Latest Updates from cropwatch.unl.edu

UNL Associate Professor and Extension Policy Specialist Brad Lubben discusses two new USDA assistance programs, the Emergency Relief Program (ERP) Phase 2 and the 2020 Pandemic Assistance Revenue Program (PARP), with USDA representatives Patrick Lechner and Cathy Anderson. Learn more about two new USDA programs created to assist farmers and ranchers with natural disaster and pandemic-related losses in this Center for Agricultural Profitability webinar.

According to the Nebraska Farm Real Estate Market Survey preliminary report, the market value of agricultural land in Nebraska increased by over 14% over the prior year. (Photo courtesy Center for Agricultural Profitability) The 2023 report findings mark the second-largest increase in market value of ag land in Nebraska since 2014, and the highest non-inflation-adjusted statewide land value in 45 years.

Several areas of Nebraska had a one- to two-category improvement in drought conditions throughout the winter season, which has been the fifth wettest winter on record for the state.

For producers planting corn-on-corn this growing season, Nebraska Extension encourages taking soil samples to determine accurate nitrate levels and adjusting N application rates accordingly, as there may be considerable amounts of residual nitrogen left from the previous corn crop. For producers planning corn-on-corn this growing season, there may be a substantial opportunity to reduce nitrogen fertilizer applications, as drought and reduced yields likely left higher-than-normal residual N in many fields.

Producers and landowners enrolled more than 5 million acres into CRP in 2022, which helped them establish long-term, resource-conserving plants to control soil erosion, improve water quality and enhance wildlife habitat on cropland. Producers and landowners interested in signing up for CRP in 2023 should contact their local USDA Service Center for assistance prior to the deadline.

A group of farmers, consultants, researchers and USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service employees collaborate on an activity to first find the soil type and then its appropriate standard at the Nebraska Soil Health School. (Photo courtesy Bijesh Maharjan)

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. If you can't attend one of the two dates scheduled for free, in-person farm and ag law clinics in March, virtual/phone options are also available anytime. 

Taylor Cross (right), a graduate student in mechanized systems management, speaks with Nebraska ag producers Doug Jones (left) and Tony Jones about the sensor-based fertigation management technology that’s been shown to increase nitrogen-use efficiency and profitability in on-farm research. (Photo courtesy Nebraska Today | Hannah Gaebel Dorn, HG Images) Tested on cornfields in eastern Nebraska, the study's sensor-based fertigation produced about 44 pounds more grain per pound of nitrogen than traditional methods, with an increase in profitability ranging from $28-$40 per acre.

Spring is a critical time to control weeds in alfalfa, as weeds grow faster than stressed alfalfa, leading to thin stands, weakened plants and lower yields. Interseeding cool-season perennial grasses into alfalfa and applying herbicides in early spring are reliable methods of improving alfalfa production and health this growing season.

Participants of the 2022 Innovative Youth Corn Competition experimented with using supplemental sulfur, fertigation, PrairieFood, Pivot Bio and cover crops to boost yields and maximize their return on investment. Arlington FFA Chapter members Aaron Fuchs and Braden Monke placed first in the 2022 contest with their study on supplemental sulfur, which increased plant health and final yield of their corn crop.

To view Walter's webinar with Nebraska Farm Bureau on making 2023 crop insurance decisions, click the link to the article below. (Photo courtesy Center for Agricultural Profitability) Cory Walters, associate professor in the Department of Agricultural Economics, breaks down how these two crop insurance contract options work to protect producers and their operations.

Nessi Benishti from Agrio discusses the company's mobile applications, which help producers make precision plant protection decisions using artificial intelligence.

Amos Petersen, founder and CEO at FarrPro, talks with the FarmBits team about the Sentry system, which assists producers with tracking hog health and behavioral information.

Soybeans, corn, beef, dairy, cotton and tree nuts were the top commodities exported by the U.S. in 2022 and represented more than half of U.S. agricultural export value. According to USDA, U.S. agricultural exports in 2022 increased 11%, or $19.5 billion, from the previous record set in 2021.

Clover is one of several legumes that can fix atmospheric nitrogen and provide high quality forage in pastures if interseeded into fields with adequate phosphorus levels and good seed placement. Extension educators share techniques for finding success while frost seeding legumes in pastures and establishing new alfalfa stands this growing season.

Jhala's new position will support the department's goals in connecting faculty and extension educators throughout Nebraska, creating opportunities for collaborations on translational research, and enriching student experiences.

Laura Thompson, Nebraska Extension, and Laila Puntel, UNL Department of Agronomy and Horticulture, will present research findings and insights on ag technology and on-farm research during the March 9-11 Commodity Classic in Orlando, Florida. Recordings of their presentations will be available at a later date for those who don't attend in person. (Photo by Craig Chandler, University Communication and Marketing) UNL's Laura Thompson and Laila Puntel will highlight their research on remote sensing in nitrogen fertilizer management and share insights on what the data-driven “farm of the future” will look like and the path ag producers will take to reach it.

UNL Farm and Ranch Management Analyst Glennis McClure appears on RFD-TV to discuss crop production costs and strategies for mitigation financial burdens during the 2023 growing season.

Photo courtesy Center for Agricultural Profitability | Hailey Walmsley/realagstock UNL agricultural economics experts shed light on the impact of Nebraska agriculture in the United States.