By Amanda Easterly, Nebraska Extension research assistant professor
The University of Nebraska-Lincoln Crop Performance Testing Program has announced its lineup for wheat variety tours starting in June. These tours are hosted by farmer-cooperators and UNL Farm Managers each year in conjunction with the CPT team. Tours will occur at eight fields across the state, from Jefferson to Banner County. All are welcome, and there is no cost to attend.
Tours will be led by Drs. Cody Creech and Amanda Easterly, with assistance from Dr. Katherine Frels, UNL Small Grains Breeder, and Dr. Stephen Wegulo, UNL Small Grains Plant Pathologist, and other UNL researchers at various stops. Seed industry partners will share insight on their varieties and answer questions. Seventy-eight different varieties are being tested across the state, and wheat team members will answer questions about variety selection, production, and pest/disease concerns. Events at Banner, Deuel, and Furnas Counties will be grower-led, and there will be a chance to engage one-on-one with the wheat team members.
For those unable to attend tour dates, demonstration plots will be labeled approximately a week before the scheduled tour and remain in place until harvest. Reach out to Dr. Amanda Easterly (aeasterly2@unl.edu) with any questions.
Stakeholders are encouraged to engage with the wheat team via Twitter/X via @UNLVarietyTest and @HuskerWheat with questions to guide the event. For handicap-accessible accommodation, contact Easterly before the event. The schedule is subject to change in the event of severe weather.
Following are dates, times, locations/driving directions:
Thursday, June 6
Knobel Seeds, Jefferson County, 5 p.m. CDTDirections: From Fairbury, go north on Hwy 15 for 1.2 miles, turn east on Road 715 and go 3 miles, turn left on 571st Ave and go north 1 mile to 716th Road, go east for 0.1 miles, and the field is on the right.
Tuesday, June 11
Jim Wyatt Farm, Banner County, 9 a.m. MDT Grower-led.Directions: From Hwy 71, turn west on Spur 4A, then north on Road 39. Follow Road 39 to pivot and plot is in dryland corner on the south of the pivot.
V&F Seeds, Deuel County, 5 p.m. MDT Grower-led.Directions: From Chappell, head east on Hwy 30 for 11 miles. Turn north on Rd 189 for 5.75 miles. The plot is on the west side of the road.
Wednesday, June 12
Stumpf International Wheat Research Center, Perkins County, 10 a.m. MDTIncludes updates of other research ongoing at Stumpf Farm and lunch.
Directions: Meet at the Stumpf Building/Perkins County Extension. From Highway 61, take Road 761 east 1 mile and turn south on Road 329. The building is half a mile south on the east side of the road. Transportation to field sites will be provided.
Thursday, June 13
High Plains Agricultural Lab, Cheyenne County, 8 a.m. MDT Includes winter and early spring crop updates, sawfly, wheat TAPS projects, and lunch.
Directions: Meet at HPAL Shop. From Sidney, take Highway 385 north and turn west on Road 32 at the Huntsman Elevator. Turn north on the paved road just west of Road 111 to follow to Road 32N and stay on the north loop. The shop will be marked with signs. Park on the north side of the road in the grass parking lot. Transportation to field sites will be provided.
Cullan Farm Seed, Box Butte County3:30 p.m. MDT for Irrigated Trial
Directions: From Hwy 2 (north of Alliance), turn north on Road 68 and follow to first pivot south of the farmstead. The plot is on the east side of the road in the northwest part of the pivot.
5 p.m. MDT for Rainfed Trial, followed by burger feed at Cullan Shop.
Directions: From Hwy 2 (north of Alliance), turn west on Hall Road. The plot area is about a half mile west of the intersection of Hall Road and Road 67 on the south side (third strip).
Friday, June 14
tenBensel Farm, Furnas County, 11 a.m. CDT Grower-led.Directions: From Arapahoe, head west and turn north on Road 422. The plot is half a mile south of Road 725 on the west side of the road. Look for trees just north of field access.
Peters Seed Farms, Red Willow County, 5 p.m. CDT Directions: Follow Highway 17 South out of Culbertson to Road 713. Turn left and go East on 713 for about 4 miles. The field is located on the south side of an irrigation canal and can be accessed by a trail road just past the large group of grain bins. The plot area is about a mile east of the turn for Peters’ Shop on the south side of the road and canal.