Webworms, bagworms, are they the same thing? If not, why does it make a difference whether you have a bagworm or webworms? It can make a big difference which insect you have to control and the damage that they cause. Correct identification is key to know how to control these pests.

Fall webworms or tent caterpillars are an occasional pest. They are sometimes called ‘bagworms,’ but using the correct common name will help clear up confusion. They appear as white webbed nests on the ends of branches in cottonwood, crabapple, walnut, and other trees. The caterpillars hide in the webbed nest during the day and feed on the trees at night. The caterpillars cause little harm to otherwise healthy trees. Tree health is not usually affected until more than 50 percent of the foliage is eaten. If there are enough nests, about one on every branch, the tree could be…

The 2014 Farm Bill provides agricultural producers with a variety of different programs and opportunities to participate; however, the decisions facing them have never been more complex. This bill is designed to offer more of a risk management approach to the federal farm safety net as opposed to the more traditional price and yield support. It is important participants understand how the 2014 Farm Bill works and how these programs may affect their operations. Nebraska offers some unique challenges relative to variability in the type of commodities and the practices in which they grown. In the Spring and Summer of 2014, agricultural producers will be offered an opportunity to update their base acres and program yields. It is important that they understand how these decisions work, to make a well-informed decision.

UNL Extension will be hosting a public webinar open to any interested party, to assist the producer with these…

At UNL we have several fistulated steers which are used for research and education. Traditionally, these fistulas (also called a cannula) were inserted for research purposes. The fistula can either be on their neck (esophageal fistula) to monitor what they eat, especially when grazing to determine grazing and forage preferences OR it can be on their left side, which goes into the rumen, the largest compartment of their stomach to monitor feed and diets, ultimately making livestock rations more efficient. I talk more about ruminants (livestock with one stomach which has four compartments) here.

But today I want to introduce you to the UNL Mobile Beef Lab!

There are actually two of these labs in Nebraska, with the intent to educate! Each lab has one steer and a team of Educators. The Educators all have livestock backgrounds, so they know their way around an animal and a trailer…

Several years ago I received a call from a grower who had lots of soybeans that were lodged; it was confirmed their fields had the soybean stem borer, which was one of the first times it was reported in Nebraska in recent years. This year at the Soybean Management Field Day, entomologists reported that it has now moved north of the interstate and into York County as well.

UNL extension entomologists, Bob Wright and Tom Hunt wrote an article last year on CropWatch providing the following information. This beetle (Dectes texanus texanus) has been moving into Nebraska from north central Kansas over the last decade.

The adult is a gray, elongate beetle about 0.5 inch long with antennae that are longer than the body. Females lay eggs from late June to August on various plants, including cocklebur, giant ragweed, sunflower, and soybean. On soybean, eggs are primarily laid…

The drought has wreaked havoc on the landscape.  Some of the damage, like with turf, was seen fairly early into the drought.  The extent of damage to trees and shrubs might not be fully realized until this spring.

Being observant of plant material can help determine if it was just dinged or the damage was more severe.  Brown or discolored foliage doesn’t always mean the plants are on their way out or beyond the point of no return.  In addition to drought, winter desiccation can also cause many evergreens to change colors.  Evergreen trees and shrubs are constantly loosing moisture through their leaves during the winter.  Winter desiccation happens when the root system isn’t able to absorb enough moisture to keep up with the amount lost by the leaves.  It causes evergreens to have a brown or tan coloration at the ends of the needles. The damage usually occurs uniformly…

The recent rains might have pushed the issue to the back of your mind, but it is still there staring us in the face; the drought.  The drought has wreaked havoc on more than trees and shrubs in the landscape; turf also was affected.  Don’t worry there is still time to get a lush, green lawn this growing season.

Due to last year’s drought, many lawns might not recover from damage they have received.   Assessing the appearance and the amount of damage in your turf will pay off in the long run.  If over 50 percent of your lawn is still in good condition and is of the grass species you desire, overseeding might be a good option to fill in those thin, damaged areas.  If your lawn is less than 50 percent desirable living grass, renovation of the entire lawn might be in your future.

Seed selection can be…

A reader asks, “What’s the difference between field corn and sweet corn?”

A Tale of Two Corns

When you’re driving down a highway in the Corn Belt and see acre after acre after acre of corn, don’t jump out and grab an ear for some impromptu corn on the cob. Chances are, it’s the wrong sort of corn.

There are two corns in the United States, and field corn is by far the most common, grown on more than 99 percent of all corn acres. While a small portion is processed for use as corn cereal, corn starch, corn oil and corn syrup for human consumption, it is primarily used for livestock feed, ethanol production and other manufactured goods. It’s considered a grain. Sweet corn is what people purchase fresh, frozen or canned for eating. It’s consumed as a vegetable. Unlike field corn, which is harvested when the kernels are dry…