Rodrigo Werle - Cropping Systems Specialist

Rodrigo Werle

CW Welcome: New WCREC Cropping Systems Specialist
Twitter: @UNLCroppingSyst

In January 2018 Dr. Werle joined the Department of Agronomy at the University of Wisconsin-Madison as an Extension Cropping Systems Weed Scientist. He can be reached at rwerle@wisc.edu or 608-262-7130.

Soybean field pre-canopy
Figure 1. Soybean field at North Platte, weeks away from reaching full canopy. Photo taken 7/4/2017.

Soil-Residual Herbicide Options For “Slow-To-Canopy” Soybeans

July 7, 2017
Soil-residual herbicides are encouraged to enhance weed control options in slow-to-canopy soybeans reported across Nebraska.

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UNL-TAPS competition participants
Figure 1. Water use efficiency in corn production is one dimension of the UNL-TAPS competition being conducted out of the West Central REC.

View Corn Contest Plots at UNL-TAPS Field Tour June 27

June 8, 2017
Learn from some of the most successful corn growers in Nebraska at a June 27 UNL-TAPS field tour and project update at the West Central Research and Extension Center at North Platte.

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Field pea variety trial in Perkins
Figure 1. (left) Field pea variety trial in Perkins, one of five field day sites this year.

Field Pea Field Days Scheduled for June at 5 Locations across Nebraska

May 24, 2017
Field day participants will be able to view field pea varieties and learn about rotational benefits and agronomic practices to profitably grow field peas and integrate them with existing cropping systems.

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Field pea

Yellow Field Peas Fare Well After Recent Lows

May 4, 2017
Most yellow field pea being grown in western Nebraska were at early vegetative stages (4th to 7th node or 1-5 leaf stages) during last week’s cold snap, but extensive damage is not expected due to the pea’s level of frost tolerance.Field pea tolerance to frost during early stages of vegetative growth is partially due to the “hypogeal” germination nature of the crop. For plant species with hypogeal germination (e.g., field pea, lentil, chickpea), shoot germination occurs belowground.

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Field with giant ragweed at early treatment stage

Considerations for Managing Herbicide-Resistant Weeds in Soybeans: Spring Burndown

April 28, 2017
One of the challenges with spring burndown application is timing. Wet and windy conditions can delay spraying and under these conditions weeds can grow significantly in a few days. Waiting until planting to spray troublesome weeds such as marestail may be too late to achieve adequate control. In addition, waiting until soybean planting limits the available herbicide options since there are relatively few labeled effective burndown chemicals for spraying at this time. The following section identifies key treatment aspects to consider for several resistant varieties in Nebraska.

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Cereal rye cover crop
Figure 1. No-till cereal rye cover crop planted on October 21, 2016 after corn harvest in North Platte. Cereal rye was drilled at 60 lb per acre on 7.5-inch row spacing. Photo taken April 10, 2017.

Terminating a Cereal Rye Cover Crop – Things to Consider

April 13, 2017
Fall-planted cereal rye is increasingly used as a cover crop in corn and soybean cropping systems in Nebraska. The authors address control of cereal rye through herbicide and mechanical measures and include a USDA NRCS map of recommended termination deadlines.

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Photo comparison of 2 flelds with and without residual herbicide
Figure 1. The benefit of a residual herbicide can be clearly seen in these photos of fields with and without residual six weeks after planting. (Photos by Rodrigo Werle)

Keys to Managing Herbicide Resistance in Soybeans

April 6, 2017
Are last year's weed escapes still haunting you? Applying these six key management practices and five key timings can help you improve control of herbicide-resistant weeds this year.

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Field pea

Field Pea Seeding Rates, Seeding Depth, and Inoculant

March 13, 2017
Grain-type field peas are a cool season grain crop grown as an alternative for no-till summer fallow in a semiarid cereal-based cropping systems such as wheat-corn-fallow and/or wheat-fallow. They are typically planted in mid-March and harvested late-July. This article reports on research conducted on seeding practices and offers recommendations for producers on the economically optimal seeding rate, seeding depth, and inoculant to grow field peas in western Nebraska.

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