Ben Beckman - Extension Educator

Ben Beckman

faculty

Assoc Exten Educator NE Ext Engagement Zone 5 University of Nebraska–Lincoln

Work

PO Box 368 101 E Centre Hartington NE 68739-0368

Work 402-254-6821

ben.beckman@unl.edu

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Cattle grazing corn residue — When it comes to stalks residue, grain sorghum stover will retain nutrient grazing value longer than corn, so prioritize grazing corn residue first to achieve optimum nutrition.

Pasture and Forage Minute: Lease Agreement Conditions, Grazing Drought-stressed Crop Residue

September 27, 2023

Extension educators review important factors to consider when entering a land lease agreement, overgrazing pastures in preparation for interseeding legumes, and using drought-stressed crop residue as a feed source.

Cheatgrass closeup — Rejuvra™ is a new rangeland herbicide product from Bayer that controls cheatgrass seedlings. It should be applied in early fall before seeds germinate and can provide control up to two years post-application.

Pasture and Forage Minute: Managing Cheatgrass, Last Alfalfa Harvest and Fall Armyworms

September 19, 2023

Management insights on controlling cheatgrass, wild oats and fall armyworms in pastures, and using growing degree days to schedule your final alfalfa harvest.

Pasture and Forage Minute: Understanding Nitrate Scores, Corn Silage Pricing

September 6, 2023

Extension educators review the importance of understanding nitrate and nitrate nitrogen scores in forage test results, how to price corn silage to salvage drought-stressed crops, and selecting winter annual forages.

Loading corn silage — Silage harvesters can put out impressive volumes of chop, often overwhelming the packer with too many loads before they can get a proper pack. Remember, the speed of chopping should be determined by the packing speed, not the silage chopper.

Pasture and Forage Minute: Considerations for Corn Silage, Last Cutting Alfalfa and Forage Inventories

August 29, 2023

Best practices for packing and covering corn silage, timing the last fall alfalfa cutting, and taking inventory of fall and winter feed supplies.

Grasshopper in field — With continued drought, producers may see grasshoppers moving from field edges into crops. Frequent scouting of fields will be critical in the coming weeks, particularly in alfalfa and late summer-seeded grasses, which are more susceptible to feeding damage..

Pasture and Forage Minute: Managing Grasshoppers, Pasture Weeds and Wet Hay

August 23, 2023

Insights on late summer grasshopper and pasture weed control, and options for producers putting up hay in wet conditions.

Pasture in drought — Though pastures that have had some precipitation are coming back, resist the temptation of grazing them hard this fall, as these plants need to build back reserves before winter.

Pasture and Forage Minute: Managing Drought-stressed Brome, Alfalfa Seeding

August 17, 2023

Insights on managing drought-stressed brome pastures this fall, planting windows and weed control for fall-seeded alfalfa, and registration information about upcoming field days.

Drought-stressed soybean field — Drought-stressed soybeans with few to no pods present. Depending on economics to harvest, using drought-stressed soybeans for forage may be an option. (Photo by Jenny Rees)

Soybeans for Forage

August 17, 2023

Brown soybean plants that were evaluated by crop insurance at 2-4 bu/ac can be grazed if a grower doesn’t wish to harvest them. They’re just low quality.

Hay stack — Uncertain forecasts make harvest decisions difficult for hay producers, but it's important to keep in mind that the more hay is worked, the more leaf shatter occurs and the lower quality we end up with — especially for alfalfa.

Pasture and Forage Minute: Kernel Processing for Silage, Hay Harvest and Storage Considerations

August 9, 2023

Nebraska Extension Educator Ben Beckman reviews methods of kernel processing for quality corn silage, reducing hay loss during storage and adjusting for adverse weather during hay harvest.