Extension Update from Jenny Rees

Jenny’s REESources-October 30, 2016

UPCOMING EVENTS:  

Nov. 4:  Field Pea Production Workshop, 8:30 a.m.-3 p.m., Culbertson Ag Complex Bldg, RSVP (308) 334-5666 orsstepanovic2@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 you¹re 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 <http://cropwatch.unl.edu/go.unl.edu/marketingworkshops>  or by calling Robert Tigner at 308-345-3390.
Nov. 28:  Market Journal Road Show, 1-4 p.m., Holiday Inn 110 Second Avenue Kearney,http://marketjournal.unl.edu/roadshow
Nov. 29:  Solar Energy in Ag Workshop, 7-9 p.m., West Central Research and Extension Center, North Platte.  Preregister at 308-532-2683.
Dec. 1:  Solar Energy in Ag Workshop, 1-3 p.m., 4-H Building, York, RSVP to 402-362-5508 or jrees2@unl.edu
Dec. 1:  Market Journal Road Show, 1-4 p.m., Lifelong Learning Center 701 E. Benjamin Avenue Norfolk,http://marketjournal.unl.edu/roadshow
Dec. 2:  Market Journal Road Show, 9 a.m.-Noon, Nebraska Innovation Campus Conference Center 2021 Transformation Drive Lincoln, http://marketjournal.unl.edu/roadshow
Dec. 5:  Cover Crop and No-Till Conference featuring Gabe Brown, 9:30 a.m.-3:00 p.m., Trotter Event Center, Ord, RSVP 308-346-3393
Dec. 5:  Field to Market Workshop, 4-H Building, York, Please 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 <http://cropwatch.unl.edu/go.unl.edu/marketingworkshops>  or by calling Robert Tigner at 308-345-3390.
Dec. 8:  Solar Energy in Ag Workshop, 1-3 p.m., Norfolk, NE at the Lifelong Learning Center Preregister at 402-370-4040.
Dec. 14:  Farmers/Ranchers College Dr. David Kohl, 1-4 p.m., Bruning Opera House, Bruning

Farm Finance Clinic Sites and Dates To sign up for a clinic or to get more information, call Michelle at the Nebraska Farm Hotline at 1-800-464-0258.

• Grand Island — Thursday, Nov. 3
• Fairbury — Thursday, Nov. 3
• Valentine — Tuesday, Nov. 8
• North Platte — Thursday, Nov. 10
• Norfolk — Tuesday, Nov. 15
• Lexington — Thursday, Nov. 17
• Norfolk — Wednesday, Nov. 30

Soil Temperatures:  With November 1^st approaching, some have asked about current soil temperatures for fall fertilizing of fields.  Currently seven day temperature averages are in the high 50s°F.  You can check the latest soil temperatures for the area at:  http://cropwatch.unl.edu/cropwatchsoiltemperature.

York County Corn Grower Plot Results available:  The York County Corn Grower plot was harvested October 14.  A special thanks to Ray, Ron, and Brad Makovicka for hosting the plot again this year and all their time and efforts with it!  Special thanks also to the seed companies represented in it!  Yields were good and you can obtain the results by stopping in the York County Extension Office and it will also be posted on the York County Corn Grower’s Site this week at: http://www.yorkcountycorngrowers.com/.  Thank you again to all who participated this year!

November Farm Finance Clinics:  Openings are available for one-on-one, confidential farm finance and ag law consultations being conducted across the state each month. An experienced ag law attorney and ag financial counselor will be available to address farm and ranch issues related to financial planning, estate and transition planning, farm loan programs, debtor/creditor law, water rights, and other relevant matters. They offer an opportunity to seek an experienced outside opinion on issues affecting your farm or ranch.  To sign up for a clinic or to get more information, call Michelle at the Nebraska Farm Hotline at 1-800-464-0258.  The Nebraska Department of Agriculture and Legal Aid of Nebraska sponsor these clinics.  Closest clinic sites and dates are:  November 3 in Grand Island; Nov. 3 in Fairbury; Nov. 17 in Lexington. 

November 14 Ag and Flex Lease Workshops:  There’s still time to sign up for the ag lease workshop (9:30 a.m.-Noon) and flex lease workshop (1:30-4:00 p.m.) to be held at the 4-H Building at the York county fairgrounds on November 14.  Registration is available half an hour prior to the start of each workshop.  There’s no charge and lunch will be on your own.  We encourage both landlords, tenants, and spouses to attend if possible.  Please RSVP to 402-362-5508 or jrees2@unl.edu so we have enough handouts and refreshments available.  The flyer can be viewed at:  https://jenreesources.com/.

December 1 Solar Power Workshop:  Nebraska Extension is hosting a workshop on Solar Photovoltaic (PV) Systems use in Agriculture with John Hay, Extension Educator in Energy presenting. The focus of the workshop will be economics and feasibility of solar PV systems for farms and rural businesses. John will mainly discuss grid tied solar PV, economics, basic design considerations and feasibility. Participants will learn how to use basic online tools to model their own locations and learn about economic considerations such as payback, grants, tax credits, and depreciation. The workshop is open to the public.  It will be held December 1^st at the 4-H Building on the York County Fairgrounds; please RSVP to 402-362-5508 or jrees2@unl.edu.  You can view the flyer at:  https://jenreesources.com/. 

Spruce Trees:  I’ve had a number of questions regarding spruce trees and why they’re looking brown or off-colored this fall.  Trees with bright yellow-green discoloration may be either one or a combination of things.  One may be spidermites, which from examination of many trees was an issue this fall.  Spidermites have piercing/sucking mouthparts that allow them to suck the sap out of needles.  This leaves the needles with tiny yellow spots and a yellowish cast to them.  Over time and with heavy enough infestations, the needles can turn reddish-brown.  Spidermites can be washed off trees with rain and/or heavy jets of water.  Pesticides can also be used but aren’t normally recommended any longer this season.  You can determine if you have spidermites by shaking your tree branch on a white sheet of paper.  The mites are about the size of a pin head, but you can see them crawling on the paper if they’re present.  The following resource is handy for many insect pests of evergreen trees:  http://nfs.unl.edu/documents/foresthealth/insectevergreen.pdf.

A yellow-green cast can also be due to a root problem with the tree or it could also be environmental.  We’ve had a very strange year weather-wise and it could be that spruce trees are reacting to it now.  I’ve talked with other horticultural experts-we’ve all seen the same thing for a few years that can’t always be explained by insects or disease or even nutrient deficiency.  Iowa State also discusses this problem where they also believe when no insects or diseases are present, that it most likely is an issue related to the roots and/or environmental stress:  http://www.ipm.iastate.edu/ipm/hortnews/2007/4-4/yellowspruce.html. 

Natural needle thinning of spruce is also occurring right now and in some years, heavier amounts of needles fall than others.  I also noticed on my spruce rhizosphaera needle cast which is caused by a fungus.  Needles in this case turn a reddish/purple color before turning brown and small black dots, which are the fungal resting structures, line the twigs themselves.  This can be prevented with fungicides sprayed in May when new growth is between ½-2” in length.  The following resource is handy for many diseases of evergreen trees:  http://nfs.unl.edu/documents/foresthealth/diseasesevergreen.pdf

Keep leaves from getting in steams:  Kelly Feehan, Extension Educator in Platte county shares, “When lakes and streams have excess algae, or look like green pea soup, a major cause of this is the nutrient phosphorous. Sources of phosphorous in water include sediments from soil erosion or construction sites, fertilizers, manure and even tree leaves. A number of studies report that phosphorous in urban water runoff is highest in the fall at the time of leaf drop. Tree leaves moved to streets can leach phosphorus which can then move into storm drains and eventually lakes, rivers and streams. During rainfall, leaves are carried directly to surface water via storm drains where they release phosphorous as they decompose. One way to help reduce phosphorous in surface waters is to recycle tree leaves. Mow leaves into the turf or rake leaves from lawns and paved areas and recycle them. Keeping paved areas free of leaves, grass clipping, and fertilizer helps keep our lakes, rivers and streams clean.”