Crop Update: One thing I’ve observed since the hot week the first week of August was corn plants going from milk to beginning dent and seemingly skipping the dough stage. Dr. Tom Hoegemeyer and I shared observations of this last week. Not only were the days hot, but the nights were warm (70’s-80’s) too leading to plant respiration at night. This means they were burning sugars instead of storing them leading to the plants pushing development, which can lead to smaller kernels and potentially lower yields. We’ll have to see how this plays out in the end with yield. This past week of cloudy/foggy, cool mornings with heavy dews and high humidity can lead to increased fungal disease going forward in our crops as well. Overall, crops in the area are looking good though.

Last irrigation: (days listed are based on GDUs, so consider this for your crop growth stage and field soil moisture levels so you can start tapering off). This tool helps you calculate potential black layer date based on your planting date and relative maturity: https://mygeohub.org/groups/u2u/purdue_gdd. What I’m currently seeing is that 2024 growing degree days are tracking slightly lower for York than the 30 year average.

• Corn at Dough needs 7.5” (approximately 34 days to maturity)
• Corn at Beginning Dent needs 5” of water (approximately 24 days to maturity)
• Corn at ¼ milk needs 3.75” (approximately 19 days to maturity)
• Corn at ½ milk (Full Dent) needs 2.25” (approximately 13 days to maturity)
• Soybean at beginning seed (R5) needs around 6.5” (approx. 29 days to maturity)
• Soybean at full seed (R6) needs 3.5” (approx. 18 days to maturity)
• Soybean with leaves beginning to yellow (R6.5) needs 1.9” (approx. 10 days to maturity)

Pasture and Acreage Expo: I often receive questions about pasture management from landowners, tenants, and acreage owners. New this year is a Pasture and Acreage Expo to be held this Friday, Aug. 23 at the Lancaster Extension Center in Lincoln (444 Cherrycreek Rd Suite A) from 1-6 p.m. The program goal is for landowners to maximize the value of their properties and livestock operations. The registration and trade show begin at 1 p.m. with educational programs beginning at 1:30 p.m. Topics include: equine nutrition, virtual fencing, pasture establishment/grazing management, winter cow care, pasture weed management, plant and weed identification, and windbreak management. There is no charge for this event but pre-registration is requested at: https://croptechcafe.org/pastureacreageexpo/. The full agenda can also be viewed at that website. For more information or if you’re interested in being a vendor for this event, please contact John Nelson at:  (402) 441-7180.

Renovating Lawns: August 15-September 15 are the best times to seed cool season grasses. Improving Turf in the Fall at https://go.unl.edu/2bn5 is a great resource to walk you through renovation depending on your situation. Some lawns can be easily improved by adding fall fertilizer. Sarah Browning, Extension Horticultural Educator shares, “Lawns that are 10-15 or more years old typically need only two fertilizer applications a year. Make the fall application in late August or early September. On younger lawns, two fertilizer applications during fall are recommended. Make the first one in late August/early September, and the second in mid-late October.”

If overseeding is needed to fill in thinned areas but more than 50% of good turf remains, mow the existing grass 2.5” tall to make the soil prep easier. For lawns needing total renovation, start with a glyphosate (Roundup application) followed by waiting at least 7-10 days to kill the lawn. Mow dead vegetation as short as mower goes to then aerate the lawn three times. Full seeding rate for tall fescue is 6-8 lbs./1,000 sq.ft., and 2-3 lbs. for Kentucky bluegrass. When overseeding into an existing lawn, the seeding rate can be cut in half. Drilling the seed is perhaps best, otherwise, use a drop seeder. Seed half the seed north/south and the other half east/west for even distribution. Then lightly rake to ensure seed to soil contact.

Aug. 28-29 Soil Health and Corn/Soy Clinics will be held at ENREEC near Mead. More details at: https://go.unl.edu/o80f.