A new issue of CropWatch has been posted to the Web.

This week’s CropWatch features information on:

• Spring 2009 Seed Guide now available. This publication features results from 2008 on-farm hybrid and variety trials conducted across Nebraska with spring-seeded crops and is available from local Extension offices. Data is also available online at http://varietytest.unl.edu
• Upcoming ag extension meetings and workshops. Be sure to check the dates and locations now and register early, if registration is required.
• Managing crop input costs to increase profitability — We continue to add new articles to this Web site at http://cropwatch.unl.edu/survivinghighinputcosts.htm. Check here for ways to minimize costs and increase potential profit. Many of the stories estimate potential cost savings per acre.

Thanks…. to all of our readers who have completed or plan to complete the survey on UNL crop production resources available on the Web. I believe they plan to close the survey mid-week. It’s available at http://www.surveymonkey.com/s.aspx?sm=benMtFqZgjAdKMclAayGsQ_3d_3d

New Search Engine

A Google Search tool has been added to the CropWatch Web site. It searches all content in our stories, not just keywords. At the current time, stories do not appear in any chronological order, but we hope to make some changes to the site this winter so that the most recent stories about a given topic will be listed first.

When you click on Search in the left navigation bar, the option automatically comes up to search the CropWatch site or you can click on one of the icons below the box to extend your search to other sites, such as UNL’s Institute of Agriculture and Natural Resources, UNL, UNL People, or the World Wide Web. For example, if you wanted to learn about a specific plant disease, you might first search the CropWatch site and then extend it to IANR, which might find research and extension information on the topic. Tips for using this search tool are included in the links to the right of the box with “Search this site.” After you get a chance to try this improved feature, let me know if you have any suggestions.

Lisa Jasa, CropWatch Editor, ljasa1@unl.edu

CropWatch

Crop Production

• Hot off the Press: UNL’s Spring 2009 Seed Guide
• Surviving High Input Prices in Crop Production
• Extension Offers Resources to Manage High Input Costs in Crop Production
• Skip-Row Corn Provides Improved Drought Tolerance
• No-till Farming In Dryland Cropping Systems
• No-till and Controlled Wheel Traffic Can Save Irrigation Water (Save $20.10 to $33.50/acre )
• Harvesting Crop Residue: What’s it Worth?
• Share Machinery, Reduce Costs — Developing a Joint Ownership Agreement
• Leasing vs Buying Ag Machinery: Factors to Assess
• Leasing vs Buying Ag Machinery: Weighing the Economics
• Using Irrigation Management Tools To Save Water And Energy ($20.12 an acre)
• Take Advantage of Manure Resources (Save $23.81/ac or more)

Hay and Forage Production

• Corn Fields Offer Cows Less Nutrition than a Decade Ago
• Is Sainfoin Right for Your Operation?

Extension Ag Programs & Resources

• Jan. 24 Market Journal: How Ag Technology is Improving Farming
• NEATA Conference to Focus on Emerging Ag Technologies Jan. 28-29
• High Plains Ag Lab Annual Research Update is Feb. 10
• Extension Webcast Offers Overview of Small Wind Turbines Feb. 13
• Nebraska No-Till Conferences Set for Feb. 20, 21
• Weed Control Workshop at UNL Feb. 18
• Great Plains Irrigation Conference Feb. 24-25 in Kansas
• Women in Ag Conference Will be Feb. 26-27 in Kearney
• 2009 Commercial and Noncommercial Pesticide Safety Program January through April
• Improving the Profitability of Fertilizer and Manure Use: New Research Findings and Tools (Site Added)
• Chemigation Training Scheduled
• Land Application of Manure Training in January and February

USDA Reports

• Nebraska 2009 Winter Wheat Seedings Down from last Year
• Nebraska Cattle on Feed Down 6%, National Down 7%
• Nebraska’S 2008 Crop Production

AgNews

• UNL Research: Corn Ethanol Emits 51% Less Greenhouse Gas Than Gasoline
• Ag Products and Rural Advantage/Healthy Farms Conference Feb. 13-14 in Grand Island
• UNL Team’s Discovery Expands Understanding of Genetic Code
• In Tough Economy, Take Charge of Finances