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Spotty rains delaying cover-crop harvest, bean planting for Nebraska cattle producer

An East Central Nebraska cattle producer says spotty rains and cool temperatures are delaying her operation from harvesting their cover crop and planting beans.

Joan Ruskamp of Dodge tells Brownfield they planted 40 acres of triticale, a hybrid of wheat and rye, as a source of feed. “We’re always working with windows and we hope we have a window Sunday, Monday, Tuesday to get it windrowed and chopped and put up as a triticalage.”

Ruskamp says she’s unable to plant beans behind it until its harvested. “We don’t have the chopper.  We’re working with a neighbor who does and they also did the same thing and have a few other small batches to do.  You know how that is when you’re working with weather and you’ve got custom people doing the work, everyone is on a list and you get it when they can.”

Ruskamp says this is the first year her operation has grown triticale and wanted to see what benefits it might have compared to other cover crops.