Nebraska Extension Educator - Holt & Boyd Counties - LaDonna Werth
Nebraska Extension Educator - Holt & Boyd Counties - Amy Timmerman
Nebraska Extension Educator - Holt, Boyd, Garfield, Loup, & Wheeler Counties - Bethany Johnston
Nebraska Extension Educator - Brown, Rock, & Keya Paha Counties - Brittany Spieker
Nebraska 4-H Assistant - Holt & Boyd Counties - Debra Walnofer
April 12: 4-H Holt Boyd County Communication Event, 5:00pm, Holt County Annex, O’Neill, NE
April 13: 4-H Judges Training, Virtual Volunteer Training, 12:00pm, Registration Form for 2026 Judges Training
April 14: Chemigation Training, 9:00am, New Community Center, Bassett, NE, Pesticide Safety Education Program
April 15: Chemigation Training, 1:00pm, Holt County Annex, O’Neill, NE, Pesticide Safety Education Program
April 19: Holt County 4-H Shooting Sports Practice: BB Gun, Air Rifle, Archery, SB Pistol, .22 Rifle, Holt County Fairgrounds, Chambers, NE
May 14: Private Pesticide Training, 9:30am, Phelps County Extension Office, Holdrege, NE Pesticide Safety Education Program
May 14: Private Pesticide Training, 1:30pm, Phelps County Extension Office, Holdrege, NEPesticide Safety Education Program
May 18: Face-to-Face YQCA Training, 7pm, Holt County Courthouse Annex, O’Neill, NE
June 4-5: 2026 Tractor & Equipment Safety Training, AKRS Equipment Solutions, O’Neill, NE, Tractor and Equipment Safety Training Registration
Organization Is Key to Morning Routine
Hectic schedules and hurried breakfasts don’t have to be part of the morning routine when students start back to school, according to Renette Wardlow, MU Extension human development specialist.
“Organization and good communication are a must in busy families with school-aged children. Getting organized is something everyone plans to do in the future but well-spent moments at the end of the day in preparation for the next day could be a valuable investment,” said Wardlow.
For example, selecting clothing for the next day, especially for younger children, is one way to invest time in the evening.
“Folding and stacking clothing as it comes from the laundry into compatible outfits can allow the children to take responsibility for dressing themselves. Then the child, with help from the parent, can pick out clothing for the next day,” said Wardlow.
School books always seem to hide early in the morning so locating and stacking them together in the evening, along with backpacks, school lunch money, notes and other needs, can save valuable moments, not to mention tempers.
“The stage for the day can be set by how the child wakes up. Nagging, begging, and pleading are not effective motivators and can even cause a cloud of gloom to gather over the household. Depending on the maturity of the child, an alarm clock coupled with responsibility for using it may be appropriate,” said Wardlow.
Wardlow also recommends ending the day with positive communication. For example, if families share an evening meal, this would be an excellent time to share events from the day. It is also a great chance for parents to really listen and gain insight about the world of their child.
“Organization and communication can help maintain family sanity. But even at the best of times there are questionable moments. That is just part of raising children,” said Wardlow.
Source: University of Missouri Extension
Cutting Seed‑Treatment Costs in Midwest Soybean
Key Points:
- A 14-state study from 194 randomized field trials showed that adding neonicotinoid-treated seeds to a fungicide rarely increased yield (1.9 bu/ac)
- Out of 11 site-year Nebraska On-farm trials, only 1 showed increased yield with a full chemical seed treatment compared to biological or untreated seed.
- Cutting a seed treatment has the potential to save up to the entire cost of the seed treatment, whether chemical or biological.
- Chemical seed treatments could be considered in fields with a history of sudden death syndrome or when planting into cool, wet soils.
With higher input costs than a year ago and low soybean prices, producers have been asking about options to cut soybean inputs, including seed treatment costs. Some producers are also seeking alternative methods compared to chemical fungicide/insecticide seed treatments due to potential impacts of chemical seed treatments on pollinators, soil microbes, the environment, and/or human safety. This article shares data for consideration in reducing soybean seed-treatment costs.
Insecticide Seed Treatment Considerations:
This next season, the most reliable way to cut seed‑treatment costs in Midwest soybean is to match inputs to risks; start by treating insecticidal seed treatments as an exception rather than the rule. A 14‑state study evaluated data from 194 randomized field trials (Mourtzinis et al., 2019) showing that adding neonicotinoid-treated seeds to a fungicide base rarely increased yield (about 1.9 bu/ac).
Given average per‑acre costs and current soybean prices, most fields will not recover the cost of the insecticide. Neonicotinoid seed treatments (NST) may still be justified when early, predictable pest pressure is likely, for example, persistent seedcorn maggot or wireworm issues, or consistent early bean leaf beetle risk with very early planting into heavy residue. Outside of those situations, the economic approach is to save on upfront costs.
Fungicide Seed Treatment (FST) Considerations:
Use fungicide seed treatments in the same manner (selectively rather than by default). Fungicides are most likely to pay when planting early (April through early May) into cool, wet soils that slow emergence and favor seedling pathogens such as Pythium and Phytophthora. Additionally, fields that are poorly drained, have compacted areas, have a known history of seedling disease, and susceptible varieties could benefit from fungicide seed treatment. In high-risk situations, multi‑environment studies show measurable protection of stands and yields. Returns will likely be reduced with normal or late planting into warm, well‑drained soils that lack a history of seedling disease and have varietal tolerance.
Fields without a history of sudden death syndrome (SDS) and varieties with tolerance to SDS may not need the addition of ILeVO® or Saltro® seed treatments. Consider reserving SDS seed treatments for acres with a strong SDS history and especially where early planting into wet, cool soils is common and soybean cyst nematode is present. Evidence from peer-reviewed research data shows that adding fluopyram to the base treatment reduces SDS and can increase yield, with profitability tied to disease pressure; research also indicates that pydiflumetofen provides similar suppression. Biological products like Heads Up® have been shown by other Universities to help reduce white mold and SDS incidence while ILeVO® and Saltro® have been shown to reduce SDS and soybean cyst nematode incidence.
Seeding Rates:
Lowering the seeding rate is a direct and often underused tool for trimming treatment costs because pricing is per seed. Peer‑reviewed Wisconsin work across 18 site‑years quantified an economically optimal seeding rate (EOSR): with a typical FST+NST package (CruiserMaxx), EOSR was around 94,000–106,000 seeds/ac, and a fungicide‑only package (ApronMaxx) did not provide an average yield or profit gain versus untreated. Nebraska On-Farm Research results since 2006 showed that growers can plant 120,000 seeds/ac and aim for a final plant stand of 100,000 plants/ac (in 30” rows and heavier textured soils) without receiving a yield loss. The on-farm research was done without calibrating seed to the germination rate, as all seed had at least 90% germination. All seeds also had a typical FST + NST package. Broader Upper Midwest research likewise shows soybeans can hit at least 95% of maximum yield with modest final stands thanks to compensatory branching, which supports reducing seeding rates from the traditional “comfortably high” levels. Recognize that trimming back population cuts both seed cost and the per‑acre treatment bill.
Nebraska On-Farm Research Seed Treatment Data:
From 2023-2025, growers have conducted 11 site-years of Nebraska on-farm research soybean seed treatment studies. The studies were conducted in Seward, York, Polk, Hamilton, and Clay Counties with planting dates ranging from April 23 to May 30. The goals for the growers were to evaluate the economics and yield resulting from the seed treatments. Some of these growers also desire to move away from traditional fungicide/insecticide seed treatments due to potential impacts to pollinators, soil health, and human health. Some of the growers were also interested in any increased plant health due to early seed and microbial associations with a biological seed treatment that may have influenced a healthier rhizosphere microbiome (Berendsen, 2012). Only yield and any presence of disease was assessed.
Treatments Used:
- Full company seed treatment (Each grower used whatever full seed treatment was available from the company where they purchased their seed). Cost: $13.72-29.00/ac
- Biological seed treatment in all the locations listed below with a biological except those listed in the last bullet point (created and treated by one of the growers): blend of 2 oz PhycoTerra® ST, 1 oz Heads Up®, 1 oz N-Gage Ultra ST, 0.75 oz Bio ST VPH in 100 gal solution. In a second tank, 2 oz of Exceed Soybean inoculant was used per 100 gal only for this treatment. Cost: $9.00-$9.20/ac
- Untreated Seed. Cost: none
- Two other biologicals used included a seed treatment by Elevate Ag (Clay 2025) (Cost: $34/ac) and a home-made compost extract seed treatment (Lancaster 2025) ($0.63/ac).
Results: Results show that in only 1 site-year (Seward-1 2025) the yield of the full company seed treatment out-yield the biological or untreated seed with which it was compared. The cost of the treatments varied by grower due to the products applied to the seed and the seeding rate. Planting dates varied on the year and location, with the locations in 2024 receiving more spring rainfall with later soybean planting. The locations in 2025 were generally planted into warm, dry soil conditions. Soybean disease was not observed as a problem in any of these on-farm research fields even though several of the locations in 2023 and 2024 had a history of white mold.
Conclusion:
Putting it all together each spring: if there’s no consistent early‑season insect history, order fungicide‑only or untreated seed according to planting window and soil fit and skip NSTs. If you’re planting early into cool, wet conditions or the field has a record of seedling disease, use a fungicide treatment matched to the likely pathogens and prioritize drainage and seedbed preparation. On SDS‑prone fields, add fluopyramor pydiflumetofen. Set your seeding rate using EOSR principles-using the ~94,000–120,000 seeds/ac range as a reasonable starting point for many systems-and tailor upward or downward based on emergence and field potential. If insects appear, rely on scouting and published economic thresholds before pulling the trigger on foliar control. Also, consider trying this for yourself via on-farm research! This is an easy study to split a planter or to alternate planting treated vs. untreated seed across a field. Please reach out to the authors if you’re interested in testing this for yourself.
Source: Matheus Ribeiro - Assistant Extension Educator, Jenny Brhel - Extension Educator, Adam Leise - Extension Educator, Travis J. Prochaska - Extension Educator, David S. Wangila - Extension Educator, Dylan Mangel - Extension Plant Pathologist, Justin McMechan - Crop Protection and Cropping Systems Specialist
Using the Wrong Tanker to Haul Water Could Kill Livestock
In emergencies - such as wildfires, floods, or other disasters - livestock are often displaced and left without access to clean drinking water. In these urgent situations, people understandably use whatever tankers, or tenders, are available to haul water. While this quick action can save livestock, unclean or contaminated tankers can also introduce serious risks or death in livestock.
One of the most significant dangers is nitrate poisoning, also called nitrate toxicosis, especially when tanks have been used to haul fertilizer. Even small amounts of residue left behind can contaminate water and pose a threat to animals.
Hauling water to livestock in tankers that have hauled fertilizer or other chemicals previously can kill numerous animals and kill them quickly. When it comes to nitrate poisoning specifically, ruminants are the most susceptible.
Best Practices for Emergency Water Hauling
Make every attempt to only use clean nurse tanks, also called liquid tender trailers or tankers. Use brand new or tankers that have never hauled fertilizer or pesticides.
It’s important to understand that once a tanker has been used for chemicals, such as fertilizers, you cannot fully eliminate nitrate residues. However, thorough rinsing can dilute the contamination, but there is still risks of toxicosis (death). In an emergency, you may be forced to haul water in tankers with unknown hauling history.
If you must use tankers with an unknown or known chemical-use history:
- Rinse the tanker as much as possible.
- Three full rinses should be considered minimum, and ideally with an additional surfactant.
- You cannot fully remove nitrate completely from a tanker, but the more you rinse and dilute, the chance of toxicosis is lessened. There are cases of nitrate poisoning in livestock even after tankers have been rinsed.
Clinical Signs of Nitrate Poisoning
Nitrate poisoning causes an inability to efficiently carry oxygen in the blood, resulting in low oxygen levels that can affect numerous organ systems. The clinical signs are not disease specific, but can include difficulty breathing, overall weakness or incoordination, frequent urination, and general anxious behavior, among others. Unfortunately, in many cases of accidental poisoning the only clinical sign is unexplained sudden death, and often in a large number of animals. Reach out to your local veterinarian immediately if you suspect accidental nitrate poisoning.
Bottom Line
In an emergency, every decision is made under pressure - but when it comes to hauling water for livestock, tanker safety should not be overlooked.
Source: Matt Hille, DVM, MS, PhD Diagnostic Veterinary Pathologist and Nebraska Extension Specialist, Bethany Johnston, Nebraska Extension Educator