Nebraska Winter Wheat Field Days will be held at eight sites in the Panhandle and west central and southeast Nebraska this June. Participants will be able to view current commercial and experimental lines, including varieties from the University of Nebraska, and Kansas, Colorado, and South Dakota, and from seed companies actively selling wheat seed in Nebraska.
Most of the varieties shown have been released for commercial production or soon will be; some experimental lines from Nebraska breeding programs (USDA-ARS or UNL) are also included.
Speakers vary from site to site to address local issues. Two speakers will be at all sites: Stephen Baenziger, UNL wheat breeder and Eugene W. Price Distinguished professor, will talk about wheat yields and agronomic attributes of the varieties tested and Stephen Wegulo, Nebraska Extension plant pathologist, will discuss cultivar disease resistance, epidemiology, and suggested wheat disease management with respect to the varieties at the location tested.
Sponsored by the Nebraska Wheat Board and University of Nebraska-Lincoln, the tours are free. Participants can register at the tour site, except pre-registration is requested for the Washington County site where a meal is being served.
Two CEU credits will be available: one each for the crop management and integrated pest management categories.
For more information about these field days, contact Teshome Regassa, research assistant professor, at 402-472-1489 or the regional and site contacts listed.
Southeast Nebraska
Contact: Teshome Regassa – 402-472-1489
Tuesday, June 6
6 p.m. – Greg and Gerald Hoegermeyer farm in northeast Washington County
In addition to variety trial tours, speakers will look at potential benefits of adding winter wheat to crop rotations and the agronomic fundamentals of growing wheat in east central Nebraska. Check out the program details and speakers and preregister. A sponsored supper will follow the field day at the Immanuel Lutheran Church gymnasium. In case of inclement weather, the event will be moved to the gymnasium.
Direction to plots: From Winslow, take Rd J (RD 12) to CO RD 3, left onto RD 3, right onto Co Rd 10. The trial is on the right.
GPS 41.624878,‐96.410302; map to site
Contact: Nathan Mueller – 402-727-2775
Wednesday, June 7
6:30 p.m. – Mark Knoble farm, Jefferson County, north of Fairbury
Direction to plots: From Fairbury head north on NE 15, turn west onto 721st RD, drive about 1.9 miles, and the destination is on the left.
GPS 40.277048 ‐97.216505
Contact: Randy Pryor – (402) 821-2151
West Central Nebraska
Contact: Rodrigo Werle – 308-696-6712
Monday, June 19
3 p.m. – UNL Research Farm, Lincoln County (Rainfed)
Direction to plots: From North Platte, take Hwy 83 south. You will cross over State Farm Road. A quarter of a mile past this intersection, go east on South Dodge Hill Road. Once you pass the Cemetery, there will be a field driveway going east. Drive in and the trial will be in that corner of the wheat field. This site will also feature a field pea tour at 1 p.m.
Contact: Rodrigo Werle – 308-696-6712
Tuesday, June 20
10 a.m. – UNL Henry J. Stumpf Wheat Center, Perkins County (Rainfed)
Direction to plots: From Grant, take Highway 61 east to Road 329, turn north onto Road 329, take right (east) onto road 760. The plot will be on the north side of the road. This site will also feature a field pea tour at 8 a.m.
Contact: Rodrigo Werle – 308-696-6712
Panhandle Field Days
Contact: Dipak Santra, Nebraska Extension alternative crops breeding specialist, at 970–397–9817
Wednesday, June 21
8 a.m. – High Plains Agricultural Lab, 3257 RD 109, Sidney, Cheyenne County
This site will include wheat population and planting date studies, use of gibberellic acid to enhance wheat, wheat fungicide studies, and other variety and research plots as well as the wheat and field pea variety trials. For the full slate of topics see the program flyer.
Directions: From the High Plains Ag Lab farm office, go east on CR. Road 32N for about ¼ of a mile, then north on the trail road. The plot is on field 23.
GPS: N41.232912, W103.011645
Contact: Vernon Florke – 308-249-3161
3 p.m. – Darby Jespersen farm, Box Butte County (Irrigated)
Direction to plots: From Hemingford, go west on Highway 2 for about a 1 mile, north on County Road 71 for about ½ mile. Plot is on the west side of the road.
GPS N42.325680, W103.093067
Contact: Darby Jespersen – 308-760-165
5 p.m. – Chris Cullan farm Box Butte County (Rainfed)
Direction to plots: From Hemingford, go south on Highway 2 for about 5 miles, turn right onto Co Road 67, plots are on the west side. From Alliance, north on Hwy 385 for about 8 miles, take Highway 2 north for about 4 miles, turn west on Hall Road for ¼ of a mile.
GPS: 42.246695, -103.014671
Contact: Chris Cullan – 308-760-1590
Thursday, June 22
8 a.m. – Damon Birkhofer farm Kimball County (Rainfed)
Direction to plots: From Kimball: South on Hwy 71 for about 2.5 miles, west on Co Rd. 28 for about 4 miles, south on Co. Rd. 33 for about 2 miles, west on Co. Rd. 24 for about 5 miles. Plots are on the north side of the Road.
GPS: 41.163449, -103.754523
Contact: Damon Birkhofer – 308-235-7296
