University of Nebraska Extension - Holt/Boyd News Column for the Week of July 28, 2024

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

The Playful Parent: Unlocking Learning Through Joy

Hey parents! Ever wonder why playing with your child is so important? Well, let's dive in and find out why having fun together is a big deal and how you can make the most of it.

Building Bonds

Playing isn't just about having a blast - it's about making your bond with your child stronger. Whether you're playing hide-and-seek, reading stories, or dancing in the living room, it's all about connecting. Plus, it helps your child learn how to talk, share feelings, and understand others.

Growing Up Through Play

Every game helps your child learn new stuff. From stacking blocks to exploring outside, playing helps them figure out problems, use their imagination, and get along with others. And guess what? It's super fun, too!

Finding Balance

School and activities are important, but so is having free time to play. It's when your child gets to do whatever they want and let their imagination go wild. Whether they're building forts, making art, or just daydreaming, it helps them be creative and independent.

Enjoying the Moment

We know life gets busy, but it's important to make time for play. Whether it's a game of tag, making sandcastles, or going on adventures, these moments make awesome memories. They remind us of how awesome it is to be a child and to hang out with our favorite people - like you!

So, next time you're thinking of skipping playtime, remember how awesome it is. Playing together isn't just about having fun—it's about strengthening your bond, learning new stuff, and making memories that'll last a lifetime. So, grab your kid, get out there, and let the fun begin!

Transplanting and Dividing Iris

Bearded Iris

Bearded irises are one of the most popular and widely grown perennials in the home landscape. While bearded irises are beautiful, they do require moderate levels of maintenance. One important chore is to divide bearded irises. If not divided, the plants become overcrowded and flower production decreases. Crowded plants are also more prone to foliar diseases.

When to Divide Bearded Iris

Bearded irises should be divided every three to five years, as the plants quickly become overcrowded and don’t bloom well. July or August is the best time to dig, divide and transplant bearded irises.

How to Divide Bearded Iris

Bearded irises grow from thick, fleshy, underground stems called rhizomes. Carefully dig up the iris clumps with a spade. Cut the leaves back to 1/3 their original height. Wash the soil from the rhizomes with a forceful stream of water from the garden hose. Then cut the rhizomes apart with a sharp knife. Each division should have a fan of leaves, a healthy rhizome, and several roots. Discard the old, leafless rhizomes in the center of each clump. Also, discard all diseased and insect damaged rhizomes.

Divided irises typically bloom sparsely the following spring. However, plants should be in full bloom by their second year.

Best Growing Conditions for Bearded Iris

Bearded irises perform best in fertile, well-drained soils and full sun. The planting site should receive at least six hours of direct sun per day. Plants that don't receive sufficient sunlight will not bloom well. Bacterial soft rot is often a problem in wet, poorly drained sites. Wet, poorly drained sites can often be improved by incorporating organic matter, such as sphagnum peat moss or compost, into the soil prior to planting. Raised beds are another option for gardeners with poorly drained soils.

To obtain a good flower display, plant at least three rhizomes of one cultivar in a group. Space the rhizomes 12 to 24 inches apart.

Siberian Iris

Siberian iris are great additions to the garden. Their flowers resemble those of bearded irises but are smaller and lack fuzzy beards. Brilliant blue, white, lavender or yellow flowers appear 1 to 3 weeks later than bearded iris. Leaves are more grass-like and dark green. They are a great alternative to bearded iris in areas with heavy soils or poor drainage as Siberian iris prefers wet conditions.

When to Divide Siberian Iris

Siberian irises don’t have to be divided as often as bearded irises. It’s advisable to divide Siberian irises when clumps become crowded, plant vigor declines or clumps have formed solid rings with bare centers. Siberian irises can be divided in early spring or late summer.

How to Divide Siberian Iris

When dividing Siberian irises in early spring, dig up the entire clump when new growth has just begun to appear. Divide the clump into sections with a soil knife or spade. Each section should have several growing points and a good root system. Replant immediately.

When dividing plants in late summer (August), dig up the entire clump, cut back the foliage to 6 to 8 inches and divide the clump into sections with each division containing several fans of leaves and a good root system. Promptly replant the divisions.

Best Growing Conditions for Siberian Iris

Siberian irises grow and bloom best in full to part sun. Plants prefer moist, fertile soils and are suited to edge of ponds and streams. While they don't mind wetter conditions, they also grow well in average moist, well-drained soils.

Source: Richard Jauron – Retired Iowa State Extension Educator (Iowa State Yard and Garden - April 2023)

Determining a ‘Good’ Price for New Crop Corn

As we roll into mid-summer, many farmers are looking for opportunities to do some forward contracting for fall. This has led some farmers to ask, “What is a ‘good’ price for 2024 corn?

When asking yourself this question, recognize that “good” is a relative term. A good price for one farmer may not be a good price for another. First, determine what you are comparing the price against. Once you have determined your measuring stick, we can assess the viability of a price. Here are a few comparisons you might want to make as you consider pricing new crop corn.

Lender-provided cash flow budget price. When renewing your operating note, your lender provided an estimated cash price for each commodity. This price varies by bank, but most lenders use $4.75 to $4.90 per bushel for new-crop corn.

A benefit to using the cash flow price as a gauge is that it can help you understand if you will be able to pay back your operating note. A disadvantage to the cash flow price is that it may not be a true cost of production for the given crop. Depending on how your lender structures your cash flow budget, this price may be supplemented by other sources of income, including estimated government payments, off-farm income, and income from other crops or livestock.

Breakeven price - Having an accurate cost of production can make it easier for you to know if the price being offered will earn you a profit. Changes in production expectations such as the need for additional inputs to combat pests or changes in yield expectations make breakeven estimates a moving target throughout the growing season.

University of Nebraska–Lincoln Crop Budgets estimate the cost of production for center pivot irrigated corn to be between $4.17 and $5.03 per bushel. There have been opportunities in 2024 to lock in some of your production at or slightly below the current cost of production estimates.

Crop insurance price - Crop insurance revenue protection policy calculations are based on the “projected price,” which is the average of the closing prices of the December corn contract during the month of February. This price gives you a sense of where the futures market expects the price of a commodity to be at harvest. For the 2024 corn crop, the projected price is $4.66 per bushel. The projected price can be adjusted to a cash price by adding your expected harvest basis.

Market price estimates - Most farmers have an idea of where they think the market will go. This price expectation can also be used to gauge the current price. However, make sure your price expectation is realistic. The June 2024 WASDE report estimates cash corn prices for the upcoming crop at $4.40 per bushel.

Once you have determined which measurement you are going to use to gauge the price, write a grain marketing plan. A pre-harvest grain marketing plan should break your anticipated sales into smaller units and outline specific price targets and sales deadlines. This allows you to compare the current price to your marketing goals, removing some of the emotion from marketing.

You may feel pressure to sell a lot of grain during the growing season this year. Caution must be given not to oversell pre-harvest bushels. Although price risk is reduced by pre-pricing, dryland producers, especially, are still exposed to yield risk. In your grain marketing plan, you should determine the amount of your expected production that you are comfortable pricing during the growing season.

Source: Jessica Groskopf - Extension Educator for Agricultural Economics (CropWatch - July 23, 2024)

Pinkeye in Cattle

Driving or riding through a pen or pasture of cattle is a favorite chore for many producers. Making sure our cattle have plenty of clean water, access to feed or forage and monitoring herd health are important aspects of daily care. When examining cattle, one important disease not to overlook is pinkeye. Pinkeye is a highly contagious infectious disease that not only affects cattle in Nebraska but worldwide. The incidence and severity of this common disease can vary widely from year to year. Although pinkeye rarely causes the death of affected cattle, it can cause substantial losses to the cattle industry through decreased weight gain, lowered milk production and treatment costs.

Pinkeye is known to occur at all seasons of the year and in all breeds of cattle. Excessive weeping of the affected eye and closure due to pain are the two signs most commonly observed. As the disease progresses, the cornea becomes cloudy or white. An ulcer frequently develops near the center of the cornea. Cattle with pinkeye keep the affected eye or eyes closed because of pain and to avoid bright sunlight. The course of the infection may run for several weeks.

Pinkeye is primarily caused by Moraxella bovis (M. bovis); however, other organisms have been isolated from eyes with infections resembling pinkeye. It remains unclear whether these other organisms are primary pathogens or opportunistic, secondary invaders. Pinkeye is caused by a combination of factors. Other suspected risk factors that contribute to clinical pinkeye are excessive ultraviolet light (sunlight), biological vectors (face flies, house flies, stable flies), plant material and dust.

Efforts to prevent pinkeye are directed at reducing transmission and minimizing irritation. Fly control can minimize both transmission and irritation; however, it is not a guarantee for prevention. Face flies can remain infected with M. bovis up to 3 days following feeding on infected material. Under experimental conditions, disease transmission is uncommon without the presence of face flies and is common with flies present. Fly control does have the added benefit of limiting the fly avoidance behavior that reduces productivity in cows and calves on pasture. The infection can also be spread by direct contact when the eye secretions of an infected animal are rubbed into the eye of an uninfected animal.

Reducing dusty conditions and providing protection against sunlight also aids in control. Cattle often have grass or weed seeds in their eyes, and these materials can irritate the eye and contribute to the development of pinkeye.

Cattle with pinkeye can be helped by prompt treatment which usually includes an antibiotic and often includes eyepatches to limit further irritation. Since the cornea heals slowly, any ulceration is likely to require several weeks for complete recovery. Vaccinations for pinkeye have met with variable results.

There are other infections that look like pinkeye so it is recommended that you consult with your veterinarian to assist you in the diagnosis, treatment and control of pinkeye.

Source: Brent Plugge - Nebraska Extension Educator, Brian Vander Ley - DVM Epidemiologist, Great Plains Veterinary Education Center (UNL BeefWatch – July 19, 2024)