The field tour will start at 5 p.m. at the Roh farm, a half mile west of Abie, then proceed to plots next to the old grain elevator in Abie. Farmers interested in using a mulch crop to avoid soil crusting and erosion in soybeans should attend. Participants will witness the first use of an aggressive crimper designed by UNL students to stop triticale growth at the flowering stage and roll the triticale down to form a weed-suppressive mulch. At the Roh farm, green beans will be immediately planted into the triticale mulch.

Last year, 30 early-flowering, high-biomass triticale lines were screened on the nearby Stanislav farm. Seven of the best lines were planted last fall in replicated plots on the Roh and Stanislav and nearby Fendrich farms. The plan is to drill beans into standing triticale a week before the crimper demonstration and into adjacent strips on the day of crimping. Participants are welcome to visit the Stanislav plots three miles north of Abie, following the crimper demonstration, to view soybeans planted into the standing triticale. Dates for crimping at the Stanislav and Fendrich farms and for evaluating the effectiveness of the crimper will be discussed at the field day.

For more information, contact Rich Little at 402-805-7482.