Eight video episodes have been released and available to view online in the Farm Sci-Ed video series, which highlights the “science and education behind farming” and integrated pest management research.

The YouTube series, launched in August, follows three researchers at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln Panhandle Research and Extension Center — Entomologist Jeff Bradshaw, Integrated Weed Management Specialist Nevin Lawrence, and Plant Pathologist Bob Harveson — throughout the growing season. They discuss research projects focusing on entomology, weed science and plant pathology, along with updates on what is happening within the field. 

Bradshaw, Lawrence and Harveson, along with communications specialist Emily Stine, explore the science and education behind farming in the Nebraska Panhandle. New episodes are released Tuesdays and Fridays. 

Find the videos at The Farm Sci-Ed YouTube channel.

Transcripts are provided on the Farm Sci-Ed website. The program Twitter handle is @TheFarmSciEd.

A summary of episodes released to date:

Episode 0 — Welcome Farm Sci-Ed: This episode provides a very brief overview of Farm Sci-Ed's program and goals. This season Farm Sci-Ed follows three research projects: a wheat and dry edible bean relay study looking at conservation ecology and biological control, a series of dry edible bean and palmer amaranth studies looking at plant interference and herbicide options, and the detection and refinement of a warning system for the sugarbeet pathogen Cercospora. 

Episode 1 — Cercospora in Sugarbeets: Emily and Bob discuss what sugarbeets are, where they’re commonly grown, and a bit of related history to sugar production. Cercospora, a fungal leaf pathogen that affects sugarbeets, is introduced and its environmental needs and current management techniques explained. Bob explains the existing alert system and the addition of a “sporenado” catcher to identify cercospora spores in the field. 

Episode 2 — Wheat and Dry Edible Bean Relay: The entomology program’s wheat and dry edible bean relay project; the difference between traditional cover cropping systems and relay systems, what trade-offs are made in choosing a relay system, and the specific questions the entomology crew are looking at. 

Episode 3 — Palmer Amaranth in Dry Edible Beans: The weed science program’s studies assessing the impact and control of palmer amaranth in dry edible beans; why studying palmer amaranth is important to producers, including the limitations in current management strategies; the impact palmer amaranth density has on dry edible bean yield, and a few of the specific herbicides being studied in this system. 

Episode 4 — June Research Update: How the three research projects have all been progressing in the first part of the season; the unexpected heat wave, and how it’s impacted the studies.

Episode 5 — The Disease Triangle: What the disease triangle is, and why it’s important to plant pathology; the importance of the three points — the environment, the pathogen, and the host — and how removing one removes the possibility of the disease developing; how this impacts Cercospora Leaf Spot specifically, and how management can influence disease development.

Episode 6 — Entomological Biological Control: The elements of multiple types of biological control; what biological control is being studied within the entomology program’s wheat relay study, especially augmentative and conservation biological control; also which insects are expected to be observed in the study and what roles those insects play within the cropping system. 

Episode 7 — Weed Competition: The impact weed competition has in cropping systems; what plants compete for, when competition begins, and how plants respond to that detected competition; how the shade avoidance response can have a continuing effect on cropping systems, even when weeds are removed; and the need for weed management from the beginning of the season as weed competition has profound impacts on crops.