Field Updates
July 25, 2008
Douglas Anderson, Extension Educator in Keith, Arthur, and Perkins counties: Wheat harvest was delayed by some rain and storms, but is flowing strongly now and should finish in the next week. Isolated fields had some storm damage, but yields are good. Dryland yields ranged from the low 30s to 90 with most in the upper 40s. Irrigated is up to 100 bu/ac with most in the upper 80s. Corn is catching up after a sporadic planting season. Grasshoppers in the Platte River Valley are at very, very high populations and aerial treatment is in progress. Pasture condition is good, but will need timely rains.
Paul Hay, Extension Educator in Gage County: Bagworms on cedar are so bad we actually have them killing cedar in the pastures. Check your windbreak and spruce trees if you like them. If you have fields planned for fall alfalfa seeding or wheat, consider controlling grasshoppers in roadsides, adjoining grass areas and waterway's now while they are young and easier to control. Pasture and CRP acres moving to cropland should not be planted to wheat for two years. We have one field with zero yield as a result of take-all disease.
Randall Saner, Extension Educator in Lincoln and McPherson counties: We are seeing a lot of grasshoppers at the economic threshhold for spraying, especially in crops. The West Central Research and Extension Center at North Platte is spraying its soybeans for grasshoppers. We also are getting calls from people with gardens being destroyed by grasshoppers.
Robert Wright, Extension Entomologist, Lincoln: Insects are a little late this year due to the cooler temperatures and scouting efforts should take that into account. Generally pest numbers have been low compared to some years. Now's the time to be scouting for adult rootworm beetles.
Dave Stenberg, Extension Educator in Dawson County: Wheat harvest is continuing with yields in the 50-60 bushel/acre range, which is a little better than expected. Corn is looking good and tasseling and soybeans are blooming. There's been some concern about the lack of nitrogen due to leaching from heavy rains. A couple areas have had hail.
Jim Schneider, Extension Educator in Hamilton County: It feels good to see the corn tasseled and shedding some pollen. We're getting back on track. We don't have a lot of alfalfa, but it's been a challenge this year. We're into our second cutting as weather allows. We've been pretty fortunate that our soil moisture reserves have held. A lot of the pivots damaged by earlier storms have been repaired - more than I would have thought possible - and some growers whose pivots weren't repaired are not planning to irrigate this year.
Michael Rethwisch, Extension Educator in Butler County: Wheat harvest started about 10 days ago, with plot yields from 59 to 71 bushels/acre. Higher sloped fields are getting better yields - likely because water couldn't stand in them. Some wheat still needs to be harvested. Sunday morning we got some hail which defoliated bean fields near Schuyler. In corn, silks are extending and beans are looking good. We're seeing a pretty good number of grasshoppers and the weather has been very conducive to rust.
Keith Jarvi, Extension IPM Assistant, Northeast REC, Norfolk: The corn crop is looking good and the vast majority will be tasseled by the end of the week. We've caught some nice rains and don't have any real insect problems, although soybean aphids are building in some fields. Hot spots in a few fields have been treated. Western bean cutworm numbers in light traps are way down.
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