Coming Events
- May 7 – Crop Scout Training, 9:00 a.m., ARDC, near Mead, to register, go to: http://ardc.unl.edu/cmdc.shtml
- May 20 – Extension Board Meeting, 8:00 p.m., Extension Office, York
Cropping Update
It’s finally great to see several producers out in the field and planting just getting going in the York area. Soil temperatures are finally getting near normal, but will probably drop a little mid-week. I checked the CropWatch website and the soil temperatures ending Sunday averaged 49.6° F compared to the normal of 54.6° F. Temperatures early Monday morning were around 53° F.
I just checked the weather data for the year as well as the historic data and we are right on average for precipitation for the year 5.76†and just a little ahead of average for the month of April at 2.87†for the month compared to normal of 2.62â€. Last Thursday, April 25, I went out and checked the soil sensors East of town that I installed in a rainfed field last fall. Following the latest rains the readings were 10 and 20 at the 1’ and 2’ depths. Those readings represent at or above field capacity, so I took the soil probe out and now I was able to get down to 34 or 36†with a full profile. That’s a lot better than the 22†I could go about 10 days ago.
Good luck and safe plantings. Just a reminder, it’s important that you as producer compare new practices of product that you try each year. If you are considering comparing any treatments or products, I’d really like to work with you and our On-Farm Research Efforts. If you’re comparing a single product or a treat to your normal practice all you need to do is do two strips of the treatment and then two strips of the check and repeat the process seven or eight times. The plot would look like the following:
By using this plan we can get great statistical information for you. So I hope area producers will consider joining us and our 2013 On-Farm Research efforts. If you have any questions and are interested in conducting and On-Farm Research study, give me a call at 402-326-8185. The meeting we have discussing the results of these tests are the best ones we have each year, so I hope you’ll consider getting involved.
Farm Bill Webinars Planned
Last year, the U.S. Congress extended the 2008 Farm Bill to cover agricultural production in 2013. The extension of this legislation requires producers to again make an election regarding which FSA farm program they will enroll under; the traditional DCP program or the newer ACRE program. It is important in making this decision that producers understand how each program has performed in the past and how it is anticipated to perform for 2013.
To assist producers with this decision, UNL Extension Agricultural Economics will be offering an online webinar on May 3 from 10:30 a.m. to noon Central Time. The webinar will provide an opportunity for producers to re-educate themselves on the functional workings of the ACRE and DCP programs, as well as expert analysis of how these programs might extend risk management protection in the near future. In addition, they will demonstrate the updated Nebraska ACRE Model Excel program available for download at http://agecon.unl.edu/farmbill.
Presenters will be Brad Lubben, UNL Extension Public Policy Specialist and Tim Lemmons, UNL Extension Educator. The webinar can be accessed at: http://connect.unl.edu/farmbillmeeting. The webinar will be recorded and made available at a later date at http://Cropwatch.unl.edu. If you have other questions, please contact Tim Lemmons at 402-370-4061.
Crop Scout Training Course Planned
Just a reminder about the Crop Scout Training Planned for May 7 at the ARDC.  Topics will include: how corn and soybean plants grow and develop, soybean and corn insect management, identifying weeds – plant morphology, using a key to identify weed seedlings, crop diseases and quiz, and nutrient deficiencies.
Cost is $125. Fees include lunch, refreshment breaks, workshop materials, and instruction manual. Registrants should preregister one week in advance to reserve their seat and to ensure workshop materials are available the day of the training session. Updated reference materials are included in this year’s take home instruction manual.
For more information or to register, contact the ARDC, CMDC Programs, 1071 County Road G, Ithaca, Neb., 68033, call 402-624-8000, fax 402-624-8010, or visit http://ardc.unl.edu/cmdc.shtml.
Yard & Garden
Did you dormant seed any grass this past fall or spring and are watching to see if it has germinated? I did some seeding of turf type tall fescue, and I’m finally seeing some of the grass germinate and come up. Hopefully we’ll have some nicer weather and see more of it come up. As I mentioned last week, Zac Reicher, Professor, Turfgrass Science posted a little info to the Turf iNfo website. “Will seeds eventually germinate and seedlings develop?  His answer was a resounding “Yesâ€, and germination is often seen when soil temperatures near the seed (surface) consistently rise to 50° F during the day.†  I guess we’ll have to be patient and have to wait and see.
Finally, it’s time to apply preemergence herbicide products to turf. Zac posted these “Turf Top 10: Ways to Maximize Preemergence Control of Crabgrass” on March 22, but they are work repeating.
“1. Mow as high as practical all year to maintain turf competitive with crabgrass, 3†at a minimum for most homelawns and other turf according to their use. Mow often enough not to remove more than a third of the leaf blade on any single mowing. For homelawns, this will likely by every 5 days during the aggressive spring growth and less frequent during the rest of the season.
2. Irrigate deep and infrequently, wetting to the depth of rooting only after the grass shows signs of drought stress.
3. For those not using sequential applications of PRE herbicides, your application should be made late April to early May in eastern Nebraska assuming “typical†spring weather.
4. When using only a single application of PRE herbicide, the highest label rate will provide the maximum control.
5. For the most reliable crabgrass control, sequential applications of PRE herbicides are needed. The first application can be applied almost anytime from November to April and the second application should be early to mid-June.
6. For sequential applications of PRE herbicides, the highest label rate can be divided by two and then two equal applications applied.
7. For sequential applications of PRE herbicides, it doesn’t matter if active ingredients are switched between the first or second application as long as one half the high label rate of the respective active ingredient is used in each app.
8. To maximize control from PRE herbicides, water within 24 hours or try to schedule before a rainfall to move the active ingredient off the leaf blades.
9. Try to minimize N fertilizer applied with the PRE herbicide since cool-season grasses are naturally growing quickly in the spring. This can be done by using fertilizer/herbicide combination products either low in nitrogen and/or with most of the nitrogen in slow release forms that will release after the early spring growth flush.
10. As always, avoid applications to impervious surfaces and sweep or blow product off these surfaces back into the turf.â€
Since crabgrass is a warm season annual that begins germination after soil temperatures are above 50° F, we just hit that this weekend, but I’m guessing it will cool off some in the days to come. Typically, this occurs sometime in late April to early May so the first or second week of May is a good time to apply preemergence herbicides for crabgrass when only one application is being made. If you are planning two applications, one in mid-April and one in mid-June will give to the highest level of control. If you are making two applications, the highest label rate can be divided in two and then two equal applications made, but if a single application is planned, we typically suggest applying it the first of second week of May.
How’s your garden growing? The cole crops I planted a couple of weeks ago that were under milk jugs are alive and did not freeze while those that were not covered took the trip. I’m not sure that the ones that were covered have grown, but they’re still alive It may cause the cauliflower and broccoli to bolt, but we’ll just have to wait and see what happens. With it being such a nice day, I replaced the dead plant over the weekend. I see some of the radishes, lettuce, and spinach kohlrabi also coming up and the onions finally beginning to grow. I have not put out any tomatoes even though I was tempted; maybe after this next cold spell? If you’d like a copy of my suggested planting guide go to: http://york.unl.edu/water-environment and click on the appropriate link. Check out all our horticultural information at: http://environment.unl.edu/home.
NAWMN Update
Today, I want to share some info about the Nebraska Agriculture Water Management Network (NAWMN) that started with a few growers in this NRD and has expanded to over 800 and will be well over a 1,000 by the end of the year! Producers involved in the NAWMN are using a couple of inexpensive yet effective tools. They’re using ETgages or Atmometers and Watermark Sensors. I’m pleased that the Upper Big Blue is an important participant of the NAWMN and they help sponsor these tools.
The Watermark Sensors measures the soil water while the ETgage mimic crop water use, evapotranspiration or ET. Today I’ll share more info about the ETgages. This tool is simply a plastic tube that’s filled with distilled water and has tube extended into a ceramic top covered with a wafer and a green cover. It kind of works like a rain gauge except the water evaporates out the top and we estimate how much the crop uses base on it’s stage of growth. The large the plant the more the crop water uses as well as one a windy hot day we’ll have more water use. It’s a really inexpensive tool to have near your fields and does a great job! You can find more about them at our website: http://water.unl.edu/nawmn.
Typically I’d already have my ETgages out and going, but with all the cold weather I have not placed them out yet because I don’t want the ceramic top to freeze and crack.  I’m planning to replaces the wafers and #54 alfalfa canvas covers late this week or early next and have them be going by the time the first corn emerges. If you have an ETgage, I’d like to remind you replace those wafers and green covers on a regular basis. I know that our Upper Big Blue NRD has these supplies and will provide them if you stop by.
Give me or Dan at the Upper Big Blue NRD a call if you’re interested in ETgage or Watermark Sensors. If you have an ETgage, I hope you’ll also consider posting that information on our ETgage website so that others could also use the information.
Finally, I know that Suat Irmak mail out a NAWMN survey along with a ball cap to over 800 producers. If you have not completed the survey, I hope you will find time to eventually complete it! Thanks, we value your input!
