Food, Fuel, Water Photo Contest Starts Oct. 8
I know that each year we have many digital photos entered in the Open Class Division at the fair, so I know we have many excellent photographers in the area. We just received word that anyone with a recent photo taken in Nebraska can enter it to win a free iPad in a new Food, Fuel, Water Photo Contest.
Entrants can submit digital photo(s) representing food, fuel, or water taken in the state of Nebraska to http://innovate.unl.edu/photocontest between Oct. 8 and Nov. 1. The contest opened Oct. 8 at 9:00 a.m. The contest is part of an upcoming groundbreaking event celebrating the start of construction of the core facilities at Nebraska Innovation Campus.
Three winners, one in each of the three categories, will be selected. Photos must have been taken within the last three years — not prior to Nov. 1, 2009. Contestants are limited to one entry per category. The contest is being sponsored by the Nebraska Corn Board, Nebraska Soybean Board and the Nebraska Wheat Board. Check out all the contest rules are online at: http://innovate.unl.edu/photocontest. I hope you’ll consider submitting an entry or two!
Cropping Update
Boy, harvest has progressed very rapidly with many producers nearing the completion in record time! We took some plots out last Friday and the moisture was 13-14% so it went directly to the bin. Last week, we also took out the York County which did very well at 245 bu./acre, considering it’s a windshield wipe system and a little difficult to manage the water especially in a year like this with very little help from “Mother Nature!”  I’m checking all the data over now and will get it posted on our website at: http://york.unl.edu/web/york/plotresults. You can also always stop by our office to pick up a copy of the results.
Now that harvest is complete, it’s time to collect those soil samples and test for residual N. I’ve talked to a few crop consultants, and they indicate that it’s more difficult than normal, but they’re still getting the job done.  Soil testing following this year is probably more important than ever, so be sure and get out and get accurate soil test taken!
Still not much moisture, but I just checked the Weather Channel and they say there is 30% chance for some moisture this coming weekend and that would be great! So far for the month we’ve received .10†and we typically receive 1.75â€. It’s time we start getting more than normal to start replenishing our profile, but only time will tell when that will happen. I’ve heard from a few producers that were considering possibly irrigating this fall so that they could apply anhydrous this fall.  I’m doing a little math to compare what the cost of irrigating as well as the anhydrous N cost would be compared to waiting and apply liquid N in the spring.  If we apply a couple inches of water, that would cost somewhere between $20-30 and would sure bring up the cost of anhydrous ammonia.  I’m still hoping that we’ll get our average 1.75†of rainfall this month, so we don’t have to pump any more water this year.
I hope you’ll check out our latest issue of CropWatch and Drought Resources at: http://cropwatch.unl.edu/ and http://droughtresources.unl.edu/.
Lawn and Garden
Now that we’ve had a few cold days, many people are thinking of moving tender plants into the house for the winter. I have received a few calls about moving plants into the house in the fall. It’s important to not bring unwanted guests in along with the plants. Our Backyard Farmer Archives had a great article on the topics, so I’m sharing parts of it:
“The most common insect pests of house plants are aphids, mealybugs, whiteflies, scale insects and spider mites. Pests such as fungus gnats, caterpillars, ants, millipedes and slugs usually cause more alarm than they do damage.
The best way to prevent pest damage to houseplants is to avoid the initial infestation. Carefully inspect leaves, stems, and soil of newly acquired plants for the presence of insects, mites, and other unwanted guests. Similar inspections should be carried out before moving plants back into you home for the winter. Always isolate these plants for a week or two and watch then closely for signs of developing pest infestations.
If plants are to be repotted, use a commercially prepared, pasteurized potting soil to avoid introducing sowbugs, fungus gnats, springtails, and other soil inhabitants. Removing dead leaves and debris from plants and pots helps eliminate hiding places used by many pests.
When handling infested plants, be extremely careful not to accidentally transfer insects and mites from one plant to another. Other non-chemical ways to eliminate unwanted pests include removing and discarding infested leaves or stems for small insects, or large pests such as beetles, caterpillars and slugs can be picked off by hand and destroyed. Gently wiping the leaves and stems with cotton swabs dipped in rubbing alcohol is an effective means of controlling aphids or mealybugs, especially if they are not too abundant. Another useful technique involves washing plants with soapy water. Always rinse the plants a few minutes after treatment to avoid soap injury to the foliage. For best results, repeat the washing procedure two or three time at five to seven day intervals to destroy any pests (especially eggs) missed during earlier washings. When plants have extremely heavy pest infestations, disposal may be the best solution. If possible, take a cutting from a non-infested part of the plant and start again.
In many cases, pesticide sprays offer the most practical way to control pests on houseplants. When treating plants, be certain the product is specifically labeled for both the pest and plant species. This is important because not all pesticides kill all insects, and some materials can damage plants. The pesticide label provides a list of plants and pests for which it is recommended. In many cases it also includes those plants known to be injured by the product.
To be safe, test-treat a few plants and look for signs of plant injury after two to three day. If only a few plants are to be treated, a commercial, ready-to-use insecticide spray specifically labeled for controlling insects on houseplants is probably the best choice. Follow label directions and reapply the product as directed on the label. Multiple applications will be necessary in most cases.
Any product you plan to use in the house MUST be labeled for use indoors.â€
Good luck as you move those plants into the house!
Before I close for today, I’ve received several calls about pests digging in our lawns. I’m guessing that the pests are probably, raccoons, skunks and opossums. They’re out looking for earthworms and white grubs.  If they find them, they’ll probably come back repeatedly looking for more. It happens most often in the fall when it may be families of raccoons teaching the young to forage for themselves or when we have long periods of dry weather and other food sources are not available.  So if you have this occurring in your turf, control the insects and also press the turf back to the soil and provide adequate moisture so the turf can re-root.  Live trapping may be your best solution of if you are in the country; you may consider using an electric fence.  Good Luck!
