University of Nebraska Extension - Holt/Boyd News Column for the Week of April 14, 2024

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

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

Fertilizer Recommendation Support Tool to Digitize Crop Nutrient Management Launches Nationwide

Project partners of the Fertilizer Recommendation Support Tool announce the nationwide release of FRST, a decision aid that provides an unbiased, science-based interpretation of soil test phosphorus and potassium values for crop fertilization.

The FRST project is a collaboration of over 100 soil science and agronomic professionals representing nearly 50 universities, four divisions of the USDA, several not-for-profit organizations and one private sector partner. This diverse partnership underscores the collective effort and expertise invested in the development of FRST.

“We are extremely excited about the launch of the decision support tool,” said Javed Iqbal, agronomy and horticulture assistant professor at the University of Nebraska–Lincoln and a member of the team. “FRST was developed in response to the pressing need to harmonize soil testing across state boundaries. It represents an improvement in our ability to evaluate soil test correlation.”

The new web-based tool represents a significant advancement in soil testing for phosphorus and potassium and nutrient management that uses data from across the United States, with the hope of potentially saving farmers millions of dollars annually while reducing excess nutrient losses to the environment.

“Until now, soil fertility faculty in each state worked independently,” said Deanna Osmond, professor of soil science at North Carolina State University and one of the FRST’s leaders. “But for farmers who work across state lines, it’s difficult to compare or assimilate multi-state guidelines. Our goal is to improve the accuracy of nutrient recommendations through independent, scientifically developed nutrient management best practices that farmers can believe in and adopt.”

Currently, the FRST provides critical phosphorus and potassium soil test values. Critical soil test values indicate where there is no expected yield increase from phosphorus or potassium fertilizer application. In the next phase, the FRST will provide research-based phosphorus or potassium rate response information to assist farmers in selecting the minimum fertilizer rate expected to produce maximal crop yield.

The current version - FRST v1.0 - includes data from nearly 2,500 phosphorus and potassium trials for 21 major agricultural crops, with the majority as corn and soybean. It includes a map of the U.S. that shows the location of phosphorus and potassium trials represented in the database and can be used to identify where the need for additional research data is greatest.

The database was constructed from both historical and current research data and includes trials from 40 states and Puerto Rico. The team has plans to expand to other crops, cropping systems and other nutrients, such as sulfur.

Key features of FRST include:

• Data-Driven: FRST utilizes a dynamic database of soil test correlation data that is constantly updated to improve testing confidence.
• Crop Specific: The database currently covers 21 major commodity crops.
• Geographically Diverse: Includes published and unpublished trial data from 40 states and Puerto Rico.
• Unbiased: Blended data removes political and institutional bias in soil test interpretation.
• Scientifically Sound: Data represents a minimum dataset that provides reliable outcomes.

“The FRST project has accomplished two really important objectives to advance phosphorus and potassium management for crop production,” said Nathan Slaton, assistant director of the Arkansas Agricultural Experiment Station at the University of Arkansas Division of Agriculture and a leader on the project.

The first was developing a national database to archive soil test correlation and calibration research ensuring that research information that supports crop fertilization recommendations is not lost as scientists retire,” Slaton said. “The second is providing a tool that anyone can use to review the research results relevant to their crop, soils and geographic area to check their soil-test-based fertilizer recommendations.”

Hosted in a neutral space with common access, FRST fosters collaboration and innovation in soil fertility research, paving the way for future advancements in nutrient management.

“The design of FRST has always been focused on the end user being able to easily use the tool and understand the results,” said Greg Buol, business and technical application analyst at North Carolina State University. Buol has provided database and programming support for FRST.

"We believe that FRST will not only benefit farmers by improving farm economics and conservation practices but also contribute to global sustainability," Iqbal said.

For more information about FRST and how it can transform nutrient management on your farm or in your organization, visit https://soiltestfrst.org/ and click on "Tool".

Funding for the FRST project has been provided by the USDA NRCS including the Conservation Innovation Grants, USDA ARS, USDA NIFA and OCP North America.

Source: CropWatch (April 9, 2024)

Growing Peas

Freshly harvested, shelled, and cooked peas are a late spring treat. Many types of peas can be grown successfully in Nebraska. Learn more about selection, planting, care, and harvesting of garden, snow, and snap peas.

Types

There are three main types of peas. The garden pea is grown for shelling. Snow and snap peas are edible podded peas.

The garden or English pea has been widely grown for years. Garden peas are harvested when the pods are well-filled, and the seeds are sweet and tender. (The seeds in over-mature pods will be hard and starchy.) The pods of garden peas are not edible.

Snow peas (sugar peas) are harvested when the pods are long and thin, just as the seeds begin to develop. Young pods are tender, stringless and may be stir-fried in Chinese dishes, steamed or cooked like snap beans. If the seeds are allowed to develop fully, they may be shelled and used like garden peas.

Snap peas are best picked when the seeds are nearly full size. The pod walls are thick, fleshy, and crunchy. Snap peas may be eaten raw in salads, snapped, and cooked like snap beans, or shelled for garden peas. They also freeze very well.

Recommended Cultivars

Suggested garden pea cultivars for home gardens in Iowa include ‘Little Marvel’ (early season, short vines), ‘Spring’ (early season, short vines), ‘Knight’ (early season, short vines), ‘Lincoln’ (mid to late season, very sweet), ‘Green Arrow’ (mid to late season, 24 to 28-inch vines) and ‘Wando’ (mid to late season, heat tolerant). ‘Oregon Giant’ (mid to late season, large pods), ‘Snowflake’ (late season, flat pods) and ‘Super Sugar Pod’ (late season, long vines) are excellent snow pea cultivars, while ‘Sugar Ann’ (early season, short vines), ‘Sugar Bon’ (early season, short vines), ‘Sugar Sprint’ (early to mid-season, short vines), ‘Cascadia’ (mid-season, short vines) and ‘Super Snappy’ (mid-season, large pods) are good snap peas.

Planning

Garden, snow and snap peas are cool season crops. They tolerate cool temperatures and can even survive a light frost. Peas see the most growth with temperatures between 55° and 65°F. While plants can be very cold hardy, flowers and developing pods are sensitive to freezes or frosts. If a late spring frost is forecasted, provide protection.

Peas are not tolerant of warm temperatures. When temperatures exceed 85°F, very little growth will occur. This makes the plants perfect for early spring and late fall plantings.

Site Selection

Peas grow best in full sun. Provide at least six hours of direct sunlight a day for best growth.  Plants tolerate a range of soil types provided they are well drained. Peas grow well in soils of average fertility.

Compact varieties can be successfully grown in a large container (the larger the container, the better) with a trellis added for support. Utilize regular potting soil and provide full sun and adequate moisture.

Planting

Peas should be planted as soon as the ground can be worked in spring. Appropriate spring planting dates are late March in southern Iowa, early April in central Iowa, and mid-April in northern portions of the state. A fall crop can be planted in late August or early September for an early to mid-October harvest.

Sow seeds 1 to 1½ inches deep and 2 inches apart. Peas can be planted in single or double rows. Double rows should be spaced about 6 inches apart. Double rows allow bush cultivars to cling and hold up one another. Place wire netting or a trellis between double rows of tall cultivars to provide support. When planted in single rows, the dwarf or bush-type cultivars should be sown in rows 2 feet apart and the tall growing cultivars 3 feet apart.

Plantings can be made in succession to help spread out the harvest. Consider planting up to three successions each separated by one week.

Care

Peas grow best in consistently moist, well-drained soil. Since spring tends to be cool and wetter than other times of the year in Iowa, plants typically only need to be watered when conditions are abnormally dry. When watering, avoid wetting the foliage to prevent disease issues. Apply a mulch around plants to help conserve soil moisture.

Be sure to plant in a weed free bed and remove weeds as you see them. Since peas grow early in the season, they tend to outpace many weeds. The most effective ways to weed include light cultivation (be careful not to damage the shallow root systems) and hand-pulling. A layer of mulch, especially between the rows, can help reduce weed issues.

Peas rarely need additional fertilizer but if a soil test shows the need, apply an all-purpose fertilizer (such as a 10-10-10) at a light to moderate rate within a few weeks of planting.

Harvest and Storage

Depending on the cultivar, peas are typically ready to harvest 50 to 75 days after planting. Proper timing with harvest is important to get tender, sweet peas.  Over-mature peas are starchy in flavor, thick, and tough with a firm or hard interior. Garden peas are best picked just as the pods swell and round out, but before they make a hard, bumpy outline in the pod. Harvest snow and snap peas just as the seeds begin to form but while the pod is still flat.

Peas can quickly decline in quality after harvest. It is important to cool the peas as soon as possible after harvest. This can be done by dunking in ice water, drying, and storing in the refrigerator. Keep the peas in a vegetable bag in the refrigerator's crisper drawer.  Fresh peas can be stored for up to three days with little loss in quality. If quickly cooled and properly stored, they can last up to one week. They can also be processed and frozen for more long-term storage.

Garden peas can be shelled and then cooled or cooled and shelled later. To shell garden peas, press the pod on the rounded end to split the pod open along the seam. Run your thumb down the open pod to pop the peas loose. For those types with edible pods, the string may have to be removed on certain cultivars. With a pairing knife or your fingers, snap the very tip of pod off and pull the string from along the seam on the concave side of the pod. Repeat the process from the other end/tip.

Source: Aaron Steil – Specialist Consumer Horticulture Extension Iowa State University (Yard and Garden - April 2024)

Considerations for Building Cow Inventories at Current Prices

Calf prices are encouraging cow-calf producers to increase cow inventories to have more calves to sell. Consider the following points when evaluating growing the cowherd.

Contribution Margin

Is the operation fully stocked on owned land or on land leased by the acre? What are the current overhead costs including labor and equipment associated with owned and leased acres? If more cows can be added to the ranch to make it “fully stocked,” what is the additional “contribution to margin” that comes from adding a cow? For example, if the ranch land is owned and could run 500 cows, but is currently stocked at 450 cows, adding 50 cows will not be expected to result in a significant increase in overhead costs for labor, equipment, and land.

Adding 50 cows will, however, result in additional direct costs. Direct costs are those that increase whenever a cow is added to the herd. Examples of direct costs include vaccine, ear tags, salt and mineral, protein supplement, etc.

The revenue projected to be left after direct costs and cow depreciation are subtracted from the value of calves sold provides an estimate of added revenue. If this revenue is positive, the operation can then use it to help cover overhead costs and increase net returns. If it is negative, it indicates added expense to the operation.

Marketing of Large Groups or Load Lots

Selling calves in large groups or load lots, either off the ranch or through the auction market, can add significantly to market prices. Would the purchase of additional cows push the number of calves produced to a threshold level that would result in marketing opportunities that would command a higher total market price for all calves produced? What is the projected value of this?

Say we use a 90% calving rate, selling 550-pound calves at $2.25/lbs. with a $0.05 per pound premium for the additional numbers where 20% of calves are retained as replacement heifers. The 450 cows would wean 405 calves, of which 315 would be sold and 90 heifers retained. If 50 cows are added to the herd, then 500 cows would wean 450 calves. Of these calves, 100 heifers would be retained, and 350 calves sold. If the increased size of the marketing group resulted in the suggested $0.05 per pound premium, this would result in $9,625 of added income above the $43,312 of revenue from the additional 35 calves sold by increasing the herd by 50 cows.

Cow Depreciation

What is the expected depreciation on the bred female that is purchased or retained in the herd at current market prices? Weigh-up cow prices are high now but will likely begin to fall once cattle inventories climb. Young cows purchased or retained now will likely be sold in the future as weigh-up cows at lower market prices. Will expected calf prices and cow productivity cover other cow costs plus this depreciation.

Taxes

Cows are classified as a “capital asset” and therefore they can be depreciated just like a piece of equipment or a building. The purchase of breeding stock can be used as a tool to manage tax liability. Would the purchase of cows provide tax benefits to the operation in 2024 and 2025? Visit with your tax professional when evaluating the costs and benefits of purchasing cows and using the depreciation to offset tax liability.

Cash or Borrowed Money

The opportunity interest on working capital or the actual interest on borrowed money is significantly higher than it was just two years ago. If using working capital or borrowed money for cowherd expansion, what will the interest cost be? Assuming a lending rate of 6% interest two years ago and the current rate of 10% for a three-year note, the annual payment on a $1,000 note grew from $374.69 to $403.10. Total interest paid over the life of the loan swelled from $124 to $209! That is $85 more in total interest per $1000 borrowed! The market price for bred cows has appreciated by approximately $1,000 per head since the spring of 2022 as well. Higher cow prices and higher interest rates have significantly increased the total amount of interest in the cost to produce a calf.

Business Stage and Plans

What is the position of the business currently? What are your plans and goals for the future? Is the operation in a growth mode or in a place of maturity and maintenance? Are there plans to exit the cow-calf enterprise in the next three to five years? Prices for all classes of cattle look to be strong for the next couple of years barring a “black swan” event. For producers who are considering getting out of the cow-calf business in the near future, now may not be the time to retain bred heifers or buy breeding stock to expand but to begin the exiting process. This may include strategically selling breeding stock. For more information on the potential financial benefits of selling raised breeding stock at high market prices see the article “Will You Capitalize on Increasing Cow Value?”

Source: Aaron Berger - Nebraska Extension Beef Educator, Matt Stockton - Nebraska Extension Ag Economics Specialist (UNL Beef Watch – April 11, 2024)