Latest Updates from cropwatch.unl.edu

Nathan Mueller, Nebraska Extension water and integrated cropping systems educator, speaks to participants during the 2023 4Rs Nutrient Stewardship Field Day. Throughout the field day, educators shared insights and conducted live demos on optimizing management of nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium, including via sensor-based fertigation.

A summary of the nitrogen (N) decisions made in each 2023 TAPS competition and some conclusions derived from the decisions.

A total of 164 counties have been documented as infested with soybean gall midge as of Aug. 9, with two new counties located in Kansas and six counties in Iowa. With soybean gall midge emergence dates and locations advancing in the state, Nebraska Extension educators stress the importance of scouting and building a profile to inform future treatments as research continues on management options.

Aaron Hird, USDA NRCS state soil health specialist, demonstrates the outcome of different soil health practices with a rainfall simulation to Nebraska Soil Health School attendees at UNL’s Haskell Ag Lab on Aug. 2. During its inaugural year, the Nebraska Soil Health School educated more than 200 producers and ag industry stakeholders on the latest research and practices for healthy soils to increase crop productivity.

Cattle grazing cereal rye cover crop near Tecumseh. (CropWatch file photo) Tips on selecting and planting cover crops, managing nitrate risks while grazing annuals, and preparing hay samples for testing.

In addition to associated costs, producers considering harvesting drought-stressed corn should also evaluate the impact of doing so on future crop production before making a final decision. Extension educators review the importance of understanding nitrate and nitrate nitrogen scores in forage test results, how to price corn silage to salvage drought-stressed crops, and selecting winter annual forages.

Historical crop progress data for Nebraska is available at USDA. As of Sept. 10, harvest was at 2% for corn and 3% for dry edible beans, and crop conditions declined slightly from the previous week.

To receive the weekly crop water use report via text message, subscribe on the PHREC AgLab site.

Nebraska Extension Educator Gary Stone shares an update on this week's crop water use and expectations for the end of the irrigation season.

Historical crop progress data for Nebraska is available at USDA. Winter wheat planting started on time in Nebraska, and development of corn, soybean, sorghum and dry bean crops continued at or above average pace as of Sept. 3.

To receive the weekly crop water use report via text message, subscribe on the PHREC AgLab site.

Updates on Panhandle crop progress and anticipated water use for the remainder of September by Nebraska Extension Educator Gary Stone.

Cover crop plots at the UNL West Central Research Extension and Education Center in North Platte. (Photo by Chabella Guzman) Producers at the field day swapped ideas and observations about cover crop production, and heard from extension educators and agronomists about best practices for their agricultural regions.

Brandon Dirkschneider, managing principal/president with Insurance Design Management (Omaha), certified financial planner and farm succession coordinator, is the featured speaker of a new transition planning webinar, free to the public on CAP. (Photo courtesy Erin Ehnle Brown/realagstock) Learn how to get the right transition plan in place for your farm or ranch operation with this free webinar featuring Brandon Dirkschneider of Insurance Design Management.

Nebraska Extension recently received four national awards from the National Association of County Agricultural Agents. (IANR News image) Extension educators were awarded for their work on a range of services provided to Nebraska's agricultural industry, including the farm management program "Know Your Numbers, Know Your Options."

Dry edible bean field in western Nebraska. (Photo by Gary Stone) Some of the projects to be funded by the grant feature research on mitigating adverse effects of diseases in dry beans, evaluating the effectiveness of different varieties of tomatoes, and the development of new irrigation technology.

The Nebraska Dry Bean Commission donated $6,500 to the Nebraska Farm Bureau “Ag in the Classroom.” Presenting the check was Chris Kelley, NDBC vice chair (second from left), and Dan Hinman, president of the Nebraska Dry Bean Growers Association (left), to Mark McHargue, president of the NEFB. (Photo by Chabella Guzman) Stakeholders in the dry bean industry discussed the state of production and markets during a recent tour at the UNL Panhandle Research Extension and Education Center in Scottsbluff.

Dr. Justin McMechan, UNL assistant professor of entomology and Nebraska Extension specialist, discusses his research and insights on the impact of hail on crops and what farmers should do after a storm on RFD-TV.

If you don’t grow something, Mother Nature will. The hairy vetch cover crop is suppressing weeds on the left compared to the no cover crop treatment on the right. The 2023 field day will feature research updates on the Rogers Memorial Farm 43-year tillage study, cover crop selection and performance, and more.

Nebraska is entering another stretch of hot weather, beginning September with well above average temperatures and low chances for rainfall.

Four leaders in Nebraska resource conservation and the Nebraska Chapter of the Soil and Water Conservation Society (SWCS) were honored by the International SWCS this year.