Life Sciences Commons^™

G77-342 Sowbugs And Pillbugs, Arthur F. Hagen

University of Nebraska-Lincoln Extension: Historical Materials

This publication covers the identification, life history, and control of sowbugs and pillbugs.

Homeowners working around shrubs, in the garden, or along the foundation of the house, frequently find little grayish colored bugs. They often describe them as looking like "little armadillos." What they are finding are sowbugs or pillbugs or both. These creatures are not insects, but belong to the same class of animals as crabs and shrimp.

G77-338 Open Burning (Revised March 1984), Donald E. Westover

University of Nebraska-Lincoln Extension: Historical Materials

People have been using fire in their cleanup chores for hundreds of years. One of the most common reasons for burning on the farm and in the city alike, has been to dispose of leaves and garden residues in the spring and fall of the year. Another common practice has been to burn tree limbs and stumps, fence posts, even old haystacks on the farm. Open burning has been done on a variety of scales, from jobs as small as burning the day's trash in the backyard burning barrel to jobs as large as burning wheat stubble after harvest.

G77-380 Growing Conifers From Seed, Constance A. Harrington

University of Nebraska-Lincoln Extension: Historical Materials

This NebGuide discusses how to grow conifers from seed, including technical terms, collecting and storing seed, and planting and care of the trees.

Growing your own conifer trees from seed is fun and gives you the satisfaction of doing it yourself. The pioneers had to be self-reliant. Many of the old trees in Nebraska were started from seeds the pioneers brought with them or ordered from nurseries in the east or Europe. We are fortunate in having nurseries available to supply a wide variety of planting stock. However, many people are still interested in growing their own seedlings. You may …

G77-383 Marketing Your Timber, Mark Shasby, Neal E. Jennings

University of Nebraska-Lincoln Extension: Historical Materials

Marketing is the key to getting the most from your timber.

Buying and selling trees is a business transaction. Marketing is the key to getting the most for your timber. Anyone can sell something if they are not concerned about the price received. When you market something, you are selling in a competitive market for the best possible price.

A satisfactory sale occurs when the needs of both buyer and seller are met. The buyer must acquire material at current market prices in order to stay in business and still remain competitive. The timber owner should be paid the fair …

G77-337 Propagating House Plants, Dale T. Lindgren, Don Steinegger

University of Nebraska-Lincoln Extension: Historical Materials

Propagating house plants in the home is an inexpensive and enjoyable hobby. The home is not always the ideal place, but most house plants can be propagated there satisfactorily with a minimum of special equipment.

Methods of Propagation

House plants may be propagated asexually, in which all new plants will be identical, in most cases, to the parent plant, or sexually, where the new plants will not necessarily be identical to the parent plants. Plants are propagated sexually by seeds. Cuttings, air-layering, division and runners are asexual methods of propagation.

G77-358 Artesian (Confinsed) Aquifers And Effect Of Pumping, Darryll T. Pederson, Deon D. Axthelm

University of Nebraska-Lincoln Extension: Historical Materials

Nebraskans are concerned about declining water levels in some domestic and stock wells.

Nebraskans are concerned about declining water levels in some domestic and stock wells. Drought and irrigation well development have been major factors. Water level declines have been especially pronounced during the pumping season in places where the aquifer is artesian or confined (a confined aquifer is also referred to as an artesian aquifer). Many domestic and livestock pumps may have to be set deeper in order to yield water. In nearly all cases water levels recover rapidly when the pumping season ends. Large water-level fluctuations are normal …

G77-386 Wheat In Poultry Rations, T.W. Sullivan, E.W. Gleaves

University of Nebraska-Lincoln Extension: Historical Materials

This publication examines the advantages and disadvantages of wheat as a component of poultry feed.

Wheat is usually considered a source of human food rather than an ingredient for poultry and livestock feeds. This is especially true in the United States, where corn, milo and other feed grains are abundantly produced. In recent years one of every two bushels of wheat produced in the United States has been exported. If world production and supplies of wheat are high, a surplus develops and wheat prices are lowered. When this situation occurs wheat becomes an attractive alternative to corn or milo in …

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.

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.

G77-327 Acute Bovine Pulmonary Emphysema, James H. Bailey

University of Nebraska-Lincoln Extension: Historical Materials

The disease, Acute Bovine Pulmonary Emphysema, has been recognized for many years and under many different names including "Pulmonary Adenomatosis," "Panters," "Lungers," "Bovine Asthma," "Fog Fever," and "Atypical Interstitial Pneumonia." It is characterized by sudden onset of acute respiratory distress with the affected animals producing an audible grunting noise when they exhale.

The cause, occurrence, clinical findings, treatment, prevention and control are covered in this NebGuide.

G77-360 Balancing Corn Silage Dairy Rations, Foster G. Owen

University of Nebraska-Lincoln Extension: Historical Materials

The grain required to balance a ration high in corn silage is much different from the grain needed when feeding high amounts of alfalfa hay. The most common problem is failure to properly balance for protein and calcium. This NebGuide discusses the points to take into account in balancing rations high in corn silage.

G77-357 Selecting Alfalfa Varieties For Nebraska (Revised December 1994), Bruce Anderson, David Holshouser, Patrick E. Reece, Michael Trammell

University of Nebraska-Lincoln Extension: Historical Materials

The most important variety decision made on many farms and ranches is the selection of alfalfa varieties. The choice of alfalfa variety affects production for three to 10 or more years.

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

G77-346 Land Use Decisions, Duane A. Olsen

University of Nebraska-Lincoln Extension: Historical Materials

New challenges associated with scarce energy and the natural environment have focused attention upon the conflict between public and private interests in land. A review of the characteristics of these public and private interests seems useful for the evaluation of present and future land use policies.

G77-381 Suggestions For Making Family Farm And Ranch Operating Agreements Work, Philip A. Henderson

University of Nebraska-Lincoln Extension: Historical Materials

Both parents and young people are interested in ways to help the younger generation get started in farming. The kinds of arrangements being used are many. No two are exactly alike. Families have different objectives; different resources are involved, and the relative contributions which involved parties make are unique to each family situation.

There are certain principles, however, that need to be recognized in every family farm or ranch operating agreement and they are discussed here in this NebGuide.

G77-378 Odor Controls As Affected By Nuisance Laws, John M. Sweeten, Donald R. Levi

University of Nebraska-Lincoln Extension: Historical Materials

Confined feeding operations are subject to both public and private air pollution regulation. Public regulation is focused primarily on preventing measurable levels of emissions to the atmosphere. On the other hand, subjective human tolerance levels serve as the basis for private regulation of the environment. The impact of public and private regulatory schemes on feedlots will be reviewed in this NebGuide.

Ec77-865 Have It Your Way By Making A Will, John R. Uhrich, J. David Aiken, Philip A. Henderson

University of Nebraska-Lincoln Extension: Historical Materials

Making a will is not the sad and gloomy picture painted by some people. Quite the contrary! A person who makes a will is creating his or her own blueprint for the future. A will, like life insurance, social security, or retirement plans, provides security and peace of mind. The person who has a will made can rest assured that property and loved ones will be taken care of precisely in the manner he or she desires. This publication presents basic information about wills, one of the most important documents a person can make or possess. This information can be …

G77-364 Mycoplasmal Pneumonia And Other Mycoplasmal Diseases Of Swine, Alex Hogg, William P. Switzer, Daniel O. Farrington

University of Nebraska-Lincoln Extension: Historical Materials

Swine producers are often confused by the complexity of the mycoplasmal infections; this fact sheet is an attempt to clarify the information that is currently available about these swine diseases.

Swine producers are often confused by the complexity of the mycoplasmal infections. This fact sheet is an attempt to clarify the information that is currently available about these swine diseases. There are three recognized Mycoplasma spp. of bacteria that cause disease in pigs--Mycoplasma hyopneumoniae, Mycoplasma hyorhinis and Mycoplasma hyosynoviae.

G77-372 Water Requirements For Beef Cattle, Paul Q. Guyer

University of Nebraska-Lincoln Extension: Historical Materials

Water requirements of cattle are influenced by a number of physiological and environmental conditions. These include such things as the rate and composition of gain, pregnancy, lactation, physical activity, type of ration, salt and dry matter intake, and environmental temperature.

The minimum requirement of cattle for water is a reflection of that needed for body growth, for fetal growth or lactation, and of that lost by excretion in the urine, feces, or sweat or by evaporation from the lungs or skin. Anything influencing these needs or losses will influence the minimum requirement.

G77-374 Seasonal Prices For Meat Animals, Allen C. Wellman

University of Nebraska-Lincoln Extension: Historical Materials

Seasonal variations in livestock prices seem to follow a similar pattern from year to year. For some classes of livestock, these seasonal swings in prices have been quite consistent for a number of years; while others have changed considerably over time.

Seasonal price fluctuations result mostly from seasonal supply changes or variations in marketings. For any given year a cyclical change in price may override the season pattern. Seasonal price changes during the 1972-76 period also were influenced by a price freeze, as well as changes in supply and demand.

Seasonal price changes are important factors to consider in planning …

G77-361 Using Starter Fertilizers For Corn, Grain Sorghum, And Soybeans, Edwin J. Penas, Gary W. Hergert

University of Nebraska-Lincoln Extension: Historical Materials

Starter fertilizer may increase early growth of corn and grain sorghum. Grain yield increases from starter nutrients are most likely on low phosphorus soils and some sandy soils.

Proper use of a starter fertilizer is an important management tool for crop producers striving for top yields. While the use of a starter fertilizer can be important for crop production on many soils, it is more important for corn production on irrigated sandy soils than on fine textured soils.

G76-324 Limiting Feed Intake With Salt, T.D. Rich, Steve Armbruster, D.R. Gill

University of Nebraska-Lincoln Extension: Historical Materials

Cattlemen are aware of the impact high cost labor has on profit; thus, management procedures which reduce labor requirements are important. One management tool frequently used is regulating feed intake with salt.

In addition, self-feeding supplements tend to allow timid, slow-eating cows to get their share and it is an easy method of providing Vitamin A, phosphorus and other feed additives. However, there are disadvantages to feeding salt-concentrate mixes. Salt is not a precise regulator of intake since certain individuals will tolerate more salt than others and abundant water is essential.

Daily salt requirement for mature cattle is less than …

G76-308 Principles Of Beef Cattle Selection, H.A. Fitzhugh, Jr.

University of Nebraska-Lincoln Extension: Historical Materials

Selection of superior seedstock leads to lasting genetic improvement by increasing the frequency of "desirable" genes and decreasing frequency of "undesirable" genes. The definition of "desirable" varies. Nature favors genes which improve fitness to survive and thrive in the natural environment. Man should favor genes which improve biological and economic efficiency of beef production.

The concepts, definitions, formulas and symbols that are the tools necessary for effective selection programs are discussed in this publication.

G76-321 Use Of Energy Values In Ration Formulation, Paul Q. Guyer

University of Nebraska-Lincoln Extension: Historical Materials

This NebGuide contains information on the use of high energy values in ration formulation.

Ruminants digest feedstuffs primarily by fermentation in the rumen. This allows ruminant animals to use both roughages and grains as sources of carbohydrates for energy. Part of the carbohydrates pass through the rumen and are digested in the abomasum and small intestine. Most carbohydrates in feeds are converted to either acetic, propionic or butyric acid by rumen bacteria and protozoa. These short chain fatty acids are then absorbed through the rumen wall into the blood stream and eventually are used for energy in body tissue.

G76-301 How To Tell Corn, Sorghum Maturity, J.D. Eastin, J.T. Hultquist, C.Y. Sullivan

University of Nebraska-Lincoln Extension: Historical Materials

Researchers have discovered a way to tell when corn and grain sorghum have stopped filling — when they are physiologically mature. A layer of cells near the point where the kernel is attached to the plant turns dark brown as the kernel nears maturity and, finally, black when the kernel is mature.

This NebGuide discusses how to read maturity in the layers of corn and sorghum.

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.

G76-303 Large Round Bale Safety (Revised June 1995), Robert D. Grisso, David Morgan, Rollin D. Schnieder

University of Nebraska-Lincoln Extension: Historical Materials

This NebGuide covers the safety aspects for equipment used in large round bale packages such as: balers, front-end loaders, bale handling and transport devices.

Large round baling creates unique safety problems for farmers and ranchers. Large round balers have many moving parts that can cause injury or death if a person becomes entangled. Never leave the tractor seat until the PTO (power take-off) has been disengaged, the engine is shut off, and all moving parts have stopped.

G76-314 Native Wood Fence Posts (Revised February 1990), Thomas L. Schmidt, Michael R. Kuhns

University of Nebraska-Lincoln Extension: Historical Materials

This guide evaluates native Nebraska tree species for use as wooden fence posts.

Fencing is a major part of most farming and ranching operations. Fences are costly and require regular repair and maintenance. Wood fence posts cut from native Nebraska trees can be less expensive than steel posts or wood posts imported from other states. When deciding whether to use native wood fence posts, consider durability, availability and ease of handling.

G76-284 Hand Signals For Agriculture, Rollin D. Schnieder

University of Nebraska-Lincoln Extension: Historical Materials

This NebGuide contains hand signals useful for communicating around noisy equipment and from a distance.

Throughout history, man has devised methods of contacting others who were out of voice range or who could not be heard because of excess noise. The Indians were skilled at using smoke signals or by imitating some form of wildlife such as the owl or coyote.

The early explorers used other signs to guide them. The slashing of bark on trees or sticks pointed in a certain direction were keys for keeping the persons from getting lost or for others to follow.

The railroad used …

G76-325 Sweet Clover Poisoning, I,A. Schipper

University of Nebraska-Lincoln Extension: Historical Materials

Sweet clover poisoning is a problem of varying frequency and intensity in livestock wherever sweet clover grows. The toxic compound produced in sweet clover prevents normal blood clotting resulting in hemorrhages and associated symptoms.

This publication covers which animals are most susceptible, the cause, prevention, management, and treatment of sweet clover poisoning.