Extension Update by Gary L. Zoubek - Extension Educator
Coming Events
Jan. 4, 2012 – Crop Production Clinic, Classic’s, Beatrice, info http://cpc.unl.edu
Jan. 5, 2012 – Crop Production Clinic, City Auditorium, info http://cpc.unl.edu
Jan. 9-11, 2012 – Nebraska Ag Classic, Holiday Inn, Kearney, http://www.neagclassic.org
Jan. 10, 2012 – Crop Production Clinic, Adams County Fairgrounds, Hastings, info http://cpc.unl.edu
Jam. 23, 2012 – 7:00 p.m., Extension Board Meeting, Extension Office, York
Jan. 25, 2012, 1:30 p.m. – Private Pesticide Applicator Training – 4-H Building, York
Feb. 16, 2012, 1:30 p.m. – Private Pesticide Applicator Training – 4-H Building, York
Season’s Greetings
I hope you had a great Christmas and will have a Happy New Year. One thing for sure it’s been an unusual fall and winter so far, but that’s Nebraska weather! One of the things I’ve been learning as I have been studying weather/climate change is that we will have a greater variation of weather and more extreme weather events/storms. I cannot predict the future, I guess we’ll have to wait and see what happen over the coming years, only time will tell.
Crop Production Clinics Planned
Today I want to share some of the topics that we’ll have at our Crop Production Clinic planned for a week from this Thursday on January 5th  at the City Auditorium here in York.
The Soil, Water & Crop Management topics will be:
9:00 Land Values and Cash Rents, Farm Policy Update and Employee/Employer Relations
10:00 The Value of Field-Specific Soybean Stage Forecasts
11:00 Ensuring Your Pivot is Operating Efficiently
12:45 Nutrient Management- Now/Future, Growing 100 Bushel Soybeans- Factors Needed and Soybean Management Field Day Results
1:45 Alternative Practices for Increasing Yield
2:45 Residue Effects on ET and a NAWMN Update
The Pest Management and Safety topics will be:
9:00 Pesticide Laws and Regulations, Effect of Droplet Size on Herbicide Efficacy
10:00 2011 Crop Insects-What is that Bug, Environmental Safety and Pesticides and Effects of Crop Injury on Disease Development
11:00 What’s New in Weed Science, Plant Pathology and Entomology?
12:45 Glyphosate Resistant Giant Ragweed &Marestail and Resistance Management Plan
1:45 Corn and Soybean Disease Updates
2:45 Stink Bugs in Corn and Soybean and Corn Rootworm Management Update
Other Crop Production Clinic sessions are planned for Beatrice on Jan. 4th and in Hastings on Jan. 10th.
The clinics are an opportunity to renew your commercial and non-commercial pesticide applicators licenses in the categories of Ag Plant, Regulatory and Demonstrations/Research. Private pesticide applicators can also be recertified by attending the clinics.
If you have not attended in the past, I’d sure encourage all area producers to give it a try. For more information, including program topics, visit the Web at http://cpc.unl.edu/. Registration is available online by visiting the website or is available at the door starting at 8 a.m. before each clinic, which start at 9 a.m. Cost is $60 for those recertifying as a commercial, non-commercial or private applicator or $50 for those not recertifying. The fee includes a noon meal, the 2012 Guide for Weed Management in Nebraska and the 2012 Crop Production Clinic Proceedings.
Nebraska Ag Classic Planned
Have you registered for the Nebraska Ag Classic planned for January 9-11, 2012 at the Holiday Inn in Kearney?  The Nebraska Ag Classic represents the combined efforts of twelve different agricultural, commodity, and ag leadership organizations to provide to those attending our conference one of the largest and best events to be held in Nebraska.
I’ve looked at the agenda and they have a great set of speakers and trade show! The sessions will bring you up to date on subjects such as urban/rural connections, the new farm bill, water issues and marketing information as well it will give us all an opportunity to learn more about our respective organizations.
The Nebraska Ag Classic organization is comprised of the following groups: NE Corn Board, NE Corn Growers, NE Farm Business Association, Ne Soybean Board, NE Soybean Association, NE Wheat Board, NE Wheat Growers Association, NE LEAD Alumni, NE AgRelations, NE Grain Sorghum Producers, NE Grain Sorghum Board and NE Grain & Feed Association.
For more information or to register go to: http://www.neagclassic.org/. Registration costs go up after, January 2nd, so if you have not done so yet, now’s the time to register!
Quad County On-Farm Research Update
We had a great On-Farm Research Meeting last Tuesday here in York. It was great to see some of our newer younger farmers and agri-businessmen in attendance as well as our cooperators. We don’t have any earthshaking results and in most situations the product being tested did not result in any major economic benefit, but that information is also important to know. Our corn population studies had mixed results which indicate it’s important to visit with your seed sales person to know how a given hybrid will respond.
Charles Wortmann, Extension Soils Specialist and Keith Glewen, Extension Educator shared some very interesting on-farm results from the Soybean Management Field Day plots that were conducted at four locations across the state! Their topics were on growing 100 bushel soybeans and insecticide/fungicide combinations! These results will again be shared at the CPC on January 5th here in York at the city auditorium.
We’re looking for more interested producers and will soon be planning our studies for next season. Do you have ideas or studies you’d like to see conducted? If you do, email them to me at gzoubek1@unl.edu or call be at 402-362-5508 or stop by our office located at 2345 Nebraska Av. here inYork, I’d be glad to visit with you about potential studies. Our next meeting to discuss projects for 2012 will be held February 27 at 1pm at the 4-H Building in York. If you are interested in on-farm research, I hope you’ll mark your calendar and plan to attend.
Horticulture Training Planned
I will be hosting Master Gardener Training Tuesday evenings beginning Feb. 14th thru March 20th. The sessions will be from 6:30 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. at our office located at 2345 Nebraska Ave. This training serves as a refresher for our current Master Gardeners and is also designed for those interested in becoming Master Gardner’s over a two year period. We also want to invite those of you that interested in learning more about general gardening, horticulture, forestry and pest control! Cost for returning Master Gardeners is $5.00 for the series, the public can attend at a cost of $5.00 per session or $10.00 for the entire series. Cost for all the materials for those wanting to become Master Gardeners is $100.00.
2012 topics will be:
February 14- Vegetables: Growing and Pest Control
February 21- Plant I.D. and Plant Diagnostics
February 28 – Tree Problems: Environmental and Pests
March 6 – Herbaceous Perennial Management
March 13 – Soils and Soil Management
March 20 – Weed Management Basics
If you’re interested in attending any of these sessions, you can go to our website: http://york.unl.edu click on the Master Gardener Training Schedule and return it along with your name and the sessions you plan to attend to our office! Give me a call or stop by our office if you’d like more information about these sessions.
