University of Nebraska Extension - Holt/Boyd News Column for the Week of June 9, 2024

LaDonna Werth, Extension Educator Phone: 402-336-2760 E-mail: LWerth2@unl.edu

Summer is Here: Get Out and Move

Everyone wants to feel better, live longer or just improve one’s health. Physical activity can help us do that by keeping our heart and lungs healthy, building healthy bones, muscles, and joints, boosting energy, and promoting sound sleep.

Exercise has also been known to improve some disabilities and diseases. It helps enhance health and well-being while improving moods and reducing feelings of stress and anxiety. Some of the benefits of physical activity include relieving stress, sharper thinking, stronger muscles, healthier blood flow, improved relationships, enhanced coordination, and better balance.

A person can build stamina by getting 30 minutes of exercise a day that makes one breathe harder. The time can be broken up into 10-minute increments rather than all at once. These aerobic exercises improve our heart and lungs which is why even a little exercise is better for us than no exercise. But remember if you can talk without trouble, the exercise is too easy and if you cannot talk at all, it is too hard.

Activities done while sitting keep your mind sharp but after 30 minutes of sitting, we need to find a reason to move whether it is to get a drink, talk to a co-worker, or any other reason we can find to get up and get moving. While sitting, we can also build stretching and strength by working with resistance bands and weights.

Flexibility and stretching activities keep our muscles and joints moving easily. Adding balance activities to the regimen will help prevent falls. By adding weight training, we will strengthen our muscles and help make daily activities easier.

We can build exercise into our day by parking farther away and using stairs instead of elevators. We can find a friend to walk or play golf with and add music to our routines. Billboard.com has “Workout Songs” and Fitness Magazine has “100 Best Workout Songs in the World” for you to get inspiration from to create a playlist that is meaningful and that works with your exercise routines.

If you are inactive: walk whenever you can and make leisure time as active as possible.

If you are a sporadic exerciser: plan activities throughout the day and set realistic exercise goals that you know you can reach most of the time so that you do not give up when you fail to reach your goals.

If you are consistent in your daily exercise routine: limit screen time; do stretching and strengthening exercises; give your heart and lungs a workout by adding aerobic activities and continue to walk.

Source: Move Your Way Fact Sheets; Patricia Luck - UNL Food Educator and NEP Extension Associate in Dawson, and Custer Counties (UNL For Families – June 3, 2024)

Growing Dahlias

Dahlias are native to the mountainous region of Mexico. The 3-inch specimens discovered by Swedish botanist Anders Dahl most likely consisted of one row of ray florets - mistakenly termed petals - surrounding yellow center disc florets. While this single type dahlia is still grown today, the flowers now range up to 16 inches across and are available in many colors except green, brown, and true blue. The American Dahlia Society recognizes 15 official colors: white, yellow, orange, pink, dark pink, red, dark red, lavender, purple, light blend, bronze, flame, dark blend, variegated, and bicolor.

Planting tips

Dahlias perform best in full sun and well-drained soil; they may rot in wet, poorly drained soils. Tuberous roots radiate out from the dahlia crown like the spokes of a wagon wheel. Viable tubers must have an eye originating from the crown portion, plus a neck that connects the crown to the body of the tuberous root.

Before planting, drive a sturdy support - such as a metal fence post or wooden stake - into the ground. Doing this prior to planting ensures that the tubers will not be damaged. To plant tubers, dig a hole about 6 to 8 inches deep on either side of the support. Place the tuber horizontally in the ground. Then place soil back in the hole. The dahlias should emerge in about 2 weeks.

Growing tips

“Feeding” dahlias is a 2-step process. About a week before planting, work an appropriate amount of a complete fertilizer (5-10-5 or 5-10-10) into the planting area. Repeat in July.

As the plants grow, carefully tie them to the support with yarn, thick cotton cord, or baling twine. Fishing line, wire, and other narrow materials should not be used.

After the dahlias reach a height of 10 to 12 inches, they need an inch of water per week. Mulching with grass, straw, or pine needles conserves moisture and keeps the developing tubers cooler. Use a soaker hose for efficient watering.

To get the best bloom, remove two sets of axillary buds located beneath the main bud on either side of the stem where the leaves meet. If left on the plant, the axillary buds will develop and flower. However, the quality of the bloom is reduced and weaker stems result. Dead- heading by removing spent blooms also promotes additional flowering.

Fall Care

After a killing frost, remove the brown foliage and stems but leave the tuberous roots in the soil an additional 1 to 2 weeks to “cure.” Dig with a potato fork or sand shovel and label each clump. Wash off as mush soil as possible and remove the rest of the stalk down to the crowns. Washing helps keep the storage media clean and reduces the risk for insect damage. Let the tubers sit until they are dry to the touch (usually about one day), then place clumps upside down in boxes and cover with vermiculite, sphagnum peat or wood shavings. Store the boxes in the coolest part of the house, preferably between 40⁰ and 55⁰F.

Source: James Romer – Iowa State University Extension Horticulturalist and Diane Nelson – Iowa State Extension Communication Specialist (Growing Dahlias – Iowa State Publication)

Soybean Gall Midge Adult Activity Detected in Nebraska

On May 30, soybean gall midge adult emergence was observed in east-central Nebraska in Saunders and Lancaster counties. On June 3, an adult was collected in Otoe County, and on June 5, white larvae were found on early planted soybean near Mead, Nebraska. 

Soybean stage is a critical factor for the susceptibility of soybean-to-soybean gall midge. Only soybean with fissures at the base of the plant are susceptible to soybean gall midge infestation. Soybean planted in late April and early May are mostly at the V2 stage; however, those planted in mid- to late May are VE-V1. Research being conducted this season shows that soybean management of soybean gall midge has been difficult. Foliar sprays have shown some response but are inconsistent between locations and years. No specific foliar-applied product tested to date has provided consistent control of SGM. Research to date suggests that growers can consider using a combination product that contains a pyrethroid.

Soybean Gall Midge: Should I Spray?

Producers should only consider an application to manage soybean gall midge if the following conditions have been met:

Checklist

• Soybean gall midge adults have emerged in my area.
• My soybean field is at the V2 stage or greater.
• I observed soybean gall midge injury in the adjacent field last year.

If an application is being considered, it should only be made in soybean fields where a history of issues with soybean gall midge injury has occurred. Since soybean gall midge is a field edge-infesting pest, growers may only need to treat the first 60 to 120 feet of a field edge that is directly adjacent to a field that was injured the previous year. Do not treat any soybean fields prior to V2, as they are not susceptible to infestation due to the lack of fissures or cracks at the base of the stem.

Hilling or covering the base of soybean stems with soil has also been found to be a very effective strategy with almost complete control of soybean gall midge. This is a difficult practice to implement when soybean plants are small, as they can easily be completely covered by soil. Studies are being conducted to evaluate the timing of hilling relative to the plant development stage. More information on hilling is available through the Soybean Gall Midge Alert Network. Little is known about the impact this management strategy could have on soybean gall midge movement in a field. Although no field studies have been conducted, it is possible that adults may continue to move into the field until they find a susceptible plant.

With no detection of soybean gall midge in other parts of the network, it would be advisable to wait for emergence to occur in those areas. You can continue to follow adult emergence at all locations through the Soybean Gall Midge Alert Network.

Source: Justin McMechan - Crop Protection and Cropping Systems Specialist (CropWatch – June 5, 2024)

How Does Your Herd Measure Up?

With beef cattle herds at the lowest levels we have seen in recent history, female longevity enters the conversations of beef producers across the nation. Female longevity relies on a multitude of factors including (but not limited to) genetics, nutrition, and overall management.

Udder and Teat Scoring

Poor udder conformation is a trait that often gets beef females culled from the herd, especially if it prevents proper nursing. Previous research does not definitively say that poor udder conformation affects offspring performance in either the preweaning or finishing phases of production. With this being said, proper udder conformation is a foundational building block for functioning females in herds across the nation.

Poor udder and teat conformation have the potential to contribute to a decreased profit margin for the beef producer, not only because of decreased calf performance, but also an increase in the potential for mastitis. Calves may experience difficulty nursing properly from mothers with large and distended teats. Due to this, milk production may decrease due to the calf not emptying the udder quarters fully.

The score range is 1 through 9 for both udder and teat scores. Udder and teat conformation is scored individually, but the scores are combined to read as one number. If a cow scores a 4 on her udder and a 5 on her teats, the final score would read as a 45. Udder and teat scores should be taken within 24 hours of calving. Additionally, it is best to have the same individual, if possible, score all females in a production group. This can eliminate different interpretations and allow for all females to be scored similarly.

Foot and Leg Scoring

Foot and leg condition affects female longevity, as a cow can only go as far as her feet and legs will carry her. Poor claw shape and foot angle can inhibit a female’s ability to travel well, thus reducing her performance. In a grazing situation, a female may not be able to travel across the pasture to select the best diet to meet her needs due to poor leg structure. This includes grass, but additionally water, mineral supplement stations, and shade. A reduction in performance for any reason can result in negative outcomes for any operation.

Claw shape and hoof angle should all be scored to give a well-detailed picture of feet and leg quality of your herd. Claw set and foot angle are scored on a 1 through 9 scale with a 5 being ideal. The hoof claw set describes the relative size and distance between the claws of each individual hoof. A low score indicates a wide claw set, which often creates a functionally unsound animal. On the other end of the scale, a score of 9 indicates extreme overlapping and curling claws. Hoof angle measures the angle from the base of the toe to the rear heel. A hoof with a score of 1 is very straight pastern with a very short toe.

The higher the score, the longer the toe, and the dew claws will be close to the ground due to a shallow heel. If there is variation in hooves, score the worst hoof, as that will be the one to cause you problems. You should score cattle as yearlings, then again as mature cows to monitor progression. Additionally, scores should be taken prior to any hoof trimming.

Conclusion

As hoof and udder problems can be genetic, it is essential to take note of these scores and potentially use them as a reason for culling animals from the herd. Foot and leg scoring, as well as udder and teat scoring, will help you make informed management decisions when deciding what cattle to retain in your operation. Female longevity in the herd will always be a conversation for beef producers, and keeping numerical data on your herd can assist in decisions that can improve herd longevity.

Source: Madison Kovarna - SDSU Extension Beef Nutrition Field Specialist (SDSU Beef Extension – June 3, 2024)