July 7, 2010

Thomas Dorn, extension educator in Lancaster County (July 7): Corn looks pretty good. Over half the area corn fields have tassels visible and about one-third of all corn fields were pollinating as of July 7. Most soybeans planted around May 1 are flowering. Areas with flatter topography` have had standing water numerous times this spring. This has resulted in considerable de-nitrification of nitrate nitrogen in the soil. Low areas in corn fields have obvious nitrogen deficiency symptoms with yellow leaves and stunted stalks.

Rhyzobium bacteria in the root nodules of soybeans require aerated soil conditions in order to fix atmospheric nitrogen and convert it into nitrogen compounds the plant can use.The soybean plants in wet areas are lighter green and are shorter than areas with better surface and internal drainage. We don't have large areas of wheat production in Lancaster County. I would estimate about half of the wheat has been harvested. If we can get a few days of drying weather, the remaining wheat will be harvested.

Robert Klein, extension western Nebraska crops specialist, North Platte (July 6):  Wheat looks good and harvest has just started, slipping in between recent rains. Early yield reports were of 65-80 bu/ac wheat with 62-64 lb test weight and expected high protein. This year some corn growers had trouble getting nitrogen on and a lot are applying it via pivot now.  

Jenny Rees, extension educator in Clay County (July 6): I've received reports of some frogeye leaf spot in soybeans. Beans are at or near pod set. Wheat was harvested last weeks, with a wide range in yields.

Jeff Bradshaw, extension entomologist, Scottsbluff (July 6): It’s grasshoppers, grasshoppers, and more grasshoppers on range, in crops, in yards, and eating houses.  I visited one house in southern Sioux County surrounded by five acres of treated brome grass that had waves of grasshoppers moving into the yard. Even though the yard had been treated with Sevin and there was a thick mat of dead grasshoppers, more grasshoppers moved in and were chewing the paint off wood slats of the house.

Michael Rethwisch, extension educator in Butler County (July 6): A lot of alfalfa growers this spring have been surprised that they were already able to put up good quality hay from April-seed alfalfa.  Corn is above my head and growing fast. Some growers with furrow-irrigated fields didn’t get a chance to make ditches and will be dryland farming this year. Some corn growers have expressed concern about the fact that corn roots are shallow and may not be deep enough to find soil moisture late season.

Wayne Ohnesorg, extension educator in Pierce County (July 6): A lot of growers who had their nitrogen down on time are having to reapply due to all the rain we had two weeks ago. Most of the hay fields that weren’t cut before the rains were cut last week. We’ve gotten a few reports of white line sphinx moth caterpillars feeding in row crops in Platte County. They are greenish to black in color. They’re being reported in some unusual places, but at this time they don't appear to be a serious problem.

Keith Jarvi, extension educator in Dixon, Dakota, and Thurson counties (July 6): Most fields look good in this area. Very rarely do you see these hills look as good as they do this year.  If you field isn't in a lowland and underwater, it looks good.

John Wilson, extension educator in Burt County (July 6): There are a lot of anemic looking fields around here, with water still standing in some. In the hills, where it’s better drained, crops look good. You can have a field with corn just starting to tassel at one end and only a foot tall at the other end where it’s in standing water. I’m seeing a healthy crop of grasshoppers coming out of CRP — 50-60 per square yard.