Nebraska Extension Scotts Bluff County

Local Interest

PANHANDLE PERSPECTIVES: Making decisions about fertilizing and mowing lawns

By Jim Schild and Gary Stone, Extension Educators, UNL Panhandle Research and Extension Center

Fertilizing a turf grass lawn is a lot more than just buying a bag of fertilizer and spreading it all in the spring.

There are several decisions to make. One is how much fertilizer to apply; another is when to apply it. And spring is not the best time to apply most of the year's fertilizer.

The goal of a good fertilizer program is to keep growth at a minimum while maintaining a good, thick, dense, well-colored lawn. To reach the goal, at least two-thirds of the fertilizer should be applied during the fall to thicken the turf and help the grass recover after the summer stress.

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PANHANDLE PERSPECTIVES: Biodegradable mulch material gets field test

The crop research plots at the Panhandle Research and Extension Center on the edge of Scottsbluff occupy several hundred acres, altogether. Some of the plots are an acre or less in size, some are dozens of acres.

Among the sugarbeets, dry edible beans, corn, wheat, sunflowers and various alternative crops, is a small patch of pepper plants.

It’s not the peppers that researchers are interested in, but the thin sheets of mulch that cover the ground around each row of plants.

These thin plastic sheets are a new type of biodegradable mulch under development by 3M. Biodegradable mulch is commonly called biomulch because the plastic is made from polylactic acid (PLA), derived from corn, not petroleum.

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PANHANDLE PERSPECTIVES: Pilot program has teens as teachers for elementary students

       A pair of Scottsbluff High School Students, one who graduated in 2017 and one who will be a senior in the fall, are exchanging roles this summer, becoming teachers to younger students at a Scottsbluff elementary school.

      Teens as Teachers is a pilot program that Nebraska Extension is trying in Scotts Bluff, Hall, Madison and Colfax counties. According to local coordinator Leo Sierra, Teens as Teachers is aimed at providing positive learning experiences to under-served audiences by youthful teachers who look like them.

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PANHANDLE PERSPECTIVES: Building strong families – making time for family

Jackie Guzman, Extension Educator
Scotts Bluff County

Now that children are home from school on summer break, parents can spend the next three months just keeping them busy, or else they can seize an opportunity to build a stronger family and maybe create new traditions.

Many families have their own traditions. As long as I can remember, every December my family’s tradition has been to make tamales together – a very labor intensive process.  Regardless, we all look forward to our annual family gathering.

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Absinth Wormwood – invasive species in our area: PANHANDLE PERSPECTIVES

By Gary Stone, Extension Educator, Panhandle R&E Center, Scottsbluff

Early Detection and Rapid Response (EDRR) is a concept to identify potential invasive species prior to or just as the invasive is becoming established. An integrated pest management (IPM) plan can be developed to manage, contain and eradicate the invasive species before it can spread further, avoiding costly, long-term control efforts.

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Are you planning to direct harvest dry beans?

By John Thomas, Extension Educator, Box Butte County

In recent years more growers in the central high plains are moving toward direct harvest of dry edible beans instead of the conventional method of undercutting/windrowing, and then combining.

Direct harvest is accomplished by one pass with the combine. About half the time a crop desiccant herbicide is applied pre-harvest when direct harvesting beans.

Currently in the Panhandle more than 20 percent of growers are direct harvesting their dry beans. Other growing regions such as North Dakota, Michigan and Canada are using direct harvest for the majority of their dry bean harvest.

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Annual forage options following irrigated winter wheat

Annual forage options following irrigated winter wheat

July 25, 2024
The “Engaging Agriculture” articles are written weekly by and for Engagement Zone 1 Nebraska Extension Educators, who cover the 11 counties in the Panhandle.‘

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New Format for Nebraska Soybean Management Field Days

New Format for Nebraska Soybean Management Field Days

July 24, 2024
The 2024 Soybean Management Field Days will take place August 13 to August 16. Hosted by the Nebraska Soybean Board (NSB) and Nebraska Extension, the field days offer a unique opportunity for farmers to learn about soybean production, the new Soybean Testing Ag Performance Solutions (TAPS) contest, and to network with fellow growers.

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SCAL field day set for Thursday, Aug. 8.

SCAL field day set for Thursday, Aug. 8.

July 24, 2024
The University of Nebraska–Lincoln’s South Central Agricultural Laboratory (SCAL) field day is Thursday, Aug. 8.

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Heat keeps rains away during wheat harvest

Heat keeps rains away during wheat harvest

July 23, 2024
Amid the high temperatures in western Nebraska, wheat harvest has been going on. “We’re right in the middle of wheat harvest,” said Cody Creech, Nebraska Extension dryland cropping specialist at the UNL High Plains Ag Lab in Sidney. “The rest of the state has wrapped up, and we’ll be completing harvest this week.” Typical for most growers, weather has been a big factor in wheat yields. The yield reports in the Panhandle vary depending on whether the fields were hit by hail or not.

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