University of Nebraska Extension - Holt/Boyd News Column for the Week of June 2, 2024

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

What Is Good Childcare?

Good childcare programs provide a healthy and safe place for children to be social, to learn and to grow. Good childcare depends on many things. The three most important are the number of caregivers who work with children, caregiver education and training, and the way that caregivers get along with children.

Number of caregivers and children in the group

Children do best in small groups because it is easier to interact with each other and to get care and attention from caregivers. Missouri licensing rules regulate how many children can be with a caregiver and how big the group of children can be in a licensed childcare program.

In Missouri family childcare homes, the standards say:

• For one adult caregiver who is licensed to care for 10 children, a maximum of two children under 2 years of age.
• For one adult caregiver who is licensed to care for six children, a maximum of three children under 2 years of age.
• If the family childcare home is not licensed, Missouri law says that no more than four unrelated children can be in the childcare program.
• If a DFS-registered family childcare home is not licensed, Missouri law says that no more than four unrelated children can be in the childcare program.

In Missouri childcare centers, the standards say:

1. For children birth through 2 years old: One adult with four children; groups no larger than two adults with eight children.
2. For children only 2 years old: One adult with eight children; groups no larger than two adults with 16 children.
3. For children 3 and 4 years old: One adult with 10 children.
4. For children 5 years and older: One adult with 16 children.
5. For groups of mixed-age children: For children 2 years and older, one adult with 10 children, and only four 2-year-olds present in the group. If there are more than four 2-year-olds, the group can have no more than eight children.

Caregiver education and behavior

Many people think that providing childcare comes naturally, but teaching and caring for children in groups takes special skills. The best childcare providers have education and training about children. Licensed caregivers in Missouri are required to have 12 hours of childcare training every year. Education and training are important because they teach caregivers how to help children learn and grow. Caregivers learn how to plan the day, provide nutritious foods and offer fun activities that children will like. Caregivers also learn how to get along with children and families in positive ways.

Good caregiving

When you see a good caregiver interacting with children, you will see her/him:

• Smile at children a lot
• Talk in ways that children understand
• Show children a positive attitude
• Show children they care about them
• Take care of crying children
• Help children understand how they feel
• Answer children's questions
• Encourage children to get along with each other
• Make the most of daily routines to help children learn
• Create moments for children to learn new things in a fun way
• Help children handle failure and learn ways to be successful
• The best caregivers know what children can do and understand what it is like to be a child.

The first years of life are very important to children and to families. Finding good child care helps your children to learn and grow and helps you to have a clear mind when at work because you know that your children are receiving safe and healthy care.

Source: Sara Gable, Ph.D. - College of Human Environmental Sciences (University of Missouri Columbia - June 2, 2019)

Pillbugs Causing Injury to Soybean Crops in Nebraska

Over the past week, pillbugs have been damaging soybean crops in some fields in southeastern, south-central and west-central Nebraska. Sporadic reports of pillbug injury to soybean crops have occurred in various parts of the state over the past several years, primarily in areas with heavy crop residue.

Pillbug injury to soybean is usually observed shortly after the plants emerge, with damage occurring to the hypocotyl — the part of the stem just below the cotyledonary node. Significant feeding on this part of the stem can result in plant death.

If this damage occurs frequently, replanting parts of the field may become necessary. Replanted fields are generally at less risk of pillbug injury due to the rapid germination and emergence of soybean plants. As temperatures rise and conditions become drier, the environment becomes less favorable for pillbugs, which require high humidity and moisture to thrive.

Pillbugs (Armadillidium vulgare), also known as roly polys, sowbugs, or woodlice, are native to Europe but have become widespread across North America and are now considered naturalized. As crustaceans, pillbugs are more closely related to shrimp than insects. They breathe through gills, making moist environments essential for their survival.

Pillbugs are wingless, hard-shelled, and grey to black in color, with seven pairs of legs. At maturity, they are about 3/8 of an inch long. Female pillbugs carry their eggs in a pouch on the underside of their bodies and continue to carry their young for a week after they hatch.

Management of pillbugs is challenging. While insecticide use as either a seed treatment or foliar application has been shown to cause pillbug mortality, stem injury and stand loss can still occur. Jeff Whitworth at Kansas State University indicated that for systemic neonicotinoids to cause mortality, a sufficient amount of the toxin must be ingested, which is unlikely to reduce damage to emerging plants.

A study by Johnson et al. in 2013 suggested that increasing plant populations from 148,000 to 296,000 plants per acre might help avoid the need for replanting. Growers facing replant decisions should plant at a normal population, as conditions in the next week or so should promote rapid growth and be less favorable for pillbugs. Before deciding to replant a field, refer to “Soybean Replanting Considerations” by Jenny Rees et al.

Several foliar products have been tested in Kansas, showing a significant reduction in pillbugs after application, though timing these applications to prevent significant injury and getting the product to the pests - which are often hidden under heavy residue (Figure 2) - remains challenging. Growers should be aware that the results from foliar applications have been mixed.

For cultural control, practices such as strip tillage, complete tillage, or burning crop residue may create a less hospitable environment for pillbugs but may not align with current agricultural practices. Crops also vary in their susceptibility to pillbugs, with corn being less susceptible than soybean, alfalfa, sunflower, wheat or oats.

If you have observed pillbugs causing injury to your soybean crop, please contact your local water and cropping systems extension educator to document and report the issue. Documenting the geography/location and extent of damage can help justify future research priorities.

Source: Justin McMechan - Crop Protection and Cropping Systems Specialist, Julie Peterson - Extension Entomologist, Nathan Mueller - Extension Educator (Cropwatch - May 23, 2024)

Predicted Hot, Dry Summer Could Impact Forage Production

In parts of the High Plains region, recent developing dry conditions are starting to raise concerns that we may see reduced forage production from pasture and rangelands as we move on into the rest of the spring and summer.

The www.weather.gov/gid/NebraskaPrecipitation map shows many parts of the Sandhills and Panhandle regions receiving below average precipitation for the last 30 days.  This time frame is critical for precipitation that drives cool-season forage production on rangeland and pasture.

The Climate Prediction Center recently released its long-range forecast for June, July and August and it is leaning toward above normal temperatures and below normal precipitation for the western two-thirds of Nebraska. (See the CPC Long Range Weather forecast for more information.) If these conditions materialize, it could further significantly reduce forage production from rangeland and pasture as well as yields from annual and perennial hay crops. Already drought conditions are impacting eastern Colorado and the western two-thirds of Kansas.

Currently hay stocks in many parts of the High Plains Region are significantly higher than they were a year ago. The USDA National Ag Statistics Service reported that hay stocks in Nebraska were up 79% from last year on May 1 with an estimated 950,000 tons of hay on hand. These conditions have resulted in hay prices being significantly less than they were a year ago at this time.

These circumstances should prompt producers to consider the possibility of securing a portion of the expected needed hay supplies for next fall and winter now. Should hot, dry conditions develop, stocking rates on pastures may need to be reduced and hay yields could be significantly less than they were a year ago. This would be supportive of hay prices, especially later in the summer and moving on into the fall.

Nebraska Extension has several resources at beef.unl.eduon strategies for dealing with drought conditions related to cattle production. Now may be a good time to pull out the drought plan and review both options and trigger dates for decisions should drought conditions develop. Planning and thinking through options now give producers greater opportunities to act in a timely manner should it be needed.

Source: Aaron Berger - Nebraska Extension Beef Educator (BeefWatch - May 23, 2024)