Monthly Archives: September 2023
JenREES 9/24/23
It was so great to hear rain/thunder and to receive some rain Thursday night! I don’t know how many felt this too, but it was so hard to want to work Friday after harvest has been going so hard. I saw that rain as such a gift for rest; hopefully you were able to take a little time that day for some rest too or intentionally choose that the next time we receive rain!
Old World Bluestem: Last fall, a producer near Garland shared there was a grass he had noticed his cattle weren’t eating and it was spreading in his native pasture. It was confirmed by the UNL Herbarium to be Old World Bluestem. I was grateful he gave me a tour of his pastures and it appeared that Roundup was killing it. Received another call in the Garland area this year. This resource from K-State shows ID characteristics and management info: https://www.frontierdistrict.k-state.edu/livestock/docs/2%20Old%20World%20BluestemsID.pdf. It is very drought tolerant, so it may be more visible now in the midst of drought. It’s actually not in the same genus as our native bluestems and has more characteristics of silver bluestem as they’re both in the Bothriochloa genus. It doesn’t green up as early as our native big bluestem but it will produce a seedhead quicker. It has a yellowish appearance to the leaves and stems. While cattle can graze it early, they often avoid it once it produces a seedhead. It’s extremely competitive and replaces native plants and forbs. Would encourage you to scout native pastures for any grass clumps that cattle don’t seem to be eating. If you see Old World Bluestem, make note of its location. I can also help ID the plant if needed. Management includes 2 lb/ac Glyphosate at the 4 leaf stage and again before seedheads are produced. Because it can contain both rhizomes and stolons, one may need to treat a good 1-3 feet beyond the clump. It also produces a prolific seed bank where it may take a few years of treatment on newly emerging plants before the seedbank is exhausted. When purchasing native grass seed for pastures, check with seed suppliers that the seed is free of old world bluestem. Another source of contamination can be from feeding hay, particularly from Texas and Oklahoma. It’s become an increasing problem in Kansas as well.
Soybean Yields: Last week received numerous calls and texts from people disappointed with soybean yields. That high heat period in August was really the last straw for non-irrigated soybeans, but it also greatly impacted irrigated soybeans. Other specific factors this year for the irrigated soybeans have included all the disease from irrigating since planting (white mold, sudden death syndrome, phytophthora, Fusarium root rot). Soybean gall midge has also been a factor in some fields, particularly in Seward County.
Small Grain Cover Crops: While there’s been some tremendous challenges with cover crops this year with moisture use in the midst of drought, they are a management tool for helping with disease and weed challenges. For example, a producer in the Gresham area who grew cereal rye for the purposes of weed control did see good weed control in those fields overall in spite of other challenges he faced. At least one of those fields was prone to white mold. I’d seen this in the past, but the rye kept the fungus from getting up into the soybean canopy and infecting the soybean plants. That’s in spite of how much extra he had to irrigate in the beginning of the season to get his beans up with a tall rye cover crop. Some have applied two fungicides for white mold this year and were still battling it. There’s tradeoffs to everything.
I’m often asked if I’m ‘sold out’ on cover crops. I don’t recommend cover crops to everyone because it takes another level of management. However, if a person is looking for a different tool for pest problems and is willing to look at management in another way, cover crops have the potential to help. So, if you’re dealing with soybean diseases like sudden death syndrome and/or soybean cyst nematode, small grains, particularly oats, have been proven via research to help reduce the fungus and nematodes. And, oats winterkill so they’re an option I was sharing with people who didn’t want to worry about a small grain surviving next spring. It’s late to plant oats right now, but they can be an option to consider for next spring or fall. Rye is another option before soybean because of the biomass it produces for weed control against palmer, its help in reducing soybean diseases, and it can be planted throughout the winter. I’ve been recommending wheat before corn and seed corn because it doesn’t get as much biomass and there’s not the same scare factor to plant green into it because of that. All these small grains will take moisture, but we’ve also seen them recycle moisture and nutrients back into the system in the July time-frame for May-terminated plants (research shows 6 weeks post-termination). While not a silver bullet, small grains are an option to help with pest problems if you’re open to managing a field differently. Feel free to contact me if you’d like to talk more about this.
JenREES 9/17/23
It was great getting to see and catch up with several people at Husker Harvest Days last week! The main update I have is that tar spot is being found more in this area of the State. Grateful it has only ever occurred at the end of the season for us. Next week I’ll share on an invasive grass that cattle won’t eat being found in some area warm-season pastures.
Harvest Safety: With harvest, it’s up to all of us to be safe and watchful on the roads. It’s so dry and hard to see on gravel roads when there’s traffic. Please be safe, slow down at intersections and railroad crossings, lights on, and be watchful/slow down as you come up on slow moving vehicles. For our farm families, we know things happen so quickly so please think safety with machinery, watch for people and objects around you, watch for power lines, and take your time on machinery and bin steps. Brandy VanDeWalle, Extension Educator, shares additional info. on her blog: https://vandewalleviews.com/2023/09/15/harvest-safety-11/. Here’s wishing everyone safety this harvest season!
Pricing corn silage: This was written by Shannon Sand, UNL ag economist, “According to UNL research, corn silage priced standing in the field before harvest would be valued at 7.65 times the price per bushel of corn, where a ton of corn silage is harvested at 60-65% moisture. For example, corn near $5.00/ bushel at harvest puts corn at $38.25 per ton. This accounts for not having to combine or haul grain to market but should also be harvest corn prices as we add storage costs to silage. According to the 2022 Nebraska farm custom rates publication, the average for harvest, hauling and packing of corn silage was $13.50 per ton. At $38.25 per ton plus $13.50 per ton for custom work, this gives us $51.75 per ton in the pile. When $3.00 per ton is added for storage, the price is now $54.75.” Additional information can be found in the following NebGuide: https://go.unl.edu/mik9.
Planting Trees: Fall is tree planting time and sometimes tree problems I diagnose are the result of incorrect planting. Kelly Feehan, Extension horticulture educator shares, “It is very important not to plant trees too deep. If a tree is planted the same depth it is in the container; or, the soil beneath the root ball is loosened when digging; then the tree is likely planted too deep. When I diagnose tree problems, I look at the trunk near the soil line. If it looks like a telephone pole going into the ground and there is no trunk taper at the base, I know the tree was planted too deep and that may be the cause of decline. Planting trees too deep leads to slower growth, decline and girdled roots that can cause tree failure. To plant a tree at the correct depth, never dig the hole until you find the first lateral root growing off of the trunk. Soil may need to be scraped away to locate this root. Once found, dig a hole that is a depth where the first root will remain just below or at the soil line. Do not disturb the soil under the root ball; but dig the hole one to two feet wider than the root ball.”
Lawn Weed Control: Those without irrigation systems struggled with thin lawns and both annual and perennial weeds this year. Perennials weeds have included dandelions, ground ivy, and bindweed. Annual weeds have included crabgrass, prostrate spurge, and purslane. So what can you do for the future? Late September through mid-October is the best time to control perennial broadleaf weeds with herbicides labeled for their control in grass. During the fall, the weeds will take the chemical into the root system increasing the opportunity for their death. Annual weeds will die with a hard frost. You can hand-pull or power-rake if you’re still working on reseeding lawns, but seed most likely has been produced. In May next year, you can apply a pre-emergence herbicide to prevent the weed seeds from emerging. Because we often get another flush of weed seeds germinating, if you had a lot of weed pressure this year and have a thin lawn, you can consider making a second pre-emergence application 8-10 weeks later. Thicker lawns help reduce weed seed germination if you can get a thicker lawn established as well.
I realized for all those who subscribe to my blog but don’t receive my email that I haven’t been posting the irrigation needs each week like I have on my email. So, adding that again as a reference for everyone finishing up.
JenREES 9/10/23
Crop Update: This seems like another strange end to the season with irrigating, harvest, harvesting silage, and harvest finished occurring simultaneously in the area I serve. For those interested in planting wheat, check out Nathan Mueller’s information on winter wheat variety selection on his blog: https://croptechcafe.org/winter-wheat-variety-selection-fall-2023/. Nathan does a great job of comparing varieties over time and sharing details he hears and sees on varieties for eastern Nebraska.
A few have asked about adding moisture to silage that’s too dry. Dr. Bruce Anderson once shared “it takes about 7 gallons of water for each ton of silage to raise moisture content just one point. Even if you have enough water, the chopped corn can’t absorb it fast enough to do any good.” A better option is to add a wetter feed like irrigated corn to help with the moisture content. Bruce shares more considerations here: https://cropwatch.unl.edu/2017/making-silage-dry-corn.
Check moisture content on non-irrigated corn and soybeans and harvest accordingly. Have heard reports from some non-irrigated fields from Nuckolls Co. to Seward Co. going as low as 13.6% to 17% for corn last week. A lot of non-irrigated beans in the area I serve have no pod fill in the upper ½-3/4 of plants, which I realize makes it hard to want to harvest them. In irrigated corn fields, particularly those that had quite a bit of premature ear droop, watch stalk integrity and also integrity of the ear shank attachment where it connects to the ear; consider earlier harvest in those fields. Soybeans do need nearly two inches of moisture when leaves turn yellow. However, that moisture can come from a combination of soil moisture reserves and irrigation, so it doesn’t mean you need to irrigate two more inches.
Couple things about pastures: make note if you’re seeing cattle avoiding any grass in them. I’ll share more on that next week. Also, a quick note that with the shortage of grass, cattle may be getting higher quantities of nitrate-rich weeds. Had a couple people reporting losses to me, so please be aware of this.
Grazing Corn Residue: Received numerous questions on grazing non-irrigated corn residue with stalks most likely high in nitrates. Cattle will go for the ear, husk, leaf first. I realize some of these fields have essentially no ears (for either ear or husk); the cattle will still graze leaves before stalks. Rarely do leaves have high nitrates. You can always test to be sure. Then get them off before they graze the lowest 12” of stalk. There’s also field situations where these ‘nubbin’ ears are spongy, have tiny kernels and aren’t threshing, so there may be more grain on the ground than one realizes. Hopefully the following info. isn’t needed, but sharing in case. Anything above 8-10 bu/ac on the ground needs a well-planned grazing strategy. How do you know? An ‘average’ corn ear would be considered about one bushel an acre loss, so do your best to estimate how many of these tiny ears would equate that. There’s a couple of ways to measure the area to determine grain on the ground. One way is to take your combine width in rows (8 rows, etc.), then measure one one-hundredth of an acre and count the ears in the area on the ground. Another way is to take 3 100-foot counts in three different areas of the field. Take the total number of ears (again consider a ‘normal’ ear size), divide by two, and that would give you an approximate bushel per acre loss.
One can adapt cattle to grain by feeding two to three pounds per day and slowly move up to 10-15 pounds per day over approximately 10-14 days. Turn cattle out that are full and make sure plenty of fresh water is readily available. Also consider feeding high quality hay as a supplement. For those with plants that were two foot or less on field edges that you didn’t run a combine through, perhaps consider fencing out those field edges? Also, while a frost does release prussic acid from sorghum species, frost does not release nitrates from corn plants/stalks.
Last Alfalfa Cutting: I think most in the area have finished last cutting of alfalfa. If you’re still considering it, alfalfa needs at least 6 weeks before the first average killing frost which can range from 24-27F due to plant height, stress, portions of plant affected, topography, etc. Research has shown that cutting during that resting period can increase the chances of winterkill and also reduce the first cutting of alfalfa the subsequent year. To be safe, that last cutting should be taken for our area by mid-Sept. even though I realize some have made it to early Oct. in the past. If you have quite a bit of regrowth and are in need of forage, another option is to cut or graze the alfalfa anytime after waiting a week after a killing frost.
Husker Harvest Days is this week! A number of topics will be covered in the Big Red Building where Extension, Curtis, and LEAD are located. The pesticide safety educators will be in the Hospitality Tent near NDA and will be doing respirator fit tests. If that’s something someone in your operation needs, please bring the respirator for the fit test. The TAPS team will be doing the crop skills challenge again in Lot 942 and there’s a student and non-student competition each day. Events include pest ID, grain moisture/yield estimates, plot imagery ID, and water use efficiency. There’s prize money each day of $250 gift card for 1st place, $150 for second and $100 for third.
As I re-read what I wrote, I realize this column was heavy with sharing about problems for awareness. Grateful we’re nearing the end of this crop season! Wishing everyone safety and all the best in finishing out this year!
JenRees 9/3/23
Water use till maturity for Corn: Beginning Dent 5”, ¼ milk 3.75”; ½ milk 2.25”; ¾ milk 1”.
Water use till maturity for Beans: Beg. Seed 6.5”; Full Seed 3.5”; Leaves beg yellow 1.9”.
Crop Update: Harvest is coming early and will probably start rolling this week for some non-irrigated crops. Please be safe with the heat and dry conditions and keep fire safety in mind! Quality in non-irrigated corn ranges but some is very poor; please assess your fields before choosing to store it. Soybeans took a yield hit with the last few heat waves. If you have non-irrigated soybeans that are turning brown, it may be good to check pod fill. Regarding irrigation, corn should be wrapping up soon and it will be tempting to quit on beans too. However, beans still need nearly two inches of water when the leaves begin to turn yellow. Technically, when the white membrane has separated from the seed inside the top several pods, they are no longer using moisture. Evaluating the soil moisture status in each field will help you determine if/how much more irrigation you need. Here’s wishing a safe finish to the growing season and harvest to all!
A Soil Health Field Day will be held Sept. 8 from 8 a.m.-2 p.m. (Reg. at 7:30 a.m.) at McGowan Farms, 1213 Rd. 4 McCool Junction. Several farmers will share their experiences with intercropping/relay cropping, integrating perennial cover crops and livestock with cash crops. Additional topics include: animal health strategies, soil health and moisture, and soil health funding opportunities. No charge, info and RSVP at: https://events.farmjournal.com/acam-sept8?i=NKF6zLCT4K-TcK44GTpfFL3hKF56pMmH.
Soybean Gall Midge: Most of the area I serve thankfully does not have this pest yet; however, it has increased in Seward county this year. Travis (TJ) Prochaska, recently joined us as an Extension Educator in Colfax county from serving as an Extension Crop Protection Specialist at NDSU. He has his doctorate in entomology and his family farms in Seward county. We’re glad to have him join Nebraska Extension!
Travis wrote the following along with Justin McMechan, “Soybean gall midge was first detected in Seward County during the 2019 growing season. However, the 2023 growing season has presented several growers in the area with their first experience with the emerging pest, especially in areas near the city of Seward and west. Other counties in eastern Nebraska have been dealing with the pest for several years. Typically, adults emerge in early- to mid-June. To receive alert notifications of soybean gall midge adult emergence, go to soybeangallmidge.org and register for the alert network. Overwintering adult soybean gall midge emerge from the previous year’s soybean fields and fly to an adjacent soybean field to lay eggs on young soybean plants. As the eggs hatch, the immature larvae feed on stem tissues underneath the epidermis, disrupting water and nutrient uptake within the plant. As the larvae grow, they will transition from a white to a bright orange color specimen.
Infested soybean plants can wilt or lodge at the feeding site and, in some cases, result in the death of the plant. Plants become susceptible to infestation around the vegetative V2 leaf stage as fissures (small cracks) develop near the base of the stem, providing an entry point for females to lay eggs. Management has been hit-and-miss. Research studies completed by Dr. Justin McMechan’s lab have shown some results, but foliar-based treatments have been inconsistent between locations and years. Chemical control should only be considered if the history of gall midge has been recorded or an adjacent field has shown a history of gall midge. Gall midge is a field edge pest, so any treatments be should be confined to the first 60-120 feet of the field. Research has shown that hilling, a process where soil is used to cover the base of the stem can be an effective strategy to control, however, it is difficult to implement at the V2 stage and not cover up the small soybean plants. Granular at-plant applications with Thimet 20G have shown consistent control, but its use is limited due to the need for additional specialized equipment. A multi-year field study funded by the Nebraska Soybean Board has shown that delaying soybean plantings until late-May can reduce infestation and injury. Studies led by Dr. Bob Koch, University of Minnesota, are showing some success with biological control and predators (i.e., ground beetles, parasitic wasps, etc.); however, further studies are needed to fully understand their impact.
As with any insect-related program, scouting will be key. Scout field edges of soybean that are adjacent to fields that were planted to soybean last year. To assess a soybean plant for larval infestation, look for any dark brown or black discoloration near the base of the stem below the cotyledonary nodes. If found, peel back the outside layer of the stem to reveal any possible white or orange larvae. As we approach September, there are no practical management tactics this late in the season. However, scouting to build a profile and a history will be helpful for possible treatments for the 2024 crop.”
Quick note for those who replanted soybeans and mentioned they’re flowering, Dr. Jim Specht ran the SoySim model for me and gives approximations of when to expect maturity is reached for the weather conditions thus far. First column is 1.5, middle is 2.0 and last column is 2.5. Based on this, should be seeing beginning pods this week. The harder part will be looking at the physiological maturity line, depending on when we receive a frost. I realize this isn’t encouraging to see either.
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