Nebraska Crop Production Clinics scheduled in January 

During the 2023 Weed Tour at the Panhandle Research Extension and Education Center, a man walks a weedy sugar beet crop where research is being done. (Photo by Chabella Guzman.)

The 2024 Nebraska Extension Crop Production Clinics will kick off Jan. 3 in Gering and head east across the state. Session topics will include crop production, insect management, pesticide safety, disease management, soil fertility, water management, weed management, and pesticide applicator recertification training will be available.

The day-long event will present research updates and information tailored to regional crop issues and grower interests. In the Panhandle and other areas, weed management of Palmer amaranth is a major issue. 

“I’ll be presenting data on comparing corn programs, which allows rotation to dry beans and sugar beets. Some of the crops sometimes limit what we can apply in our corn the previous year,” said Nevin Lawrence, Nebraska Extension weed management specialist. “So, we’ll be comparing products, which have great flexibility in rotation for palmer amaranth management.” 

The clinic will also offer Pesticide Applicator Recertification, where applicators can renew their license. 

The Crop Production Clinic will be held on Jan. 3 at the Gering Civic Center. A lunch will be served. To learn more about all the clinics held this month or to register, visit https://agronomy.unl.edu/cpc.  

Crop Clinic Agenda

8 to 8:50 a.m. – Registration and check-in

8:50 – 9 a.m. – Welcome and introduction 

Room One – Pest Management and Pesticide Safety

9 – 9:50 a.m. – Insect Management

Status, Needs, Opportunities for Managing with the Wheat Stem Sawfly – Jeff Bradshaw

Ladybugs, worms, and Other Ways to Help Manage Challenging Pests of Corn – Julie Peterson

10 – 10:50 a.m. – Disease Management 

Specialty Crops and Panhandle Corn and Wheat Diseases Update – Bob Harveson

Corn Disease Update – Tamra Jackson – Ziems

Wheat Disease Update – Stephen Wegulo

11 – 11:50 a.m. – Weed Management

Managing Palmer amaranth in the Panhandle – Nevin Lawrence

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12:30 – 1:40 p.m. – Pesticide and Environmental Safety

Pesticides: Human Health, the Environment, and the Law – Jennifer Weisbrod, Frank Bright, and Greg Puckett

1:50 – 3:30 p.m. –  What’s New in Plant Protection 

What’s New and Critical Issues in Plant Pathology: Consequences of Inaccurate Diagnoses – Kyle Broderick

What’s New in Entomology? – Julie Peterson and Pin-Chu Lai

50 Years of Ecofallow, Weed and Crop Residue Management are the Keys to this Cropping System – Bob Klein

3:30 p.m. – Survey and Pesticide License Recertification

Room Two – Crop, Economics Soil and Water Management 

9 – 9:50 a.m. – Cropping Systems

Impacts of 40 Years of Continuous Tillage on Soil Parameters and Yield – Cody Creech

Long-Term Impacts of Fallow Replacement in Winter Wheat Yield in Western Nebraska – Amanda Easterly

10 – 10:50 a.m. – Soil Health

Cover Crops for Healthy Soils: Lessons from Spring-Planted Cover Crops in Western Nebraska (2022-2023) – Vesh Thapa

11 – 11:50 a.m. – Digital Ag

Are You Ready to Fly Your Drone Legally? – Dirk Charlson

12:30 – 1:40 p.m. – Agribusiness Management 

Farm Bill Outlook: Prospects and Future Decisions – Jessica Groskopf 

Cost of Production, Trends & Outlook for 2023 – Jessica Groskopf

1:50 – 3:30 p.m. – Water Management and Nutrient Management 

A Year-round Approach to Water and Nitrogen Management (From Harvest to Harvest) – Chuck Burr, Xin Qiao, Gary Stone

3:30 p.m. – Survey and CCA credit