Crops

Fatigue, stress, heavy equipment and unpredictable conditions all contribute to the risks faced by farmers and rural residents alike during harvest season. Nebraska Extension Educator Amy Timmerman offers a few commonsense tips to get the crop in while being safe.

Our state has some of the best soil on the planet. On today’s program, UNL Agronomy Professor Caro Cordova says testing your soil is the first step in the conservation and protection of our soils, and to do so on a regular basis.

It should come as no surprise that the Cornhusker state's most economically important crop is corn, but many producers have felt the pressure of increased corn diseases. Nebraska Extension Plant Pathologist Tamra Jackson-Ziems talks about some strategies to help farmers maximize their yield even though they’ve had some significant disease problems this year. 

Correctly timing the last few irrigations of the season offers an excellent opportunity for many producers to save water and money. Bruno Lena, Nebraska Extension Water and Cropping System Assistant Educator says the main objective is to use stored soil water without affecting crop yields, while also creating room to store offseason precipitation.

Making silage from late season hail damaged corn could be a great option for many producers. Nebraska Extension Beef Systems Specialist Mary Drewnoski talks about the advantages and risks of feeding hail damaged corn silage and earlage. 

Late season soybean diseases often appear this time of year as yellow or dead leaves throughout the field. Nebraska Extension Plant Pathologist Dylan Mangel talks about common fall soybean diseases and what producers should be on the lookout for.

As crops mature toward harvest, producers begin considering final irrigation dates. Extension Educator Steve Melvin recommends reducing water application now rather than continuing irrigation into the fall.

There has been an abundance to white mold in many Nebraska soybean fields this growing season. Nebraska Extension Plant Pathologist Dylan Mangel talks about how to identify white mold and ways to treat it.

Wet conditions in Nebraska have been favorable for the growth of southern rust and tar spot in corn. Nebraska Extension Plant Pathologist Dylan Mangel talks about these diseases and how farmers can get ahead of them.

Corn silage can be a high-quality feed for cattle if chopped, packed and stored correctly. Nebraska Extension Beef Feedlot Specialist Galen Erickson says there are important things to remember when processing and storing your silage. 

During the last few seasons, Japanese Beetles have become more of a problem for crop producers. In high populations they can cause serious damage to corn and soybeans. Nebraska Extension Assistant Entomologist Kyle Koch talks about identifying the pest and what crop producers can do to control them.

There are several factors to consider when evaluating whether to harvest corn for grain or for silage. Nebraska Extension Beef Feedlot Specialist Galen Erickson talks about the value of your corn as silage in different aspects of production. 

It may seem odd that a wheat pest is appearing in corn, but that's exactly what's happening in some southern Nebraska fields. Extension Specialist Justin McMechan explains why wheat stem maggot has been reported in corn crops and what producers should do about it.

Tar spot is new Nebraska corn disease often found in sprinkler-irrigated fields. Nebraska Extension Plant Pathologist Tamra Jackson-Ziems talks about management and timing of fungicide applications.

Tar spot is a relatively new corn disease in Nebraska and this year it’s been spotted earlier than expected. Nebraska Extension Plant Pathologist Tamra Jackson-Ziems talks about identification and management strategies for tar spot.