest Updates from cropwatch.unl.edu

Although the immediate aftermath of a fast-moving fire can look quite devastating, perennial pasture grasses are resilient and will recover, especially since they are still dormant. Grazing management recommendations for producers affected by wildfire in central Nebraska in late February and considerations for establishing new alfalfa stands this spring.

While most areas in Nebraska have received good snowfall or rain this winter, there is always some uncertainty for spring and summer precipitation. So, the key first step in devising a successful spring and summer grazing and forage strategy is to develop or adjust a good drought plan for your operation. Extension educators share growth impacts of fall dormancy in alfalfa and recommendations for building your spring and summer grazing and forage plans.

With recent warm weather, army cutworms have been spotted in southern Sioux County and central Lincoln County. Producers should begin scouting for this pest to mitigate crop damage, particularly in winter wheat and alfalfa.

The 2024 Weed Management Field Day will feature on-site demonstrations of new technology and herbicides for corn, soybean and sorghum. This year's Weed Management Field Day will feature in-person tours and field experiments to give attendees a closer look at new herbicides and technologies.

In this episode, the FarmBits team chats with Caro Córdova about emerging soil health technologies and resources for producers in Nebraska.

Resources are available for people who want to help producers affected by fires, and the affected producers. A meeting March 12 will provide more information. (UNL Beef photo by David Orr) Central Nebraska producers seeking help with wildfire recovery are encouraged to attend to an informational meeting on March 12 in North Platte.

Chances are increasing for precipitation late next week, with potential for snow in western Nebraska and significant moisture in the eastern region.

A farmer walks a weedy sugarbeet field at a weed tour in June at the UNL Panhandle Research Extension and Education Center in Scottsbluff. (Photo by Chabella Guzman) Academics, industry leaders, and impacted stakeholders will discuss Palmer amaranth's current and anticipated impacts across the Midwest during this free, live-streamed event.

Hosted by Science for Success, a three-part webinar beginning March 8 will provide soybean producers with insights from university faculty and extension specialists across the nation on numerous production challenges. The three-part webinar series in March will discuss soybean production considerations such as planting dates, seed treatments, fertilizer, fungicide, late season dessication and more.

This CAP webinar on farm electricity costs features discussion from F. John Hay, extension educator — energy, UNL Department of Biological Systems Engineering, and Rick Stowell, professor and animal environmental engineer, UNL Department of Animal Science. This webinar explores how farms are charged for electricity and ways to identify and possibly slash costs.

Housing, insurance and vehicles can provide another form of compensation for returning farm or ranch family members. However, it's best for all family members in the operation to get non-monetary compensation in writing before any official employment begins. The first in a series of Center for Agricultural Profitability articles that will highlight ideas and tactics for bringing another family member into the operation.

(From left) James Schnable, Rebecca Roston and Toshihiro Obata hold young sorghum plants outside of the Bioscience Greenhouses on City Campus. The researchers are part of a $1.8 million grant from the National Science Foundation to try to boost the cold tolerance of sorghum, and eventually corn and other crops, by harnessing the power of the plant’s circadian rhythms. (Photo by Craig Chandler, University Communication and Marketing) Researchers are examining the way sorghum uses fats and chemicals for defense against low temperatures, and comparing it to the cold tolerance characteristics of foxtail millet to find answers.

Nebraska Dry Bean Growers Association President Dan Hinman (left) leads a raffle with help from Lesli Howell, NDBGA office manager/Bean Bag editor. Attendees of the event heard from the Nebraska Department of Ag about ongoing initiatives to expand the dry bean export market, and learned more about the 2024 weather outlook.

Rajib Saha (left), Richard L. and Carol S. McNeel associate professor of chemical and biomolecular engineering, and Niaz Bahar Chowdhury, doctoral student. (Photo by Craig Chandler, University Communication and Marketing) Scientists involved in the study are investigating the creation of new hybrids and utilizing beneficial fungus to mitigate temperature stress in corn.

The 2024 TAPS program will include sprinkler corn and continuous corn competitions in North Platte, Nebraska, the sorghum competition in Grant, Nebraska, and a new soybean competition near Mead, Nebraska. The March 21 Kickoff Event is open to the public and will usher in the 2024 TAPS Competition, which features a new soybean contest at ENREEC for contestants.

Quicken is an easy program for people unfamiliar with accounting terms to use, making it a good place to start when changing from a hand-kept cash accounting system to computerized records. Nebraska Extension’s new virtual Quicken course will teach participants how to use the features of the program in a self-paced setting. The course will lead users through hands-on sessions to develop a simple set of financial records and reports using Quicken, with exercises based on a case farm to walk through practical applications.

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. Nebraskans can attend a free, in-person farm and ag law clinic in Fairbury or Norfolk in March, or call to arrange a virtual/phone appointment.

Historical farmland data for Nebraska is available at USDA. Nebraska lost 100 farms and ranches throughout 2023.

Historical potato stocks data for Nebraska is available at USDA. Nebraska had 4.40 million cwt of potatoes in storage on Feb. 1, which represents 40% of 2023 production.

Historical crop values for Nebraska are available at USDA. While the overall value of Nebraska's 2023 crops is down 11% from 2022, the state's winter wheat production value is up 16%.