Pasture and Forage Minute

Poison hemlock and its cousin, Water hemlock, are on the list of top ten poisonous Nebraska plants. A species that has really seemed to take over in wet or moist soils across the eastern portion of the state, hemlock can cause serious issues if ingested, by either livestock or humans. Ben Beckman, Nebraska Extension Forage Systems Educator.

Cereal grains like wheat are grown for dual purpose (forage and grain) production in the central plains and southern plains states. To prevent grazing animals from eating immature wheat heads, livestock are generally removed from the fields just prior to the jointing growth stage when immature wheat heads move up the stems. Todd Whitney, Nebraska Extension Forage Agronomist.

It is close to the ideal time to plant a summer annual grass, maybe to replenish your hay supply or have some extra grazing. Which one will you plant? Jerry Volesky, Nebraska Extension Range and Forage Systems Specialist.

Did you have musk thistles last year? If so, I'm sure you’ll have them again this spring. And even though you may have done some herbicide control last fall, there are always those that may have been missed. Jerry Volesky, Nebraska Extension Range and Forage Systems Specialist.

The Nebraska No-Till on the Plains Whirlwind Annual statewide educational tours on June 14th and 20th in 2023 will honor the legacy of Jody Saathoff, former soil health enthusiast, from Southcentral, NE. Participants will be: No-Till farmers and ranchers, youth and Agri-business. Todd Whitney, Nebraska Extension Forage Agronomist.

Spring is busy getting crops in the ground, but if much needed moisture keeps you from the field, take some time to maintain your haying equipment and prevent costly downtime later. Ben Beckman, Nebraska Extension Forage Systems Educator.

The time for turn-out to our primary summer pastures is coming soon. A couple of important questions are what date to turn-out, and which pastures should be first? Jerry Volesky, Nebraska Extension Range and Forage Systems Specialist.

Spring drought can provide an advantage for weeds in alfalfa especially in newly seeded fields. Usually, glyphosate applications sprayed on Roundup Ready alfalfa variety fields can effectively overcome these emerged weed issues; but Roundup isn’t the only good weed control option for alfalfa. Todd Whitney, Nebraska Extension Forage Agronomist.

Spring is in full swing and that means insects will be emerging from their overwintering habitats. Unfortunately, it’s not just beneficials that are waking up, but pests as well, including the Alfalfa Weevil. Samantha Daniel, Nebraska Extension Crops and Water Educator.

Now is the time to fertilize cool-season grasses such as bromegrass for optimum production. Todd Whitney, Nebraska Extension Forage Agronomist.