Category: Newsletter

We wish everyone a very Happy Holiday season and look forward to serving you in the coming New Year!

Dryland Cropland in Saunders County, Nebraska

This is a nice dryland cropland tract with Class II and IV soils. Tiling and terraces help control erosion. Access is available from the north via gravel Main Road and from the south via MM County Road B.

Legal Description: W2NW4SW4 & W2SE4SW4 & SW4SW4 in Section 19-13N-6E of the 6th P.M. in Saunders County, Nebraska. (Parcel ID #000785500)

Total Acres: 82.04 +/-

2023 Real Estate Taxes: $4,236.10

Property Type: Dryland Cropland

Location: 1.5 Miles East of Valparaiso, Nebraska

Mineral Rights: All mineral interest the seller owns, if any, will be conveyed to the buyer(s).

Possession: Negotiable. Subject to an oral lease agreement that terminates on February 29, 2025 (Lease termination notice was given in September 2023).

The property is being sold in AS-IS condition.

USDA Crop Progress Report summary for September 16, 2024

CROP CONDITION – Percent Good-to-Excellent as of September 15, 2024

• U.S. Corn: 65% good-to-excellent (+1%), compared to 51% this week last year and 55% 5-yr average
• U.S. Soybean: 64% good-to-excellent (-1%), compared to 52% this week last year and 56% 5-yr average

CORN PROGRESS – As of September 15, 2024

• U.S. Corn Dented was 85%, compared to 88% this week last year and 84% 5-yr average.
• U.S. Corn Mature was 45%, compared to 48% this week last year and 38% 5-yr average.
• U.S. Corn Harvested was 9%, compared to 8% this week last year and 6% 5-yr average.

SOYBEAN PROGRESS – As of September 15, 2024

• U.S. Soybeans Dropping Leaves was 44%, compared to 47% this week last year and 37% 5-yr average.
• U.S. Soybeans Harvested was 6%, compared to 4% this week last year and 3% 5-yr average.

WINTER WHEAT PROGRESS – As of September 15, 2024

• U.S. Winter Wheat Planting Progress: 14%, compared to 13% this week last year and 13% 5-year average.

Corn good-to-excellent ratings were up 1% this week. Soybean good-to-excellent ratings were down 1% this week.

USDA’s corn condition estimate is perceived as modestly bearish for corn prices. Today’s estimate for good+excellent corn condition rating came in 2 points above the average estimate coming into today’s report. The corn harvest pace estimate is now slightly ahead of last year’s pace, aided by warm, dry weather over the last week.

USDA’s soybean crop condition estimate is perceived as neutral for soybean prices. Today’s soybean good+excellent estimate came in right on market expectations.

It’s hard to believe the summer is complete. Kids are headed back to school, and harvest is just around the corner here in the Midwest. The corn has tasseled and pollinated, and soybeans are starting to fill out pods. In many parts of the region, we’ve had timely rains, creating hope for a good harvest. With all the activities going on this time of year, the last thing on people’s minds is end-of-the-year decisions and the 2025 growing season. Time moves quickly and there are decisions to be made that will affect next year’s outcome. For example, if you are on an ORAL lease and thinking about making a tenant change or selling your property this fall or next spring, you must give your tenant notice in writing by September 1st of this year. In Nebraska, the oral lease period runs from March 1st to February 28th of the next year. Per Nebraska statute, you must give 6 months’ notice to your farm tenant to terminate a lease (September 1st) otherwise the tenant has the right to farm the next cropping season.

Madelynn Wuestenberg is an agricultural climatologist for Iowa State University Extension and Outreach. This role is 100% Extension, so her time is spent developing resources related to climate and agriculture, providing timely climate or weather updates, and studying how climate variability may influence current production systems.

Wuestenberg’s background is in meteorology. She earned a bachelor’s degree in meteorology with a minor in agronomy from Iowa State, then stayed to earn a master’s degree in agricultural meteorology. Wuestenberg’s master’s degree research focused on agro-ecosystem modeling.

Her primary experience is in row crop systems, but she is learning more about specialty crop systems through this position and hopes to serve many kinds of producers in Iowa, she said.

For two years, Wuestenberg served as the vice president for the Central Iowa National Weather Association and helped coordinate an annual Severe Storms and Doppler Radar Conference. Severe weather is not her expertise, but she made many connections through this experience and has strong relationships with meteorologists across the Midwest.

As of April 11, 2024, the Nebraska Drought Monitor shows 55% of Nebraska in moderate to exceptional drought (D1-D4), compared to 98% a year ago. Planting is critical for everything else that happens during the growing season. This article shares our UNL planting considerations and provides additional considerations when planting in dry conditions.

Agronomic Considerations

Soil Conditions
This is perhaps the most critical component to planting because soil conditions set the stage for the decisions we make regarding planter adjustments, which crop is planted, and planting depth. Some areas of the state received some fall/winter/spring precipitation to help with replenishing soil moisture, while other areas continue to have a lack of subsoil moisture due to a lack of precipitation events. When planting into drier conditions, increased down pressure is most likely necessary; however, be careful of causing any sidewall compaction.

Soil Moisture, Temperature and Planting Depth
Corn needs to absorb 35% of its weight in moisture to complete the imbibition (water uptake) phase of germination. When adequate soil moisture is available, this typically occurs within 48 hours. Soybean needs to absorb 50% of its weight in moisture to complete the imbibition process. When adequate soil moisture is available, recent research has shown imbibition can occur anywhere from eight to 24 hours. Once imbibition has occurred, soybean seeds enter an osmotic phase and are quite tolerant of soil temps as low as 35-40°F, although extended low soil temperatures can be expected to lengthen the germination to the emergence timeframe.

In general, we’d recommend planting…

Like you, we are also constantly monitoring conditions throughout the Midwest. You’ll find some of the resources we use below to stay on top of soil, planting and drought conditions, including projections.