Holt Boyd News Column for the Week of April 27, 2025

Nebraska Extension Educator - Holt/Boyd Counties - LaDonna Werth
Nebraska Extension Educator - Holt/Boyd Counties - Amy Timmerman
Nebraska Extension Educator - Brown/Rock/Keya Paha Counties - Brittany Spieker
Nebraska Extension Educator - Holt/Boyd/Garfield/Loup/Wheeler Counties - Bethany Johnston
Nebraska 4-H Assistant - Holt/Boyd Counties - Debra Walnofer

April 29: Face-to-Face YQCA Training, 7pm, Holt County Courthouse Annex, O'Neill, NE https://yqcaprogram.org/

May 1: DUE: Holt County 4-H Council Camp Scholarship Application https://extension.unl.edu/statewide/holt-boyd/holt-boyd-county-4-h-information-and-resources/holt-boyd-4-h-scholarships/holt/

May 1: DUE: Holt County 4-H Foundation Grants - Individuals, Clubs, Volunteers https://extension.unl.edu/statewide/holt-boyd/holt-boyd-county-4-h-information-and-resources/holt-boyd-4-h-scholarships/holt/

May 5: Holt County 4-H Shooting Sports Practice; BB Gun, Air Pistol, Air Rifle, Small Bore Pistol, and .22 Rifle; Holt County Fairgrounds, Chambers, NE

May 28: DUE: Register for ServSafe Food Handlers Training, https://web.cvent.com/event/b20778cb-248b-410b-8421-a0bf92761e23/summary

June 1: DUE: State 4-H Horse Expo Online Entries and Horse I.D.s submitted to extension office https://4h.unl.edu/statewide-events-opportunities/horse-program/horse-expo/show-entry/

June 4: ServSafe Food Handlers Training, 8:30am-12:30pm, Holt County Annex Meeting Room

Use this time to take a look at your family’s screen-use habits. How many hours are spent using a screen compared to doing other activities? Here are some ways to change these habits: 

•   Create screen-free zones in the home. Establish one spot for storing and recharging everyone’s handheld devices. 
• Gather the family and come up with a list of alternative activities to sitting in front of a screen. Jot down lots of ideas and post them on the refrigerator. (See suggestions below.) 
• Make changes gradually. Set limits. Experts recommend no more than two hours a day of recreational TV, computers, video games and DVDs for kids. 
• Know what your children, of any age, are watching on TV, doing on the Internet and seeing on their smartphones. Ask them open-ended questions about what they're seeing and doing. Ask them whom they are communicating with when emailing and texting. 
• Take TVs out of bedrooms. Sleeping with the TV on, even with the sound off, can disrupt sleep patterns and contribute to fatigue. 
• During meals, turn off the TV and put away other distracting screens and electronic devices. Instead of using them, talk about everyone’s day. 
• Keep the TV and other screens off unless someone is watching them.  

Instead of sitting in front of a screen... 

  Families 

• Plan and prepare meals together. 
• Visit a park or public library. 
• Go on a picnic. 
• Play charades or board games. 
• Take a walk down the street and collect litter. 
• Dance and sing to music (check your library for music CDs). 
• Have a family talent night. 
• Plant a garden and tend it daily. 
• Plan a dream vacation or party. 
• Walk around the neighborhood and talk about different houses, trees and gardens. 
• Catch up at mealtimes (“Share one good thing and one bad thing about your day…”). 
• Assign everyone a housekeeping chore, schedule a time to do them and celebrate when they're done. 
• Catch up on letter writing, cards and phone calls. 

  Adults 

• Read a book or magazine. Find an author you like and read everything she or he has written. 
• Look for and try new recipes. 
• Do stretching exercises or yoga. 
• Clean out a closet, the garage or the basement. 
• Find a new hobby or dive in to a neglected one. 
• Plant flower seeds indoors. When they have sprouted several inches, transplant them outside. 
• Volunteer in your community. 
• Clean under the refrigerator and stove. 
• Hand-wash woolen sweaters. 
• Set up an easy-to-use recycling station. 
• Read a local newspaper. 
• Organize family photos and write picture captions. 
• Start a scrapbook about your family. 
• Gather and give away old clothes and household items. 

  Teenagers 

• Think about future careers or jobs. Write a story about yourself being successful in that career or job. 
• Volunteer. 
• Interview your favorite relatives and record their stories. 
• Write poems or short stories. 
• Plan and plant a vegetable garden. Create a weeding schedule for the family. 
• Sing along to your favorite music. Try writing down the lyrics and understanding the song’s meaning. 
• Do stretching exercises or yoga with friends. 
• Find a cause, such as saving the earth, that interests you and get involved with a friend. 
• Make a list of things you want to learn. Visit the library for books on those subjects. 
• Find a recipe that your family really likes and practice making it so that it becomes your specialty. 
• Take up a new hobby or sport that interests you. 
• Dance or exercise to music. 

6 to 12 years 

• Play hide and seek indoors or outside. 
• Make a list of what you like about yourself. 
• Play flashlight tag in the dark. 
• Play board games, cards, or memory or dictionary-based games. 
• Crafts: Make greeting cards or wrapping paper, bead necklaces or bracelets. Weave friendship bracelets. Macramé a hanging plant holder, necklace or bracelet. 
• Learn to play a musical instrument and practice every day. 
• Set a goal to learn something new or to save money for something you want. Create a plan to achieve your goal. 
• Write letters to a grandparent or favorite relative. 
• Write a play for family members to act out. 
• Stand on one foot and try to keep a balloon in the air using your hands and other foot. 

Under 6 years 

• Practice spelling new words, including names of family members. 
• Play with water with bowls, cups and spoons on a protected surface in the kitchen. 
• Make a tent out of blankets and “go camping” indoors. 
• Have a parade with simple musical instruments. 
• Practice writing letters, numbers and your name. 

What parents can do 

• Create toy boxes that can be rotated by day or week (adds an element of surprise). 
• Make available plain paper, old magazines, safe scissors, markers or crayons, and tape. 
• Keep a dress-up basket full of clothing and safe accessories. 
• Put a long line of masking tape on the floor to use as a balance beam. 
• Create an obstacle course in the yard. 
• Have lots of books available (board books and picture books). Visit your local library. 
• Provide puppets and encourage children to put on a puppet show. 

Source: Sara Gable, Ph.D., State Specialist & Associate Professor, Nutrition and Exercise Physiology, University of Missouri Extension

When planting into drier conditions, increased down pressure is most likely necessary; however, be careful of causing any sidewall compaction. In many cases, increasing pressure won’t be reflected in planting quality. It is important to check on the planting monitor the “as applied” down pressure. There are cases in which extra weights are needed on the planter to make the extra down force work. With excess moisture, it's important to wait and avoid compaction and ensure the seed vee closes. If surface moisture conditions change rapidly from dry to wet or wet to dry, remember to readjust your down pressure to the actual planting conditions.

Soil Moisture, Temperature and Planting Depth
Corn needs to absorb 35% of its weight in moisture to complete the imbibition (water uptake) phase of germination. When adequate soil moisture is available, this typically occurs within 48 hours. Soybean needs to absorb 50% of its weight in moisture to complete the imbibition process. When adequate soil moisture is available, recent research has shown imbibition can occur anywhere from eight to 24 hours. Once imbibition has occurred, soybean seeds enter an osmotic phase and are quite tolerant of soil temps as low as 35-40°F, although extended low soil temperatures can be expected to lengthen the germination to emergence timeframe.

In general, we’d recommend planting into soil temperatures as close to 50°F as possible and when the forecast is calling for warm air temperatures the next few days, as that would also help increase the soil temperature. Avoid planting prior to a cold snap (cold rain/snow) within eight to 24 hours for soybean and 48 hours for corn. You can take soil temperatures using a thermometer or you can view soil temperatures on CropWatch. Also be aware that soil moisture can help buffer soil temperatures, reducing larger swings, whereas dryer soils can cool down much quicker. If soil temperature can compromise emergence, why do we keep pushing early planting, especially for soybean? It is because of the yield advantage shown in the following article: Retrospective analysis of Nebraska corn and soybean planting progress (1980-2022).

How does soil moisture impact planting depth? Research has consistently shown the need for corn to be planted two inches deep. UNL showed best soybean yields were obtained by planting at a 1.75-inch depth. So, the short answer - aiming for close to two inches is a good consideration for both corn and soybean. Planting shallower than 1.5 inches leads to more impacts on root development in corn, such as rootless corn syndrome. Proper seeding depth for soybean helps keep that seed in buffered soil moisture and temperature when planted early. It also aids that seedling from emerging too early.

Ensuring good soil-seed contact is key to emergence success. When seeds fall into an air pocket or rows are not well closed, the imbibition phase can be interrupted or never occur. We advise digging up some seeds during planting to check for proper seed-soil contact, moisture around the seed, and adjusting the planter as needed.

Uniform emergence is more important for corn than soybean. Because of this, Rob Nielsen, emeritus extension agronomist at Purdue shares, “When seedbed conditions are dry, make sure you choose a seeding depth that ensures uniformly adequate soil moisture for (corn) germination and emergence. Even though a 1.5- to 2-inch seeding depth is a good choice for many conditions, do not hesitate to increase seeding depth to 2.5 or 3 inches if that is the depth where uniform soil moisture is located.” We did have growers planting down to 3.5” in Nebraska in 2023 and 2024 to get even depth to moisture and the corn still came up. When it comes to soybean, we wouldn’t recommend planting much deeper than 2.5 inches.

For corn seeding rates, it’s best to check with your local seed dealer as our research shows that optimal corn population varies by hybrid. For those concerned about moisture in non-irrigated or limited-irrigated situations, one may consider using a hybrid with higher flex at a reduced seeding rate.

For soybean, our recommendation after 18 years of on-farm research studies (2006-2024) in heavier textured soils and 30-inch rows continues to be: plant 120,000 seeds/acre, aim for a final plant stand of 100,000 plants/acre and you’ll save money without reducing yields. If that’s too scary, try reducing your rate to 140,000 seeds/acre or try testing it for yourself via on-farm research.

Herbicide Considerations
PPO inhibitors are an effective chemistry often used for pre-emergence applications in soybean. The different PPO-inhibiting active ingredients, products and timing restrictions can be reviewed in this article. Soybean injury can occur in situations where the seed/germinating seed comes in contact with the PPO-inhibiting herbicide and via water splash onto the emerged soybean hypocotyl and cotyledons.

Some considerations to reduce injury to soybean include:

Do NOT apply a PPO inhibitor herbicide if the seed vee is not closed, the soil is cracking along the seed trench or the soybean is beginning to emerge or has already emerged. Another option if one is concerned about PPO inhibitor injury is to consider using Group 15 herbicide such as acetochlor (Warrant), pyroxasulfone (Zidua), dimethenamid-P (Outlook), etc. for residual weed control in a post-emergence application once the soybean has emerged. Remember that residual herbicides applied post-emergence do not have foliar activity, so they will not control emerged weeds but would prevent the emergence of new weeds.

Do not plant soybean shallow (less than 1.5 inches), particularly if the soil at seeding depth is dry. If a PPO inhibitor is applied in these conditions, it can allow the soybean to imbibe water with the herbicide in it, particularly if a rain and/or irrigation event occurs after application.

If soybean is planted into moisture, herbicide can be applied within a few days and watered in as long as the seed vee is closed and no soil cracking of the trench is occurring. 

Irrigation Considerations
Irrigating Prior to Crop Planting
In general, we would only suggest watering before planting if the planter needs higher soil moisture levels to work well. If the soil is excessively hard, powdery or cloddy, running the pivot before planting may be beneficial. Another scenario to consider pre-watering is when more than 180 lb/ac of anhydrous ammonia has been applied in strips, and less than 2 inches of moisture have been received since application - this can help minimize ammonia burn to the corn. Otherwise, we recommend running the pivot after planting and only if needed.

Irrigation Considerations Early in the Year
Running center pivots early in the season do have some extra challenges. First, keep in mind cold nights. The usual recommendation is not to run a pivot when temperatures are below 40°F. The past few years, several pivots operated below 40°F without problem, but keep in mind with low dewpoints, the pivot can ice up when the actual air temperature is well above 32°F. So, if you do choose to run in these conditions, keep a close eye out for ice buildup.

Second, bare, powdery soils tend to seal quickly after rain or irrigation, so monitor closely for runoff, even with minimal water application.

Third, when irrigating, ensure you apply enough water to reach the moist soil layer beneath. This issue is especially common following cover crops, tillage or fertilizer knife operations, which often leave the soil excessively dry. In other words, if a field has 4 or 5 inches of dry soil and a small rain or irrigation only moves water to 3 inches, the seedling can get started but will die from lack of moisture because roots cannot grow through dry soil.

Irrigating for Herbicide Activation
It’s important that herbicides are activated with 0.5- to 0.75-inch rainfall or irrigation, preferentially within five to seven days after herbicide application. If moisture received is less than this amount, some herbicide products have the potential to remain on the soil for up to 14 days without being fully activated. We will have to see how the high winds blowing soil and removing soil particles containing herbicide impact future weed control.

Irrigating to Reduce Nitrogen Loss
When dry or liquid urea is surface-applied without the use of a nitrogen stabilizer, applying approximately 0.5-inch of irrigation can help incorporate the fertilizer into the soil and reduce the potential for nitrogen loss.

In situations where irrigation is not available, no inhibitor was used, and no rainfall has occurred within seven days of application, it is important to monitor the corn crop for signs of nitrogen deficiency. Nitrogen losses under these conditions can occur early and be substantial, especially in fields with high surface crop residue, elevated soil temperatures above 70°F, moist conditions, high soil pH levels (greater than 7.0), or sandy textures.

In contrast, losses tend to be lower when soils are dry and temperatures are cooler. Timely incorporation through irrigation or rainfall is critical to preserving nitrogen availability for crop uptake.

Irrigating in Strip-till
Regardless of whether anhydrous was applied in the fall or spring, and regardless of amount applied, ammonia burn may occur due to the dry conditions. Sometimes ammonia burn is seen early with seed germination and emergence. Most often, it is seen when roots get to 4-8 inches long and hit the ammonia band. Irrigation can help alleviate the impacts of the ammonia injury.

Irrigating and Cold Water Impacts
John Mick, Pioneer agronomist, shared that water from irrigation wells in the southern part of the state often is around 50-53°F, with it slightly less in temperature as one moves north in the state. These temperatures are not a problem to be concerned with regarding any negative impacts to seeds imbibing water.

Each field situation will vary, and we hope these considerations will help as you begin or continue this year’s planting season!

Source: Jenny Brhel - Extension Educator; Steve Melvin - Extension Educator Irrigated Cropping Systems; Amit Jhala - Professor and Associate Department Head, Department of Agronomy and Horticulture; Javed Iqbal - Extension Nutrient Management and Water Quality Specialist; Nicolás Cafaro La Menza – Cropping Systems Specialist, Department of Agronomy and Horticulture

If you do add extra salt at home, do not include this salt in your calculation for reaching the target intake of the mineral mix as it is diluting the mix. The goal is to make sure cows reach the target intake of actual mineral. For instance, if the target is 4 oz per hd (0.25 lb per hd) of a mineral mix, then for 100 cows you are looking for them to consume 25 lbs of the mineral mix per day or half a 50 lb bag. If you add 10 lbs of salt to a 50 lb bag of mineral, you actually want them to consume 30 lbs total per day to get their target intake of the actual mineral mix. The easy way to ensure you are reaching your goal is to track the amount of mineral mix you feed separate from the amount of salt you add. Then you don’t have to do extra math. Although, it is still a good idea to record the amount of salt that is being added so that the amount can be adjusted based on intake (i.e., increase if still eating too much or decrease the added salt if not reaching the target intake).

Can’t I just put out salt separate? It will reduce intake of my mineral. 
While providing salt separate can reduce mineral intake, it can lead to more variability in intake of mineral among the herd. Some cows may be eating the mix while others may only be consuming salt. Thus, you may not be meeting your objective even if the “right” amount of mix is disappearing. Also, you may find that on a whole the herd is over or under consuming the mix. Providing the salt separate reduces your ability to use one of your best weapons in controlling intake.

If weatherization is important, try adjusting location of the feeder first. 
Word of caution, if you are paying for a mineral mix that has weatherization because your feeder does not protect the mix from the rain/wind and you add additional salt, you can reduce effectiveness of the weatherization. So, depending on the type of feeder and the amount of protection from weather it provides, you may want to first try moving the location of the feeders to help control intake. Moving feeders closer to water or loafing areas can increase intake. Moving them away from these areas can often reduce intake.

Can’t I just limit intake by putting out the amount I want them to eat and not fill again until the prescribed time?
For instance, one could just put out a weeks worth of mineral mix and not fill the feeder again until the next week, regardless of the fact that all the mineral mix disappeared in the first day or two. It is true that for some minerals cattle do not need a constant intake, as they can store some of them in their body and use them at a later time. However, this is not true for the macrominerals like phosphorous and magnesium. But an even bigger problem with this system is that the boss cows are likely to be the ones getting most of the mineral. This means that some of your herd will be consuming more than they need while others are getting less than they need. When you put out mineral after they have not had access for a period of time, they will often overconsume and the boss cows are going to be the ones that get the first shot. Using this method to control intake may not result in the best outcomes.

Do this first if mineral feeders are empty.
We have all been there. We put out mineral and a week later we check and it is empty. What should you do? Again, salt is your friend. If they eat the mineral too quickly and you come back to find an empty mineral feeder put out some straight salt for a day to ensure everyone has met their salt craving. This will help to reduce them gorging on mineral when you put it out. It will also help you get a better handle on their normal craving for salt and better hone in on how much to add to the mix because they will not be binging. Make sure to take away the straight salt when you provide them with the mineral mix the next day. If the feeder was empty because they overconsumed, then consider either moving the location and/or adding more salt to get intake more in line with the target.

One last thing to consider, do you have enough feeders?
A good rule of thumb is 1 feeder per 30 cows. This will help make sure that more timid cows have the opportunity to get access. This is especially important for larger pastures/rangeland as cows tend to move as a group. This means they are often in the area with the feeders all at the same time. If there is limited accessibility, the more timid cows likely will not get their dose.

Source: Mary Drewnoski - Nebraska Extension Beef Systems Specialist (BeefWatch – April 4, 2025)

Printer Friendy Version