PANHANDLE – The COVID-19 pandemic is putting limits on public face-to-face programs, but Nebraska Extension will sponsor a variety of events in mid-June to share updates on the wheat variety trials and crop and livestock research conducted by University of Nebraska-Lincoln in western Nebraska.

In-person field-days scheduled for June 18 at High Plains Ag Lab near Sidney and June 16 at the Henry J. Stumpf International Wheat Center at Grant have been cancelled. But growers are still encouraged to visit the research plots at these two UNL research facilities beginning June 15 and view the wheat variety trials. Self-guided tours also are being offered at a number of UNL cooperators’ on-farm wheat variety trials beginning June 15 until harvest. 

At each site, the plots will be labeled and marked with 5-foot-tall flags, and brochures will be available inside a realtor-style box that describe the varieties and their attributes.

Virtual field tours 

Online versions of variety-trial results, as well as all the other research that was going to be part of the High Plains Ag Lab field day, will be available beginning June 29 at go.unl.edu/virtualtours2020

Winter wheat 

variety plots 

Winter wheat plots are located in Box Butte, Banner, Cheyenne, Deuel, Perkins and Red Willow counties. Here are locations and directions: 

Box Butte County (irrigated): From Hemingford, drive south on Highway 2, east on Franklin Road, then south on Road 68. The plot is in the pivot on the east side, about halfway down the pivot. 

Box Butte County (rainfed): From Alliance, drive north on Highway 385. Take the exit for Highway 2. Drive north from Berea and turn west on Hall road. The plot is in the first field on the southwest corner of Hall road and Road 67. 

Banner County: From Harrisburg, drive north on Spur Way (4A). The plot is in the first strip of wheat as 4A turns to the east. 

Cheyenne County: From the High Plains Ag Lab shop, take the main farm road that heads north through HPAL, then east on Road 34. The first field on the north side will be a triticale forage trial, then the winter wheat variety plots are the first plots east of the triticale. 

Deuel County: From Chappell, drive 12 miles east on Highway 30 to RD 189, then 6 miles north. Farm address is 2611 RD 189, Chappell. The plot is on the east side of the road, just south of the Larry Flohr farm.

Perkins County: From Grant, drive east on Highway 61, north on Road 330. The plot is on the west side, between ½ and ¾ miles north of the highway.

Red Willow County: From McCook, drive west on Highway 34 to Culbertson, then south on Highway 17 for about 5 miles. Turn east on road 713. The plot is about ½ mile east on the south side.

Spring wheat 

variety plots 

Spring-wheat variety trials are located in Cheyenne, Perkins and Red Willow counties. Locations and directions: 

Cheyenne County: From the High Plains Ag Lab shop, take the main farm road that heads north through HPAL. The spring wheat trials are in field 21 on the west side of the road before reaching Road 34. 

Perkins County: From Grant, drive east on Highway 61, north on Road 329 to Perkins County Extension Office. The spring wheat plot can be accessed via field road from the Extension office. It is west of the winter wheat variety plot. 

Red Willow County: From McCook, drive west on Highway 34 to Culbertson, then south on Highway 17 for about 5 miles. Turn east on road 713. The plot is about ½ mile east. The spring wheat plot is located across the road from the winter wheat plot.

Grower-sponsored field events 

In addition to the self-guided tours, interested persons are invited to attend grower-sponsored field events at variety trial locations near Chappell and Hemingford.

The Chappell event, hosted by Larry Flohr of V&F Farms near Chappell, will be held June 16 at 5 p.m. Directions: From Chappell, drive 12 miles east on Highway 30 to RD 189, then 6 miles north. Farm address is 2611 RD 189, Chappell. The plot is on the east side of the road, just south of the Larry Flohr farm. 

The Hemingford variety field tour will take place June 17, hosted by Chris Cullan of Cullan Farm Seed. A tour of irrigated variety plots begins at 3 p.m. Directions: From Hemingford, drive south on Highway 2, east on Franklin Road, then south on Road 68. The plot is in the pivot on the east side, about halfway down the pivot. Following the irrigated tour, a 5 p.m. tour will take place at rainfed plots. From Alliance, drive north on Highway 385. Take the exit for Highway 2. Drive north from Berea and turn west on Hall road. The plot is in the first field on the southwest corner of Hall road and Road 67.

Questions on variety trial locations, plot layouts, or others can be directed to UNL Dryland Cropping Systems Specialist Cody Creech at ccreech2@unl.edu or (308) 632-1266.