Soil Sensors Offer Water Savings With spring planting nearly done and fuel prices climbing, this is a great time to install ETgages and soil water sensors to get season-long data to aid with irrigation management.
Where Wheat is Failing After a dry fall and spring freezes, many winter wheat stands in the Panhandle are thin and will yield poorly. Learn several options for these fields, including replanting to alternative crops such as proso millet or sunflower.

May 24, 2013

Wheat Production

• Alternative Crops for Failed Winter Wheat in the Panhandle. Producers with thin wheat in dryland fields are likely considering three options for these fields. If replanting, learn what benefits proso millet and sunflower offer in water-limited areas.
• Wheat Disease Update. Current conditions have kept diseases in check; however, this could change quickly and continued field scouting is recommended, even where fields look good from the road.

Corn Production

• Forecasting Stalk Borer Growth Stage to use as a guide for scouting.

Pest Management

• UNL Releases New Pesticide Record-Keeping App. Designed to meet state requirements for RUP pesticide recordkeeping, this is a great tool for recording key information about all your pesticide apps. This free app, available for Apple and Android, also links to key resources.
• Submitting Quality Plant and Pest Diagnostic Samples. Following these tips can help ensure that the sample you submit is in the best condition possible for accurate diagnosis.
• Diagnostic Clinic Fee Changes

Irrigation Management

• Cost Effective Tools to Improve Water Use Efficiency. ETgages and soil water sensors can be used together to provide season-long, effective irrigation. Now's the best time to install these tools before your crops have much growth. Check with your local NRD or Extension office about possible funding sources.
• Using the Atmometer or ETgage to estimate crop water use or evapotranspiration (ET).
• Using the Watermark Sensor to monitor soil water status.

Insect Management

• Black Light Insect Monitoring Reports at 3 UNL SItes

Crop Condition

• With Better Conditions, Nebraska Planting Forges Ahead

Market Journal

• Updates on the Farm Bill, Beef Checkoff, Threat of PEDV in Swine; and Pest Management in Corn and Wheat

Programs & Resources

• Panhandle No-till Field Days June 24-27. Six field days across the Panhandle look at continuous no-till production in dryland fields.
• New Crop Publications from UNL Extension. Pubs on precision agriculture, pesticide application, and nitrogen management to protect water quality.
• June 10 Conference Looks at Sustainable Use of Crop Residues in Livestock Operations