December 17, 2021

Forage Production

Prescribed burn image — A prescribed burn continues to be the most economical approach to controlling Eastern red cedar trees. (Photo by Troy Walz)

Pasture and Forage Minute: Preparing Alfalfa for Snow, Controlling Eastern Red Cedar Trees

Extension educators discuss the importance of snow cover to alfalfa and how to prepare your fields for Mother Nature's insulation, and using prescribed burning to control Eastern red cedar trees in Nebraska.

Pasture and Forage Minute: Hay Feeding Concerns

Jerry Volsky explains what happens to cattle when they ingest net wrap and twine from hay bales, and Ben Beckman reviews protein and energy values on hay tests and how to use these values when deciding your hay feed strategy.

Extension Events

Combine in field — The 2022 Crop Production Clinics begin Wednesday, Jan. 5.

2022 Crop Production Clinics Begin Jan. 5

The 2022 session topics include crop production, insect management, pesticide safety, disease management, soil fertility, water management, weed management, agribusiness management and marketing, and will include training for pesticide applicator recertification.

Private Pesticide Training Schedule for 2022; Several Changes in Permitting Process

There are several updates to the process of obtaining private pesticide applicator licenses this year, for both first-time and recertification applicants.

Public Health and Water Quality Webinar Series Offered in January, February 2022

This series provides a closer look at water safety issues — the path of contamination and resulting health impacts, and how state and federal government agencies are addressing water safety concerns.

TAPS Banquet to Celebrate 2021 Competitions

At this year's banquet, TAPS organizers will discuss the findings from the 2021 competitions, present data derived from teams’ decisions and honor the award recipients for each contest.

IANR & Extension

Stoltenow Named Dean and Director of Nebraska Extension

Currently the assistant director of extension for agriculture and natural resources at North Dakota State University, Stoltenow will begin his duties as the new dean and director of Nebraska Extension on Jan. 1, 2022.

Microscopic fungal pathogens — This photo illustrates growth differences of two fungal pathogens and how they are identified from the Disease Index. Characteristic hyphal growth in culture of Aphanymyces cochliodes (right) and Rhizoctonia solani (left) emerging from infected seedlings plated at the same time in the plant pathology lab.

Soil Disease Index, Tool for Managing Sugarbeet Diseases, Available for Growers

Since 2003, the UNL Panhandle Research and Extension Center has offered a pre-plant soil test to producers who need to identify soilborne sugarbeet pathogens in fields that will be planted to sugarbeets.

Meet Katy Moore, Nebraska CropWatch Editor

Getting to know CropWatch's editor, Katy Moore, and what it's like to work behind the scenes for one of Nebraska Extension's main sources of crop and pest news.

FarmBits podcast episode banner — Hosted by graduate students in UNL's Department of Biological Systems Engineering and Nebraska Extension Digital Agriculture team members, FarmBits Podcast is a weekly series highlighting new innovations and trends in digital agriculture through interviews with academic experts, farmers and industry specialists.

FarmBits Podcast: Precision Conservation Conversation

UNL Assistant Professor Andrew Little discusses precision conservation and the work that he and his lab team are doing to further conservation practices using digital agriculture.

FarmBits to Premiere Robotics, Women in Ag Series in Spring 2022

For its spring 2022 season, FarmBits will focus podcast interviews on automation and robotics technology in crop and livestock production with a concurrent emphasis on stories of diversity and inclusion in digital agriculture.

CropWatch Podcast

Subscribe to the CropWatch Podcast

UNL's Dave Aiken explains how a trip to the south plains of Texas in 1976 influenced groundwater regulation in Nebraska, discusses irrigation challenges for producers in the coming decades, and more.

AgNews & Crop Reports

Dan Gillespie Soil Health Fund Established to Promote Regenerative Agriculture

The Dan Gillespie Soil Health Fund was created this year to celebrate and honor the Battle Creek farmer's longtime dedication to soil health and regenerative agriculture in Nebraska, including 33 years as USDA NRCS' no-till specialist.

2021 Small Grain County-Level Estimates

County-level estimates for 2021 small grain acreage, yield and production are now available through the Quick Stats online database.