October 15, 2021

Forage Production

Yucca plants — Herbicides are most effective against yucca infestations when applied in spring or summer on individual plants or small patches.

Pasture and Forage Minute: Managing Prussic Acid, Yucca and Fall Irrigation

In this week's article, educators review concerns on prussic acid development in sorghum plants, herbicide control for soapweeds in grazing lands and irrigating alfalfa this fall to help with stand stress.

Pasture and Forage Minute: Fall Grazing and Pasture Management

Extension Educator Todd Whitney explains why it's best to graze grain sorghum stover before corn residue, plus a rundown on improving hay and crop residue through ammoniation and proper care of fall pastures for best plant health through the winter.

Crop Reports

#NField Observations for October 2021

This week, Ben Beckman discusses various fall grazing management strategies using cool-season and warm-season plants.

Crop Progress: Corn, Soybean, Sorghum Harvest Pushes Ahead of Average Pace

For the week ending Oct. 10, 2021: corn harvest was 29%, ahead of 22% average; soybean harvest was 60%, ahead of 42% average; and sorghum harvest was 38%, ahead of 24% average.

USDA NASS: Corn Production Forecast at Record High

Based on Oct. 1 conditions, Nebraska's 2021 corn production is forecast at a record 1.82 billion bushels, up 2% from last year's production. Yield is forecast at 190 bushels per acre, up 10 bushels from last year.

IANR & Extension

Returning to the Farm Workshop Set for Dec. 10, 11

The workshop will assist families and operations in developing financial plans and successful working arrangements to meet their unique needs by identifying estate planning issues and developing transition plans, setting goals and improving the communication process.

Farm Management

Drought monitor — Courtesy U.S. Drought Monitor

USDA Designates Four Nebraska Counties as Primary Natural Disaster Areas

Chase, Dundy, Hayes and Hitchcock counties were designated as primary natural disaster areas due to prolonged or extreme drought intensity throughout the growing season. Several other counties were also named as contiguous counties eligible for aid.

Benchmarking — What Can We Learn from Others?

Organizing our farm and ranch production and financial data and then utilizing this information to look back historically and to benchmark with others, provides a way to measure our operation’s financial health and assist in important management decisions.

Farm land — Preston Keres, USDA (Flickr/Public Domain)

USDA Reports on Rising Land Values and County-Level Cash Rent Estimates for Nebraska in 2021

Recent findings from the USDA-National Agricultural Statistics Service reported Nebraska’s farm real estate value, which incorporates the average value of all agricultural land and buildings in 2021, increased by 11% to an average of $3,100 per acre.

In Case You Missed It...

Figure 1. Field peas are now being tested in Nebraska as a winter crop at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln Panhandle Research and Extension Center.

Winter Field Pea as a Fall-planted Broadleaf Crop for the Panhandle?

For the first time, winter field pea varieties are being tested in Nebraska as a winter crop, as it has the potential to increase a wheat-based dryland crop production system's sustainability, and economic viability of dryland farming in the Nebraska Panhandle and High Plains in general.

Survey to Evaluate Chemical Weed Control Methods in Corn, Soybeans

The objective of the survey is to understand the main chemical weed control strategies and weed escapes in soybean and corn production fields during the 2021 growing season and to evaluate the interest and awareness regarding novel targeted herbicide spraying technologies.