In-Season Must-Do's

By Robert Klein, Extension Western Nebraska Crops Specialist

Evaluating and recording crop progress each week will be helpful in determining the extent of crop damage.

1. Take photos at least once a week, clearly identifying area in the photo. Take additional photos of any problem areas and be sure to identify them.
2. Record crop growth stage along with planting and emergence information.
3. Check for insects and treat if economical. Know what traits the seed includes.
4. Check for diseases and treat if economical. Compare continuous crops and rotational crops for disease.
5. Scout for weeds. If problem weeds are present, control them. When selecting herbicides, ensure their use won’t interfere with following crops and cover crops planned for the field.
6. If irrigating, use soil water measuring devices and irrigate as necessary. Also reference weather forecasts to help determine when to irrigate.
7. Use a chlorophyll meter to check nitrogen status of corn and sorghum plants. Make sure you have a well-fertilized control area for comparison.
8. Record growing-degree days. (Follow GDD for a number of Nebraska sites at https://cropwatch.unl.edu/gdd-etdata.)