Nebraska's wheat was turning color along the state's southern borders, but yields won't compare with last year. Lack of rain at crucial growth stages, hail and high winds, and now disease have plagued some areas of heavy wheat production. (Photo by Brett Hampton)

June 18, 2004

Leaf blight strikes corn seedlings in central Nebraska

> Leaf chlorosis on corn leaves in central Nebraska. Several thousand acres of corn in central Nebraska were affected by a bacterial leaf disease, but appear to be slowly growing out of it. (Photos by Bruce Karnatz, Blue Stem Agronomics, Kearney)

Preliminary indications are that the plant injury is not systemic and may not significantly affect yield. In close examination of the samples submitted, Chaky found two colonies of bacteria – one a saprophyte and the other a pseudomonas. The first is relatively common and not expected to cause much damage while the second bacteria is thought to be a plant pathogenic pseudomonas. The growing points of the plant samples being examined were healthy and injury was not expected to be long-term, given that warm, dry conditions prevail.

Producers reported that the problem appeared in their fields about 7-10 days after a series of storms with hail and high winds. Such occurrences are typical, Chaky said, because plant tissue is injured during the storm, providing an entry site for bacterial infection. The storms also likely transported bacterium from field to field with the water or wind.

The symptoms generally appeared worse in corn-on-corn fields but also have been reported in corn-on-soybeans, said Ray Ward of Ward Laboratories in Kearney. He said he was receiving fewer damage reports, as of Friday and that fields appeared to be growing out of it, although growth may have been slightly delayed in the short term.

Since there is a potential mycotoxin threat with scab, growers should determine if scab is present in their fields. When these fields are harvested, the air flow in the combine should be turned up to blow out as many shriveled kernels as possible. Cleaning the harvested grain also will remove infected kernels. Scab infested grain should not be fed to livestock until it has been tested for the level of vomitoxin. Contaminated grain can be blended with clean toxin-free grain to bring the vomitoxin level below the threshold.

Both powdery mildew and leaf rust are active and could have some affect on yields since both are present on the flag leaf. Rust levels are moderately severe on susceptible varieties. Powdery mildew in not as severe on the flag leaf as is rust but on the short late tillers, it was present on the heads. These are the heads that are down in the wheat canopy. The earliness of the crop may help it escape severe yield loss due to rust and mildew but, undoubtedly these diseases will have some impact on the yields.

What are the longer term effects of last weekend’s hail on corn and soybeans at this growth stage?

Roger Elmore, Extension Cropping Systems Specialist: In addition to the damage assessment for stand loss on soybeans, make sure that the base of the stem is inspected carefully. In intense storms the base of the plant right at the soil line has wounds from hail stones. These plants may appear alive and indeed may survive for a while. In many cases when these plants develop a full canopy and begin filling seeds in August, the plants will break off at the ground level during storms. It may be possible to throw soil around the base of the plant during cultivation to prevent this but I have no experience with that. Certainly covering up the lower nodes with soil would seem to reduce yield potential too but I have not seen data on that either. If I were assessing soybean stands, I would eliminate plants with hail damage at the soil line from the ‘alive’ category.

Based on the hail charts, little or no yield loss will be assessed to soybeans based on defoliation alone at current growth stages. Plants can recover well from defoliation this early in the season. With corn, we need 85% defoliation to obtain a 10% yield loss when plants are in the v9 stage. The corn I looked at yesterday at a University farm in eastern Nebraska was at v9 and although stripped quite a bit, would probably be assessed with less than 20% defoliation.

At this point in the season, replanting either corn or soybeans could mean a 30% decrease in yield potential. Concerns about frost also increase.

If corn is being replanted, change your hybrid to a 100-105 day maturity in southeast and southcentral Nebraska. With soybeans stay with varieties that are in the mid to early range of what we normally plant -- 2.0 to 2.5 for southeast and south central Nebraska.

Timing, amount, and duration. Rain is only as good as its timing, amount and duration in respect to the crop's growth stage. In this case in eastern Nebraska, the culmination of these three factors added up to flooded fields. Flash flood watches have been a common alert recently in central and eastern Nebraska. (Photo by Brett Hampton)

Keith Glewen, Extension educator in Saunders County: Visited multiple University research and demonstration sites in eastern Nebraska over the weekend. Soil moisture does not seem to be as much of an issue as it was last year. Filmore County had some significant hail damage in the Milligan area and ponding of water was common in south central Nebraska. Following several recent storms, Saline County looked like a war zone. The best looking dryland corn was in Pawnee County. Farms near Stella in Richardson County had light hail damage over the weekend.

Del Hemsath, Extension educator in Dakota, Dixon and Thurston counties: The corn is 12 to 18 inches high and progressing well, entering the 6-8 leaf stage. Cultivation is being done on some fields, other fields are getting green because of weed pressure. A few fields have canopy closure in the narrow rows. It has been wet and difficult to get the hay off the fields in good condition. Several areas have received 1 - 2 inches of rain the past week. Many alfalfa fields have second growth and still have hay laying in the field. Soybeans are in the 2-4 trifoliate leaf stage. With lots of weeds in fields there is some spraying. No insect problems. have been reported.

Karen DeBoer, Extension educator in Cheyenne County: Across the southern Panhandle, the winter wheat is maturing earlier than normal, pushed by the recent hot temperatures. Some areas received heavy rain last week and as a result producers are replanting proso millet. We have found Russian wheat aphids in wheat fields but the wheat is past the stage where spraying would be economical.

Glyphosate brands tested and compared

The study was conducted in Roundup Ready soybean at Clay Center, Concord, and Lincoln, except at Clay Center in 2002 when glyphosate tolerant corn was used, and in wheat stubble in North Platte and Sidney. In 2001 and 2002 equivalent rate treatments of 16 and 32 ounces per acre of the glyphosate products listed below were applied. In 2003, treatments were reduced to 12 and 24 ounces per acre. AMS was added to all treatments at a rate of 17 lbs/100 gallons.

Herbicides investigated over the three years included Roundup UltraMax, Roundup Ultra, Roundup WeatherMAX, Roundup UltraDry, Touchdown, Clearout 41 Plus, Glyfos Xtra, Cornerstone, Glyphomax, and Glyphomax Plus. Most of the products represent the isopropylamine (IPA) salt of glyphosate; however, Touchdown is formulated as the diammonium salt of glyphosate, Roundup UltraDry is formulated as the mono-ammonium salt of glyphosate and Roundup WeatherMAX is formulated as a potassium (K) salt of glyphosate. All sites were evaluated for percent control of both grass and broadleaf species at 10-15 and 25-30 DAT.

Over three years differences were small and varied slightly across the different trade names in the glyphosate tolerant soybean and corn treatment. Neither Lincoln, Concord, nor Clay Center had any significant differences in control at any of the rates. Control remained similar across the different locations in wheat stubble, with few significant differences between products at either rate.

As a whole, few differences were seen among the different glyphosate brands in this study across the locations, especially in row crop situations. With a difficult to control species, such as barnyardgrass, or in a more demanding climate, such as western Nebraska, differences are easier to find although they will be random and varied. In most climates there seems to be little or no differences between brands. Rate, environmental factors, and cost will most likely play a larger role in the decision process than brand name.

In addition, service may be an important factor to a producer. As a general rule the lower the price the less service you will receive for that product. If you are risk adverse then you may want to pay more for your glyphosate to have some service and support to fall back on in case of problems. However if you are not concerned about service, then the lower cost glyphosates may be the way to go.

The most important two factors are knowing whether to add surfactant and always adding AMS to your glyphosate. The glyphosate product label will tell you if “no surfactant is needed”, “you may add surfactant” or “you must add surfactant”. The “no” and “must” statements are easy to understand but the “may” statement is confusing.

“May” means that your glyphosate product contains some surfactant but that this may not be enough in the right environmental situation. If you are spraying tall weeds or are in very dry conditions, adding 0.25% (1 quart/100 gallons) surfactant to the glyphosate tank may be beneficial. AMS will help combat hard water problems and improve glyphosate’s efficacy. Always add at least 8.5 lbs per 100 gallons or the equivalent 1% rate for liquid AMS.

As you sort through the glyphosate products be sure to find out the surfactant load situation, plan to add AMS, and choose a product that your are comfortable with. For additional information be sure to check page 120 of the 2004 Guide for Weed Management where many glyphosate products are compared by salt formulation, concentration, and surfactant situation.

Producers who used a preemergence herbicide this year may have more flexibility in their postemergence weed management strategy. With the preemergence herbicide down, producers will generally be able to wait longer before applying postemergence herbicides or cultivating.

Several other strategies include the use of an early postemergence herbicide with residual such as a Roundup + Pursuit (or Extreme) tank mix, a timely postemergence application followed by cultivation or two separate postemergence applications timed roughly 20-30 days apart, letting the weed growth stage dictate application timing.

Winter wheat production depends on using varieties adapted to a given region that maintain high end-use quality, resist diseases and insects, and have a high yield potential; however, most wheat varieties will not meet all these requirements, or at least to the same degree. When one variety is deemed to be well adapted and highly successful, its use can expand rapidly over a large geographic area of the Great Plains, dramatically reducing biodiversity. When a variety begins to occupy more than 20% of the area from Oklahoma to South Dakota, the resistance to diseases and insects is overcome more quickly.

Winter wheat production would be more sustainable and profitable if the most successful varieties could be sustained at high yield levels for several years. Wheat farmers have indicated an interest in planting variety blends as one means of benefitting from the variety’s positive attributes while maintaining its biodiversity. Blends give the opportunity for varieties to complement each other, making them more stable from one year to the next, while presenting a more diverse target for invading diseases and insects. The University of Nebraska has formed a team of farmers, seedsmen, wheat breeders, and wheat variety testers to formulate 11 blends of adapted wheat varieties with different sources of disease and insect resistance. These blends were planted in wheat variety trials across the state and can be viewed at various plot tours in the next week or two.

One of the real keys to their success will be how they perform relative to pure lines. This year researchers from the Panhandle Research and Extension Center have planted these 11 blends at 19 locations in Nebraska and eastern Wyoming and at four research sites in west central Nebraska. Tours will be held at each location to discuss the blends and gather input from local producers on potential blends for future trials. Harvest and agronomic data will be collected, analyzed, and released this fall. The results of this study will be used to refine recommendations regarding what blends to use, when to use them, and what advantages can be expected. Producers are encouraged to participate in these trials and provide feedback on the blends.

The blends, type and varieties tested in these trials are:

Panhandle tours

Timely and accurate scouting are key to managing European corn borer in standard (non-Bt) corn hybrids. Remember that conditions are localized and each field should be scouted to make accurate decisions. Survival of the corn borer larvae depends on several factors. High humidity and warm temperatures are ideal for larvae establishment in the whorl. Egg masses are white, with 5 to 40 eggs in each mass, and laid on the underside of leaves near the midrib. The masses look like fish scales flattened against the leaf. In four to seven days the eggs will appear spotted and the heads of developing larvae will be visible. From this “blackhead” stage the eggs normally hatch within 24 hours. As the larvae enter the whorl to feed on the developing tissue, the feeding scars (shot-holes) appear as the leaves emerge from the whorl. Larvae will remain within the whorl for 7 to 14 days before boring into the stalk.

Scouting

Corn that has less than a 16-inch extended leaf height (distance from the tip of the leaf pulled up vertically to ground, about six-leaf stage) is unlikely to support young larvae because of the presence of a substance known as DIMBOA, a natural resistance factor. As plants grow, the level of DIMBOA decreases. Plants with more than a 16-inch extended leaf height generally will support corn borers. First generation corn borers prefer taller plants for egg laying, therefore, the earliest planted fields are more likely to have higher populations. Scout these fields first, but do not neglect other fields because any cornfield is a potential target and should be scouted.

Now that Bt corn is planted widely, be sure you know whether the field you’re scouting was planted to Bt corn. In Bt corn, corn borer injury to whorl stage plants should be limited to a few tiny pin-holes where larvae initially fed before ingesting a lethal dose of Bt toxin. However, seed lots may contain a small percentage of off-type seed (typically less than 4%) which does not produce sufficient toxin levels to kill corn borer larvae. If more than 4% of the plants in a Bt cornfield show significant leaf feeding damage, rescout the field to confirm whether corn borer is causing the injury. (Other caterpillars such as corn earworms, or common stalk borer are not controlled by the B.t. corns currently available.) If you believe that corn borer is causing the injury, contact a representative of the company who sold the seed to investigate the situation more completely.

Treatment thresholds

To determine the need for treatment, scout at least 20-25 consecutive plants in at least four or five places in the field (100 plant minimum per field). The scouting locations should be randomly selected and representative of the whole field. At each scouting location, randomly select the first plant that will be sampled. If you do not and always start sampling at an infested plant, the counts may be inflated by up to 5%. Count the number of plants showing shot-hole feeding and determine the percent of infested plants. Next, pull the whorls from at least two randomly selected infested plants in each set of 20-25 plants. Unroll the leaves and count the number of larvae in the whorl to determine the number of larvae per infested plant. Young corn borers usually suffer 60% to 85% or higher mortality due to natural enemies, weather and disease, so use this to your advantage. Try to delay treatment decisions until most of the borers are second instar and the number of actual survivors can be determined.

Hoary vervain

Hoary vervain is a perennial forb from the vervain family (Verbenaceae) that reproduces by seeds. The taproot (perennial structure) produces individual erect plants. Stem is nearly round, simple or branched above and can be up to 5 ft tall, covered with soft white hairs. Leaves are opposite and leaf blades are ovate with many teeth. Lower surface is pubescent with highly visible veins. Like many other plant species, the overall growth and development depends on the amount and timing of rainfall. In Nebraska hoary vervain can flower from May to September, with blue or purple flowers positioned on the top of the main stem and branches and producing a two seeded fruit.
Hoary vervain provides forage for deer while seeds are important food source for small mammals and upland birds. Native Americans also made a tea from the leaves to treat stomach aches. Hoary vervain has no value to livestock because of its low palatability.

Various means can be used to control this weed. Mowing plants when they are 3-5 inches tall can reduce vervain population considerably for the season. Mowing can be done one or two times per season depending on the amount of rainfall. One mowing in mid June can be effective (more than 75% control) if the season is dry, due to lack of moisture needed for weed regrowth. If the season is wet, another mowing will be needed in July-August. Herbicides also can be very effective in providing a season long control. Apply herbicides when plants are 3-5 inches tall, which is usually in early June. The list of effective herbicides, their rates and cost per acre includes: Salvo (12 oz/acre, $4), Grazon P+D (32 oz/acre, $8), Weedmaster (32oz/acre, $6), Ally (0.25oz/acre, $8), and Vista (22 oz/acre, $8).

Plants usually grow in sparse groups (patches or clusters). The stem is very erect, up to 3 feet tall, with many branches and long hairs giving it a coarse feeling. Leaves are alternate on the upper part of the stem and opposite on the bottom, with many divisions and teeth. Like many other plant species, the overall growth and development depends on the amount and timing of rainfall. In Nebraska western ragweed can flower from July to October, with greenish-yellow flowers positioned on the top of the main stem and branches. It produces one inch bur-like fruits, each of which has a single seed.

Western ragweed provides forage for deer and the fruits are an important food source for upland gamebirds, wild turkeys and songbirds. Native Americans also made a tea from the whole plants to treat colds and cramps. Western ragweed has almost no value to livestock because of its low palatability. With other forage limited, it may be eaten. Pollen produced in late summer causes hay fever in many people and its volatile oils can cause skin irritation.

Due to its low value for livestock forage, it is a concern to livestock producers and ranchers. This weed can be controlled by various means. Mowing the plants when they are 4-6 inch tall can reduce ragweed population considerably for the season. Mowing can be done one or two times per season depending on the amount of rainfall. One mowing in mid June is effective if the season is dry, due to lack of moisture needed for weed regrowth. If the season is wet, an additional mowing is needed in July or August. Herbicides also can be very effective in providing season long control. Herbicide application should be conducted when ragweed plants are 3-5 inches tall. The list of effective herbicides and their rates per acre includes: Salvo (12 oz/acre), 2,4-D-Ester (1qrt/acre), Grazon P+D (32 oz/acre), Weedmaster (32oz/acre), Ally (0.25oz/acre), and Vista (22 oz/acre).

Once weeds become a problem, though, control strategies must be used. One effective technique is to heavily stock a pasture, maybe with a ten-fold higher concentration of animals per acre than usual, for a very short time. Temporary electric cross fences may be needed to create these high concentration areas.

If done while problem weeds are young, many will be eaten readily. Weeds like crabgrass, foxtail, field bindweed, and lambsquarter make good forage when young. Animals even eat cheatgrass, downy brome, and sandbur when plants are young. Once these plants form seed stalks, though, cattle almost totally reject them. Be sure to remove animals while desired grasses still have a few leaves remaining so they regrow quickly and compete with recovering or new weeds.

Some established weeds aren’t controlled easily with grazing. Clip or spray these weeds when their root reserves are low to prevent seed production and remember that they will return quickly unless follow-up grazing management keeps your pasture healthy, vigorous, and competitive.

In Nebraska insect problems in stored grain originate from infested grain trapped in harvesting equipment, in the bin itself, or nearby, but not in the field. Proper equipment and bin preparation can help ensure that grain quality is maintained in storage.

Cleaning bins, equipment

Grain harvesting and handling equipment such as combines and augers must be thoroughly cleaned so that insect-damaged or moldy grain is not dumped into the first new crop grain passing through the equipment. Carefully inspect and remove all traces of old grain from combines, truck beds, grain carts, augers, and any other equipment used for harvesting, transporting, and handling grain. Clean grain bins thoroughly, disposing of spilled, cracked and broken grain and grain flour, along with the insects feeding on this material. A simple broom, bucket, and a vacuum cleaner are essential pieces of equipment in cleaning grain bins.

Around the bins, be sure to remove old equipment, junk and clutter to reduce attractiveness to insects and rodents. Make sure that the bin is insect- and rodent-proofed by plugging holes, sealing bins, caulking and making general repairs. Grain spilled near the bin attracts insects and draws mice and rats. Clean up and dispose of any spilled grain a few weeks before harvest. If rats have tunneled under foundations, use baits or traps to reduce or eliminate them.

Tall weeds can harbor insects and provide cover for rodents. Mow around the bin site to remove tall grass and weeds to reduce the potential for insect and rodent infestation. If necessary, re-grade the site so that water readily drains away from bin foundations. In the midst of harvest you won’t want to wait for wet soil to dry out.

Make certain that travel lanes have enough rock or gravel to bear the weight of heavy trucks and grain carts. Using geotextile fabric will increase the effectiveness of gravel and crushed rock for the travel lanes and around the bin perimeters. The fabric is inexpensive and can extend the life of gravel by up to 10 times. Landscaping should be maintained well away from grain storage facilities. Leave a 4-foot wide strip of bare gravel around the perimeter of storage bins.

Treating empty bins

Once empty bins have been thoroughly cleaned, a residual treatment may be applied to bin surfaces to protect incoming grain from insect infestation. Follow label instructions carefully. Note that the following recommendations are for bins that will store wheat. (A later issue of CropWatch will address recommendations for preparing bins for corn and soybean storage.) The following materials can be applied as residual sprays to empty wheat bin surfaces: silicon dioxide, silica gel plus pyrethrins, pyrethrins, malathion and diatomaceous earth. Note that pyrethrins would provide a relatively short residual and that malathion is not effective for some stored grain insects due to resistance. For bins with false floors, which are inaccessible for cleaning, chloropicrin, a bin “clean-out” fumigant, is legal to use prior to binning the wheat. Other fumigants that could be used on empty bins are magnesium phosphide and methyl bromide. Caution! Fumigants are dangerous, restricted use pesticides and may require gas monitoring devices and respirator protection for the applicator. It is highly recommended that fumigation be done by a commercial pesticide applicator who has been trained and EPA/NDA-certified in safe fumigant handling and application techniques. Refer to current labels for specific details and instructions.

Grain storage and temperature

After cleaning the bins and equipment, the next step is to ensure the quality of the grain going into storage. It must be clean, sound and dry and it’s essential that it be relatively free of fines (cracked grain), trash and foreign material. Never put new crop grain on top of old grain in the bin.

Stored grain insects cannot live on extremely dry grain (less than 10% moisture), however it is impractical to reduce grain moisture much below minimum moisture levels necessary for long-term storage. The safe storage moisture level for wheat is about 13%. Insect activity and reproduction are favored by high grain moisture, especially when condensation and molds occur and fermentation raises the grain temperature. Spoilage and internal heating allow insects to remain active -- even in winter.

Proper bin aeration can help manage grain temperature. Since insects are “cold-blooded”, they are less active at lower temperatures. Maintaining “cool” grain can be particularly important in reducing insect reproduction. Condensation of moisture in the grain mass is prevented by slow cooling and gradual reduction of the gradient between the grain mass temperature and the outside (ambient) temperature. In summer, keeping the grain cool is a challenge, so timely aeration is important.

Typical harvest temperatures may produce a grain mass that starts off at 95^oF or higher. In a 1994 study, Kansas entomologists found that proper aeration and cooling after harvest could eliminate the need for grain protectants in many cases.

Treating stored wheat

Diatomaceous earth or natural pyrethrins can be applied directly to wheat as it goes into the bin. Once wheat is in storage, surface infestations of Indianmeal moth may be prevented with Bacillus thuringiensis kurstaki (Dipel, etc.). If found to be seriously infested with insects later in the summer, the grain mass can be fumigated. Fumigants approved for use on wheat include: magnesium phosphide and aluminum phosphide. Other stored wheat treatments include: diatomaceous earth, silicon dioxide and pyrethrins.

The clinics will provide an excellent opportunity to gain first-hand, in-field experience. “Participants will learn from noted subject matter specialists in areas important to crop production profitability,” said Keith Glewen, Extension educator and program coordinator.

Topics for the July 15 clinic will include: agronomic challenge plots, corn rootworm technology, diagnostic lab updates, improving pesticide efficacy and drift, new genes and new traits in corn and soybean production, weed management strategies and the management tools, WeedSOFT and CropWatch. The workshop is expected to provide Certified Crop Advisor credits: two in crop production and four in pest management.

Topics for the July 16 clinic include: corn and soybean growth and development, irrigation scheduling and evapotranspiration, no-till/zone tillage/strip tillage, plant nutrient and fertilizer issues, soil pH management, the power of a soil survey and understanding soil texture classes. The clinic is expected to provide Certified Crop Advisor credits: two in soil fertility, three in soil and water, and one in crop production.

Cost for each clinic is $125 before July 8 and $175 afterward. The combined cost for attending both clinics is $215 before July 8 and $265 afterward.

For more information or to register, contact the ARDC, CMDC Programs, 1071 County Road G, Ithaca, Neb. 68033, call (402) 624-8030, fax (402) 624-8010 or e-mail cdunbar2@unl.edu.

Detailed information and registration also is available on the Web at http://ardc.unl.edu/training.htm. Other summer courses include a late season crop management clinic on Aug. 18 and a precision farming management and technologies clinic Aug. 26.

A satellite unit of the Panhandle Research and Extension Center in Scottsbluff, the High Plains Ag Lab is dedicated to improving profitability for dryland crops and livestock production. The dryland crops portion of the 2,400-acre facility has played a major role in the development of eco-fallow farming, wheat varieties, proso millet varieties, and the introduction of alternative crops in the High Plains region. The High Plains Ag Lab is six miles north of Sidney on U.S. 385, 2.5 miles west at the Huntsman Elevator, and 0.5 miles north. From Gurley, the Ag Lab is seven miles south on U.S. 385, 2.5 miles west at the Huntsman Elevator, and 0.5 miles north.

Field day program

Welcome and Update, Charles Hibberd, director, University of Nebraska Panhandle Research and Extension Center

Update on Russian Wheat Aphid and Wheat Curl Mite, Gary Hein, Extension entomologist

Russian Wheat Aphid Resistant Spring Barley, David Baltensperger, Extension alternative crops specialist; and Phil Bregitzer, USDA-ARS plant breeder

Transitioning from Summer Crops to Winter Wheat, Drew Lyon, Extension dryland cropping systems specialist

Clearfield Winter Wheat, Lyon

Brown Mustard Weed Control, Lyon

Brown Mustard and Canola Production, Baltensperger

Quality Improvement of Nebraska Wheat Varieties, Brian Beecher, UNL plant breeder

Wheat Varieties, Stephen Baenziger, UNL plant breeder; Baltensperger; Robert Graybosch, USDA-ARS plant breeder; and Lyon.

Corn condition improved with the warmer conditions and rated 2% very poor, 5% poor, 27% fair, 51% good, and 15% excellent, below last year and average.

Soybean planting neared completion at 98%, ahead of last year at 97% but the same as average. Ninety percent had emerged, ahead of last year at 81% and average at 87%. Condition improved and rated 1% very poor, 4% poor, 27% fair, 57% good, and 11% excellent, below last year but above the average.

Sorghum planting advanced to 95% complete, ahead of last year at 86% and average at 91%. Seventy-eight percent had emerged, ahead of last year at 59% and average at 73%. Condition rated 1% very poor, 7% poor, 43% fair, 45% good, and 4% excellent.

Wheat condition rated 20% very poor, 27% poor, 34% fair, 18% good, and 1% excellent, below last year and average. Fields were 98% headed, about a week ahead of last year and average at 93%. Fifty-six percent had turned color, also about a week ahead of last year at 20% and average at 32. Wheat was ripe on 3% percent of the acreage, mostly in the southern tier of districts and the East Central district.

Oat condition rated 12% very poor, 15% poor, 27% fair, 38% good, and 8% excellent. Seventy-one percent of the oats had headed, ahead of last year at 60% and a week ahead of average at 52%.

Dry beans were 82 seeded, ahead of last year at 69% and average at 79%. Thirty-one percent had emerged, behind last year at 35% and average at 41%.

Proso millet planting progressed to 66% complete, about one week ahead of last year at 31%.

Alfalfa conditions improved and rated 8% very poor, 17% poor, 28% fair, 36% good, and 11% excellent, below last year and average. First cutting activities were 81% harvested, ahead of both last year at 76% and average at 78%. Second cutting activities were underway in a few areas of eastern Nebraska.

Wild hay condition rated 18% very poor, 18% poor, 29% fair, 29% good, and 6% excellent.

Weathering tends to lower the yield and nutrients of exposed hay by about 1% a month. High value, high quality hay that will be sold or fed to high value animals like dairy cows and horses should be stored under cover. A hay shed, a partially used machine shed, or any other shelter with a roof will be better than exposing hay to the elements. Tarps are the next best option, especially heavy-duty ones that can be tied down without tearing in the wind. Plastic also works, but it takes special care and a lot of luck to fasten down plastic well enough so it doesn't rip during storms.

If uncovered storage is your only option, place bales and stacks on an elevated site with good drainage so moisture doesn't soak up from the bottom. Don't stack round bales or line them up with the twine sides touching -- rain will collect where they touch and soak into the bale. After a rain, allow space for air to circulate and dry hay.