Extension Update by Gary Zoubek [September 8, 2011]

Extension Update by Gary L. Zoubek - Extension Educator

Coming Events

4-H Results Pictures and Much More At the Nebraska State Fair

Last week I mentioned about where to get the 4-H results for the state fair.  That website is:  http://4h.unl.edu/nebraskastatefair4hinformation.  That site has much more than just results.  It has pictures, video’s and much more.  I hope you’ll check it out!  The iPad app version is really cool and easy to use, so  if you have an iPad, you’ll want to download this free app and check it out!  If you do, let me know what you think about it and what other apps you’d like us to work on?

York County was again well represented at the Nebraska State Fair this year!  I hope you’ll check out the results!

Cropping Update

We’ll that was a great rain that we received last Monday evening.  I’ve visited with several producers that were deciding if they were finished irrigating for the season or not and the rain helped them decide.  That decision is based on many factors including the stage of growth, soil type and available soil moisture.  We don’t want to be short especially at these prices, but too much of anything can be worse than not enough and we’ve seen that sometimes with yields at the South Central Agricultural Lab near Clay Center!  The goal is to dry down and use as much of the soil water as possible.

I know that several producers were working on bins and getting ready for harvest.  I’ve also seen some of the irrigated soybeans with leaves really starting to turn yellow, so harvest is around the corner.  I know each year we think we are already, but it seems to always sneak upon us!  So, now is the time to get that combine ready so that you can start harvesting those soybeans when they’re ready and at 13% moisture and not 11%, 9% or even less!  It is more common for soybeans to be harvested and delivered to the elevator at 10 percent moisture than it is for them to come in at the “desired 13 percent moisture”.

A few years back a co-worker in Hamilton County surveyed several farms in our area where 115 loads of soybeans were delivered to the elevator.  About 3% was delivered at 8-8.9%, 12% at 9-9.9%, 24% at 10-10.9%, 24% at 11-11.9%, 26% at 12-12.9%, 8% at 13-13.9% and 3% at 14-14.9%.  At the time soybeans were at $5.00/bushel.  The prices have climbed considerably since, so the penalty for harvesting dry soybeans is even greater now.

Tom Dorn updated the original article a couple years ago and it’s posted on CropWatch.  Just click on the Surviving High Inputs Link and then the “Harvesting Soybeans at 13% moisture article”.  In his example, if you use $8.50 soybeans that are yielding 60 bu/acre and are harvested at 10% moisture, the loss is $17.00/acre.  With today’s price you could multiply that by 1.5 and have loss of over $25.00/acre!

I know it’s easy to talk about this but how can I manage harvest to reduce dry-down and shatter losses?  Soybeans dry down so fast even just during the day?  Rapid dry-down and difficulty harvesting green stems and pods are the most common reasons for harvesting at lower than standard moisture.

The following practices can help producers maintain quality and expected moisture content.  These practices do have a cost in time and labor but that cost should be weighed against the potential benefit of selling soybeans at 13% and reducing harvest losses.

• Adjust harvest practices. When harvesting tough or green stems, make combine adjustments and operate at slower speeds.
• Begin harvesting at 14% moisture. What appears to be wet from the road may be dry enough to harvest. Try harvesting when some of the leaves are still dry on the plant; the beans may be drier than you think. Soybeans are fully mature when 95% of the pods are at their mature tan color.
• It’s too late now for this one, but plan your planting and variety selection to spread out plant maturity and harvest.
• Harvest under optimum conditions. Moisture content can increase by several points with an overnight dew or it can decrease by several points in low humidity, windy conditions. Avoid harvesting when beans are the driest, such as on hot afternoons, to maintain moisture and reduce shattering losses.
• Avoid harvest losses from shattering. Four to five beans on the ground per square foot can add up to one bushel per acre loss. If you are putting beans in a bin equipped for drying grain, start harvesting at 16% moisture and aerate down to 13%. Harvest at a slow pace and make adjustments to the combine to match conditions several times a day as conditions change.

Good luck with harvest fall!

Husker Harvest Days University of Nebraska Exhibits Theme
The Nebraska State Fair is over and it’s already time for Husker Harvest Days!  The show is Sept. 13-15 near Grand Island.  It’s really important to get more young people involved with agriculture and stay in Nebraska, so the theme for this year’s University of Nebraska Exhibit is “Inspiring Young Nebraskans.”

As Dr. Ronnie Green, NU vice president and IANR Harlan vice chancellor indicated, “Helping grow Nebraska’s future, helping meet Nebraska’s needs in food, fuel, water, other natural resources and people, is a goal of IANR, as part of Nebraska’s land-grant university.”

I’m sure most people know about the 4-H program that is part of UNL Extension.  Nebraska leads the nation in per capita enrollment.  We have approximately 144,000 youth involved!  Another display will include “ESI” (EntrepreneurShip Investigation) curriculum for youth 10-14.  Another will focus on robots and how they can generate both enthusiasm and knowledge in science, technology and math. “Teaching Science through Soybeans” is another stop while Nebraska’s youngest learners, from birth to age 5 are the focus of another exhibit.

The display will also include the Nebraska LEAD (Leadership Education Action Development) display as well as UNL Extension’s Mobile Diagnostic Lab plus the Market Journal team will be on hand with information and displays.

I hope you’ll plant to stop by and visit the display!