Alfalfa weevils have been reported damaging alfalfa in north central Kansas. As temperatures warm up, expect to see alfalfa weevil larvae in southern Nebraska and slightly later, in northern Nebraska. The larvae of Alfalfa weevils feed on first cutting alfalfa as larvae, and adults (and sometimes larvae) feed on the regrowth after the first cutting. […]
Both corn and soybean planting progressed at about normal speed into May, with 56 percent of the Illinois corn crop and 31 percent of the Illinois soybean crop planted by May 3. Unfortunately, the period of warmer, drier weather we have been hoping for has not yet materialized. Over the ten days through May 5, […]
For much of Nebraska, spring precipitation has been slightly below normal (Figure 1), providing some of the best field conditions for pre-plant fertilizer nitrogen applications in recent years. Great weather is appreciated, but there are still considerations that justify shifting more nitrogen application to in-season versus pre-plant. One concern is N loss when fertilizer-N was […]
The cost of soybean seed has been increasing over the years, with herbicide-resistant soybean seed cost being higher than that of conventional soybean for having a technology fee. With the depressed corn and soybean prices in recent years in the United States, growers have shown interest in conventional soybean for better after-harvest incentives. A survey […]
The importance of keeping crop protectant applications on target continues to be at the forefront of growers’ minds as well as people neighboring the farms. Making sure the product stays on the intended target is critical for the health of the plant as well as those surrounding the area. As most already know, wind often […]
The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Farm Service Agency (FSA) will open signup this summer for CLEAR30, a new pilot program that offers farmers and landowners an opportunity to enroll in a 30-year Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) contract. This pilot is available to farmers and landowners with expiring water-quality practice CRP contracts in the Great Lakes […]
The first three months of 2020 once again brought saturated conditions across Ohio. Figure 1a shows that precipitation totals for January – March 2020 range from approximately 5 inches in Lucas County up to 20 inches in parts of Franklin, Delaware, Fairfield, Licking, Tuscarawas, Harrison, and Carroll Counties (blue shading). These totals are close to […]
This is the time to check the accuracy of your sprayer. While applying too little pesticide may result in ineffective pest control, too much pesticide wastes money, may damage the crop and increases the potential risk of contaminating ground water and environment. The primary goal with calibration is to determine the actual rate of application […]
An increasing number of growers are ‘planting green’ or have asked questions regarding this practice. ‘Planting green’ means the corn or soybean is planted directly into a growing cover crop (most often a small grain like rye or wheat) without killing it by herbicide or mechanical means first. Research on this topic is limited but […]
In a farmdoc daily article last week (April 16, 2020), we examined historical data on corn planting progress for three states in the heart of the U.S. Corn Belt—Illinois, Indiana, and Iowa—and showed that maximum planting rates per suitable field day increased very little over time and were not out of the ordinary in 2019. We argued […]