Ben Beckman - Extension Educator

Ben Beckman

faculty
Work
PO Box 368 101 E Centre Hartington NE 68739-0368
US
Grain sorghum
Stalk grazing this fall should begin with corn residue and then transition to grain sorghum stovers, as corn leaves will blow out of fields within a couple months post-harvest, whereas grain sorghum leaves usually remain attached through winter and into early spring.

Pasture and Forage Minute: Fall Grazing and Pasture Management

October 5, 2021
Extension Educator Todd Whitney explains why it's best to graze grain sorghum stover before corn residue, plus a rundown on improving hay and crop residue through ammoniation and proper care of fall pastures for best plant health through the winter.

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baled corn

Pasture and Forage Minute: Overgraze Pastures Now to Prep for Interseeding Legumes Next Spring

September 22, 2021
This week, Extension Educator Ben Beckman explains how to produce nitrogen in a pasture by interseeding legumes — plus, a review on testing hay for its quality and baling corn stalks for forage.

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Fall Armyworm

Fall Armyworms in Pastures, Alfalfa, Small Grains, Cover Crops, and Lawns

September 24, 2021
We continue to receive questions on management with the unprecedented number of fall armyworms experienced in Nebraska this fall. The following is a Q/A to address the specific questions we’ve received.

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Windrow in field
When done correctly, windrow grazing provides the best of both worlds, allowing harvest to occur at the optimal time for yield and quality, while eliminating the cost and labor of baling, storing and feeding hay. (Photo by Aaron Berger)

Pasture and Forage Minute: Planning Winter Forages, Windrow Grazing

September 15, 2021
Extension educators discuss winter annual forages, windrow grazing, and alfalfa winterization and frost concerns.

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Hay bales on trailer
The average round bale may lose up to one-fourth of its original nutrients during outside storage, but these losses can be reduced to less than 10% or so with the right row orientation and adequate ground surface drainage.

Pasture and Forage Minute: Thinning Alfalfa Stands, Hay Bale Storage and Weed Management

August 25, 2021
Extension educators review options for improving thin alfalfa stands, the most effective storage methods to reduce hay losses and managing late summer pasture weeds.

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Alfalfa plant closeup

Pasture and Forage Minute: Approaches for Low-Producing Alfalfa and Corn Silage Inoculants

August 10, 2021
Extension educators review the reasons for evaluating alfalfa stands in the fall and interseeding grasses in low-producing alfalfa fields, plus how to choose an inoculant for corn silage.

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sorghum-sudangrass field
Thick, dense, upper canopy of sorghum-sudangrass field in Lincoln, Nebraska. (CropWatch file photo)

Pasture and Forage Minute: Late Summer Planting and Regrowth Concerns

August 5, 2021
This week, extension educators review some of the concerns with late summer alfalfa planting, toxicity levels in sorghum and sudangrass regrowth, and how leaving hay bales in the fields can affect your yields.

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Adult differential grasshopper

Pasture and Forage Minute: Grazing in the Dog Days of Summer, Grasshopper Tips and Silage Storage Strategies

July 28, 2021
Extension educators discuss management strategies for heat stressed forage plants and grasshoppers in alfalfa, and getting prepped for corn silage harvest this fall.

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