Several livestock producers have inquired about applying liquid dairy or swine manure to newly planted wheat fields using a drag hose. The thought process is that the fields are firm (dry), there is very little rain in the nearby forecast, and the moisture in the manure could help with wheat germination and emergence. The manure […]
Combines are one of the largest machines on a farm. They remove crops from fields and separate grain from other material to be spread back in the field. However, combines retain a significant amount of material following the harvest of just one field. “They can have as much as 150 pounds of biomaterial, including chaff, […]
In certain parts of Minnesota, recent research has shown that less nitrogen (N) fertilizer is needed in order to achieve an economically-optimal rate for corn. One possible explanation is that more N is falling on fields in rain and snowfall and being stored in the soil for the crop to use. To test this hypothesis, […]
As many farmers are getting ready to begin harvest, farmers who grow winter wheat are preparing to plant. There are many reasons why growers have been planting winter wheat in eastern Nebraska. Would you believe that some growers are adding winter wheat to their rotation to improve soil health? Soil health is a fundamental component […]
Some hay producers have been unpleasantly surprised in the past when cressleaf groundsel infestations became evident in their hay fields in May prior to first cutting. Cressleaf groundsel in hay or silage is toxic to animals, and infested areas of the field should not be harvested and fed. Groundsel is a winter annual, emerging in […]
As wheat planting season approaches, we evaluate expected returns for crop rotations that include wheat. Given current 2021 grain bids, a combination of wheat and double-crop-soybeans is projected more profitable than either corn or stand-alone-soybeans in southern Illinois. Wheat alone is not more profitable than either corn or stand-alone soybeans. In central Illinois, stand-alone soybeans […]
The heat and drought in areas of the State are rapidly moving Nebraska’s 2020 soybean crop along. Growers have been asking how to determine late season growth stages for last irrigation of the season and for determining maturity. The following is an updated article from October 9, 2019. While we’re not anticipating a frost anytime […]
Herbicides with residual that are used in corn and soybeans can affect the establishment of fall-planted cover crops, and should be taken into account when planning cover crop practices and selecting species. Soil characteristics and weather also play a role in the persistence of residual herbicides, which can vary by field and year. More information […]
Bloomberg writers Michael Hirtzer, Dominic Carey, and Kim Chipman reported last week that, “The corn crop in the U.S. Midwest deteriorated the most in 8 years with hot weather adding to woes from drought and the Aug. 10 derecho windstorm that swept through the top-growing state of Iowa. “Crop ratings of ‘good’ or ‘excellent’ fell by 5 percentage points to […]
The primary goal of making corn silage is to preserve as many nutrients in the corn plant as possible, to produce a feed that is acceptable to cows, and to minimize any risks associated with feeding the silage. The following are important considerations for making corn silage when growing conditions have been dry. Chop at […]