Nebraska Extension has been actively tracking the incidence and severity of southern rust this past month in Nebraska cornfields with the assistance of farmers, local independent crop consultants, private industry agronomists (Figure 1), cropping system Extension educators, and others. As of July 30, southern rust was lab confirmed in Saline and Gage counties, reported in Jefferson […] Continue reading → 
It is that time of year when Japanese beetles, grasshoppers, or various caterpillars start to consume the soybean leaf canopy. It is very easy to overestimate the amount of defoliation that has occurred and many do not like scouting several locations within a field. We should tolerate some low level of defoliation simply because there […] Continue reading → 
Fusarium head blight (FHB), also called head scab, is a fungal disease that infects wheat during flowering, which typically occurs between mid-May to early June in this area. Over the past 15 years widespread FHB epidemics occurred in Nebraska in 2007, 2008, 2015, and 2019. Southeast Nebraska is particularly prone to FHB issues. In addition […] Continue reading → 
Archive of weekly/biweekly newsletters at https://croptechcafe.org/wheatnewsletter/ including today’s issue on May 17, 2021. Continue reading → 
Many factors affect corn growth and development, especially early in the growing season. A common question this time of year after corn is planted and some fields have emerged whiles other have not is “How many Growing Degree Days (GDD) does it take for my corn to emerge?” Since corn emergence is directly related to […] Continue reading → 
Alfalfa is the most grown crop in Saline, Jefferson, and Gage counties after corn and soybeans. Based on satellite imagery and crop reflectance, USDA CropScape estimates there was over 18,000 acres of alfalfa growing in 2020 in Saline, Jefferson, and Gage counties. An independent crop consultant, private industry agronomist, and Nebraska Extension (me) found alfalfa weevil (Figure […] Continue reading → 
After corn and soybeans, alfalfa is the most grown crop in Saline, Jefferson, and Gage counties. Based on satellite imagery and crop reflectance, USDA CropScape estimates there was over 18,000 acres of alfalfa growing in 2020 in Saline, Jefferson, and Gage counties. Assuming farmers maintain alfalfa stands for 5 to 7 years, there are about […] Continue reading →