By Aaron Berger
Nebraska Beef Extension Educator
For agricultural producers committed to lifelong learning, podcasts are a good way to expand their knowledge base while using time effectively.
Most people involved in production ag spend a significant amount of time behind the wheel of a vehicle or piece of equipment. This “drive time” can be an opportunity to listen to podcasts on their smartphones.
David Lott, Horticulture Extension Educator, University of Nebraska-Lincoln Extension in North Platte
Storms inflict significant damage to gardens and landscapes across Nebraska each year. Initial reactions to storm damage can be overwhelming when trying to decide what steps to take to start the recovery process. Here are some simple tips to help find a place to start in the recovery process to reduce further damage to the landscape and anyone who is helping in the process.
The Nebraska Department of Agriculture and Nebraska Extension are encouraging produce vendors, nurseries, beekeepers, organic growers and other businesses that could be affected by chemical drift to avoid inadvertent drift by registering their specialty crops and beehives on-line with DriftWatch/Beecheck website.
Crops growing in the numerous small plots at the University of Nebraska Panhandle Research and Extension Center this summer will include the usual assortment of dry beans, corn, sugar beets, peas and various alternative crops. In their midst, one small plot has rows of plants that look like the dandelions in local yards.
In fact, they are dandelions of a different type. Their roots produce rubber, and this test plot is part of a multi-state collaborative project to see if rubber and biofuels can be grown and processed in the United States from dandelions. The project is titled Biofuel and Rubber Research and their Agricultural Linkages (BARRAL).
By Gary Stone, Extension Educator, Panhandle Extension District
Early Detection and Rapid Response (EDRR) is a concept to identify potentially invasive species prior to or just as the establishment of the invasive is taking place. An Integrated Pest Management plan (IPM) can be developed to manage, contain and eradicate the invasive species before it can spread further. This will avoid costly, long-term control efforts.
The devastation Nebraska has experienced these past few months is unimaginable. Communities and people’s lives have changed forever. Though not the highest priority, one item that should be addressed in the near future is the chance that invasive plants may show up in areas that have never had them before.
