John Thomas - Crops Extension Educator

John Thomas

faculty
Work
415 Black Hills Ave Alliance NE 69301-3243
US

Crops Extension Educator for the northern Nebraska Panhandle

A field of lodged wheat with an inset photo showing wheat stubs where the wheat stem sawfly overwinters.
Figure 1. Wheat lodging due to wheat stem sawfly. Figure 2 (inset). Wheat stubs remaining in field after sawfly feeding. The sawfly will overwinter in the stub and leave the plant in the spring.

Increased Wheat Stem Sawfly Populations In 2018

August 30, 2018
One of the newest challenges to wheat growers is the wheat stem sawfly, which can girdle stems, causing lodging and yield losses. University research may offer a clue to new control practices.

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Sample of marketing chart

Field Studies: Blowing the Whistle on Marketing Claims

November 9, 2017
Marketing claims for agricultural products can report a range of data, some of which may be valid and important to your operation and some of which may not be. Evaluating the data to inform decision-making and purchases may require seeking additional data from the company or from reliable third-party research studies.

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Minnesota tillage plots

Field Studies: What do you mean 5 bushels per acre is not significant?

September 5, 2017
On-farm research offers opportunities for testing practices or products under grower field conditions, but how do you determine when the results are statistically different and reliable or due to other factors.

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On-farm research field

Field Studies: Setting Up a Trial

June 21, 2017
Reliable results from on-farm research often start with correct placement of randomized, replicated plots in your field. Soil type, topography, and other factors all need to be considered to ensure results are representative of the whole field.

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Dry bean direct harvesting
Figure 1. Direct harvesting dry beans equires just one trip through the field at harvest, while the more traditional process requires a windrowing and a harvest trip. compared to more traditional harvesting methods.

Are You Planning to Direct Harvest Dry Edible Beans?

May 18, 2017
Successful direct harvesting of dry edible beans begins with proper seed selection and a level field this spring. See what to consider to help ensure minimal yield loss in making the change.

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Field trial comparions of 7.5-inch and 30-inch row spacings
Figure 1. Left, 30-inch rows at 90,000 plants/ac; right, 7.5-inch rows at 120,000 plants/ac.

Field Studies: Replicated Comparisions vs Side-by-Side Comparisons

May 9, 2017
How to set up a basic research study on your farm to provide reliable results from replicated studies with random placement of treatments in each replication.

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Figure 1. Direct harvesting of dry edible beans in the Nebraska Panhandle.
Figure 1. Direct harvesting of dry edible beans in the Nebraska Panhandle.

Direct Harvest of Dry Edible Beans

September 28, 2016

If you’re in the midst of harvesting dry edible beans and considering how to improve harvest efficiencies, you may want to take a second look at transitioning to a direct harvest system.

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