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
March 24: Recertification Commercial/Noncommercial Pesticide Training, 8:30am-5:00pm, Madison County Extension Office, Norfolk, NE
April 1: DUE: Holt County Market Beef & Second Year Bucket Calves ID Sheets, Holt County Extension Office
April 2: Private Pesticide Training, 10:00am, Community Building, Ainsworth, NE, Pesticide Safety Education Program
April 7: DUE: Registrations for the Holt and Boyd Communication Event, Opens March 30. All Entries submitted through fairwire at Holt Fairwire or Boyd Fairwire.
April 8: Private Pesticide Training, 10am, Mid Plains Community College, Valentine, NE, Pesticide Safety Education Program
April 9: Private Pesticide Training, 1:30pm, Holt County Annex, O’Neill, NE, Pesticide Safety Education Program
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
Parents Can Be Positive Examples When Teaching Children Honesty
Honesty is an important character trait to teach children. Without honesty, children may find it difficult to build healthy relationships and have a successful future. It takes time, patience, and effort to teach children honesty.
Parents need to set a positive example by being honest themselves. Many children’s senses of manners and morals are learned through imitation of their parents. If parents model cheating and lying, children may learn these as acceptable behaviors (e.g., keeping someone else’s belongings without their permission, keeping extra change from a cashier, or telling a lie).
Children sometimes start a dishonest tendency during the pre-school years. For instance, they may grab toys from a child or try to take candy in a store. Parents should correct this type of behavior immediately by teaching children to return what was taken, apologize for their behavior or teach children a way to pay for what was taken. Use age-appropriate language to teach positive character development. Help young children understand honesty and why dishonesty is bad by reading stories related to honesty. Ask children questions throughout the story. This process gives children time to share their thoughts, understanding and questions.
Children often lie out of fear or to protect themselves — they worry about being punished or making parents mad. When parents react harshly to children’s mistakes, it may result in more lies instead of taking responsibility for their behavior. It is important for parents to talk to children about their behavior, what they could have done differently and what they can do to make things right. When children tell the truth, parents should praise them for being honest. Children should know that their parents value and appreciate the truth.
Source: Nina Chen, Ph.D., CFLE, Human Development Specialist, Jackson County, University of Missouri Extension
Presence of Corn Leafhoppers Confirmed in Nebraska
Key Takeaways
- Corn stunt disease and corn leafhopper were first reported in 11 new states in 2024 including Nebraska, Kansas, Oklahoma and more, marking a northward expansion of both the insect and pathogen.
- In 2024, Nebraska confirmed corn stunt disease in two Jefferson County fields and one Burt County field; in 2025, it was confirmed in one Valley County field.
- Corn leafhopper presence has been confirmed in multiple Nebraska counties over two growing seasons, with continued monitoring underway.
- Economic damage is unlikely so far because the pest and pathogen have arrived late in the season.
- Management focuses on cultural practices such as early planting and volunteer corn control, as insecticide options remain limited and thresholds are still being developed.
A new corn pest is creeping into the Midwest, and Nebraska growers may soon have to contend with its arrival.
2024 Observations
In 2024, corn stunt disease and its insect vector — the corn leafhopper (Dalbulus maidis), which transmits the pathogen — were reported for the first time in Oklahoma and Kansas. Scouting efforts in Nebraska intensified during the 2024 and 2025 growing seasons in response to these detections.
Eleven symptomatic corn samples from Nebraska fields were submitted for testing in 2024, with two Jefferson County samples testing positive by initial PCR tests for corn stunt. An additional sample submitted from Burt County, Nebraska tested positive for corn stunt spiroplasma (CSS) (by DNA sequencing analysis), one of the pathogens responsible for causing the disease.
Scouting for the corn leafhopper also expanded, leading to confirmation of the insect’s presence in late summer and early fall 2024 in Adams and Clay counties in southeast Nebraska, Burt County in northeast Nebraska, and Dawson County in central Nebraska.
2025 Observations
Sampling during the 2025 growing season confirmed the presence of corn leafhopper in Kansas and in a single field in Clay, Lincoln, and Keith counties in Nebraska.
Corn plant samples from Cass, Thayer and Richardson counties tested negative for the corn stunt spiroplasma; however, a corn plant sample from Valley County collected on Sept. 12, 2025 tested positive for CSS.
The Bottom Line
The arrival of corn leafhopper and the corn stunt pathogen(s) it carries has occurred late enough in the 2024 and 2025 growing seasons that economic damage in Nebraska is unlikely.
We encourage stakeholders to reach out to their local extension office and submit suspicious samples to the Plant and Pest Diagnostic Clinic if they suspect the presence of this disease or its insect vector in their fields. We will continue to monitor and update the sampling map.
Symptoms
The earliest symptoms of corn stunt disease are leaf yellowing (chlorosis) or reddening of leaf tips. If plants are infected during vegetative stages, the stalk internodes may be shortened, causing plants to be stunted in appearance. Corn stunt disease may also lead to development of multiple ears or shortened, stunted ears, or the production of tillers.
Hybrid genetics and timing of infection can impact the symptoms and their severity, with infections starting later in the growing season generally being less severe. Symptoms may resemble those caused by several other crop issues, such as loss or damage to the ear, senescence of hybrids with high anthocyanin pigmentation, nutrient imbalances, and/or drought conditions.
Some corn hybrids have a tendency to be discolored more than others due to natural plant pigments, making this disease difficult to identify and requiring laboratory confirmation.
Pathogen(s) and Vector
The corn leafhopper, Dalbulus maidis, is the only known pathway for transmission of corn stunt spiroplasma. This small (⅛-inch long), light brown-yellow insect can be distinguished from the many other common species of leafhoppers by the presence of two dark spots between its eyes.
The corn leafhopper feeds on corn, preferring the whorl and shaded parts of leaves to eat and rest. This insect feeds by piercing the leaf surface and sucking up plant liquids. While very high numbers can cause direct injury through feeding and interfere with photosynthesis if their waste promotes the growth of sooty mold, it is their ability to transmit disease through the act of feeding that is of most concern.
Corn stunt disease can be caused by one (or a combination of) pathogens — mollicutes, spiroplasma, phytoplasma or viruses. Historically, Spiroplasma kunkelii is the most common causal agent initiating corn stunt in the southern United States. Corn stunt spiroplasma is efficiently transmitted by corn leafhopper and was confirmed in 11 new U.S. states in 2024.
It’s important to understand that not all corn leafhoppers are carrying the spiroplasma (or one of the other pathogens). The spiroplasma can be quickly taken up by the corn leafhopper when it feeds on infected plants and replicates within the insect, which the insect can transmit to new plants about two to three weeks later during feeding. Plant symptoms aren’t visible until about 30 days after the corn leafhopper transmits the spiroplasma, which travels to the actively growing parts of the plant, including roots, leaves, flowers, ears, etc.
Distribution
Native to Central America, the corn leafhopper has expanded its range south into Brazil and Argentina, where it can be a significant problem, and north into the southern United States, including Texas. In 2024, the insect advanced further north into the Great Plains, including Oklahoma, Kansas, and Nebraska, likely due to changing weather patterns and cropping systems.
Management
Managing corn leafhopper populations is currently the most effective strategy for reducing corn stunt disease. Due to its very recent documentation in the Midwestern U.S., management plans and economic thresholds are still being developed for the corn leafhopper. However, there are some steps that can be taken:
- Early planting of corn can allow the plants to be at a more advanced stage by the time the insect vector and disease arrive, which should decrease impact on yield.
- Management of volunteer corn, particularly avoiding the presence of volunteer corn after harvest to remove potential overwintering sites for the leafhopper.
- Management of other residues — particularly grasses — in and around crop fields, although this approach needs further study.
Currently, chemical management is not considered to be an economically viable approach, as many insecticide active ingredients have not shown high efficacy against the leafhopper, and applications would likely need to be repeated frequently to have a significant impact on their populations.
There is some evidence that neonicotinoid insecticide seed treatments can protect early growth stages (up to V3) of corn; however, we do not yet know enough about the patterns of corn leafhopper populations in Nebraska to determine whether this is a critical window for this pest. Insect vector pest management is an area where we should be able to gain more insights as we learn more about the system in Nebraska and the Midwest.
Source: Tamra Jackson-Ziems - Extension Plant Pathologist, Kyle Broderick - Extension Educator and Coordinator of the UNL Plant and Pest Diagnostic Clinic, Julie Peterson - Extension Entomologist, Kyle Koch - Assistant Extension Educator, Talon Mues - Extension Educator, Ron Seymour - Extension Educator, Marina de Val-Hilden - Extension Educator, David Wangila - Extension Educator, Robert Wright - Extension Entomologist, Abigail Lyons - Research Technician, Pin-Chu Lai - Extension Entomologist
Integrating Reproductive Technologies in Cow-Calf Operations: Practical Strategies for Efficiency and Profitability
Introduction
Reproductive efficiency is a cornerstone of profitability in cow-calf production systems. Technologies such as estrus synchronization, artificial insemination (AI), sexed semen, embryo transfer (ET), and pregnancy detection offer producers tools to improve herd fertility, tighten calving seasons, and enhance genetic progress.
Despite these benefits, adoption remains relatively low, particularly among smaller operations. For example, the National Animal Health Monitoring System (NAHMS) reported AI use among cow-calf operations increased from 6.1% in 1997 to 11.6% in 2017, with larger operations adopting AI at higher rates than smaller ones (29.4% vs. 8.7%). However, estrus synchronization was used by only 7.3% of operations in 2017. Adoption depends on factors such as current reproductive performance, facilities, labor availability, and expected economic return.
Reproductive failure and infertility represent significant economic losses. Cows or heifers that do not become pregnant are often culled, increasing costs and reducing profitability. Technologies that improve conception rates and calving distribution can mitigate these losses, resulting in more calves born early in the season, heavier weaning weights, and improved lifetime productivity (Larson et al., 2010; Cushman et al., 2013).
Identifying Good Candidates for Reproductive Technologies
The primary goal of cow-calf production is to wean a marketable calf from every cow annually. Selecting appropriate candidates for reproductive technologies is essential for achieving optimal conception rates and improving calving distribution.
Calving Distribution as a Benchmark
Evaluating the proportion of calves born by day 21, 42, and 63 of the calving season provides insight into reproductive performance and the effectiveness of pre-breeding and breeding management. Ideally, most calves should arrive early, reflecting good nutrition, body condition, and herd health. Combined with pregnancy rates after a 60–70-day breeding season, these metrics help determine readiness for estrus synchronization and AI. Pregnancy rates of 85% or higher indicate strong management and readiness for advanced technologies, whereas lower rates suggest underlying management issues that should be addressed first.
Criteria for Synchronization Candidates
Postpartum cows are considered good candidates for estrus synchronization programs when they meet key criteria:
- A body condition score (BCS) of at least 5 at calving (scale: 1 = emaciated, 9 = obese).
- The group to be synchronized should have an average postpartum interval of 40 days or more at the start of the protocol. This does not require every cow to be ≥40 days postpartum, but the group mean should meet this threshold.
- If the protocol includes Controlled Internal Drug Release (CIDR) administration, each cow should be at least 21 days postpartum at the time of insertion.
- A low incidence of calving difficulty, as dystocia can extend the postpartum interval and delay readiness for breeding.
Meeting these benchmarks ensures that synchronization and AI protocols are applied to animals most likely to respond successfully, improving conception rates and tightening calving distribution for greater herd efficiency.
Hormonal Toolbox for Estrus Synchronization
The bovine estrous cycle, recurring every 21 days, is regulated by hormones that control follicular development and corpus luteum (CL) function. Estrus synchronization manipulates this cycle so females exhibit heat at the same time, reducing heat detection time and improving breeding efficiency by enabling two conception opportunities within the first month.
Key Hormones and Their Roles
Prostaglandin F2α (PG) regresses the CL and allows heifers and cows to return to estrus. It is effective when administered between days 5 and 17 of the estrous cycle. However, if a cow or heifer does not have a CL (postpartum anestrus cows or prepubertal heifers), they will not respond. Gonadotropin-Releasing Hormone (GnRH) stimulates ovulation or synchronizes follicular waves. In females with large, healthy follicles, GnRH can induce ovulation approximately 24 to 30 hours post-injection, often without visible estrus behavior. It may also initiate cycles in anestrous females nearing cyclicity.
Progestins, such as CIDR and melengestrol acetate (MGA), mimic progesterone from the corpus luteum to suppress estrus and ovulation by extending the luteal phase. When removed, progesterone levels drop, triggering estrus and ovulation. The CIDR is a T-shaped intravaginal device that delivers a consistent dose of progesterone and is widely used in synchronization protocols. In contrast, MGA is an orally active progestin approved for heifers, is typically fed at 0.5 mg/day for 14 days, followed by a prostaglandin injection 19 days later to synchronize estrus.
Overview of Reproductive Technologies
Several technologies complement synchronization to improve reproductive efficiency:
Estrus Synchronization
The goal is programming the estrous cycle of females so most come into heat and ovulate within a short timeframe, improving breeding efficiency. Normally, estrus occurs randomly over a 21-day cycle, with only about 4.8% of females in heat on any given day, leading to roughly 24% showing estrus in the first 5 days and 48% in 10 days of the breeding season. Synchronization, achieved through hormone protocols, can significantly increase this rate. For example, a one-shot PG protocol for natural service results in about 76% of females exhibiting estrus within 5 days, advancing average conception by 3.2 days compared to no synchronization. Another option is administering PG 4 or 5 days after bull turnout, which concentrates estrus during days 6–10 of the breeding season and allows bulls to acclimate while breeding 19–20% of females before synchronization begins. In cases where AI is not possible, synchronized females can be bred naturally, though protocols differ from AI-focused systems (see Beef Reproduction Task Force - Natural Service Protocols for details).
Heat Detection
Accurate estrus detection is essential for AI success. Tools include Estrotect patches, tail chalk, pressure mount detectors, gomer bulls, and androgenized cows. These aids improve efficiency and reduce missed heats.
Artificial Insemination (AI)
Artificial insemination provides access to superior genetics without purchasing high-value bulls, accelerating progress in growth, carcass quality, and fertility. Despite benefits, adoption remains low (11.6% of U.S. operations; NAHMS, 2017). Research shows AI-bred females wean more calves and pounds over their lifetime than those bred by natural service (French et al., 2013). Additionally, one study noted that AI-bred calves born early in the season averaged 19.4 lbs heavier at weaning (Steichen et al., 2013).
Timed AI (TAI) and Fixed-Time AI (FTAI)
TAI combines heat detection with scheduled insemination for nonresponders, reducing labor while improving conception rates. FTAI eliminates heat detection entirely, allowing all females to be inseminated at a set time. While heifer pregnancy rates may be slightly lower than heat detection alone, FTAI offers significant labor savings and herd management advantages.
Sexed Semen
Sexed Semen enables producers to predetermine calf sex, supporting targeted production of replacement heifers or terminal steers. While conception rates may be slightly lower than conventional semen, the ability to manage herd demographics offers long-term economic benefits. For best results, inseminate 16–22 hours after estrus detection and use detection aids. Sexed Semen Protocols details.
Embryo Transfer
Embryo Transfer (ET) propagates elite genetics by transferring embryos from high-value donor cows into recipient females. This accelerates genetic progress by producing multiple offspring from superior females in a single season. Embryo transfer is especially valuable in seedstock operations or herds focused on rapid genetic advancement. More details on embryo transfer procedures and considerations are available at: Embryo Transfer in the Beef Herd.
Pregnancy Detection
Pregnancy detection is an important management tool that helps producers make timely decisions about culling, rebreeding, or marketing. Common methods include rectal palpation, transrectal ultrasonography, and blood tests. Palpation and ultrasound provide real-time results starting about 30 days post-conception, with ultrasound offering the added benefit of fetal aging for improved calving management. Blood tests allow early detection (28–32 days) but require lab processing and may produce false positives, especially if cows are less than 73 days post-calving. Selecting the right method often involves working with a veterinarian to evaluate options and choose the most cost-effective strategy. Using these tools early can conserve forage, improve calving distribution, and enhance reproductive efficiency.
Conclusion
Reproductive technologies offer powerful tools to improve herd fertility, tighten calving seasons, and enhance genetic progress. Success depends on selecting appropriate candidates, implementing protocols correctly, and integrating complementary technologies such as pregnancy detection. While adoption requires planning and investment, the long-term benefits - higher weaning weights, improved lifetime productivity, and greater profitability - make these strategies a valuable addition to cow-calf operations.
Protocols can be adapted for natural service, AI, fixed-time AI (FTAI), and sexed semen with details available at Beef Reproduction Task Force. Proper hormone handling and adherence to Beef Quality Assurance (BQA) standards are critical for success.
Source: Kacie McCarthy - Nebraska Extension Cow-Calf Specialist (University of Nebraska-Lincoln Beef - March 1, 2026)
The Power of Nutrition Starts Small
If you think nutrition is just about calories or cutting sugar, you’re missing the bigger picture.
March is National Nutrition Month®, created by the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. This year’s theme - “Discover the Power of Nutrition” - is less about rules and more about what food can do for you. That power shows up in ways most people feel every day: steadier energy levels, better focus, improved mood, and long-term support for your overall health.
One of the biggest misconceptions about healthy eating is that it requires a complete lifestyle overhaul. In reality, the small shifts matter the most. Adding just one more serving of vegetables a day, swapping sugary drinks for water a few times a week, or cooking one extra meal at home can improve your overall diet quality.
Many Americans don’t eat enough fruits and vegetables. However, this is one of the simplest ways to start eating healthier. You don’t need expensive produce or complicated recipes to get started.
Practical strategies include:
- Keeping frozen vegetables on hand for quick meals
- Adding fruit to breakfast instead of skipping it altogether
- Mixing extra vegetables into dishes you already eat, like pizza, pasta, soups, or casseroles
- Choosing pre-cut or ready-to-eat options when time is limited
- Snacking on carrot sticks, bell pepper slices, or cherry tomatoes with a side of hummus
- Adding a handful of leafy greens to sandwiches, wraps, or tacos
Start with one or two of these small changes, and you’ll be surprised how easy it is to make fruits and vegetables a regular part of your day.
Healthy eating goes beyond knowing what is good for you. Many households face challenges like cost, limited time, or availability that make nutritious foods harder to access. This year’s campaign focuses on ways to overcome these barriers, including shopping sales, keeping frozen or canned foods on hand, visiting farmers markets, growing fruits or vegetables at home, or utilizing your food pantry. Even small steps like these can make healthy eating easier and help you experience the benefits of nutrition every day.
The real “power” of nutrition comes from consistency over time. Instead of following strict or trendy diets, focus on habits you can maintain:
- Eating regular meals throughout the day
- Including a mix of food groups
- Staying physically active in ways you enjoy
National Nutrition Month® is a reminder that small, consistent choices can have a big impact on your health.