Extension Update from Jenny Rees

Extension Update from Jenny Rees – October 10

Oct. 10:  Heuermann Lecture, Mark Lynas “How an Environmentalist Changed His Mind About Biotechnology”,3:30 p.m. Nebraska Innovation Campus, Lincoln or live-stream at http://heuermannlectures.unl.edu
Oct. 18-20:  Farm and Ranch Transition (Western NE locations) http://go.unl.edu/5mgf
Nov. 4:  Field Pea Production Workshop, 8:30 a.m.-3 p.m., Culbertson Ag Complex Bldg, RSVP (308) 334-5666or sstepanovic2@unl.edu
Nov. 14:  Ag Land Lease Workshop 9:30 a.m. and Flexible Cash Lease Workshop, 1:30 p.m., 4-H Building, York, Please RSVP to 402-362-5508 or jrees2@unl.edu.  No charge and you’re welcome to attend one or both workshops.  Other locations:  http://go.unl.edu/6mya
Nov. 15:  Principles of Soil Health, Adaptive Grazing and Cover Crop Integration, 10 a.m.-2 p.m., Adams Co. Fairgrounds, RSVP 402-461-7209
Nov. 15:  Principles of Soil Health, Adaptive Grazing and Cover Crop Integration, 5 p.m.-9 p.m., Gage Co. Extension Office, RSVP 402-223-1384
Nov. 17:  Grain Marketing Workshop, 9:30 a.m.-3 p.m., Dawson County Extension Office, 1002 Plum Creek Parkway, RSVP go.unl.edu/marketingworkshops or by calling Robert Tigner at 308-345-3390.
Dec. 1:  Solar Power in Ag Workshop, 1-3 p.m., 4-H Building, York, RSVP to 402-362-5508 or jrees2@unl.edu
Dec. 6:  Grain Marketing Workshop, 9:30 a.m.-3 p.m., Webster County Fairgrounds on the west side of Crescent Street between Helen and Mariel streets, RSVP go.unl.edu/marketingworkshops or by calling Robert Tigner at308-345-3390.
Dec. 14:  Farmers/Ranchers College Dr. David Kohl, 1-4 p.m., Bruning Opera House, Bruning

Herbicides and grazing and cover crop grazing:  With harvest progressing, cattle may be turned into stalks soon if not already.  It’s important to read herbicide labels to understand if there are any grazing restrictions from corn and soybean herbicides applied in-season.  It’s also important to look for any grazing restrictions on fall-applied herbicides to control marestail and other germinating weeds.  These restrictions can also be found in the UNL Guide for Weed, Insect, and Disease Management on pages 182-185.  The forage, feed, and grazing restriction only applies to the crop for which the herbicide was applied.  When it comes to grazing cover crops planted into these residues, one must use the replant/rotation restriction guidelines found on the herbicide label and also on pages 168-181 of the Weed Guide.

If the label doesn’t specify any restrictions, then it should be ok. If you want to be on the safe side, a rule of thumb many chemical reps use is to use the pre-harvest interval for the amount of time to wait before grazing stalks.  Some labels will say that residue should not be grazed or baled and fed to livestock.  Sometimes studies were actually conducted to know there is a safety concern.  In other cases, the chemical company may not choose to conduct all the studies the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) required for labeling due to high costs.  If that’s the case, the EPA requires the strongest restrictive language be placed on the label. Regardless, if it says there’s a grazing restriction on the label, the label needs to be followed as it is a legal document and the law. 

Landlord/Tenant Cash Lease Workshops and Flexible Lease Workshops:  We are hosting these workshops in York on November 14 at the 4-H Building at the Fairgrounds beginning at 9:30 a.m.  The Flexible lease workshop will follow at 1:30 p.m.  You are welcome to attend one or both of these workshops.  Additional locations can be found at:  http://cropwatch.unl.edu/2016/ag-land-lease-workshops-set-fall.  
These workshops are designed to help landlords and tenants develop a lease that is right for both parties while maintaining positive farm leasing relations.  Cash lease questions were one of my top questions through the years and these workshops can be helpful in answering questions you may have.  I do encourage both the landlord and tenant attend if at all possible; it’s also helpful for spouses to attend.

Cash lease workshop topics include:  Latest information about land values and cash rental rates for the area and state; Lease communication; Lease termination; Review of common lease provisions with emphasis on common provision questions; Legal issues related to land ownership — basic ownership structurers and what they mean; A quick look at how entity ownership affects legal and financial risk management; Ownership transition; State/federal resources for beginning farmers and ranchers; Other topics, like irrigation systems, hay rent, pasture rental agreements, and grain bin rental will be covered as time allows.

The goal of the Flexible Lease Workshops is to provide information on: what a flex lease is; how to set up a flex lease, and common flex lease provisions.  The workshop is designed to let landlords and tenants be as simple or complex as they want to be when setting up flexible leases.

The free workshops are sponsored by the North Central Risk Management Education Center. Registration is requested to ensure enough handouts are prepared. Register by contacting York County Extension at 402-362-5508 or emailing jrees2@unl.edu. 

Fall invaders are pests that move indoors seeking overwintering locations. Most are just a nuisance.     Every fall, homeowners should systematically walk around their homes and look for any potential openings bugs can slip through. All cracks should be caulked and sealed. Check the seal around windows and replace any broken screens. Make sure door gaskets are firmly in place and that all other openings are sealed. Also check plumbing fixtures like water spigots for potential entryways into homes.

Dr. Fred Baxendale, UNL Extension Entomologist shares, “The first type of invaders come in on the ground: crickets, cockroaches, centipedes, millipedes, ground beetles, spiders and ants. These pests are attracted to the leaf litter and debris found around the foundation of houses, as well as the shade offered by surrounding landscape vegetation. From the foundation, these ground invaders will then wiggle their way into homes through any crack or crevice they can find.  Homeowners anticipating a ground pest problem can apply a perimeter spray (a barrier that kills bugs). A number of insecticide products are available at garden centers and superstores, but make sure they are labeled for outside use. Spray up the house walls for 3 to 4 feet and out from the house for 3 to 5 feet.

The second type of fall invaders enter homes in the air: house flies, cluster flies, yellow jackets, fruit flies, boxelder bugs, miller moths and mosquitoes. Unlike ground invaders, these airborne pests are generally not affected by foundation sprays. Because of this it is even more important to seal and caulk all cracks and openings. Many of these pests are attracted to outdoor lights, such as porch lights, and enter homes when nearby doors are open. Turning off outdoor lights helps keep pests out of homes.

Fruit flies, however, can still get into homes because they are small enough to fit through window screens. Fruit flies may also enter homes as eggs already laid in fresh produce, or they are attracted to fruits and vegetables sitting inside. Keeping all produce in secure containers inside refrigerators and dumping compost buckets daily will help prevent homes from becoming attractive destinations.

If bugs do get inside a home, the first step should be to set out sticky traps. Not only will this remove many of these unwanted guests, but it will help monitor which pests are inside. If any unidentifiable spiders are captured in sticky traps, take them to a local extension office for positive identification to ensure they are not the poisonous brown recluse.  For more serious problems, indoor-use aerosol sprays are available. If the infestation is severe, it is always best to hire a professional pest control operator. Sticky traps, along with the old-fashioned strategies of sucking bugs up in a vacuum cleaner or picking them up in a tissue, can usually get the job done without chemical sprays.  When using sprays, always be sure to follow label directions. Chemicals are only effective and safe, for humans and pets, when used according to their directions.”