Dry bean harvest in the Panhandle is usually completed by the part of October. Still, due to unforeseen weather delays that plague harvest in the fall, Nebraska Extension Water and Cropping Systems Educators John Thomas and Gary Stone completed the last of their Nebraska Extension on-farm dry bean research plots Oct. 20-24.

Dry bean on-farm research consisted of testing Pod Ceal® Harvest Aid to see if it would help reduce harvest loss by maintaining the integrity of the bean pod’s structure. Yield, harvest loss and dry bean quality, as well as cropping input data, are collected and analyzed for results. The on-farm dry bean research is centered on direct harvesting of the crop.

Other on-farm research conducted by the educators this season included a dry bean variety trial in conjunction with the dry bean industry, a dry bean seed inoculant study, a black-eyed pea population study, and two different compost tea studies on winter wheat. This dry bean research is supported by a grant from the Nebraska Dry Bean Commission.

To learn more about the Nebraska On-Farm Research Network and the results from all grower on-farm research trials, plan to attend one of the on-farm research update meetings held across the state in early 2026. The Nebraska Panhandle meeting will be held Thursday, Feb. 26, 2026, at the Knight Museum in Alliance, Nebraska.  

All grower on-farm research results from across the state are published each year, and all previous years’ on-farm research results can be accessed on the Nebraska On-Farm Research Network site. Contact John Thomas at the Box Butte County Extension at 308-762-5616 for more information.