Plant Insects
The Department of Entomology conducts research projects involving the biology, ecology, and management of insect pests affecting Nebraska crops and livestock, golf courses, athletic fields, parks and recreational areas, as well as home lawns and landscapes. Examples of the research include:
corn rootworm management studies; the use of Bt corn to manage European corn borers, insect defoliators on soybean, using beneficial insects to manage sorghum insects, fly control in feedlots, managing insect pests affecting turfgrass and landscapes, and the distribution and fate of termiticides in soil. The onsite Apiculture lab at the ARDC is utilized for applied research, field days, and other educational programs involving honey bees.
Agronomy and Horticulture
UNL research has played a part in the development of the varieties found in the several million acres of improved perennial pasture grasses grown in Nebraska. We are looking for ways to improve profits for the people whose livelihood depends on grazing animals on these grasses. Research has shown that interseeding legumes helped improve beef gains by 25 to 40 pounds per acre. That translates into about $10 to $20 an acre of additional income. In cooperative research with USDA scientists, switchgrass is being developed into a potential biomass energy crop.
The improved digestibility of the Trailblazer switchgrass has added about $4 million a year to farmers' profits. UNL research is on the leading edge of alfalfa variety development – with over 1,400 variety and germplasm comparisons, more than 30,000 plot harvests and 35+ years of data collection on alfalfa varieties. Commercial companies use the data to determine which varieties to market.
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