Producers who struggle with poor drainage in gumbo soil have several options for improving water retention and overall soil health. One beneficial practice is manure application, which helps reduce bulk density and improves soil aggregation.
Fields with diverse soil types can pose distinct challenges in water management, especially under pivot irrigation. In this article, UNL experts review factors that contribute to waterlogged soil and several practices that can improve drainage issues.
TAPS
The UNL TAPS team is looking for people interested in participating in the inaugural year of the soybean competition. If interested, contact TAPS Program Manager Krystle Rhoades.
The new soybean competition will be hosted at ENREEC near Mead, and will give participants the opportunity to test a wide range of ag management technologies.
Extension Events
Free to attend, the Annual Results Update meetings will provide Nebraskans the opportunity to hear on-farm research insights from the producers who conducted projects throughout 2023, as well as connect with Nebraska Extension educators.
The meetings will be hosted in five cities across Nebraska starting in mid-February, with free attendance and a complimentary 2023 Research Results book for all who attend.
The 2024 Nebraska Soybean Production Clinic is free to attend and will offer CCA credits for each presentation.
Presentations at the 2024 Soybean Production Clinic will feature Nebraska Extension research on integrated pest management, soybean planter setup, nutrient and irrigation management, plant diseases and more.
Five exam prep courses will be offered across the state in February and March for producers and other members of the public who need to obtain a Part 107 remote pilot certification or license to fly drones for commercial applications.
The course will prepare producers to pass the FFA exam and earn a remote pilot certification for commercial use of drones, such as for checking cattle and spraying crops.
Sawfly traps without the nets stand in wheat fields at the High Plains Ag Lab near Sidney. The traps are part of ongoing research on the wheat stem sawfly. (Photo by Chabella Guzman)
The Feb. 15 meeting will include updates on HPAL winter wheat fertility research and alternative crops breeding, wheat stem sawfly initiatives, TAPS wheat contest results, commodity marketing, HPAL 2022 crop production review and more.
Rural Wellness
If you or someone you know is having a mental crisis or is emotionally distressed, please call or text the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 9-8-8 for assistance.
From subzero temperatures and blizzards to potential flooding in the coming weeks, the Midwest has had a tumultuous 2024 so far. This article provides positive relief strategies to help Nebraskans cope with stress and frustrations from these challenges.
Forage Production
While water demands in the winter may be less than summer, keeping water available can be difficult. Having animals eat snow may be tempting but requires an experienced herd, plenty of fresh snow and healthy animals.
Extension educators review the effects of subzero temperatures on overwintering insects and whether snow can adequately be used as a water source for cattle.
While taking stock of your operation for the new year, it’s also a good time to start planning spring annual forages. While oats are probably the most common cool-season annual forage planted in Nebraska, spring triticale or spring barley are also good options, with comparable forage yield and quality.
Winter brings time to take stock of our current operations and plan for the future, which can make a significant impact on success in the upcoming year.
What impact did the polar vortex have on those troublesome agricultural insects that are taking a winter nap? Nebraska Extension Educator Amy Timmerman weighs in.
Bean plants grow in the UNL Panhandle Research, Extension and Education Center’s greenhouse. (Photo by Chabella Guzman)
Register by Feb. 9 to attend the 2024 Nebraska Dry Bean Day, featuring presentations on Nebraska Extension research, ag industry updates, weather impacts on dry bean production this growing season, and more.
A center-pivot irrigation system waters a cornfield near Adams, Nebraska, about 45 minutes south of Lincoln. (Photo by Craig Chandler, University Communication and Marketing)
Researchers involved in this study found that an aquifer’s depletion can curb crop yields even when it appears saturated enough to meet irrigation demands, and yield losses intensify when an aquifer drops below certain thresholds.
Stacy Adams, UNL professor of practice in agronomy and horticulture, kicked off the Department of Agronomy and Horticulture's spring seminar series with his presentation on alternative production practices and hydroponic approaches and value within the food supply chain.
The spring seminar series features a new timeslot and panel of experts, set to share insights on topics such as rapid soil sensing, precision ag advancements, nitrate leaching, vegetable production, yield gap analysis and soil organic carbon.
The Panhandle Research Extension and Education Center in Scottsbluff welcomed Dr. Pin-Chu Lai, entomologist and Nebraska Extension specialist, on Jan. 2, 2024. (Photo by Chabella Guzman)
Dr. Pin-Chu Lai joined the university's faculty in January as the Panhandle Research, Extension and Education Center's new entomologist and Nebraska Extension specialist.
In her new role, Bathke will lead efforts to complete a report assessing impacts of climate change, requested by the Nebraska Legislature.
Farm Management
For assistance with fluctuations in commodity crop prices, producers can elect coverage and enroll in ARC-County or PLC on a crop-by-crop basis, or ARC-Individual for the entire farm, for the 2024 crop year. Elections must be submitted by March 15.
Hosted at numerous sites throughout Nebraska in February, the free workshops will help producers learn more about the ARC and PLC programs and how to apply in 2024.
According to USDA, only 40% of farm households participate in some type of retirement account.
Center for Ag Profitability experts review features of the One-Participant 401(k), which helps self-employed individuals and their spouses save money for retirement and reduce taxable income.
For farmers and ranchers, having investments like a retirement account can help mitigate risk. Often, retirement funds grow at a higher rate than inflation, protecting a person’s purchasing power later in life.
Insights on saving for retirement and reducing tax liability for self-employed farmers and ranchers.
The Agricultural Budget Calculator is a free tool to help producers figure machinery field operation and ownership costs. For more, visit the ABC website. (CAP photo)
This article provides an in-depth analysis of field operation costs for newer equipment versus slightly older equipment of similar size and power, which are used to determine costs for planting row crops.
Though the farm finance and ag law clinics are offered monthly at sites across Nebraska, remote sessions are another option — call the number below to arrange a one-on-one meeting via phone or virtual platform.
Nebraska broke its own record for warmest December in 2023, as did many other states in the north-central region of the U.S.
Crop Reports & AgNews
There are several assistance programs available through USDA that may help producers who have experiences losses due to recent severe winter weather. More information about these programs is available on farmers.gov.
Nebraska farmers and ranchers are encouraged to contact FSA to learn about assistance programs for severe winter weather losses and how to apply.
The National Agricultural Classification Survey seeks to identify individuals who produce and sell $1,000 of more of agricultural products in a calendar year, so that they may participate in the next Census of Agriculture.
The survey will go to approximately 250,000 recipients to ask if they conduct agricultural activity, ensuring that every U.S. producer has a voice and is counted in the 2027 ag census data.
Historical crop progress data for Nebraska is available at USDA.
Topics of the free, day-long clinic in Aurora will include management of weeds, insect damage and plant disease, corn planter setup, nitrogen sources and stabilizers, fertilizer applications, and more.
In Nebraska, residents must be 18 years or older and certified/licensed by the state to purchase and use restricted-use pesticides. Nebraska pesticide applicator licenses are valid for a period of three years.
Producers who need to acquire or renew a private pesticide applicator license this year can choose between several options, including in-person training, online self-study programs, and an NDA-administered exam.
