Better Kansas – July 2, 2020
In today’s Better Kansas, we touch on unusual foods, reading suggestions for kids, Japanese beetles in lawns and gardens, irrigating crops and the effect of high temperature on corn. This is a small glimpse of what K-State Research and Extension across the state has to offer. Share on social media and subscribe! – Mary Lou Peter mlpeter@ksu.edu
Better Living, Better Communities
EVER HAVE THIS EXPERIENCE? YOU’RE LOOKING OVER THE MENU AT A NEW RESTAURANT and you come across an ingredient that has you stumped. You’re reluctant to ask your server what it is, but will you like it? Is it spicy? To help you know your spelt from your couscous and your chia seeds from your ugli fruit (apparently, there is such a thing :), check out Fixing Funky Foods. The article covers unusual fruits, vegetables and grains, including nutrition considerations, facts about food origins and cooking methods. For instance, spelt, also known as dinkel wheat or hulled wheat, has been around since 5,000 BC. This is not to be confused with smelt, a small fish I’d never heard of until I lived in the Chicago area. There’s actually a smelt season!
WE HAVE WEEKS OF SUMMER TO GO AND KEEPING YOUNG KIDDOS BUSY IS EVEN MORE CHALLENGING THAN USUAL. Many community pools and other recreational venues remain closed because of the pandemic, while others have opened but with increased restrictions. Now is a great time to nurture an interest in reading. Not everyone shares my love of reading, but this is always an easy sell for me. I once heard someone say they didn’t encourage their children to read during the summer because they were on vacation. Interesting … I’ve always thought of reading as “a vacation of the mind.” A book can take you places in your mind even when you can’t physically go to those places. Take a look at Suddenly in Charge: Reading with Young Children for suggestions, including specific books and related activities. The fact sheet is in both English and Spanish.
Better Farming, Ranching and Gardening
THIS WARM, SUNNY WEATHER MAY BE SPARKING A QUIET INVASION ACROSS OUR LAWNS AND GARDENS … an invasion of Japanese beetles, that is. And they’re not exactly picky about what they eat. Flowers, trees, shrubs and turfgrass, they love it all and can cause a lot of damage to our lawns and gardens. To learn more, read the entry about this invasive pest in a recent Horticulture Newsletter, which also includes short entries on brown patch in tall fescue lawns, a lack of vegetables on otherwise healthy-looking plants, harvesting garlic and more. Additional information about Japanese beetles is available in the entomology blog. A reminder, if you have a problem with your lawn or garden and are not sure what it is, check with your local K-State Research and Extension office for help in identifying the culprit.
IRRIGATING HUNDREDS OF ACRES OF CROPS IS NO EASY OR INEXPENSIVE PROPOSITION, so farmers want to use that precious water as efficiently as possible. On a recent Agriculture Today podcast, a western Kansas-based K-State specialist offers considerations on striving for top efficiency in crop irrigation this summer. He suggests that producers look at the frequency of watering, touting the idea of irrigating more volume less frequently. Other podcast topics include a segment with a Farm Service Agency official on adjustments that have been made in managing USDA loans for existing borrowers, plus a reminder that the FSA continues to take applications for new direct and guaranteed loans. A segment on how the Kansas wheat harvest is progressing rounds out the program.
KANSAS TEMPERATURES ARE CLIMBING AND WE’RE NOT THE ONLY ONES AFFECTED. Livestock and crops get stressed, too, and corn is at a particularly vulnerable stage of development, especially in the southeast part of the state. For a discussion on heat stress in corn and what it means for vegetative phases, tasseling, pollen shed and silk extrusion, check out June Heat in Kansas, a part of the weekly Agronomy eUpdate newsletter. While you’re there, you might want to take a look at other crop production-related articles.
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For more resources and activities, contact the K-State Research and Extension office in your area. Check out our other blogs and subscribe to our weekly emails here: https://www.ksre.k-state.edu/news/blogs/
