July 24, 2014

Nathan Mueller, Extension Educator in Dodge County: Most corn is in the silking to blister stage and soybeans are in the beginning to full pod stage this week. Crop water use from July 14-21 was 1.32 inches for both corn and soybeans at these stages. Replanted corn has reached the V10-11 growth stage and soybeans the V4-R1 growth stage. Detasseling and irrigation season are in full swing.

Most of the county has had only about 0.5 inches of rain in July following one of the wettest Junes on record. The first irrigation (based on soil moisture sensors) for the soybean irrigation study was applied July 21 at Snyder, one of four sites for the Soybean Management Field Days. Corn rootworm damage (Figure 1) on a hybrid with the Cry3Bb1 protein was observed this past week. Please scout your continuous corn acres to check for root pruning and need for management changes. The adult Grape Colaspis (Figure 2) was fairly common in corn fields throughout the county and is causing some very slight defoliation. Also, our first report of soybean aphids (Figure 3) came in for a localized area in a field near Dodge on Monday. Continue reading the expanded crop report at croptechcafe.org/. (July 24, 2014)

Karen DeBoer, Extension Educator in Cheyenne County: Wheat harvest is in full swing as of Sunday. Preliminary yield estimates are in the 60-70 bu/ac range for dryland wheat in Cheyenne County which is above the county average. This would be for the earlier planted wheat. There is still a hint of green in some fields, so harvest will be going for several days.

Dryland corn, proso millet and sunflowers look good so far. We have good subsoil moisture in most locations. Irrigated crops like sugar beets, corn, and dry edible beans all look good. Field peas should be harvested soon.

No major pest problems to report. (7/22/2014)

Gary Zoubek, Extension Educator in York County: No rainfall this past week! With the past week's cool temperatures the ETgages I monitor only dropped 0.9 inch this past week so the earliest planted crops used 1 inch for the week or 0.14 inch/day. Earliest planted soybeans are at the R4 stage and the earliest planted corn is silking.

Producers are monitoring soil water and several producers are now making irrigation applications while
some have made several. (7/22/14)

Wayne Ohnesorg, Extension Educator in Madison County: Growers have been irrigating for the last 1 1/2 weeks. We've had some small storms with limited areas receiving 0.1 to 2.0 inches of moisture. We aren't seeing much insect pressure in soybean and nothing in corn. High temperatures and high humidity levels have delayed alfalfa cutting. Some are still on their first cutting and some are starting their second. (7/22/14)

Keith Glewen, Extension Educator in Saunders County: We're seeing waterhemp, most likely resistant, peeking through the soybean canopy. A lot of corn is still uncommitted and being held in bins, a factor landlords and ttenants will be discussing as they work our their leases.  (See The Great Balancing Act -- Negotiating a Cash Rental Rate by Extension Educator Allan Vyhnalek in this week's CW.) (7/22/14)

Robert Tigner, Extension Educator Red Willow County: Wheat harvest contines here. With some high humidity days, it's been slow going. Yields have been in the 72-74 bu/ac range; protein has been as high as 16%. Dryland irrigated corn does looks very good. Soybeans look pretty good and we aren't seeing diseases yet. Pastures also are looking pretty good at this time. (7/22/14)

Jessica Johnson, Extension Educator, Panhandle Research and Extension Center, Scottsbluff: With the recent high temperatures growers are rushing to get water on dry edible beans and are taking their second cutting of alfalfa. Dry edible prices are looking good and a bright spot among crop prices. Wheat harvest progress is slow. Sugarbeets look good. Growers in the High Plains area planted approximately 50,000 acares of field peas, which are being harvested now. (7/22/14)

John Thomas, Extension Educator in Box Butte County: Wheat harvest is really getting underway. We're seeing some damage from wheat stem sawfly in dryland wheat, but not as much lodging as last year.  We caught large numbers of sawflies in our early samples. Corn is just now starting to tassel and irrigation is going strong to keep up with heat. Western Sugar did their first sampling of sugarbeets and they appear to be average to above average with an estimated 27 tons per acre. (7/22/14)