The front is projected to begin its move through the state September 8 and produce widespread cold rains and strong winds statewide, with snow or a mix of snow and rain across the Nebraska Panhandle.
This article provides a brief background on how the wheat stem sawfly arrived here, ideas on how we might manage it in Nebraska and thoughts on why we saw reduced damage in some regions while others had the most damage they have ever seen.
Determining an optimum winter wheat seeding rate for your location depends on several factors. The seeding rate table and information here can help you determine a recommended rate and how to adjust it for various conditions.
Including winter wheat in the cropping system does not appear to be a profitable decision when one only examines the production costs and expected returns. Generally, there are additional production and economic benefits (35 to 100 bushels per acre increase in corn or grain sorghum yield) that should be considered.
Three strategies can be used in combination to manage seed transmitted fungal diseases of wheat: fungicide seed treatments, use of clean seed, and planting resistant varieties.
Would you believe that some growers are adding winter wheat to their rotation to improve soil health? A healthy functioning soil provides numerous local ecosystem benefits including improved water quality, flood and drought mitigation.
Across Nebraska, when scouting you may start to see more ears that have prematurely drooped. What is causing this phenomenon in our corn? And what does this mean for yield in those fields affected?
Most soybeans are harvested and delivered directly to an elevator. Soybeans delivered below or above 13% moisture—the elevator standard—lose potential profit. The economics illustrated here show how harvest timing can affect potential income.
The importance of estimating soybean yield prior to harvesting as forage is illustrated in this photo of drought-stressed soybean from Washington County, NE. With a closer look at these plants, you can see 10 to 12 pods per stem with 3 seeds per pod on a few of the plants. These soybeans are not stressed enough to consider for hay or silage. Photo courtesy of Aaron Nygren, Nebraska Extension.
The decision to harvest as forage (hay or silage) or grain should be based on economics. However, the decision to not harvest soybeans as grain does need to be made as soon as possible to capture the forage value of drought-stressed soybeans.
Cleaning and treating harvest equipment and grain bins, as well as the area surrounding bins, can reduce pest and rodent problems in stored grain, helping protect your season-long investment.
Patches of yellowing or dying soybeans have been observed and are a cause of concern across many areas of Nebraska. Some of these areas are due to several diseases described here, but other conditions may impact the development of these spots.
The following diseases and pests were reported in samples submitted to the UNL Plant and Pest Diagnostic Clinic from August 16 through September 2, 2020.
Are you interested in how agriculture technologies can improve nitrogen management on your farm? Nebraska Extension received a $1.2 million grant which connects corn and wheat producers across Nebraska with access to cutting-edge technologies through on-farm research.
Farm Management
The utility scale solar array pictured is a single axis tracking system, which is a common design for utility scale solar facilities. Single axis tracking systems face solar panels east in the morning and west in evening, following the sun across the sky through the day. (Photo by F. John Hay).
When considering a solar leasing contract, many factors should be considered. Landowners approached about solar leases should seek advice from an attorney and take time to thoroughly consider the contract and its implications to their farmland.
Extension educators report on what they are seeing in the fields this week in the Lancaster, Saline, Jefferson, Gage, Dawson, Buffalo, Hall, Colfax, Stanton and Cuming Counties.
This week, Extension educators preview the upcoming 2021 Cover Crops and Soil Health Conference and offer tips on how to get prepared for chemigation training sessions beginning this month in Nebraska.
