Extension Update by Gary Zoubeck [October 15, 2015]

Coming Events

Oct. 18, York 4-H Achievement Party, 5:00 p.m., Fairgrounds, York

Oct.19, Extension Board Meeting, 7:30 p.m., Extension Office, York

Yard & Garden

Last week I shared a little info about some pest that were irrigating us. Kelly Feehan, Extension Educator in Columbus share a little more info about a few more pest that I thought I’d share.   

“If you think you have a problem with wireworms in or near the home, these are most likely millipedes and not wireworms. Millipedes are dark brown and about one inch long. Their segmented body is rounded with numerous short legs. Millipedes usually coil when disturbed or as they die. 

In fall, especially during years of above average moisture, they may become a nuisance if they migrate away from feeding areas and invade basements. Millipedes are not damaging to buildings, household products, or people. Once inside the home, they die due to desiccation but can survive longer in a moist basement.  They will not breed in the home.

Millipedes prefer moist places where they feed on organic matter. Removing excess mulch and dead vegetation near buildings can help reduce millipede populations. Sweep and discard those that make their way indoors until the issue stops with a few hard freezes.

Hackberry psyllids are another nuisance insect that appears in fall. If you have a hackberry tree nearby, you may encounter these tiny gnat-like insects. Adult psyllids are dark colored, one-eighth inch long, flying insects.

During fall, psyllids emerge from nipple-shaped leaf galls or bumps found on hackberry leaves. While looking for overwintering sites, they invade homes through windows and screens. In early spring, psyllids emerge to mate and lay eggs on hackberry leaves.

Applying an insecticide to hackberrys to control psyllids is not recommended because psyllids do not harm the tree, they do not bite people, and insecticides applied at this time of year will not control psyllids. Be patient and a hard freeze will take care of tiny insect nuisance.

When encountering insects, positively identify what they are and if they are a damaging pest or simply a nuisance. Save insecticide applications for insects known to be harmful. This will reduce killing beneficial insects and help reduce insecticide resistance in harmful insects.”

Finally, I know none of us really want a hard freeze, but once that occurs, many of the nuisance critters will soon disappear.   

Cropping Update

We’ve had a great week for producers to get out and harvest those corn, soybean and grain sorghum fields. Boy was it warm this past Sunday! Temperatures in the mid-90’s!  With the wind that should have helped continue to dry things down.  I just checked my weather app and it looks like we’ve got a week of temperatures in the 60s and 70s with not a lot of chances for precipitation.  Looks like another good week for harvest, but only time will tell!

The harvest reports that I’ve seen for the area have generally been looking good for both soybeans and corn.  It’s been one of our better years at getting those soybeans harvested at moistures of 11-13% and not at 8-9%. 

We were able to get the York County Corn Grower plot harvested last Friday on the Ray and Ron Makovicka farm located just East of York.  The tester number varied from 253 to 274 bu./acre while the entries varied from 245 to 263 bu./acre.  The moistures varied from 19.9% to 24.5% and averaged about 22%.  I’m sure they’ve dropped a point or two over the weekend.  Hopefully next week I’ll have the plot data computed and posted on the York County website:  http://extension.unl.edu/statewide/york/plotresults.  I want to thank Justin, Ray and Ron Makovicka for getting the plot harvested.  Also want to thank to Kim Shepherd and Larry Hobylin for providing weigh wagons.  I had the mid-Nebraska weigh wagon out and ready to go and just before we began harvesting we flooded it and could not get it going, so we called Larry and he allowed us to use his.  About an hour into harvesting I tried the mid-Nebraska weigh wagon and wouldn’t you know it started and worked fine!

I want to wish all area producers good luck and safe harvesting as harvest continues. 

As harvest gets completed, it’s a good time to collect soil samples for SCN as well as residual nitrogen so that you can begin planning for next season.  Sampling for SCN still remains free through your Nebraska Soybean Board Checkoff dollars and you can stop by the Extension Office for free sampling bags.  If you need several sample bags, you can also contact the UNL Plant and Pest Diagnostic lab directly at (402) 472-2559.

Heuermann Lecture

It that time of year, when the Heuermann Lectures will begin on October 21^st at 5:15 p.m. on Innovation Campus.  The Heuermann Lectures focus on providing security – and here security means enough to sustain the world – in the areas of food, natural resources, and renewable energy for people, as well as on securing the sustainability of rural communities where the vital work of producing food and renewable energy occurs.

The first lecture of the season will be held on October 21^st and is titled “Finding Hope: Pioneering Your Own 40 Chances”.  Presenters will be Howard G. Buffett, Chairman & CEO, The Howard G. Buffett Foundation and Howard W. Buffett, Lecturer, University of Nebraska – Lincoln.  The lecture will be Moderated by Ronnie Green, Vice President of Agriculture and Natural Resources at the University of Nebraska, and Senior Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs and Harlan Vice Chancellor of the Institute of Agriculture and Natural Resources at the University of Nebraska – Lincoln.

As I mentioned earlier it will be at October 21, 2015 AT 5:15 P.M. on Innovation Campus Conference Center, 2021 Tranformation Drive, Lincoln.  For more information check out the website: http://heuermannlectures.unl.edu/.  If you cannot make it to the lecture you can view it live or the archived version.  .