April 6-13, 2012

Wheat Production

• Assessing Winter Wheat Damage after an Early Spring Freeze. Wheat in western Nebraska was just jointing when last weekend's freeze hit, causing some visible signs of stress.  Learn more about how a wheat plant responds to frost in this week's story.
• Report of Diseases Observed April 5 in Nebraska Wheat Fields. In a survey of the southern tier of counties from southeast to western Nebraska, the author found powdery mildew, leaf spots, and virus diseases, but no rusts yet.  Rusts have developed in central Kansas and are expected to move into Nebraska in the next couple weeks.
• Weighing the Costs and Benefits of Spring Nitrogen Application in Wheat
• Fertilizer-Herbicide Applications in Dryland Wheat Causing Leaf Burns

Crop Reports

• USDA:  Wheat Jointing Ahead of Normal, Corn Growers Wait to Plant

Forecast

• Temperatures Dropping; Hard Freeze Likely in Panhandle and Sandhills early Sunday. A hard freeze is likely across the northern Panhandle and western Sandhills by Sunday morning.  Scattered frost to moderate frost conditions may occur across northeastern Nebraska, with isolated pockets of frost possible in low lying areas north of I-80. Update:  See map of April 8 low temperatures.

Corn Production

• UNL Research:  Skip-Row Corn REduces Risk for Western Nebraska Growers. Research trials were conducted in 3 states at 23 sites to compare various skip-row regimens with standard corn planting. Learn which patterns produced best In lower yielding, riskier environments for corn production.

  Alfalfa & Forage Production

• Season Starting Early:  Scout for Alfalfa and Clover Leaf Weevils in Alfalfa. With recent warm temperatures, insect growth accelerated.  Alfalfa weevil larvae have already been reported feeding in southeast Nebraska. Get scouting tips, treatment thresholds, and a guide for distinguishing alfalfa weevils and clover leaf weevils.
• Pea Aphids Reported in Alfalfa
• How Alfalfa Responds to Frost.  With the potential for frosts across western and northern areas of the state this weekend, alfalfa growers will want to be alert to potential damage.
• Preparing CRP for Pasture and Hay Use

Irrigation Management

• Irrigators:  Save Water When you Have it to Save. Reservoirs in the North Platte River Basin are near or at capacity, but could draw down considerably this summer if we don't see more rain or more snowmelt from the Rockies.  Forecast maps indicate above normal temperatures for April for Nebraska.

Farm Management

• Cornhusker Economics:  Examining Nebraska's Written Contracts Rule

• USDA Identifies Marker to Distinguish Disease-Carrying Aphids. USDA researchers used protein biomarkers to differentiate between virus-spreading and virus-free aphids.  The findings mark the first time that protein biomarkers have been link to an insect's ability to transmit viruses.

Market Journal Segments

• Scouting for Disease - April 6 Market Journal segment with host Jeff Wilkerson and plant pathologist Stephen Wegulo
• Seven-day Forecast - April 6 segment with Al Dutcher, UNL State Climatologist
• Why are Gasoline Prices on the Rise Now with UNL Ag Economist Dennis Conley

AgNews

• The Challenge of Feeding 9 Billion People:  Implications for Cooperative Extension
• EPA Denies Petition on 2,4-D Pesticide Registration and Tolerances

Rural Update

• Dry Conditions May Lead to Hopper Problems for Rural Homeowners