Life Sciences 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 …

G92-1123 Spinach And Swiss Chard, Laurie Hodges

University of Nebraska-Lincoln Extension: Historical Materials

This is a guide to the growing, harvesting and use of spinach and swiss chard.

Spinach

Spinach is a cool season crop and belongs to the goosefoot family (Chenopodiaceae), along with Swiss chard and beets. Spinach is low in calories. It is a good source of vitamin C, vitamin A, and minerals, especially iron. After washing the leaves, cook them in a covered pan using only the water clinging to the leaves. After cooking, add salt and butter, vinegar, or mustard for added flavor. Spinach may be prepared in a souffle, creamed soup, or used raw in salads.

Swiss Chard …

G91-1019 Set Up Of Tillage, Planting And Directed Spray Equipment, Elbert C. Dickey, Robert Grisso, Alex Martin

University of Nebraska-Lincoln Extension: Historical Materials

This NebGuide discusses how to set up and operate liquid herbicide application equipment on tillage, planting and directed spray equipment.

Some herbicides require incorporation to obtain consistent weed control. Maintaining residue cover to reduce soil loss on erodible soils makes it necessary to incorporate herbicide while minimizing tillage. This need, combined with many row crop producers' preference for band application to reduce herbicide costs, creates some application challenges.

Nf91-35 Amaranth Grain Production In Nebraska, David D. Baltensperger, Drew J. Lyon, Lenis Alton Nelson, Alan J. Corr

University of Nebraska-Lincoln Extension: Historical Materials

This NebFact discusses amaranth grain production in Nebraska.

G90-1004 Growing Radishes And Table Beets, Susan D. Schoneweis

University of Nebraska-Lincoln Extension: Historical Materials

Radishes and beets are easy to grow. Little space is required for them, and small successive plantings can yield an abundance of produce.

The radish, Raphanus sativus, is thought to have originated in East Asia, but the exact location is unknown. Radishes are one of the fastest growing vegetables, ready to harvest in 22 to 60 days. They prefer cool growing temperatures, and quickly become pungent (hot) when the weather gets too warm. Varieties (cultivars) may have round, long tapered, or oblong roots. Colors include crimson, hot pink, pink, white, bicolored and black.

Quick maturing radishes (30 days or …

G89-897 Strawberries, Don Steinegger, Donald E. Janssen

University of Nebraska-Lincoln Extension: Historical Materials

Plants, selecting and preparing a site, planting and care of strawberries are covered in this NebGuide.

Strawberries are a popular, dependable fruit for home production. Management of this crop is easier than that of tree fruits.

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.

G89-923 Windbreak Maintenance And Renovation, Jon Wilson, Mike Kuhns

University of Nebraska-Lincoln Extension: Historical Materials

What are you doing to maintain your windbreak? Is renovation necessary? This NebGuide can help you decide.

Windbreaks are integral parts of many Nebraska farming and ranching operations. They protect man, animals, crops and buildings from cold winter winds, hot summer winds, and deep snows. Windbreaks prevent wind erosion and provide wildlife habitat.

All windbreaks, even well-designed ones, need regular maintenance. Some windbreaks, especially those that are older or neglected, may need more drastic treatment or renovation.

G89-902 Intensive Gardening Techniques, Betty Besal

University of Nebraska-Lincoln Extension: Historical Materials

This NebGuide describes techniques which will allow the gardener to grow more vegetables where space may be limited.

For some people, a small-sized garden is preferable to a larger one. Smaller gardens require less labor and expense than larger gardens. Decreasing garden size provides more yard space for other activities. The gardener can concentrate soil improvement efforts in a smaller area, and, with careful management, small gardens can produce sufficient vegetables for fresh eating during the growing season, and perhaps extra produce for preserving.

G88-876 Ridge Plant Systems: Equipment, Elbert C. Dickey, Paul J. Jasa, Robert N. Klein, Dean E. Eisenhauer, David P. Shelton, Bryn J. Dolesh, John A. Smith

University of Nebraska-Lincoln Extension: Historical Materials

Ridge plant systems, ridge cleaning equipment, planter stabilizing attachments, cultivation and ridge management are discussed here. Ridge plant systems are methods of planting crops into a ridge formed during cultivation of the previous crop. Such systems combine tillage and herbicides to control weeds. Weed seed and residue lying on the soil surface are pushed from the ridge to the area between the rows by row-cleaning devices on the planter. Crop seed is planted into the old row in a cleanly tilled strip at an elevation slightly higher than the row middles. A band application of herbicide behind the planter typically …

G88-869 Daylilies, Debra Schwarze

University of Nebraska-Lincoln Extension: Historical Materials

This guide offers hints on growing daylilies, discusses site selection, varieties, propagation and planting and plant culture.

Daylilies, members of the Liliaceae (lily family), are some of the most tolerant and popular of the garden perennials. Their range in size, color, and use means that there is a daylily for almost everyone.

Like their name Hemerocallis, "beauty for a day", the individual daylily flower lasts only one day. However, a single plant may produce over 50 flowers. This large number of flowers can extend the blooming period of a plant for several weeks. With over 10,000 cultivars available and with …

G87-835 Ecofarming: No-Till Ecofallow Proso Millet In Winter Wheat Stubble, Robert E. Ramsel, Lenis Alton Nelson, Gail A. Wicks

University of Nebraska-Lincoln Extension: Historical Materials

No-till farming is gaining acceptance in semiarid areas of the Central Great Plains. Proso millet can be planted no-till into wheat stubble. This NebGuide tells you how. No-till farming is rapidly gaining acceptance in semiarid areas of the Central Great Plains. Corn and sorghum are now being no-till planted directly into undisturbed wheat stubble and grown successfully. They are planted the spring following wheat harvest. Proso millet can also be planted no-till into wheat stubble.

G87-828 Growing Perennials, Don Steinegger, Anne Streich

University of Nebraska-Lincoln Extension: Historical Materials

Planning, soil preparation, and maintenance are necessary in growing a perennial garden of color and interest throughout the growing season.

Herbaceous perennials are non-woody plants that live two or more years under local conditions. The above ground parts of these plants are generally killed to the ground by frost in the fall, but the roots and/or underground parts live through the winter. Growth is renewed and the cycle begins anew in the spring.

While perennials do not require yearly replanting, they still require regular maintenance. For best results, a proper site analysis, soil preparation and routine maintenance are necessary. With …

G86-796 Growing Degree Day Requirements And Freeze Risk As A Guide To Selecting And Planting Corn Hybrids, Ralph E. Neild

University of Nebraska-Lincoln Extension: Historical Materials

This NebGuide discusses the growing degree day requirements for Nebraska's four corn-growing regions, and how using these requirements can aid in planting date decisions.

Variations between locations, between seasons at a particular location, between planting times at a particular location and season, and between the requirements of different hybrids result in differences in the number of days it takes for corn to mature. These variations in days are all closely related to differences in temperatures when the corn is being grown.

G84-723 Maximizing The Use Of Farm Strip Plots, John Havlin, Roger Wesley Elmore

University of Nebraska-Lincoln Extension: Historical Materials

Strip plots are an effective means of comparing soil and crop management practices. Guidelines are given for establishing strip plots and evaluating the results. Farmers, extension and industry personnel, and researchers have a common interest in strip plots set out on farm fields to study various soil and crop management practices. Strip plots or tests are usually designed to compare differences between tillage methods, herbicide treatments, varieties, fertilizer sources or rates, methods of chemical application, and many other crop production inputs. Strip tests established in farmer fields could satisfy wider interests, and conceivably yield more useful information, if the planners …

G84-697 Ground Covers: Their Establishment And Maintenance (Revised June 1992), Don Steinegger, Luann Finke

University of Nebraska-Lincoln Extension: Historical Materials

This NebGuide describes how to plant and maintain ground covers to take advantage of their low-maintenance features.

Ground covers are low-growing plants, usually less than 12 inches tall, that spread to form dense mats which bind and hold the soil in place. Many also have a season of effective bloom. Turfgrass is the most common ground cover. However, sites that are less suitable for turfgrass, such as slopes, steep banks, and shaded areas, can often grow other ground covers successfully.

A well-established ground cover generally requires less maintenance than the typical turfgrass lawn. Ground covers are not totally maintenance-free, nor …

G83-684 Row Crop Planters: Equipment Adjustments And Performance In Conservation Tillage, Elbert C. Dickey, Paul J. Jasa

University of Nebraska-Lincoln Extension: Historical Materials

This NebGuide discusses planters used in conservation tillage systems and gives recommendations for improving planter performance.

The planter's primary job is to place seed where it will germinate and grow. Proper seed spacing minimizes competition for the light, nutrients and soil moisture essential for crop growth.

Several factors influence planter performance, including adjustments and correct operation. Field conditions also are important.

Traditionally, producers used tillage equipment that created a well-tilled, residue-free seedbed for planting. Many producers now are adopting conservation tillage methods that have fewer tillage operations and leave a protective residue cover on the soil surface.

G82-603 Eggplant, Dale T. Lindgren

University of Nebraska-Lincoln Extension: Historical Materials

How to grow eggplants from transplants and seeds. Includes varietal descriptions, cultural practices, harvesting tips, and possible disease and insect problems.

The eggplant belongs to the Solanaceae or nightshade family, which includes the sweet pepper, tomato and potato. The ornamentals petunia and Jerusalem cherry, and other plants such as tobacco and horse nettle, are also members of this family.

Eggplant was so named because the first varieties introduced to English-speaking people had egg-shaped fruits. Its scientific name is Solanum melongena var. esculentum.

G81-552 Effects Of Weather On Corn Planting And Seedling Establishment, Ralph E. Neild

University of Nebraska-Lincoln Extension: Historical Materials

Corn planting usually begins when the average daily temperature first rises 55°F and the soil becomes sufficiently warm enough to initiate germination and sustain seedling growth. This may be as early as the middle of March in central Texas 700 miles south of Nebraska or as late as the middle of May in central South Dakota. Corn may be planted as early as the first week of April in southeast Nebraska and continue into the first week of June. Most of the corn, however, is planted between May 4 and May 21.

Corn planted early when the temperature is cool …

G81-540 Peppers (Revised May 1990), Dale T. Lindgren, Laurie Hodges

University of Nebraska-Lincoln Extension: Historical Materials

Various peppers and their care are discussed here.

Peppers are treated as warm-season annual crops when grown in Nebraska gardens. They are related to eggplants, potatoes and tomatoes, all of which belong to the Solanaceae (Nightshade) family.

G80-503 Vegetable Garden Seed Storage And Germination Requirements, Dale T. Lindgren

University of Nebraska-Lincoln Extension: Historical Materials

This NebGuide has information on the selection and storage of vegetable garden seed.

A successful garden begins with the selection and use of high quality seed of adapted superior varieties. Start by purchasing seed from a reputable seed company. Save records of your seed orders, so if you do have a complaint you can contact the sales company. Saving records of your seed orders is also useful for keeping track of the varieties you planted.

Ec17-11-80 Nebraska Outdoor Education Series: Plant A Tree, Joe Range, John D. Orr

University of Nebraska-Lincoln Extension: Historical Materials

Not all trees or shrubs can find a home in your yard or apartment. Help your child to discover a home for the tree or shrub he or she grows or receives. The greatest benefit of this Plant-A-Tree project is being close to a living plant. This project will: introduce five tree planters - one from each area of Nebraska, discuss the parts of tree seeds, give examples of how tree seeds travel, discuss preparation of soil, demonstrate how to grow a seedling tree from seed, demonstrate how to transplant a tree, and offer suggestions for activities and exhibits.

G80-496 Tomatoes In The Home Garden, Laurie Hodges, Dale T. Lindgren, Susan Schoneweis

University of Nebraska-Lincoln Extension: Historical Materials

This NebGuide outlines tomato rearing practices, cultivars and possible pest, disease and weed control problems.

Tomatoes come in a wide range of fruit colors, sizes, shapes and maturities. Ripe tomatoes may be red, yellow, orange, pink or even green. Shapes vary from globe or round to slightly flattened, pear-like or cherry-sized. Often consumers complain tomatoes purchased in grocery stores are lacking in flavor or have tough skin. In a home garden, you can grow the tomatoes you prefer, including a wide selection of fruit colors, flavors, textures and sizes. Although rumored, there is no direct link between fruit acidity and …

G78-426 Popcorn Production, Nora D'Croz-Mason, Richard P. Waldren

University of Nebraska-Lincoln Extension: Historical Materials

This NebGuide addresses seed selection, soil requirements, production management, pest control, marketing and sale of popcorn.

Commercial popcorn production in the United States has always been concentrated in the Corn Belt. Iowa was the largest popcorn producer until the mid 1940s. As hybrids replaced open-pollinated varieties, popcorn production shifted to Illinois then to Indiana. During the mid 1970s popcorn production moved west, and in 1977 Nebraska became the nation's largest producer. During the 1980s popcorn acreage has fluctuated among states, but Nebraska often has had the nation's highest yield because 85 percent of its crop is irrigated.

Ec78-1737 Broadleaf Trees For Nebraska, Neal E. Jennings, Richard J. Gavit, Jerry L. Mohler, Gary T. Christoff

University of Nebraska-Lincoln Extension: Historical Materials

This extension circular shows and describes broadleaf trees that will grow in Nebraska. It should prove valuable when selecting a tree best suited for a specific area and purpose. Most of this publication is devoted to detailed descriptions of tree species. In addition, the main points of tree placement, tree planting and tree care are discussed.

G78-398 Irrigated Small Grain Production, Philip Grabouski, Walter Trimmer, Louis Daigger

University of Nebraska-Lincoln Extension: Historical Materials

Excellent management practices for irrigated small grains are necessary to obtain high yields. What varieties should I use? How should the seedbed be prepared? What row spacing is best? What plant nutrients are needed? How much fertilizer should I use? When should I apply the fertilizer? What is the water intake rate of my soil? How much will it hold? When is the best time to irrigate? These are some of the questions in the mind of the irrigated small grain producer and are answered in this NebGuide.

G77-357 Selecting Alfalfa Varieties For Nebraska (Revised December 1997), Bruce Anderson, Michael Trammell, Patrick E. Reece

University of Nebraska-Lincoln Extension: Historical Materials

Yield potential, pest resistance and seed price all should be considered in selecting alfalfa varieties in Nebraska. This NebGuide discusses them.

The most important variety decision made on many farms and ranches is the selection of alfalfa. The choice of alfalfa variety affects production for three to 10 or more years, whereas varieties of annual crops can be changed every year.

Many alfalfa varieties are available from private and public plant breeders. Over the years, yield trials conducted at widely distributed Nebraska locations have tested most varieties sold in the state.

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 …

G74-131 No-Till Corn In Alfalfa Sod, Alex R. Martin, Russell S. Moomaw

University of Nebraska-Lincoln Extension: Historical Materials

Nebraska produces about 1,740,000 acres of alfalfa annually. Corn or grain sorghum usually follows alfalfa in the crop rotation. The moldboard plow or chisel plow are commonly used to break up alfalfa sod for corn planting. The plow is a high consumer of energy, requiring about 2.25 gallons of diesel fuel per acre.

Research conducted in Nebraska has been used to develop a system in which the alfalfa is killed with herbicides and corn is planted directly into the sod without tillage. Plowing is eliminated and energy requirements can be reduced to about 1/4 that used in the conventional plow …

G74-113 A Quick Test For Atrazine Carryover (Revised March 1989), Alex Martin, R.N. Stougaard, Patrick J. Shea

University of Nebraska-Lincoln Extension: Historical Materials

How can you tell if you have atrazine carryover in your fields? Plants grown in soil samples can tell.

Residues of atrazine may remain in the soil and affect some susceptible crops the next year. Crops most often affected include soybeans, field beans, sugarbeets, alfalfa, oats, wheat and many broadleaf horticultural crops.

Attempts to predict the extent of carryover and damage to sensitive crops the year following atrazine use have been only partially successful. The rate of atrazine disappearance and, therefore, the amount remaining the next year, is affected by soil texture, pH and organic matter content, as well as …