Crops

Toxic weeds in pastures can be a headache for ranchers and could seriously affect cattle health. Nebraska Extension Educator Ben Beckman talks about a series of webinars that will address identification, cattle health and controlling these toxic plants. The webinars begin this week and there will be two more sessions later this month.

Two soybean pests will soon become problems for many Nebraska farmers. Justin McMechan, Nebraska Extension Crop Protection and Cropping Systems Specialist says producers need to be scouting for signs of soybean gall midge and dectes stem borer. 

It might seem a little early to be concerned with grasshoppers, but Nebraska Extension Entomologist Wayne Ohnesorg says right now is the best time to start control measures. He says the larger grasshoppers get, the harder it is to control them. 

As drought conditions could get worse with warmer weather, Extension Educator Ryan Benjamin says producers should be making plans for this growing season. He says the forecast calls for warmer and dryer weather, and that could make things difficult for farmers this year.

The University of Nebraska is conducting several water conservation research studies to continuously find ways to use water in the most efficient way possibly. Nebraska Extension Irrigation Engineer Derek Heeron talks about some of these projects and how they will benefit the ag industry in Nebraska. 

The University of Nebraska is committed to helping the ag community and its farmers use water in efficient ways. Nebraska Extension Irrigation Engineer Derek Heeron says there are plenty of tools out there to help fine-tune irrigation, saving water, energy, and most importantly money.