September 3, 2021

Pest Management

Soybean Gall Midge Identified in Eight Additional Nebraska Counties

Soybean gall midge (SGM) injury and pressure varied considerably across its geographic range, with the largest concentration of injured soybean fields occurring in east-central Nebraska this season. To date, a total of 140 Midwestern counties have been identified as infested with SGM.

Crop Production

Plants for Fallow Summer Periods

Many warm-season cover crop species are available and can be used for different purposes in fallow fields, such as improving soil health, breaking up soil compaction, providing forage and supporting beneficial insects.

IANR & Extension

Nitrogen Management Decisions Finalized

Nitrogen management is the fourth of six management decisions to be finalized in the corn competitions, with only irrigation and marketing left to round out the 2021 TAPS contests.

Bazile Groundwater Management Area Field Day

Nebraska Extension, Upper Elkhorn Natural Resource District (NRD), Lower Niobrara NRD, Lewis & Clark NRD, Lower Elkhorn NRD and Nebraska Environmental Trust are sponsoring the Bazile Groundwater Management Area Field Day on Thursday, Sept. 9, 2021 at David Connot Farm in Knox County.

Forage Production

Pasture and Forage Minute: Alfalfa Pests and Last Cutting, Controlling Cheatgrass

Extension educators discuss timing of the last cutting of alfalfa and scouting for fall armyworms, plus best practices for controlling cheatgrass in pastures.

Crop Reports

#NField Observations for September 2021

This week, Ben Beckman discusses using legumes in short pastures next spring.

Nebraska Crops Maturing Near Average Pace

For the week ending Aug. 29, 2021, corn mature was 8%, near 10% last year and 5% average. Soybeans setting pods was 97%, near 100% last year and 95% average. Sorghum maturity was 2%, equal to both last year and average.

Farm Management

2021 Nebraska Farm Real Estate Overview

Nebraska agricultural land values increased by 6% over the prior year, to a statewide average of $2,895 per acre, according to the final results of the University of Nebraska-Lincoln’s 2021 Farm Real Estate Report. This marks the second consecutive annual increase.

Keeping Accurate Digital Records

Accounting software can greatly improve the financial record-keeping of farms and ranches, but it is not a foolproof method of record-keeping. Here are some tips for keeping more accurate digital records, regardless of the software you use.

2021 Federal Estate and Transfer Tax Law Proposals

Tina Barrett, director of Nebraska Farm Business, Inc., reviews the federal estate and transfer tax law proposals submitted to Congress this year that would dramatically change the tax implications for many farm businesses.

In Case You Missed It...

Figure 1. Soybean pods collected from stage R7 plants (one mature pod per plant) that were opened to determine if the pod wall interior membrane was still clinging tightly to the seeds (leftmost pod), or if it was beginning to detach from the seeds (second pod), or if the membrane was now permanently attached to the pod wall (third pod). After attaining physiological maturity, seeds undergo a dry-down period from about 60% moisture to about 13% moisture. Note that the Rx.x numbers used here are pod-based stages, not plant-based stages.

Understanding Ending Reproductive Stages in Soybean

The timing of the ending R stages in soybean is governed by planting date (PD) and varietal maturity group (MG), though the date of R7 can be hastened if water stress and high temperatures prevail in August — something we are seeing in portions of Nebraska this year.

Triazole Phytotoxicity in Soybeans

Soybeans across Nebraska are currently presenting symptoms common with Sudden Death Syndrome and Brown Stem Rot; however, recent samples indicate many of the affected fields are experiencing phytotoxicity due to the application of a triazole (DMI) fungicide.