I’m grateful for the good start to the growing season that many in the area I serve have experienced thus far. Soybeans have started flowering or will soon. Earliest planted corn isn’t far from tassel! Some areas continue to miss rain and other areas get far too much. For those dealing with flooding, the following are some rules of thumb:

• Corn Prior to V6: Plants can survive under water for 2-4 days if temperatures do not exceed 77°F.
• V7—V10: Plants can survive 7-10 days if temperatures do not exceed 86°F.
• VT—R1: Reduced nutrient uptake and successful pollination if standing water is present longer than 2-4 days. Yield losses may occur.
• Soybeans: Yield losses minimal if flooding lasts less than 48 hours. Flooded for 4-5 days, fewer nodes develop and plants will be shorter; possible stand and yield loss beyond that.
• Soybeans at flowering: Potential yield loss, especially on poorly drained soils.

We’ve seen several oddities this year in crops, which I haven’t talked much about, but a crop consultant suggested I should write a column on them. The following have been found from Saunders County through the Gothenburg area this year.

The warm February, reminiscent of 2017, provided the potential for greater insects. Thankfully haven’t seen more than 10% damage from wheat stem maggots to corn planted green into small grains (compared to 2017). Pill bugs (roly polys) and centipedes which typically feed on decaying material and other small insects/spiders, respectfully, have caused damage to soybeans in some fields. I’ve never seen these numbers nor damage before! However, this year, in heavy residue fields, we’ve observed them eating soybeans to the point of fields needing replanting. Slugs and snails have plagued some double crop small grain/soybean fields with one consultant sending me a picture of a planter bar loaded with snails.

Been some issues with seed germination in some hybrids/seed lots. Heard situations of non-liberty tolerant refuge in liberty link corn hybrids. There’s also the failing to remember which trait is in which field before spraying herbicides, so a reminder to double check that before herbicide applications occur. There’s been a lot of uneven corn within rows this year. Each field has various circumstances, but common culprits have been: solar storm throwing off GPS which got seeds too close to fertilizer bands; residue blowing back over portions of rows; planting depth and/or sidewall compaction issues; seed issues; and “weaker” corn plants having a hard time outgrowing HPPD (bleacher chemistry) herbicides in portions of fields. With corn rapidly growing and canopying, unevenness in fields doesn’t look as bad anymore. Overall, these oddities are few and I’m grateful for a good start to this growing season!

Japanese beetles are unfortunately starting to appear. Reminder: don’t use traps as they attract more beetles to your yard! Beetles can be knocked off plants into soapy water in the evening hours and disposed of. The following contains conventional and organic insecticide information: https://go.unl.edu/xgd6.

Reflection: Some know that I’ve been out off/on helping family and I’m grateful for that opportunity. We had celebrated making it through each surgery with Cheesecake Factory Cheesecake and are praising the Lord for healing😊As I drove home this weekend from celebrating family birthdays, I was reminded again how blessed we are to live this life and how short it truly is. How often we miss the little things or don’t take time to celebrate! Some recent conversations included how often the china stays in the cupboard, taking time to smell a blooming flower instead of just walking by or just stopping to admire a sunrise/sunset. Simple things. But I think the result is gratitude. This week, perhaps we can seek to live life more intentionally with the people around us.

Reminder of Weed Management Field Day at South Central Ag Lab near Clay Center June 26!