10th annual youth Crop Scouting Competition

By Brandy VanDeWalle - Extension Educator, UNL

Looking for a fun club project? Want to unite your club members? Running out of ideas for club meetings? If you answered, “yes” to any of these questions, help is on the way. Nebraska Extension is pleased to present the 10th annual Crop Scouting Competition for Nebraska youth. Youth interested in crops can learn about crop growth and development and basic crop scouting principles.

Don’t know a lot about crops? Ask a local agronomist to assist by providing a short lesson on crop production. You can have the agronomist meet with youth a little during each meeting or outside of the meeting. This is one way to engage those youth interested in crops.

This contest will be on August. 2, 2023 at the Eastern Nebraska Research Extension and Education Center near Mead, Nebraska. The event will include both indoor and outdoor events. Teams of junior high and high school students (those completing fifth to 12th grades) from across Nebraska are invited to participate. This event is limited to the first 10 teams who sign up.

Clubs or other organizations may enter a team composed of three to five participants. An adult team leader must accompany each team of students. Team leaders could be FFA advisors, crop consultants, extension staff, coop employees, etc.

Top-scoring teams win prizes: $500 for first, $250 for second, $100 for third place. Top two teams will be eligible for regional competition held in Nebraska this year on September 18, 2023.

TRACTOR/EQUIPMENT:

2017 Kubota L4060 tractor w/LA805 loader, all season cab, 4x4, hydrostatic, 410 hours; Land Pride BB1272, 3pt box scraper; Land Pride RCR1272, 3pt rotary mower; Kubota L4455A 4-point sub frame; Kubota L4479 front mount snowblower; Land Pride LR1684, 3pt rock rake; Land Pride PFL2024 quickattach forks; Kubota 4B25 quick-attach stump digger; set of 4 tractor tire chains for 17.524 rear and 10-16.5 front; Honda H55928A hydro drive, track snowblower; Briggs and Stratton 5000 watt gas generator; Husqvarna HU725AWDEX self-propelled mower; etc! VEHICLES/TRAILERS: 1992 Morgan, 4.9 liter aluminum V8, 18,935 miles; 1955 Ford F-100, 460 V8, aftermarket frame, 9” rear, fully restored, ready to drive or show; 2012 GMC Sierra 1500 Denali, 6.2 Liter V8, 4x4, leather, 91,100 miles; 2016 Subaru Outback PZEV, AWD, Sunroof, 74,000 miles; 2003 Ford E-150 van w/Waldoch custom conversion, 5.4 liter, 119,600 miles; 2018 PJ, 7’x20’ equipment trailer; 2006 Charmac

8’x20’ V-front enclosed trailer, drive through ramp doors, Rumber floor; 2017 Targhee

6’x14’ tilt or side load ATV trailer; etc! OFF-ROAD: 2017 Artic Cat M8000 Limited, 162” track, ice scratchers, tunnel bag, 171 original miles; 2003 Yamaha TW 200, electric start, 3,785 miles; 2011 and 2007 Yamaha TT-R 125L dirt bikes; 1998 Yamaha Wolverine 350, 4x4; 1998 Yamaha Big Bear 350, 4x4; Yamaha TT-R 90 dirt bike; Vintage Honda Passport 70, shows 726 miles; (4) Camso 4S1 12” wide UTV tracks, (were on a Polaris Ranger 1000); (2) 27x9x12 and (2) 27x11x12 studded UTV tires on Polaris rims; etc!

TENTS/OUTDOORS: (4) Montana Canvas 10’x12’ wall tents w/frames and carry packs; new roll-a-cots; lanterns and camping items; (2) Rocky Mountain River float tubes; new Karma brand river tube; RMRK 1258C020 inflatable Kayak; (2) Xterra inflatable paddle boards; Old Town 12’ canoe; Capita and Burton snow boards; new aluminum snowshoes; Trek “Bontrager Race” bicycle; Mongoose X67 bicycle; and more!

PATIO/ART/MUSIC: assorted original oil paintings and prints; Dedon 5’x5’ glass top patio table; glass top pedestal oval patio table; vintage oriental side board; rush bottom chair; Marantz NR1403 Receiver, Denon Receiver; Lexicon, Roland, Kurzwell, and Yamaha music Processors; Velodyne subwoofer; Genz-Benz enclosures; etc! TOOLS/SCAFFOLD: (10+) sections of Metaltech painters/drywall scaffold on castors; (5) bakers racks; DeWalt Flex Volt cordless table saw; Lincoln Handy Core 110 volt wire feed welder; Craftsman rolling toolbox; Milwaukee 18 volt grease gun; Makita 4 ½” angle grinder, belt sander, and jigsaw; Rockwell router; cable come-a-long; ratcheting chain binders; extension cords; tow and lift straps; etc!

MISCELLANEOUS: packing blankets; DeLonghi “Penguino” free standing heater/ air conditioner; steel I beam; paving blocks; Ram Board underlayment; Eucalyptus flooring; Cedar platforms; construction supplies; chain link kennel; and much more!

AUCTIONEER’S NOTES: Wow! Superior quality merchandise up for public auction. Do not miss this one. Will be an exciting day. Bring your folding chairs. Online bidding available for select items at auction time/equipment facts, visit bobbyroshon.com for direct on-line bidding link, full ad, and photos. Live auction starts at 9:00 AM with select items only available to our on-site attendees. Preview Friday June 16th from 10 AM to 5 PM, or by appointment. Call Auctioneer.

Bobby Roshon: 406-249-4104

Teams will be expected to know the basics of scouting corn and soybean fields. This includes crop staging; looking for patterns of crop injury; disease, insect and weed seedling identification; etc. Other topics many include but are not limited to, pesticide safety, nutrient disorders, and herbicide injury.

More information about the crop scouting competition and instructions on how to register a team are available online on the CropWatch Youth Activities page.

Teams must be registered by Saturday, July 15. This program is sponsored by Nebraska Independent Crop Consultant Association, Ward Laboratories, the Nebraska Soybean Board and Nebraska Extension.

Controling poison hemlock

By Ben Beckman, UNL

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.

A biannual, hemlock spends its first year as a rosette with fern-like leaves. A smooth, purple spotted reproductive stalk that can reach heights of 10 feet, topped with small white flowers, emerges in year 2. Smell is another distinguishing characteristic, with hemlock having a smell best described as heavy or musty.

Hemlock plants produce alkaloid toxins in all parts of the plant. These chemicals are extremely potent. As little as 5 lbs. of consumed foliage can be a lethal dose for cattle. The hollow stem on mature plants may seem like an attractive straw or pea shooter for small children, with detrimental consequences.

Luckily from an animal perspective, hemlock is not an attractive grazing option. In a pasture with plenty of other grazing options, animals will typically leave hemlock alone. However, when forage options are limited, even unpalatable plants may become an option for hungry animals.

The good news is that hemlock can be controlled with mowing or herbicide applications. Regular mowing to prevent flower stalks from forming and producing seed can be an effective mechanical control technique, but need to occur regularly and will take several years to achieve control. In the spring, a 2,4-D + dicamba mix can effectively treat and control hemlock.

For both mowing and herbicide treatment, do not try to control hemlock during the grazing season! Let me repeat that again… Do not try to control hemlock during the grazing season! Following treatment, make sure livestock stay out of the treated area as the poisonous alkaloids can still be present in dead leaf tissue. Additionally, mowing and herbicide alter the plant increasing its palatability, even in dead and dying plant tissues.