Coming Events
- May 20 – Extension Board Meeting, 8:00 p.m., Extension Office, York
- June 10-11 Tractor Training, Polk Co. Fairgrounds, Osceola
EPA SPCC Rule
I’ve received questions from area producers concerned about meeting the May 10, 2013, deadline for preparing (but not submitting) Oil Spill Prevention, Control and Countermeasure (SPCC) plans. David Aiken, Professor, Water & Agricultural Law Specialist, has prepared a Cornhusker Economics newsletter on the SPCC program requirements for ag producers, explains the SPCC self-certification option and discusses SPCC implementation realities. This is a link to that newsletter:  http://go.unl.edu/kgq.
Dave points out that the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) cannot legally enforce SPCC requirements against farms until September 30, 2013. I hope you’ll take the time to check out the information that Dave has shared.
Cropping Update
Finally our average soil temperatures are getting close to normal. They averaged 57.6° F for this past week compared to a normal of 60.5° F. The morning temperatures have averaged near 50° F this past week and sounds like they’ll go up with the temperatures predicted for Tuesday.  Hopefully we’re not going to go from winter to summer with no spring.
We’ve continued to make good progress getting the crop planted this past week. I’ve talked to several producers that have finished the corn while others still have a few days to go. Several producers have also got a good start on soybeans while others have not started. As producers more and more move to no-till or ridge-till or strip-till, it’s often difficult to know if the fields have been planted or not.  That’s a good thing since less trips mean less fuel used and more water saved since each tillage costs us about .5†of water and with the drop in the water table, it’s more important than ever to save as much of that valuable water as possible.
Speaking of saving water, I set out my ETgages last Sunday and will start reading them each Monday morning. These reading along with your crops stage of growth can do a great job of estimating the weekly crop ET. I’ve used them for several years and feel that they’re very reliable. I’ll be posting that information on our ETgage website located at: http://water.unl.edu/NAWMN. You can check it for the ET for field nearby my ETgages or for the daily weather station ET estimates.
Hopefully we’re past the freezes for this season. If you have an ETgage, I hope you consider posting this information so other producers can uses it. If you have not replace the green cover of white wafer, I’d suggest you stop by the Upper Big Blue NRD and replace them before you set your ETgage out.
The other tool we’ve been using has been Watermark sensors to measure soil water. They’re relatively inexpensive and can help you make better decisions as to when to start that first irrigation as well as timing of when to apply that last application so that the soil will dry down to 50-60% depleted at the end of the season. That way mother nature can refill the root zone during the off season.
We’ve developed several charts and other materials on how to uses Watermark sensors and it’s posted on our website: http://water.unl.edu/NAWMN. If you are using the Watermark sensors and have a smart phone, we also have an App for both Android and iPhones that will let you calculate the amount of water used and still available in the three foot zone based on your soil type and sensor readings.
You can download it at:
iOS/Apple store link:Â http://go.unl.edu/aiz
Android store link: http://go.unl.edu/hkg
Give me a call or email me if you have any questions about these tools.
LEAD Applicants Needed
I mentioned it last week, but wanted to mention it again, that the application dead line the Nebraska LEAD (Leadership Education/Action Development) Program is June 15, 2013. I hope we’ll have at least one participant from our area in the next LEAD class. For more information or to request an application, go to www.lead.unl.edu.
Yard and Garden Update
Have you applied your crabgrass control products yet, if not, the next week to ten days will probably be a good time to get it done! I did mine this weekend.
Zac Reicher, Professor, Turfgrass Science May 9Â Turf iNfo Update follows:
“Average soil temperature at 4 inch depths range from 46° F in northeast Nebraska to 52° F in south central Nebraska, which is up to 8° F lower than the average. Cool soils are favoring growth of established turf but still slowing germination and growth of seedlings as mentioned previously.
Crabgrass germinates when soil temperatures are sustained between 55 and 60° F, thus application of preemergence herbicides (PRE) for crabgrass can still be delayed if desired. When using only a single application of a PRE, timing of that application is fairly critical to ensure consistent crabgrass control into August and this is why we now recommend split applications of PRE’s to help insure season-long control.
Our data clearly indicates that instead of a single application of a PRE at the high rate, two applications each at ½ the high rate controls crabgrass more effectively without increasing the total amount of herbicide used. If single applications are still selected, applications will likely be needed in the next 7 to 10 days.
Regardless if single applications or split applications are made, ALWAYS water in the herbicide. UNL data shows 10 to 25% improvement in season-long crabgrass control when PRE’s are watered-in versus non watered-in.â€
You can get to other turf and landscape information at: http://environment.unl.edu/.
So how’s your gardening coming? Finally the potatoes are up and the cole crops starting to take off as well as the lettuce, radishes, spinach and peas.
I did also plant a few tomatoes and peppers over the weekend, but did cover them with plastic milk jugs that work as mini green houses.
Wind and Solar Power Tour
Are you interested in wind or solar power? If so, on Saturday May 18 from 1:00-4:30 p.m. there is a small scale wind and solar power tour at the Haskell Ag Lab in near Concord, NE (one mile east of Concord). It is designed for anyone interested in wind or solar systems for residence, farms, or business.  There will be a combination of indoor and outdoor tours regarding these topics.
Pre-registration is recommended but not required at http://sustainableenergyoptions.unl.edu or by calling John Hay at 402-472-0408. This field tour is free and open to the public.
Progressive Ag Safety Day
I received a note from Brandy VanDeWalle, Extension Educator in Geneva, that there is still time to sign up for Ag Safety Day which will be held May 30, 2013, with registration starting at 8:30 a.m. and wrapping up at 1:30 p.m. Area 2nd through 6th graders are invited to attend Progressive Agriculture Safety Day on at the Fillmore County Fairgrounds.  Youth will participate in a variety of events designed to help them be aware of safety in potentially hazardous situations such as fires, agricultural settings, the internet and others. Cost is $5 which includes a t-shirt, lunch, snack, and goodie bag.
To register, call the Extension Office at (402)759-3712 or go to the fillmore.unl.edu website to obtain the registration form.
