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Rain improves optimism for Nebraska crops

Central Nebraska farmer Derrick Dibbern says last month’s timely rains provided significant relief for his drought-stress corn and soybeans.

“Crop conditions look favorable where we’ve been able to keep up irrigating and where we were able to miss the severe weather.  I’m pretty optimistic for harvest.”

He tells Brownfield disease and weed pressure has been low despite issues with palmer amaranth and water hemp. “The headlands and pivot corners have gotten a little bit weedier than what we’d like to see, but herbicides work pretty well on our farm for the most part. Disease wasn’t as severe as I thought it would be, but we went ahead and treated everything with a fungicide so I think we’re in good shape.”

Dibbern says cover crops also helped maintain soil moisture and control weeds.

He spoke with Brownfield at Beck’s Nebraska Field Day.