Ben Beckman - Extension Educator

Ben Beckman

faculty

Assoc Exten Educator NE Ext Engagement Zone 5 University of Nebraska–Lincoln

Work

PO Box 368 101 E Centre Hartington NE 68739-0368

Work 402-254-6821

ben.beckman@unl.edu

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Alfalfa windrows — To avoid rain delays on swathing and baling alfalfa hay, producers can lower harvest drying times by using wider windrow swatch and crimper conditioning.

Pasture and Forage Minute: Managing Alfalfa Windows, Grazing Summer Annual Forages and Water Quality

July 10, 2023

Management strategies for curing alfalfa windrows in adverse weather conditions, grazing sudangrass and sorghum-sudan hybrids safely, and water quality issues for livestock on pasture.

Grasshopper in meadow — Grasshoppers tend to thrive in dry, hot conditions while outbreaks can be severely limited by cool, wet spring weather, and as such, producers in eastern Nebraska might see an increase in outbreaks this summer, while western Nebraska grasshopper populations may be reduced.

Pasture and Forage Minute: Grasshopper Control, Sub-irrigated Meadow Hay Harvest

July 7, 2023

Extension insights on grazing strategies to accommodate weather changes, grasshopper scouting and treatment recommendations, and tips for getting the most out of sub-irrigated meadow hay harvest in Nebraska.

Forage Options for Drought-stressed Non-irrigated Vegetative Corn and Nitrate Concerns

June 29, 2023

UNL experts share recommendations for producers who are considering using non-irrigated drought-stressed corn as forage.

Pasture and Forage Minute: Drought-stunted Alfalfa Options, Bluegrass Control

June 27, 2023

Recommendations for producers facing short alfalfa stands from drought stress and encroaching bluegrass, plus water needs for livestock during summer.

Alfalfa harvest — You can harvest seeding year alfalfa as early as 40 days after emergence, but if you can wait until 60 days, you'll benefit from increased root development, which helps avoid issues from soil compaction and surface soil dryness.

Pasture and Forage Minute: Planting Forage in Stubble and Seeding Year Alfalfa Management

June 20, 2023

Tips on planting forages into wheat and rye stubble, how to get the most from your first-year alfalfa and controlling yucca plants on rangeland in western and central Nebraska.

Poison hemlock — Extremely toxic to both animals and humans, poison hemlock can be found statewide in Nebraska and is most toxic right before the fruits mature. (Photo courtesy Oregon Department of Agriculture)

Pasture and Forage Minute: Low Hay Stocks, Grazing Shifts, Toxic Pasture Plants

June 13, 2023

With the lowest level of hay stocks since 1974, extension educators stress the importance of taking inventory of feed and hay resources, and to begin planning for next year's needs right now.

Pasture and Forage Minute: Irrigating First Cutting Alfalfa, Black Grass Bugs and Short Pastures

June 9, 2023

This week — irrigation strategies for moisture-stressed alfalfa prior to first cutting, controlling black grass bugs in wheatgrass, and techniques for stretching pasture.

Pasture and Forage Minute: Controlling Alfalfa Weevil and Leafy Spurge, First Cutting Alfalfa

June 1, 2023

With first cutting alfalfa to begin soon, extension educators discuss the importance of scouting for alfalfa weevils to mitigate yield losses and strategies for timing harvest, plus control options for leafy spurge.