Extension Crop Reports

Extension Crop Reports

Soybean stem borer damage
Figure 1. Soybean stem borers can tunnel into the main soybean stem where the petiole meets the stem. (Right) Breaking the base of the stem reveals a soybean stem borer larva. (Photos by Jenny Rees)
Harvesting dry edible beans
Figure 2. Small plot combine used to harvest dry beans at the UNL Panhandle Research and Extension Center. (Photos by Gary Stone)
Harvesting dry edible beans
Figure 3. Pickett combine unloading dry beans during harvest.
Corn with late season disease
Figure 5. Systemic Goss's wilt in some corn plants impacted by June hail. (Photos by Nathan Mueller)

Jenny Rees, Extension Educator in Clay County: Soybean harvest began in Clay County this week. Rain was spotty, ranging from 0.35 inch to nearly 2 inches Monday night through Wednesday morning, allowing for harvest to resume in some areas later this week. Yield reports are very good with dryland yield averages reported above 50 bu/ac and irrigated field averages up to 85 bu/ac. Growers here are finding a great deal of soybean stem borer damage again this year. Evaluate damage levels now and plan to harvest infested fields early to avoid lodging. See more information on what to look for in determining infestation levels at JenReesources blog. (9/25)

Gary Stone, Extension Educator at the Panhandle Research and Extension Center in Scottsbluff:  Dry bean harvest (below) isn't just for producers. UNL Panhandle Research and Extension personnel harvested approximately 1700 dry bean plots this fall. These plots included variety, fertility, and irrigation treatment trials. Just like producers, weather is a factor that determines when to cut and harvest the crop.  In this case, we needed 20 more minutes to finish these plots, but were rained out. With the rest of the week supposed to be dry and warm, we should be able to finish up. (9/22/14)

Gary Stone, Extension Educator at the Panhandle Research and Extension Center in Scottsbluff: Dry bean harvest is in full swing in the Panhandle. After last week's cold spell and moisture, conditions this week were ideal for cutting dry beans early in the morning so they could dry in the windrows prior to combining. It can take up to a week for the beans to dry down in the windrow to the proper moisture. With a chance of moisture early next week producers have been putting in extra-long hours to get the crop in.

Not all dry beans are cut and combined in this manner. John Thomas, Extension Educator in Box Butte County, is working with producers who want to direct harvest their dry bean crop. This eliminates the longer cutting and windrowing step. Thomas is planning a direct harvest equipment field demonstration the first week in October. For more information on this, see the Box Butte Extension site. (9/18/14)

Nebraska leads the nation in production of Great Northern beans and ranks second in pinto bean production, and third in all dry edible bean production.

Nathan Mueller, Extension Educator in Dodge County: Seed corn harvest and cutting for corn silage has started now, but had been delayed by the wet weather with rainfall totals from 3 to over 6 inches in September (Figure 3). Shorter season soybean varieties are maturing quickly while full season and replanted soybeans are still green. Only slight localized frost damage occurred on the upper leaves of corn and soybeans on September 13. Depending on the fall temperature, some full season corn hybrids (some at 1/2 milkline) will not reach maturity until early October and replanted corn may not reach maturity until late October. Late-season disease pressure (Goss's Wilt and Northern Corn Leaf Blight) is clearly evident in some corn hybrids and fields. A rainfall event on September 9 measured 3.75 inches at this location with reports up to 5.3 inches two miles south of Hooper. (9/16)

Tyler Williams, Extension Educator in Phelps and Gosper Counties: This past week a lot of corn was harvested for silage and soybeans were turning yellow rather quickly.  On Saturday morning, we had significant frost damage in areas west of Holdrege. (I have not looked at areas east, but I will this week). There are a lot of black soybean leaves, especially in fields that were mostly green. The corn plants seem to be OK, with some frost damage on the top of the plants. I am not sure of the extent of damage, but I know some farmers are very concerned with their soybeans.  Some others may have more information on the potential loss associated with this frost. I am still hearing from farmers that they have a lot of fields with kernels at the 1/2 milk line, so we have a ways to go. Feedlots are taking a lot of wet corn this year, so there is a market for some high moisture corn. (9/16/14)

Frosted soybeans and corn from Greeley County 9/14/14
Figure 6. Low temperatures early Saturday (9/14) damaged green soybeans (left) and corn in Greeley County. (Photos by Troy Ingram)

Troy Ingram, Extension Educator in Merrick County: Frost was really spotty on Friday night/Saturday morning here in Merrick County.  On my drive this morning (9/15) I observed fields on one side of the road that really looked bad and then on the other side of the road they looked like fine.  There seemed to be more damage up around the Clarks area compared to Central City and areas west.  My ground in Greeley County was hit rather hard.  We were down to 29° F for a few hours.  The attached pictures are my corn and beans fields in northwest Greeley County.  The pictures were taken on Saturday, Sept. 13 in the afternoon. (9/15/14)

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A field of corn.