Iowa State University researchers concluded from a long-term field study that poultry manure, when applied at a rate to meet crop nitrogen (N) requirements, can reduce nitrate loss and achieve equal or better yields in corn-soybean production systems.
University Crop & Crop Pest Research
Rebecca Roston, assistant professor of biochemistry, holds a pea plant outside the Beadle Hall greenhouses. Roston, who recently earned a National Science Foundation CAREER award, is studying how more than 30 species of plants respond to freezing. (Photo by Craig Chandler)
For some plants — like corn — below-zero temperatures trigger a cascade of lethal damage. For others, the damage isn't permanent. UNL biochemist Rebecca Roston is working to identify key properties so one day more freeze-tolerant crops might be developed.
Figure 1. Nebraska's Joe Louis with a collection of leaves infested by corn-leaf aphids. Louis and his colleagues have found that spraying a corn plant with one of its own defensive compounds might reduce aphid colonization by as much as 30%. (Photo by Craig Chandler, University Communication)
Spraying a corn plant with one of its own compounds — 12-oxo-phytodienoic acid, or OPDA — can help deter the virus-carrying, pollination-disrupting insect known as the corn-leaf aphid.
Nebraska's James Schnable has helped sequence nearly the entire genetic catalog of proso millet. The resulting genetic insights could help raise yields of the drought-resistant crop in the Nebraska Panhandle and infertile regions likely to face food shortages in coming decades. (Nature Communications / James Schnable / Scott Schrage)
Researchers have now sequenced and mapped the genome of proso millet – a feat essential to raising yields of the drought-resistant crop in the Nebraska Panhandle and semiarid regions where population booms foreshadow food shortages.
When breeding new lines of dry edible beans, disease resistance, drought tolerance, and plant architecture can be observed in the field, but measuring cooking time is a chore for the laboratory. Cooks prefer varieties that cook in 30-45 minutes.
Climatologist Al Dutcher takes a look back at this unusual winter and a look forward with what to expect in the next couple weeks. After all this snow, what's next? Flooding is going to be a very real concern.
An array of web sites and a mobile app provide daily updates of soil temperature data and frost depth to aid in your management decisions. Check out these resources and be sure to bookmark your favorites for future use.
The impacts of climate change and actions that can be taken to address it will be one of the Nebraska climate topics featured at "Nebraska Climate Conversations" March 30 in Kearney.
Organic Production
Figure 1. Crimping rye at a mild angle using a newly designed roller-crimper with two 10-foot barrels. (Photos by Rich Little)
Following unsatisfactory crimping results with a commercial crimper, in 2016 researchers built a crimper with a unique design with two gangs that pull at an angle to the direction of travel. View research results from field tests with the new crimper.
Based on Nebraska research and a review of findings from other studies, best management practices for crimping rye before planting soybean or green bean are explored. Data on degree of weed control and soybean yields are included.
This week the IRS announced in Notice 2019-17 an extension to the March 1 deadline for farmers who did not make estimated tax payments by January 15, 2019.
Nebraska has some of the highest ag property taxes in the nation. This article explores how these taxes support state and local government as well as K-12 education and examines some of the major property tax relief proposals.
Insect Management
Western bean cutworm eggs (Photo by Jen Bruggeman)
This new webpage is designed to serve as a clearinghouse of information related to western bean cutworm biology, behavior, and management in both corn and dry bean agroecosystems.
Michele Payne, a nationally known and passionate advocate for the global agrifood system, will be the keynote speaker at the next Farmers and Ranchers College March 14 near Ohiowa.
How can agricultural chemicals affect your health? Research results from the Agricultural Health Study (AHS) since 2015 show impacts and areas where you can take steps to protect your health.
Don’t wait for a study to tell you to work more safely around chemicals. Be proactive and protect yourself with proper personal protective equipment (PPE).
Wearing chemical-resistant gloves and changing your clothes after using pesticides may help prevent Parkinson’s disease, a progressive nervous system disorder. Here are some tips for choosing the right gloves for the job.
