What risks are there for cutting alfalfa in the fall? When and how long is the alfalfa fall resting period or winterizing period? What impact will cutting alfalfa during this ongoing drought have this fall? The answers to these questions can help you make an informed decision on whether to take another cutting of alfalfa […] Continue reading → 
Winter wheat variety selection is one of the first key management decisions that you make each year as a wheat farmer in southeast Nebraska. The three-year average yield difference in currently planted varieties evaluated at the University of Nebraska Jefferson County trial is 12 bushels per acre. I consider southeast Nebraska to include the 23 […] Continue reading → 
Nebraska Extension released results from the 2022 surveys on farm custom rates, cash rent rates, and real estate values. Jim Jansen, Extension Educator for Agricultural Economics, led the 2022 Nebraska Farm Real Estate Report, and Glennis McClure, Farm and Ranch Management Analyst Extension Educator, led the 2022 Nebraska Farm Custom Rates Report. These are two […] Continue reading → 
It is that time of year when Japanese beetles (Figure 1), grasshoppers, or various caterpillars consume the soybean leaf canopy. It is very easy to overestimate the amount of defoliation that has occurred. Many do not like scouting several locations within a field this time of year either but is it important. We should tolerate […] Continue reading → 
If you own or rent pasture or grass hay ground, there are four Extension publications that you should own a copy of. At the top of my list is the 2022 Extension Circular 130: Guide for Weed, Disease, and Insect Management in Nebraska. This is an over 300-page annual publication, so you can get an […] Continue reading → 
Following some issues with aphids and alfalfa weevil prior to first cutting, we now are moving on to a second major insect pest in alfalfa prior to second cutting and beyond, the potato leafhopper. Last year on June 15, we found potato leafhoppers using a sweep net during a site visit in Gage County on […] Continue reading → 
The University of Nebraska-Lincoln (UNL) winter wheat variety tour for the eastern most portion of south-central Nebraska is scheduled for Thursday, June 9, 2022 north of Fairbury. The tour provides an opportunity for farmers and others to learn more about new winter wheat varieties and other topics relevant to wheat production. There are 35 released […] Continue reading →