August 17, 2012- Soybean Management Field Day – David City – 9:30 a.m. – 2:30 p.m.
August 20, 2012 – Extension Board Exec. Meeting, 8:00 p.m.
August 22, 2012 — UNL South Central Ag Lab Field Day near Clay Center, 8:30 a.m. – 2 p.m.
August 23, 2012 – York County Corn Grower Plot Tour, 5:30 – 7:30 p.m. located west of your on Highway 34 – ¾ miles north of Hwy 34 and Road I intersection!
August 28, 2012 – SCN Meeting, 6:30 p.m.,Neil Beck farm, Hastings
August 29, 2012 – SCN Meeting, 5:30 p.m., Pete C. Schmidt and Sons Farm, Bellwood
Cropping Update
Finally we’ve had a couple of weeks where the ETgages I’ve been monitoring have dropped more  like normal.  This week the ETgages dropped an average of 1.45†for the week!  The two corn fields near these ETgages are now fully dented, so water use will be in the 1†to 2†area and we are pretty much done for the season, while the soybean fields are in the nearing R6 which is the stage where the seeds are nearly fully developed.  From this stage to maturity, the crop will use about 3.5†or slightly more water.  So in most situations, the soybeans are where we need to turn our attention and continue to monitor.  It’s important to not stop too early, but it’s important to not end the season with a full soil profile.  Our goal at this time of year is to have the soil water profile drawn down to nearly 60% depleted so that hopefully Mother Nature will refill it during the off season!
For our NebGuide on scheduling that last irrigation of the season, go to: Â http://www.ianrpubs.unl.edu/epublic/live/g1871/build/g1871.pdf. Â To correctly estimate your crops stage of growth go to: http://elkhorn.unl.edu/ETGage/jsp/quickCharts.jsp and click on the appropriate crop. Â My CropWatch article on scheduling that last irrigation can also be found at:
http://cropwatch.unl.edu/web/cropwatch/archive?articleID=4959783.
Field Day Time
Boy, I really did enjoy the cooler temperatures over the weekend and it sounds like it may be around for a while! Cooler temperatures signal the time for many field days in our area!  The first of these will be Soybean Management Field Days planned for August 14-17th!  Sessions are planned  in Lexington, O’Neill, Platte Center and David City. Registration for each of these Field Day’s begins  at 9:00 a.m. with four one hour programs from 9:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m.  Topics include:  Soybean Seed Treatments and Foliar Fungicides Growth Enhancement Interaction with Herbicides, Managing Land Leases and Soybean Marketing, Herbicide Carrier Rate Study and Quest for the Holly Grail in Soybean Production!
Check out the sessions by going to http://ardc.unl.edu/soydays.  The David City date and location is August 17th and it’s located from the Jct of 92 & Hwy 15, 1 mile east on 92 and ¾ mile north on county road.
The South Central Agricultural Laboratory (SCAL) Field Day will be held August 22nd from 8:30 a.m. – 2:15 p.m.  Stop #1) will be Site-Specific Fertilizer Management and Nitrogen-Use Efficiency; Corn Stover Removal Impacts on Grain Yield, Soil Carbon and Greenhouse Gas Emissions; Stop #2) will be Addressing Winter Annual & Glyphosate-Resistant Weeds; Stop #3) will be Disease management in Corn in South Central Nebraska and Corn Rootworm Management Update.
In addition to these topics, they will have an autonomous aerial vehicle demonstration and display – use of aerial sensing platforms in crop management research along with the BitMobile SoyWater Hands-On Demonstration!
No cost to attend, however, please call or email 402-762-4403 or shachtel1@unl.edu so that adequate meal will be provided.  SCAL is located 7.5 miles west of the Hwy 14 & Hwy 6 intersection.  A copy of the day’s program and detail can be found at: http://scal.unl.edu/Southcentralfieldday.pdf.  CEU credits have been applied for!
The York County Corn Grower Plot Tour is planned for next Thursday, August 23, 2012 from 5:30 – 7:30 p.m.  The plot is located ¾ miles north of Hwy 34 on Road I!
Those attending will be able to check out the various corn varieties and visit with the seed company representatives.  Following the tour, we’ll have pork sandwich lunch with all the trimmings.  We’ll then have a report on 2012 practices, products used as well as an irrigation update.
We also have several different types of irrigation equipment installed in this field to monitor soil moisture and estimate crop ET. Â Systems we have in the field include:
- Brad Rathje with AquaCheck USA has provided an AquaCheck soil moisture sensor system
- Jeff Kugler from Servitech has provided the Profiler Watermark soil moisture sensor system
- Ken Quandt from McCrometer has provided an EnviroPro soil moisture sensor system
- Tanner Tool from AquaSpy has provided AquaSpy soil moisture sensor system
Door prizes will also be given away, so mark August 23rd on your calendar and plan to attend!
Finally Soybean Cyst Nematode (SCN) meetings are planned for August 27-30 across Nebraska! Â It’s estimated that last year soybean cyst nematodes cost Nebraska farmers over $45 million in lost yields. Identifying fields where they’re present and implementing management measures can help you recapture this lost yield.
At each of the four sites, you will be able to: Â See SCN-resistant and susceptible soybean varieties, Examine cysts on infested soybean plant roots, Learn how to identify and manage SCN infestations, Receive a kit for one free SCN analysis ($20 value), Talk with specialists to get the answers you need about SCN, and enjoy a complimentary meal!
Sessions in our area are:
Hastings –- Tuesday, August 28 at 6:30 p.m. at the Neil Beck farm
Directions: From Hastings, go 4 miles east on Highway 6, then 1 mile south on Maxon Road, 0.5 mile east on “J†Street. (north side)
Bellwood — Wednesday, August 29, 5:30 p.m. at the Pete C. Schmidt and Sons Field Day
Directions: From Bellwood, go 5.5 miles west on Highway 64 (1 mile east of junction of Hwy 81 and 64), 1 mile south on Rd B and 0.25 miles east on Rd 40 (north side)
For complete program details go to: http://cropwatch.unl.edu/web/cropwatch/archive?articleID=4964160.
