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Austin Duerfeldt
Introduction in CropWatch

Austin Duerfeldt was the Southeast District Agricultural Economist Extension Educator from 2018-2021.

This Week on N Field: Insurance Update for Farm Operations

June 8, 2023

With the arrival of severe weather season, N Field Observations highlights the importance of reviewing and updating insurance policies for your ag operation.

Crop sensor — Figure 1. Early installation of sensors helps minimize root and leaf damage and makes it easy to get around the field with the pickup or ATV to install the equipment.

Study Reviews Farmer Irrigation Scheduling Tendencies in Dry Years

June 8, 2023

Many producers in Nebraska will need to irrigate in June to refill the soil profile before high water demand begins in July, but there are numerous factors to consider when calculating the appropriate irrigation amounts.

Grasshopper in field — Prolonged and extreme drought conditions have increased the potential for problematic grasshopper populations this growing season. Producers seeking information about grasshopper control can contact their local extension educator for more assistance. (Photo by Troy Walz)

Pasture Grasshopper Management

June 8, 2023

Prolonged drought conditions have increased the potential for problematic grasshopper populations this growing season, particularly for counties in the western two-thirds of Nebraska.

Cattle in pasture — Registration is due by June 16 for all the workshops, which will cover the application process and eligibility requirements for USDA insurance programs and explain how they can be used to mitigate price risk. (Center for Ag Profitability photo)

Workshops to Cover Managing Forage and Cattle Price Risk with USDA Programs

June 8, 2023

Specific insurance programs that will be covered during the workshops are Pasture, Rangeland, and Forage (PRF), Livestock Risk Protection (LRP) and Annual Forage insurance (AF).

Weekly Weather Update: June 8, 2023

June 8, 2023

Though most of western Nebraska has reduced drought, recent rainfall hasn't been sufficient to improve eastern Nebraska's exceptional drought status, and annual rainfall deficits continue to escalate for the area.

Short-term Livestock Grazing Impacts on Crop and Soil Properties from an Eastern Nebraska Experiment

June 8, 2023

Nebraska researchers evaluated two no-till, non-irrigated cropping systems from 2018 to 2020 to compare the effects of livestock grazing in a corn-soybean and corn-soybean-wheat rotation on crop productivity.

Pivot irrigation system — When irrigating fields early due to drought, the most reliable method to know when and how much to irrigate is to monitor soil moisture at multiple depths.

Early Season Irrigation During Drought

June 7, 2023

For producers who are irrigating early this year due to drought, it's critical to monitor soil moisture to balance crop needs with the risk of losing nitrogen and other valuable crop inputs, while also avoiding the expense of over-irrigating.

Sorghum field — Historical crop progress data for Nebraska is available at USDA.

Crop Progress: Sorghum, Dry Bean Planting Falls Further Behind in Nebraska

June 7, 2023

As of June 4, progress on sorghum and dry edible bean planting was significantly behind last year's pace, and soybean planting was nearly finished.