Planting

• Chilling Injury in Corn and Soybeans. Before planting, check predicted temperatures for the critical 48-hour period after planting to avoid cold stress.
• Soybean Planting Tips for Optimal Yield. Eight factors to consider or implement this planting season.

• Watch for Seedling Diseases in Early Planted Corn. Field conditions vary widely across Nebraska right now and may put early planted corn at added risk for seedling diseases.
• Cutworm Monitoring Network Gears Up. A pheromone trapping network has been established to monitor black cutworm and variegated cutworm moth activity across Nebraska.
• Nitrogen Slide Rules Back in Stock. This free, pocket-size tool is an easy means to calculate nitrogen rate or consider adjustments based on nitrogen and corn costs.

Wheat Production

• On this week's Ag Almanac (audio) Extension Entomologist Jeff Bradshaw discusses potential insect problems in western Nebraska winter wheat, already hit hard by winter injury and winter kill.

Weed Management

• Understanding the Enlist™ Weed Control System, a new weed management tool expected to be available to farmers in 2016.

Alfalfa Production

• Scout for Alfalfa and Clover Leaf Weevils. Feeding has been reported in Kansas and growers, particularly in southern counties, are advised to begin scouting for weevils.
• Strategies for Irrigating Alfalfa when Water is Limited

Equipment

• Sprayer Performance: Testing for Consistent Coverage. This week Farm Industry News showcases UNL research on how issues with spray boom set-up and monitoring can contribute to sprayer errors. The research was conducted by Shane Forney, graduate student in the UNL Department of Biological Systems Engineering, and Joe Luck, UNL extension precision agriculture engineer.

Weather

• Weather Recap and Forecast. Many areas of western and central Nebraska gained 2+ inches of rain in the last week.

Pesticide Management

• Before Spraying, Use DriftWatch to Identify Nearby Specialty Crops, urges Nebraska Department of Agriculture (NDA) Director Greg Ibach this week.

IANR/Extension News & Programs

• Fraley: New Innovations Will be Key to Meeting Ag Challenges. Monsanto's Chief Technology Officer presented the final lecture in the 2014-2015 Heuermann Series Tuesday at UNL's Innovation Campus.
• Entry Level Field Crop Scout Training May 12
• Reminder: Application Deadline approaching for Nebraska LEAD Fellowships

Crop Reports

• Soil Moisture and Planting Progress from USDA NASS.