Education Commons^™

G92-1084 Culture Of Cole Crops, Laurie Hodges, R.E. Neild

University of Nebraska-Lincoln Extension: Historical Materials

How to grow successfully broccoli, brussels sprouts, cabbage, cauliflower, and kohlrabi.

Cole crops, which include broccoli, brussels sprouts, cabbage, cauliflower, and kohlrabi, can be successfully grown on most soils if drainage is good and the crop is supplied with adequate water and nutrients, particularly nitrogen. Light-textured soils usually produce earlier crops but heavier soils hold more moisture and tend to produce crops that hold quality longer at maturity.

Cole crops have shallow root systems. Inadequate moisture may cause small cauliflower heads to form prematurely. Rainfall or irrigation following a prolonged dry spell may cause splitting of cabbage and kohlrabi. Supplemental …

Ec91-1764 Windbreak Establishment, James R. Brandle, Patricia Boehner, Sherman Finch

University of Nebraska-Lincoln Extension: Historical Materials

successful windbreak planting depends on proper establishment and care during the first few years after planting. Time spent in site preparation, weed control, and replanting is repaid many times during the lifetime of the windbreak. Take no shortcuts in the planning and establishment of your windbreak.

Windbreaks are investments in the future value of your property. Each windbreak system is unique and your windbreak should be designed for your site and objectives. Your local conservation office can provide help in designing and installing your windbreak. These organizations can also help with recommendations on where to buy planting stock and how …

Nf91-39 Precipitation And Sprinkler Irrigation Monitoring For Managing Irrigation Scheduling, Steve Meyer, Kenneth Hubbard

University of Nebraska-Lincoln Extension: Historical Materials

This NebFact discusses precipitation and sprinkler irrigation monitoring for managing irrigation scheduling.

Nf91-50 Bee Pollination Of Cucurbit Crops, Laurie Hodges, Fred Baxendale

University of Nebraska-Lincoln Extension: Historical Materials

This NebFact discusses bee pollination of cucurbit crops.

Ec91-1771 Windbreaks And Wildlife, Ron J. Johnson, James R. Brandle, Mary M. Beck

University of Nebraska-Lincoln Extension: Historical Materials

Windbreaks can support wildlife that add beauty and pleasure to our lives. They also sustain birds that eat insect pests, improve hunting opportunities, and provide a focal point for family outdoor activities. The world around us would be less appealing without the stimulation--the color, sounds, tracks, and mystery--of wild creatures; windbreaks help wildlife and in some areas are essential to survival of the wildlife we enjoy. You can add wildlife benefits to windbreak plantings whether your main goal is to shelter crops, livestock, roads, or a home or farmstead. This publication provides an overview of windbreaks and wildlife, and gives …

G91-1023 Insects That Attack Seeds And Seedlings Of Field Crops, Stephen D. Danielson, Robert J. Wright, Gary L. Hein, Leroy Peters, James A. Kalisch

University of Nebraska-Lincoln Extension: Historical Materials

This NebGuide discusses how to identify and control eight insects that feed on planted seeds and seedlings.

Planted seeds of field crops can attract several kinds of insects. In many cases, the insects do not cause enough damage to justify control procedures. However, under some conditions seed pests may be very destructive. Seed that is slow to germinate and establish is more likely to be damaged. Situations such as first-year crops following sod or pasture, ecofallow, or reduced tillage/heavy crop residue conditions have a good chance for seed/seedling damage. Consider grower experience and past pest problems when deciding about individual …

Nf91-36 Growing Safflower In Nebraska, Drew J. Lyon, David D. Baltensperger, Ray Sall, Eric Kerr

University of Nebraska-Lincoln Extension: Historical Materials

This NebFact discusses safflower production in the Nebraska Panhandle.

Ec89-724 Irrigation Scheduling Using Tensiometers In Sandy Soils, William L. Kranz, Thomas Dorn, Dean E. Eisenhauer

University of Nebraska-Lincoln Extension: Historical Materials

Monitoring soil moisture is fundamental to determining how much irrigation water should be applied and when the soil is able to store the amount of water to be applied. Establishing when and how much water should be applied is often referred to as irrigation scheduling.

This extension circular discusses soil moisture terms; what is a tensiometer, its installation and use; and worksheet.

G89-912 Alfalfa Crown And Root Rots And Stand Longevity, John E. Watkins, Fred A. Gray, Bruce Anderson

University of Nebraska-Lincoln Extension: Historical Materials

Causes of crown and upper root rot, symptoms and management are discussed here.

Alfalfa (Medicago sativa L.) is the most important forage crop species in North America. It is widely adapted, energy efficient, and produces the most protein yield per acre. Alfalfa is well-suited to both dryland and irrigationd soils of Nebraska.

Many factors contribute to the decline in productivity of an alfalfa stand. Under favorable growing conditions and proper management, alfalfa stands in Nebraska can last over 10 years.

G89-901 Understand Your Soil Test: Sulfur, K.D. Frank, Delno Knudsen

University of Nebraska-Lincoln Extension: Historical Materials

Factors leading to sulfur deficiency, soil and water tests, soil test interpretation and fertilizer materials that contain sulfur are covered here.

Sulfur, one of the macro-nutrients, may be deficient in some sandy soils but usually is plentiful in other soils of the state. The amounts contained by healthy crops are on the same order as phosphorus, ranging from 0.2 percent to .5 percent sulfur. It is a component of certain amino acids, and so is part of several proteins essential for plants and animals.

G83-652 Seeding And Renovating Alfalfa, Bruce Anderson, James T. Nichols

University of Nebraska-Lincoln Extension: Historical Materials

This NebGuide discusses alfalfa production, including site selection and preparation, fertilization, variety selection, seeding, companion crops, stand management, weed control and stand renovation.

Alfalfa can produce more protein per acre than any other crop in Nebraska. Up to 100 percent of the protein needs of most livestock can be supplied by alfalfa in addition to large amounts of vitamins, minerals, and energy.

G83-681 Velvetleaf, Fred Roeth, Russell Moomaw, Alex Martin, Orvin Burnside

University of Nebraska-Lincoln Extension: Historical Materials

This NebGuide provides guidelines on how to control velvetleaf by prevention, cultural and mechanical methods, and by use of recommended herbicides.

Velvetleaf (Abutilon theophrasti Medic.), a member of the Mallow family, is related to cotton, hollyhocks, and numerous weeds. Other common names include buttonweed, Indian mallow, butterprint, piemarker, velvetweed, and cottonweed. The preferred name, velvetleaf, amply describes its velvety-textured, hairy-surfaced leaves.

A native of China and presumably introduced into the U.S. from India as a fiber crop, this annual weed is adapted to cropland throughout most of the United States. Over the past 10 years, velvetleaf has increased dramatically …

Ec82-1738 Tree Planting Guide, William R. Lovett, Bruce E. Bolander

University of Nebraska-Lincoln Extension: Historical Materials

Site Preparation

Proper site preparation is essential to your tree planting operation, and varies with the different climates and soil types.

Chemical Control: On sandy soils, rough terrain, or other highly erodible sites, tillage is not recommended. Chemical weed and/or grass killers may be applied to the site in the fall or before planting in the spring.

Summer Fallow: This practice is recommended on heavy soil in western Nebraska to conserve soil moisture. This may be accomplished with the aid of occasional disking, subsurface tillage, or chemicals to control weeds.

Fall Tillage: In the eastern areas of the state fall …

G82-591 Bushel Rents For Nebraska Cropland, H. Douglas Jose

University of Nebraska-Lincoln Extension: Historical Materials

The purpose of this NebGuide is to help tenants and landowners assess bushel rents and to arrive at agreements which are economically sound and fair to both.

Crop share or cash rent arrangements have been used in most farm leases in Nebraska for many years. Recently, the bushel rent approach has gained favor in the state, especially with landowners. These rental arrangements are sometimes also called flexible cash rents or standing rents.

The purpose of this NebGuide is to help tenants and landowners assess bushel rents and to arrive at agreements which are economically sound and fair to both.

G81-578 Fuel Use For Field Operations, Leonard L. Bashford, David P. Shelton

University of Nebraska-Lincoln Extension: Historical Materials

This NebGuide discusses common grazing problems and offers solutions.

The amount of fuel used for field operations depends on many factors, including correct tractor-implement matching, proper tractor ballasting, condition of the tractor and implements, depth of tillage, idle time, and soil type and condition. The tillage practices used for a particular crop will be a major factor in the fuel needed for a complete production cycle.

Good estimates of fuel requirements are necessary for planning purposes. If fuel use records are available and reflect the soil conditions and management practice for a particular farmstead, they should be used. However, if …

G81-548 Organic Gardening In The Backyard (Revised June 1990), Dale T. Lindgren, Don Steinegger, Frederick P. Baxendale, John E. Watkins

University of Nebraska-Lincoln Extension: Historical Materials

Successful organic gardening requires consideration of many factors, including resistant cultivars, crop rotation, sanitation, incorporation of organic matter, garden location, and insect and disease control.

Organic gardening is growing in popularity. Although this technique traditionally has been limited to backyard gardens, commercial organic farms now exist in Nebraska. The phrase "organically grown" generally refers to produce grown and processed without the use of synthetic organic chemicals in pesticides, fertilizers, preservatives, or flavorings. The main arguments for organic gardening are that food is less likely to contain potentially harmful chemicals and that fewer chemicals are released into the environment. Arguments against …

G79-474 Understanding Wind Erosion And Its Control, William A. Hayes, C.R. Fenster

University of Nebraska-Lincoln Extension: Historical Materials

Wind erosion is a serious hazard on millions of acres of land in the United States, most of which are in the Great Plains.

There are a number of things an individual can do control wind erosion but basically they all point to accomplishing one or more of the following objectives:

1. Reduce the wind velocity at the soil surface. This is done with windbreaks, crop residues, cover crops, surface roughness, and wind stripcropping.

2. Trap soil particles. This is accomplished by ridging or roughening the soil surface to trap moving soil particles.

3. Increase size of soil aggregates. This …

G78-390 Right Crop Stage For Herbicide Use Alfalfa, Sugarbeets, Soybeans, And Fieldbeans (Revised January 1987), Robert G. Wilson, Alex Martin

University of Nebraska-Lincoln Extension: Historical Materials

If you are using herbicides on alfalfa, sugarbeets, soybeans, or fieldbeans, information in this Guide will help you apply them at the proper time for best weed control with a minimum of crop injury. Proper timing of postemergence herbicides is essential to achieve maximum weed control with minimum crop injury. As field crops grow and mature, their tolerance to herbicides changes. As a general rule, annual and biennial weeds are more susceptible to postemergence herbicides when they are in the seedling stage, becoming increasingly difficult to control as they mature. The grower is thus faced with the problem of when …

G77-382 Right Crop Stage For Herbicide Use Corn, Sorghum, Small Grains (Revised May 1992), Drew J. Lyon, Robert G. Wilson Jr., Alex Martin

University of Nebraska-Lincoln Extension: Historical Materials

Herbicides recommended for postemergence application in corn, sorghum, and small grains are discussed in this NebGuide. Proper timing of postemergence herbicides is essential to achieve maximum weed control and minimum crop injury. As field crops grow and mature, their tolerance to herbicides changes. As a general rule, annual and biennial weeds are more susceptible to postemergence herbicides when they are in the seedling stage. As they mature they become increasingly difficult to control, facing the grower with the problem of when to apply the herbicide to achieve the least crop injury and the most satisfactory weed control. Field crops differ …

G77-340 Scheduling Irrigation By Electrical Resistance Blocks, Paul E. Fischbach

University of Nebraska-Lincoln Extension: Historical Materials

Delay of irrigation for a few days during a critical part of the growing season can be expensive. A week's delay in supplying irrigation water to corn or grain sorghum can reduce potential yield more than 30 bushels per acre.

Several methods are available to help you schedule the right amount of water at the right time. One of these methods uses electrical resistance blocks discussed in this NebGuide.

G76-294 Band Application Of Herbicides (Revised March 1986), Russell S. Moomaw, Alex Martin

University of Nebraska-Lincoln Extension: Historical Materials

Many row crop producers prefer to use hebicide band applications because of reduced costs. Savings can be substantial with the more expensive materials. Properly applied, band applications of herbicides can satisfactorily protect the crop from weed growth. Herbicide row banding can be done either at crop planting time or postemergence after the crop and weeds have emerged.

G76-315 Establishing Black Walnut, Rick Hamilton, Neal E. Jennings

University of Nebraska-Lincoln Extension: Historical Materials

This publication contains information on establishing a black walnut plantation.

Based on current market conditions, $20,000 to $30,000 worth of black walnut timber can be harvested from a managed acre within 50 years. The total cost of establishing an acre rarely exceeds $100, including site preparation, cost of seedlings, planting, and weed control. The decision to invest in a walnut plantation can be based on:

1. The rate of return on $100 per acre invested is 11.3 percent to 11.9 percent, yielding $20,000 to $30,000 within 50 years. The same investment at 6 percent interest would yield $1,842 at the …

G74-165 Understand Your Soil Test: Calcium, Magnesium, Boron, Copper, Chlorine, Molybdenum, Delno Knudsen, K.D. Frank

University of Nebraska-Lincoln Extension: Historical Materials

It is possible to analyze soil samples for any of the 13 essential elements which plants obtain from the soil. This does not mean that the results obtained can be used to predict adequacy or deficiency for plant growth.

The value obtained from any chemical procedure used to determine each element must be shown to be related to (1) crop response from application of that element (correlation) and (2) the soil test level at which response occurs (calibration). Crop response is usually measured as yield, but may also be a quality factor. Field plot and greenhouse research are used to …

G74-93 Dry Bean, Sugarbeet Insect Control (Revised October 1980), Arthur F. Hagen

University of Nebraska-Lincoln Extension: Historical Materials

The success and usefulness of the control measures mentioned in this guide will vary due to methods of application, climatic conditions, and other factors. These recommendations are presented for the benefit of Nebraska farmers. Insecticides should be used with caution and labels should be of recent date. Information in this guide is based on University of Nebraska research results, USDA recommendations and label registrations.

G73-30 The Alfalfa Weevil (Revised May 1989), Stephen D. Danielson, David L. Keith, George Manglitz

University of Nebraska-Lincoln Extension: Historical Materials

The alfalfa weevil is the primary insect pest of alfalfa in Nebraska. Management is essential during years when weevil infestations are high.

Damage from the alfalfa weevil can be severe. The life cycle of this pest and methods of managing it are discussed in this publication.

G73-58 Programmed Soil Moisture Depletion: Top Yields With Least Water (Revised), Paul E. Fischbach, Burt R. Sommerhalder

University of Nebraska-Lincoln Extension: Historical Materials

The development of automated irrigation has introduced a revised concept to irrigation water management that will mean savings of water and energy. By not completely refilling the root zone each irrigation, soil moisture storage capacity is left within the root zone to take advantage of any rainfall that occurs after an irrigation. Conservation of water is important because supplies are being depleted in many areas.

Fifty Years Of Achievement In Agricultural Investigation, R. T. Prescott

Nebraska Agricultural Experiment Station: Historical Circulars

In Nebraska, a hustling frontier state in 1887, the legislature hesitated not at all in taking advantage of the provisions of the Hatch Act, and now that fifty years have elapsed since the Station was founded, seventy-five years since the Land Grant College Act was passed and the U. S. Department of Agriculture established, and almost twenty-five years since the Agricultural Extension Service was added, it seems worth while to present a general summary of achievement within the state. The main object will be to show some of the important things that have been learned through the investigations of the …

Rb31-253 Variety Tests Of Oats, Barley, And Spring Wheat, T.A. Kiesselbach, W.E. Lyness

University of Nebraska-Lincoln Extension: Historical Materials

The use of superior varieties is of first importance in the production of spring small grains. The comparative merits of the different crops and their available varieties may be best determined through tests extending over a period of years. Tests of oats, barley, and spring wheat have been made on the Experiment Station Farm of the Nebraska College of Agriculture at Lincoln.

The plan has been to have these variety trials include the most promising sorts obtainable from Nebraska and other states. Most of the varieties grown have originated in the breeding experiments of various state and federal experiment stations. …