Chuck Francis KCR 101
Lincoln NE 68583-0817
402-472-1581
cfrancis2@unl.edu

Faculty Bio

Farmers in field

Benchmarking — What Can We Learn from Others?

October 14, 2021
Organizing our farm and ranch production and financial data and then utilizing this information to look back historically and to benchmark with others, provides a way to measure our operation’s financial health and assist in important management decisions.

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Yucca plants
Herbicides are most effective against yucca infestations when applied in spring or summer on individual plants or small patches.

Pasture and Forage Minute: Managing Prussic Acid, Yucca and Fall Irrigation

October 12, 2021
In this week's article, educators review concerns on prussic acid development in sorghum plants, herbicide control for soapweeds in grazing lands and irrigating alfalfa this fall to help with stand stress.

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Grain sorghum
Stalk grazing this fall should begin with corn residue and then transition to grain sorghum stovers, as corn leaves will blow out of fields within a couple months post-harvest, whereas grain sorghum leaves usually remain attached through winter and into early spring.

Pasture and Forage Minute: Fall Grazing and Pasture Management

October 5, 2021
Extension Educator Todd Whitney explains why it's best to graze grain sorghum stover before corn residue, plus a rundown on improving hay and crop residue through ammoniation and proper care of fall pastures for best plant health through the winter.

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Research fields map
On the left, a comparison of participating fields in 2020 (a) and 2021 (b). On the right, total area of participating fields in 2020 (c) and distribution of individual field sizes in 2021 (d).

Panhandle Learning Agricultural Network (PLAN) Aims to Increase Farmer Adoption of Field-based Sensors

October 7, 2021
PLAN aims to use sensors, low-cost telemetry such as Internet of Things (IoT), localized algorithms, and an interactive data display and processing interface to better serve the farming community in the Nebraska Panhandle.

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Extension field day discussion

Agri 042 Intro to Production Ag Class Offers Digital Badge

October 7, 2021
The new Agri 042 Introduction to Production Ag in Nebraska class at ENREEC seeks to provide an overview of the production methods and systems involved in bringing food, fiber and fuel to consumers.

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Potatoes

Nebraska 2020 Potato Summary

October 7, 2021
Final production for the 2020 potato crop totaled 9.21 million cwt, down 4% from 2019, according to the USDA's National Agricultural Statistics Service.

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Winter wheat

2021 Nebraska Small Grain Acreage and Production

October 7, 2021
Winter wheat production is estimated at 41.2 million bushels, up 21% from last year, according to the USDA’s National Agricultural Statistics Service.

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Combine harvesting corn in a field

Crop Progress: Nebraska Harvest Continues at Near Average Pace

October 7, 2021
For the week ending Oct. 3, 2021, corn harvest was at 21%, soybean harvest was at 34% and sorghum harvest was at 21%.

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