Did you order your combine with the pontoon option? This central Nebraska corn field was inundated by rains Wednesday and Thursday nights. Many areas reported totals of 5-6 inches. In western Nebraska snow started late Thursday and was accumulating on the ground on Friday. (Photo by Brandy VanDeWalle)

October 4-11, 2013

Crop Reports

• Extension Crop Reports from Across the State  (10/14-10/18)
• Extension Crop Reports from Across the State (10/7-10/11)

Weed Management

• Management of Winter Annual Weeds Starts this Fall. Nebraska research on timing of weed emergence suggests late October to mid-November herbicide applications would be effective in achieving weed control.
• Palmer Amaranth Resistant to Atrazine and HPPD Inhibitors Confirmed in Nebraska. Proximity to seed corn production in south central Nebraska makes finding particularly concerning.
• Pre-Order the 2014 UNL Weed Guide Now. Order by Oct. 30 to ensure you get all the copies you need for your business or home use.

Farm Management

• Managing Risk with Pasture, Rangeland, and Forage (PRF) Insurance for 2014. PRF insurance can help offset loss of forage production due to drought. The deadline for 2014 coverage is November 15.

Weather

• October Could be One for the Records. Less than halfway through the month and with rain forecast for this weekend, Nebraska is in range for being in the Top 10 wettest and could even set a record.

Post-Storm Recommendations

• Prioritize Fields to Avoid Further Losses at Harvest. Already stressed corn and soybean plants should be harvested first, with careful attention paid to moisture, molds, and other potential damage.
• Testing and Feeding Damaged Corn to Livestock. A veterinarian discusses how nitrate accumulation and molds and mycotoxins can become problematic when feeding damaged corn and discusses how to best sample and test it.
• Grain Storage Management Information is available in this section of CropWatch.

Corn Production

• Selecting Corn Hybrids to Minimize Diseases in 2014. Selecting disease-resistant corn hybrids and placing them strategically in fields with histories of those diseases is one of the most economical ways to manage diseases for the next season.

Cover Crops

• Regulations for Cover Crop Seed Sales. Learn more about Nebraska laws governing the sale of farmer grown seed.

Irrigation Management

• Pulling Soil Moisture Sensors; Wrapping up NAWMN Season. Pull your Watermark soil moisture sensors and ET gages before you combine to ensure they'll be in good working order next spring.

IANR Heuermann Lectures

• UNL Scientist: Genetic Modification is a Key Tool for Feeding a Growing Population. UNL Professor Sally Mackenzie discusses the history and future of GMOs in helping feed the world, using research to debunk criticism. View the presentation online and read the release.
• Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack to Speak in Lincoln Nov. 5. In "Rural America: New Markets, New Understanding, Unlimited Opportunity" Vilsack will lay out his vision for an innovative rural economy.

Market Journal

• Market Journal Looks at Why Fall SCN Sampling is Recommended. SCN is estimated to have cost the state's soybean growers more than $45 million in 2012 — more than all other soybean diseases combined. Learn what you can do to determine whether it's affecting your yields.
• Buy or Sell at Harvest? — Market Journal Analyst Looks at Options, as well as grazing cornstalks, renewable fuels, and the weather for the coming week.

Ag News & Programs

• Landlord/Tenant Lease Workshops at 26 Nebraska Sites This Fall. This workshop can help landlords and tenants develop a lease that works well for both parties while maintaining positive farm lease relations.
• NCR-SARE Announces 2014 Farmer Rancher Grant Call for Proposals. Apply by November 14 for a grant to explore a sustainable agriculture solution to a problem on your farm or ranch.
• Spotted Wing Drosophila Fruit Fly Now in Nebraska
• Nov. 13 Crop Insurance Workshop Can Aid in Risk Management Decisions
• Register Now for 2014 North American Invasive Plant Ecology and Management Web Course. Save travel costs and take this two-day course via the Internet.
• Free Farm Finance Clinics in October
• Soil Health Advocate Gabe Brown tol Speak on Increasing Profits While Regenerating Resources at several sites across Nebraska in November.  Mark your calendar.
• Poll: Rural Nebraskans Rethinking Water Priorities in Wake of 2012 Drought