G1757
Planting and Harvesting Information for Nebraska Crops
Information on the normal practices of planting and harvesting crops grown in Nebraska are provided in this publication.
Drew J. Lyon, Dryland Crops Specialist
Lenis A. Nelson, Plant Breeder
Robert N. Klein, Cropping Systems Specialist
|
This publication is a guide for some basic crop management practices for a variety of Nebraska crops. Many special or unique cropping situations will require some adjustments to these suggestions. Table I lists information for 29 crops.
For information about recommended varieties, refer to the most recent version of the following Extension Circulars:
EC101 Spring Seed Guide,
EC103 Fall Seed Guide.
Copies are available at your local UNL Extension office. Or you may prefer to visit the Variety Testing home page at http://varietytest.unl.edu.
Calibrating Seed Equipment
Accurate seeding is important to maximize yields and seeding efficiency. Most seeding equipment comes with seeding charts that help in setting the seeding rate. Seeding rate is influenced by a number of factors such as size of seed, test weight, shape of seed and number of seeds per pound.
A simple method of calibrating seeding equipment is:
- Fasten a sack or other container to two or more spouts.
- Fill drill or planter one-half full of seed.
- Check to determine if all spouts are delivering the same amount.
- Collect seed from 600 feet of row.
a. If using two spouts, stake 300 feet in a straight line.
b. If using three spouts, stake 200 feet in a straight line.
- Weigh seed, in ounces, from the 600 feet of row.
- Use Table II to determine the seeding rate per acre.
| Table I. Crop information for Nebraska. | ||||||||
| Crop |
Test Weight |
Approximatea Number |
Seeding Rate |
Usual Planting Date |
Seeding Depthb Soil Cover |
Most Active Harvest Dates |
Cylinderc Speed |
Safe Storage Moisture Content |
- lb/bu - |
- seed/lb - |
- lb/acre - |
- inches - |
- % - |
||||
| Alfalfa | 60 |
200,000 |
8-20 |
5/1 or 8/10 |
0.5 |
— |
— |
— |
| Amaranth | 60 |
900,000 |
1-2 |
6/1 |
0.25-0.5 |
10/1 |
Slow |
12.5 |
| Barley spring winter |
48 48 |
13,000 13,000 |
60-90 48-72 |
4/1 see winter wheat |
1-2 1-2 |
7/15-7/25 7/5-7/20 |
Fast Fast |
12.5 12.5 |
| Beans, field | 60 |
1,300 |
50-65 |
6/1 |
1.5-3 |
9/10 |
Slow |
12.0 |
| Buckwheat | 48 |
15,000 |
36-60 |
5/30 |
0.75-1 |
9/1 |
Medium |
12.0 |
| Canola (see rape/canola) | ||||||||
| Cicer milkvetch | 60 |
130,000 |
12-20 |
5/1 |
0.5 |
— |
— |
— |
| Cornd grain (irrigated) grain (nonirrigated) silage |
56 56 56 |
1,200 1,200 1,200 |
18-22 8-12 18-22 |
5/1 5/1 5/1-6/1 |
1-3 |
10/30 10/30 9/10 |
Slow Slow — |
13.0 13.0 — |
| Clover red sweet |
60 60 |
275,000 260,000 |
6-8 8-10 |
4/15 or 8/10 4/15 or 8/10 |
0.5 0.5 |
— — |
— — |
— — |
| Crambe | 22 |
45,000 |
8-12 |
4/1 |
0.75-1 |
7/10-7/30 |
Medium |
8.0 |
| Flax (irrigated) | 56 |
90,000 |
20-30 |
4/1 |
0.5-0.75 |
8/20 |
Medium |
11.0 |
| Hairy vetch | 60 |
20,000 |
60-70 |
9/1-9/20 |
1-2 |
7/20 |
Medium |
12.0 |
| Millet proso foxtail, grain pearl, grain |
50 50 60 |
82,000 220,000 50,000 |
10-20 10-20 2-5 |
6/1 6/1 5/20-6/1 |
0.5-0.75 0.5-0.75 1-2 |
9/5 9/5 9/30 |
Medium Medium Fast |
12.0 12.0 12.0 |
| Mustard oil crop |
58 |
100,000 |
4-6 |
4/15 |
0.5-0.75 |
8/1 |
Medium |
8.0 |
| Oats | 32 |
14,000 |
50-70 |
4/1 |
1-2 |
7/30 |
Fast |
12.0 |
| Onions | — |
152,000 |
2-3 |
4/1 |
0.25-1 |
9/1 |
— |
— |
| Potatoes | 60 |
7-8e |
1800-2800 |
3/15-6/1 |
4-6 |
7/15-9/30 |
— |
— |
| Rape/canola/brown mustard forage, spring forage, winter oil crop, spring oil crop, winter |
50 50 50 50 |
160,000 160,000 160,000 160,000 |
3-6 3-6 3-6 3-6 |
4/1 8/15 4/1 9/1 |
0.5-0.75 0.5-0.75 0.5-0.75 0.5-0.75 |
Spring Fall-Spring 7/20-8/1 7/10-7/20 |
Medium Medium |
8.0 8.0 |
| Rye | 56 |
18,000 |
56-80 |
see winter wheat |
1-2 |
7/20 |
Fast |
12.5 |
| Safflower | 40 |
13,000 |
15-20 |
5/1 |
0.75-1.5 |
9/10 |
Medium |
8.0 |
| Sorghum, grain | 56 |
20,000 |
2-3 |
6/1 |
0.75-1 |
9/30 |
Medium |
13.0 |
| Soybeans | 60 |
2,700 |
45-60 |
6/1 |
0.75-1 |
9/10 |
Medium |
11.0 |
| Sunflowers | 28 |
5,100 |
4 |
6/7 |
1-2 |
9/30 |
Slow |
9.0 |
| Sugar beet | — |
50,000 |
2-5 |
4/7 |
0.75-1.25 |
10/20 |
— |
— |
| Triticale spring winter |
56 56 |
18,000 18,000 |
56-80 56-80 |
4/1 see winter wheat |
1-2 1-2 |
7/25 7/10 |
Fast Fast |
12.5 12.5 |
| Turnip, summer | 52 |
174,000 |
2-5 |
4/1 |
1.5 |
Spring-Summer |
— |
— |
| Wheat
spring winter |
60 60 |
15,000 15,000 |
60-90 30-60 |
4/1 9/10-10/1f |
1-2 1-2 |
7/25 7/10 |
Fast Fast |
12.5 12.5 |
| Wheatgrass crested intermediate tall western |
— — — — |
175,000 88,000 79,000 110,000 |
5-10 5-8 8-12 8-12 |
4/1 or 8/10 4/1 or 8/10 4/1 or 8/10 4/1 or 8/10 |
0.5-0.75 0.5-0.75 0.5-0.75 0.5-0.75 |
7/25 7/25 7/25 7/25 |
Fast Fast Fast Fast |
12.0 12.0 12.0 12.0 |
| Summer annual forage grasses forage sorghum foxtail millet pearl millet sorghum-sudan sudan grass |
— — — — — |
20,000 220,000 50,000 25,000 55,000 |
20-25 15-20 10-20 20-25 20-25 |
5/31-6/10 6/10 5/20-6/15 6/10 6/10 |
0.75-1.5 0.5-0.75 1-2 0.75-1.5 0.75-1.5 |
Summer Summer Summer Summer Summer |
— — — — — |
— — — — — |
| aSeed size will vary by variety and growing condition. bSandy soils should be seeded slightly deeper. cSlow = rpm of 300-500, Medium = rpm of 501-1000, and Fast = rpm of > 1000. dEar corn test weight = 70 lb/bu. eSeed pieces. fIn Panhandle 9/10 at 4,000 ft. elevation. Add one day for every 100 ft. elevation below 4,000 ft. and subtract one day for every 100 ft. elevation above 4,000 ft. |
||||||||
| Table II. Seeding rates per acre. | ||||||
Grain
collected
from 600 ft of row is: |
Row Spacing in Inches |
|||||
7 |
8 |
9 |
10 |
12 |
14 |
|
--- oz. --- |
----------------------------- Amount of Grain Being Seeded in lb/A ----------------------------- |
|||||
1 |
8 |
7 |
6 |
5 |
5 |
4 |
2 |
16 |
14 |
12 |
11 |
9 |
8 |
3 |
23 |
20 |
18 |
16 |
14 |
12 |
4 |
31 |
27 |
24 |
22 |
18 |
16 |
5 |
39 |
34 |
30 |
27 |
23 |
19 |
6 |
47 |
41 |
36 |
33 |
27 |
23 |
7 |
54 |
48 |
42 |
38 |
32 |
27 |
8 |
62 |
54 |
48 |
44 |
36 |
31 |
9 |
70 |
61 |
54 |
49 |
41 |
35 |
10 |
78 |
68 |
60 |
54 |
45 |
39 |
11 |
86 |
75 |
67 |
60 |
50 |
43 |
12 |
93 |
82 |
73 |
65 |
54 |
47 |
13 |
101 |
88 |
79 |
71 |
59 |
51 |
14 |
109 |
95 |
85 |
76 |
63 |
54 |
15 |
117 |
102 |
91 |
82 |
68 |
58 |
16 |
124 |
109 |
97 |
87 |
73 |
62 |
17 |
132 |
116 |
103 |
92 |
77 |
66 |
18 |
140 |
122 |
109 |
98 |
82 |
70 |
19 |
148 |
129 |
115 |
103 |
86 |
74 |
20 |
156 |
136 |
121 |
109 |
91 |
78 |
21 |
163 |
143 |
127 |
114 |
95 |
82 |
22 |
171 |
150 |
133 |
120 |
100 |
86 |
23 |
179 |
157 |
139 |
125 |
104 |
89 |
24 |
187 |
163 |
145 |
131 |
109 |
93 |
Acknowledgment
The authors recognize the contributions of David D. Baltensperger, former UNL Extension Plant Breeder, and an author of a previous version of this publication.
Visit the University of Nebraska–Lincoln Extension Publications Web site for more publications.
Index: Crop Production/Field Crops
Miscellaneous Crops
Issued August 2007