All

Richard Ferguson

Richard Ferguson became vice chancellor for the university's Rwanda Institute for Conservation Agriculture (RICA) Jan. 1, 2019. His email is rferguson1@unl.edu.

Faculty Bio

Corn silage — Silage is the most widely preferred method of utilizing drought-stressed corn, as the ensiling process reduces nitrate levels by as much as one-half to one-third; however, proper technique is critical and testing before feeding is recommended. (Photo by Kristen Ulmer)

Drought-stressed Corn: A Feed Opportunity

August 18, 2023

When grain harvest of drought-stressed corn won’t be a viable option, it can be utilized in several other ways with careful management and care in feeding.

Grain sorghum field — Historical crop production reports for Nebraska are available at USDA.

Nebraska Crop Production Report for Aug. 1, 2023

August 18, 2023

Nebraska's sorghum production expanded exponentially in 2023, increasing 207% over the prior year, with crop acreage up 76%.

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

Crop Progress: Winter Wheat, Oat Harvest Wraps Up in Nebraska

August 18, 2023

As of Aug. 13, harvest for winter wheat was at 97% complete and oats, 89%. Crop conditions remained stable from the prior week.

Pivot in field — Irrigating a late season soybean field. (Photo by Steve Melvin)

Optimize Those Last Few Irrigations

August 17, 2023

Leaving the field a little drier at the end of the season can help producers save irrigation costs, decrease leaching losses, improve soil conditions for harvest traffic, save water for future years and capture more off-season precipitation.

Weekly Weather Update: Aug. 17, 2023

August 17, 2023

Despite significant improvements in drought conditions, much of Nebraska is still lacking deep soil moisture. August precipitation will be critical for the soybean crop, as most areas don't have the capacity to get into September without it.

Pasture in drought — Though pastures that have had some precipitation are coming back, resist the temptation of grazing them hard this fall, as these plants need to build back reserves before winter.

Pasture and Forage Minute: Managing Drought-stressed Brome, Alfalfa Seeding

August 17, 2023

Insights on managing drought-stressed brome pastures this fall, planting windows and weed control for fall-seeded alfalfa, and registration information about upcoming field days.

Competition participants in group photo — Eight teams comprised of Nebraska youth competed in this year's Nebraska Youth Crop Scouting Competition.

Nebraska Youth Crop Scouting Competition Results

August 17, 2023

Following their third place victory in 2022, the Colfax County 4-H #2 team claimed first place honors in this year's competition, securing the opportunity to compete at regionals in September.

Drought-stressed soybean field — Drought-stressed soybeans with few to no pods present. Depending on economics to harvest, using drought-stressed soybeans for forage may be an option. (Photo by Jenny Rees)

Soybeans for Forage

August 17, 2023

Brown soybean plants that were evaluated by crop insurance at 2-4 bu/ac can be grazed if a grower doesn’t wish to harvest them. They’re just low quality.