Panhandle Extension News

• NUTRITION BITES: Delicious and healthy recipes for vegetables you can grow in your garden
• Still time to apply for High Plains Ranch Practicum
• UNL Extension Tractor Safety Course offered June 4-5 at Gering
• Extension Educator appointed for Deuel, Garden counties
• Rural homeowners may need to control hoppers
• Panhandle District 4-H Public Speaking Contest Results
• Wanting to trade or obtain perennial plants? On-line site available in Scotts Bluff County
• ServSafe Training for Food Handlers May 22-23 at Chadron
• UNL beef and forage management webinars continue
• NU Panhandle Alumni chapter recognizes Alum of the Year
• Dry bean variety trial results on line at CropWatch
• Nutrition education program looks to build base of clients

Irrigation water management important; here are some tools

A few years ago, the Nebraska Panhandle and eastern Wyoming were in the grips of a drought, irrigation water supplies were limited and the North Platte River reservoirs were near empty. Then we had three years of plentiful water supplies. This year should also provide adequate water; however, with the low snow pack in the mountains this year, we may not be so fortunate in 2013. Surface irrigation water supplies may be limited and limits on the amount of groundwater pumping have been established in all of the Panhandle NRDs. Irrigation water management should be practiced every growing season to insure this limited resource is utilized properly. Read about some tools to help growers manage their irrigation water supplies.

Osteoporosis: Silent disease that affects millions

Osteoporosis is often called a “silent” disease because people cannot feel their bones getting weaker. You may not know you have it until you break a bone. It is estimated that nearly 10 million Americans have osteoporosis and almost 34 million more have low bone density, putting them at increased risk for osteoporosis and broken bones. There are many things you can do to make your bones stronger and keep them strong.

New Community Forester for western NE covering a lot of ground

Can a community forester stay busy in a plains state like Nebraska? Absolutely, according to Amy Seiler, who recently began her duties as western community forestry specialist for the Nebraska Forest Service. This is the state, after all, where Arbor Day originated, and where residents still consider trees important enough to plant several million young ones every year. Seiler has been busy as she works at establishing contacts with communities throughout the western two-thirds of the state. Her goals include helping initiate vigorous tree-planting programs and developing educated green industry people and dedicated volunteers – park boards, tree boards and other civic groups – who are committed to planting trees and being advocates for trees in communities.

Cattle producers: Plan NOW for potential drought conditions

Western Nebraska cattle producers should prepare for potential drought conditions in light of recent below-average precipitation and above-average temperatures. As of April 25, average precipitation year to date for the Nebraska Panhandle is only 50 percent of normal.

Dung beetles key to range management?

Dung beetles haven’t gotten much attention for the service they perform. Rolling and burying balls of dung isn’t everybody’s idea of a glamorous job. But a UNL researcher says the insects are a key component in the health of Nebraska’s rangelands, which cover the majority of the state. And healthy rangeland is a foundation of beef production, the largest segment of Nebraska’s No. 1 industry, agriculture. Sean Whipple, post-doctorate research associate based at the UNL Panhandle Research and Extension Center at Scottsbluff, is starting a project aimed at increasing our understanding of how dung beetles carry out their humble role.

For irrigators, what a difference a year makes

What a difference a year makes. Last year at this time we were not worried about whether we would have enough water for irrigating, but rather how can we possibly get water downstream so we could avoid flooding. Last year at the end of March snow water equivalent was at nearly 33 inches and climbing and was over 10 inches above normal. This year the snow water equivalent is nearly 10 inches below normal at a level of approximately 14 inches and falling.

Understanding AUMs (Animal Unit Months)

As producers get ready to take cattle to summer pasture, questions often arise about the relationship between range management and stocking rate. Clearly, if the range resource is underutilized, then profitability will be decreased as more animals could have been using the range. Conversely, and more commonly, the tendency is to overgraze the range and put the sustainability of the range in jeopardy. Developing a grazing plan to utilize pastures can help producers effectively manage their forage resources. More useful information and links on Beef Production in Western Nebraska Web Site.

Skip-row corn stabilizes dryland grain yields

Panhandle farmers have been growing more dryland corn in recent years, encouraged by good crop prices and timely rains. However, the production of corn in the Nebraska Panhandle without irrigation is a risky business. One way to help manage the risk is to use skip-row planting patterns.As a result of research conducted by the University of Nebraska-Lincoln from 2004 to 2006, we can make some recommendations about skip-row planting patterns for dryland corn. ALSO: Plant population recommendations for dryland corn

Implanting nursing calves

As calving moves into full swing, many producers are thinking about vaccination programs they want to implement at branding. However, only a few are also considering how growth implants could be used as a management tool for the nursing calf. Implants have been proven to improve gains by 4 to 5 percent, according to research from Oklahoma State University. This could translate to an additional 18-20 pounds of weaning weight. Put another way, it means every $1 spent on implants will result in approximately a $15 to $20 return for producers selling calves at weaning. Implants can be quickly administered at branding along with calfhood vaccinations.

Spring cleaning your fridge

Spring is here! That means sunny days, warmer temperatures, and…..SPRING CLEANING! Why not start with your refrigerator? Go through the items in your fridge and toss any expired or spoiled items. Continue to do this on a weekly basis. More at Nebraska's Nutrition Education Program web site. 

The North Platte River: Surface Water Irrigation Projects and Power Generation

This presentation provides a basic history and information about the North Platte River U.S. Bureau of Reclamation projects – surface irrigation, power generation and other related irrigation and power generation projects – on the North Platte River drainage. By Gary Stone, Extension Educator, Panhandle Research & Extension Center.

• Part 1
• Part 2

 More Information You Can Use:

• New 4-H coordinator/educator for western Nebraska
• Gardening for your health
• Biological control option for western bean cutworms? Promising, but more study needed
• Reducing the risk of colon cancer
• Dryland sugarbeets? Intriguing, but no recommendation yet
• CENTENNIAL STORIES
• TEAMS work to keep kids involved in school, headed toward college
• Tips for heart health
• Family Fun-Time: Make Cooking a Family Affair
• Visiting scientist from India hopes new technique speeds wheat breeding process
• Goal of fund-raising drive: Boosting proso millet breeding program
• Ranch Practicum grant to aid beginning ranchers
• Heart smarts: Cholesterol
• 2010 Dietary Guidelines for Americans: Food and Food Components to Reduce
• High Plains Ag Lab research asks if dryland fields can also be used for grazing
• Machinery Systems Engineer John Smith retires after 30 years
• Dairy foods help meet a body’s nutritional needs
• Nebraska's Nutrition Education Program
• Will zone till work for sugarbeets in 22-inch rows?
• Beef makes meals tasty, healthy
• Dealing with stress
• Prevent or delay type 2 diabetes with healthy habits
• Families: Eat together, eat better
• Skipping breakfast not a good way to save time or calories
• A resource for water-conserving landscapes

Farmers: Check the CropWatch web site

Answers about crop varieties, fertilizer, irrigation, pest control, harvest, and many other issues are a click or two away on the University of Nebraska’s expanded and reorganized CropWatch web site. Click below to go directly to sugarbeets, dry edible beans, wheat, or potatoes.

Sugarbeets

Dry Edible Beans

Wheat

Potato Education Guide

Corn