Melissa Bartels - Former Extension Educator

SDS on soybeans

Seed Selection Can Help Manage Diseases Next Year

October 27, 2021
Reviewing diseases that have caused issues in previous years can help you select more disease-resistant corn hybrids and soybean varieties for the upcoming growing season.

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Musk thistle

Pasture and Forage Minute: Scouting for Thistles and Fall Armyworms, Soybean Residue as Forage

September 29, 2021
Extension educators review their tips for controlling thistles in pastures, scouting for fall armyworms and how to meet nutritional requirements while grazing soybean residue.

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Example of stunting and yellowing in soybeans
Figure 1. SCN does not often cause visible symptoms in soybeans. When population densities of SCN are high, you may notice stunting and yellowing (pictured here) in patches in some soybean fields.

Sample for Soybean Cyst Nematode This Fall

September 28, 2021
It is a busy time of year as harvest begins across the state, but this is the perfect time to collect soil samples for soybean cyst nematode while waiting in the field in a grain cart or truck as the combine fills.

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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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Alfalfa defoliation by fall armyworms

Pasture and Forage Minute: Alfalfa Pests and Last Cutting, Controlling Cheatgrass

September 2, 2021
Extension educators discuss timing of the last cutting of alfalfa and scouting for fall armyworms, plus best practices for controlling cheatgrass in pastures.

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Fall armyworm
Fall armyworm. Photo by Nathan Mueller

Fall Armyworms Damaging Alfalfa in Southeast Nebraska

August 24, 2021
Fall armyworm caterpillars do most of their feeding in the last stage. If you are not watching fields on a regular basis, you may not notice damage or armyworms until they are large and doing significant damage.

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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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