Coming Events
- September 17, 20, 24 & 25 – 7:00 – 9:30 p.m. – Hunter Safety Education, 4-H Building, York Fairgrounds
- September 24, — 8:00 p.m. – Extension board Meeting, Extension Office, York
Cropping Update
Harvest is well underway and as I had expected yields for both corn and soybeans are varying considerably from field to field depending upon variety, plant dates, tillage systems as well as rainfall received and irrigation status. Considering the extremely limited rainfall we received, many of the dryland yields are better than many people anticipated.
I think each year at this time I remind producers to really be monitoring those soybeans yields so that you can attempt to get them harvested at 13% moisture. At today’s prices harvesting them to dry can cost you considerably, but I also understand that you can start at the correct moisture and within hours it can become too. Do what you can to get as many of them as possible at or near 13%!
This is the last week that I’m reading my ETgages. As a result of the cooler temperatures, they’ve dropped an average of a little more the 1.5†the past couple of weeks! Now’s the time to get them pulled and be sure to drain the water for from the ceramic top. Frozen water and ceramic is not a good thing.
This past week I went out and pulled several of the Watermark Sensors that I’ve installed in plots and boy was it dry in a couple of the soybean fields. I had a difficult time removing some of the 3’ sensors, but one thing that really helped was using locking pliers and twisting the sensors to get them loose from the extremely dry soils. I took along some water and poured it around the sensor and the longer I allowed it to soak down around the pvc pipe the better luck I had removing the sensors. I was sure glad I had the one of the Watermark Sensor puller that I visited about last week. I ended up breaking 4 of 50+ sensors that I took out this fall!
As I mentioned last week, Bill Collett of Collett Enterprises, has been an active participant of our NAWMN the past several years and has been using the Watermark sensors. In 2010 he made a crude jack and used a pliers to clamp onto the sensor. In 2011 I used the locking pliers with the extended jaws which helped to hold on better with no damage to the sensor. He realized that other producers also had a difficult time removing their sensors were asking if there was a puller available, so he started manufacturing them. You can check them out at: http://www.colledun.com/wdc_puller/. Be sure to check out his youtube video on how to use the puller.
This past summer, a group of us have been working on an application for iPads, iPhones and eventually other smart phones to help easily calculate how much water you have removed or have left in your fields based on Watermark sensor readings. The “Crop Water†App was developed at the request of Nebraska Agricultural Water Management Network (NAWMN) participants. This app provides an easy way to estimate soil water status based on Watermark sensors installed at depths of 1, 2, and 3 feet. With these sensor readings, the Crop Water app will estimate the water used as well as what is still available for Nebraska soils. You can also see your historic sensor readings and prepare graphs for fields you posted.
I know, it’s too late for this season, but now is a good time to start planning for the coming year! If you are using Watermark sensors or are planning to, I hope you’ll check it out at on iTunes at: http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/crop-water/id557926049?mt=8. You can download it for free and give it a try! Let me know what you think about it and if we need to make any changes to improve it.
We also have several other Apps that have been developed at IANR. Some Apps include: the Aphid Speed Scout, Western Bean Cutworm Speed Scout, Backyard Farmer, Market Journal, and 4 Day Throw Away.
Check out all the IANR mobile apps at: http://ianrhome.unl.edu/web/ianr/mobileapps. If you’d like to learn more about the NAWMN, go to: http://water.unl.edu/NAWMN.
Good luck with harvest and be safe!
Bats In and Around Structures
I’ve received several calls about bat and keeping them out of buildings, so I thought I’d share the link to our NebGuide prepared by some of our Wildlife Specialists. It includes tips about their habitats, and recommendations for their exclusion and removal from structures and homes. You can find it at: http://www.ianrpubs.unl.edu/epublic/live/g1667/build/g1667.pdf. I hope you’ll check it out!
Lawn and Garden
If you’ve had damage to your turf and are thinking of inter-seeding, we are nearing the end for getting it seeded this fall. You’d want to be getting it done soon! Check out our turf website for the list of do’s and don’ts: http://turf.unl.edu/
I’ve received several calls about pests digging holes in lawns. In several cases, its’ been raccoons or skunks and what they’re looking for are grubs or other insects, so that’s the first thing I would check for. If you find, several products can be used to control the grubs and once you control them, hopefully your other visitors will also go away!
I’ve also received a couple questions about voles. Voles are small mouse like rodents that often feed in and around shrubs and can damage turf and ornamentals. Typically they do the greatest damage in the winter when we discover them in the spring. They can be controlled with repellants, traps and some toxicants. For more information check out our Nebguide at: http://www.ianrpubs.unl.edu/epublic/live/g887/build/g887.pdf.
