It is that time of year when Japanese beetles, grasshoppers, or various caterpillars consume the soybean leaf canopy. It is very easy to overestimate the amount of defoliation that has occurred, and many do not like walking and scouting soybeans this time of year. We should tolerate some low level of defoliation simply because there […] Continue reading → 
The U.S. Drought Monitor map shows parts of the U.S. that are in drought, how intense it is, and short-term and long-term impacts. As the Water & Cropping Systems Extension Educator for Gage, Jefferson, and Saline counties, I contribute reports for this area directly to the weekly authors in Nebraska through our internal Nebraska drought […] Continue reading → 
Due to the dry weather, early season fungal diseases were low or not even present, i.e., no reports of stripe and leaf rust (view reports/map and take the survey yourself at https://cropwatch.unl.edu/plantdisease/wheat). I did not recommend a fungicide application prior to flowering this season, save the application and product cost. However, dependent on the near-term […] Continue reading → 
Happy holidays from your land-grant university, the University of Nebraska-Lincoln (UNL) and your outreach arm of UNL called Nebraska Extension. As you wrap up your holiday plans and 2022, it is already time to start thinking about attending some winter educational programs offered by Nebraska Extension. If you are a landowner, farmer, or agricultural professional […] Continue reading → 
I encourage farmers in Saline, Jefferson, and Gage counties to attend the upcoming regional Nebraska Extension event for them, the Nebraska Soybean Day & Machinery Expo in Wahoo on Thursday, Dec. 15. The expo, which begins at 8:30 a.m. and concludes at 2:15 p.m., will be in the Gayle Hatton Pavilion at the Saunders County […] Continue reading → 
Nebraska Extension will host a workshop covering agricultural land management and leasing considerations for 2023 in Beatrice from 10:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. on Jan. 9 at the office of Nebraska Extension in Gage County, 1115 W. Scott St. It will offer updated leasing information relevant to landlords and tenants, including tips for communication and […] Continue reading → 
The Smith-Lever Act of 1914 provided federal support for land-grant universities to establish Cooperative Extension Services. Cooperative Extension was originally designed to bring vocational, agricultural, and home economics learning opportunities to all residents. Today Nebraska Extension, formerly called Cooperative Extension, provides University of Nebraska expertise in 8 major program areas that impact Nebraskans from all […] Continue reading →