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Articles by Gary Stone
Wildfires open pastures and ranges to invasive plants
Aftermath of the Morrill fire in the Sandhills of Nebraska. Photo by Gary Stone OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA The devastation the wildfires across Nebraska have caused this past year is unimaginable. Communities and people’s lives have changed forever. The estimated total acres burned in Nebraska by wildfires in 2026 to date is 981,502, with the Morrill Fire in the Sandhills estimated at 642,029 acres.
Wildfires open pastures and ranges to invasive plants
Share this story Morrill fire aftermath in the Sandhills of Nebraska. Gary Stone / Nebraska Extension | courtesy photo OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA Ventenata [Ventenata dubia (Leers) Coss.], left and Medusahead [Taeniatherum caput-medusae (L.) Nevski ], right.
Nebraska Extension helps mitigate invasive cheatgrass in Nebraska rangeland
A treated cheatgrass area on the left after four years, and an untreated area on the right. Photo by Gary Stone Cheatgrass-RFP-082426 Western Nebraska ranchers and land managers face major challenges with invasive grasses invading the rangeland and Pine Ridge. Estimates of over 20 percent, or approximately 2.3 million acres, of the Nebraska Panhandle alone are infested with invasive grasses, predominantly cheatgrass.
Nebraska extension helps mitigate invasive cheatgrass in Nebraska rangeland
Western Nebraska ranchers and land managers face major challenges with invasive grasses invading the rangeland and Pine Ridge. Estimates of over 20 percent, or approximately 2.3 million acres, of the Nebraska Panhandle alone are infested with invasive grasses, predominantly cheatgrass. In addition to impacting the environment and native forb and grass forage production for livestock, cheatgrass poses an extreme fire hazard when mature.
Crop Water Use for June 9-16, 2026
By Gary Stone and Xin Qiao The estimated crop water use for Nebraska Panhandle and northeast Colorado crops for the previous week is shown in the tables below. The tables are based on data gathered and calculations made by Gary Stone, Nebraska Extension educator, and Dr. Xin Qiao, extension irrigation and water management specialist, both based at the UNL Panhandle Research and Extension Center in Scottsbluff, Nebraska.
Nebraska Extension releases results on Rhizobium inoculant on dry edible beans
A combine harvests a field of dry beans treated with the inoculant. Photo by Gary Stone OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA A three-year on-farm research study evaluated Exceed Superior Legume Inoculant on dry edible bean production. The active ingredient is Rhizobium leguminorsarum biovar phaseoli. The dry inoculant was thoroughly blended with seed in the planter box before planting at a rate of 82.5 ounces per 1,500 pounds of seed. The dry edible beans were direct harvested (Fig.
Yonts Water Conference delivers low irrigation outlook
Crystal Powers, Nebraska Extension statewide educator, discusses nitrogen applications at the 2026 Yonts Water Conference. Photo courtesy Nebraska Extension Yonts3-RFP-042026 The annual Yonts Water Conference, held on Wednesday, April 8, packed the auditorium and overflowed into side rooms, with 270 attendees at the Panhandle Research Extension and Education Center in Scottsbluff.
Nebraska Extension provides Panhandle Seasonal Crop Water Requirements
A team from the Nebraska Extension has compiled crop water requirements for producers before they plant. Photo by Gary Stone OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA With the current drought situation across the region and the questionable surface irrigation water deliveries for the 2026 growing season in the North Platte River valley, producers have been asking how much water it takes to grow various crops in the area. The table below the estimated crop water requirements/use for the main crops grown in the area.
Yonts Water Conference: A 2026 outlook on irrigation, weather, and more
(Goshen/Gering - Fort Laramie Irrigation District’s Tunnel No. 2 before work started on it this spring. The Yonts Water Conference will have an update on its progress. Photo by Gary Stone) By Gary Stone, Nebraska Extension Educator SCOTTSBLUFF -- The Nebraska Extension will host the 2026 Yonts Water Conference on Wednesday, April 8, beginning at 8:45 a.m., at the Panhandle Research, Extension, and Education Center.
Irrigation water availability and risk management considerations for 2026 crops
Pathfinder Reservoir walkway along the top of the dam. Photo by Chabella Guzman Water-RFP-022326 Current snowpack in the headwaters of the North Platte River Basin continues to be below average. Wyoming reservoir water levels on the North Platte River are Pathfinder at 33 percent full, requiring 722,530 acre-feet to fill. Seminoe is 32 percent full, requiring 689,042 acre-feet to fill.
On-Farm Research results meeting scheduled in February
Nebraska Extension On-Farm Research dry bean plot harvest. Photo by Gary Stone Research-RFP-012626 The 2026 Nebraska Extension On-Farm Research Results meeting for the Panhandle is scheduled from 8:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m., Thursday, Feb. 26, at the Knight Museum, 908 Yellowstone Ave., Alliance. Topics for this year’s meeting include results from the 2025 on-farm grower research projects in the Panhandle.
On-farm research plots harvest last of dry beans
Dry bean harvest in the Panhandle is usually completed by the first several weeks in October. Still, due to unforeseen weather delays that plague harvest in the fall, Nebraska Extension Water and Crops Educators John Thomas and Gary Stone completed the last of their Nebraska Extension On-Farm Dry Bean Research plots this week (Oct. 20-24).
On-Farm Research Plots Harvest Last of Dry Beans
By Gary Stone Dry bean harvest in the Panhandle is usually completed by the part of October. Still, due to unforeseen weather delays that plague harvest in the fall, Nebraska Extension Water and Cropping Systems Educators John Thomas and Gary Stone completed the last of their Nebraska Extension on-farm dry bean research plots Oct. 20-24.
Groundbreaking for tunnel replacement, construction scheduled to begin
Share this story It has been six years since the tunnel collapse and canal breach on the Goshen/Gering-Fort Laramie main line canal, which curtailed water deliveries to over 107,000 acres in Nebraska and Wyoming for 44 days. Replacement for tunnel No. 2 on the Goshen/Gering-Fort Laramie canal will begin this fall. A groundbreaking ceremony will take place on Tuesday, Oct.
Update to the ACREE app Irrigation scheduling tool
In April 2025, the first version of the mobile irrigation management app — PLAN (https://cropwatch.unl.edu/introducing-plan-mobile-irrigation-management-app/) was launched. At the time of release, Qiao and his team were working on an irrigation scheduling tool, specifically designed for producers who don’t have access to soil moisture probes. This scheduling feature is now live and ready for use by all Nebraska producers.
PHREC Irrigation and Digital Ag Lab introduces app for mobile irrigation management
Since 2020, the PHREC Irrigation and Digital Agriculture lab has successfully operated a web-based dashboard (https://phrec-irrigation.com/#/) to support the Peer Learning Agricultural Networkor PLAN. This platform has enabled growers to access critical data, including real-time soil moisture readings, disease outbreak risks, and weekly crop water use information for the Nebraska Panhandle region.
Yonts Water Conference updates growers on runoff estimates
The 2025 Yonts Water Conference was held on April 9 at the Panhandle Research, Extension, and Education Center in Scottsbluff. It is named in honor of Dean Yonts, who was the center’s irrigation specialist for many years. The snowpack/snowmelt runoff estimates delivered by the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation in Mills, Wyo., for the upper North Platte River basin were presented at the conference.
Siphon Tubes: Setting Water to Grow Crops in Western Nebraska
For some of us growing up on the farm where surface irrigation was prevalent, the irrigation siphon tube has been and still is utilized to irrigate crops across Nebraska and the world. Learning how to “set” the siphon tube, moving the tubes from set to set, field to field, “digging (row) ends,” and dealing with ditch washouts, gophers, moles, mosquitoes, and other critters does not always bring back fond memories! What is an irrigation siphon tube?
Irrigation deliveries to end in mid-September as harvest approaches
Crops in the North Platte Valley and the Panhandle are doing well. This is good for the growers as irrigation deliveries will shut down beginning Sept. 16. According to a Pathfinder Irrigation District press release, the Interstate Canal system irrigation deliveries will terminate as water levels in the canal drop. The Supply Canal, High Line Canal, and Low Line Canal will be shut down on Sept. 18. Irrigation deliveries will terminate as water levels drop in these canals.
Panhandle Research Extension and Education Center Cuts Corn Plots for Silage
By Chabella Guzman and Gary Stone Temperatures will remain warm for this time of year, and harvest continues for dry beans and sugar beets. “Early-planted dry beans will need a good three to four weeks of good weather to finish out,” said Gary Stone, Nebraska Extension educator. Corn silage is another crop being harvested in western Nebraska. The silage is the result of chopping the whole corn plant and packing it in a way that will ferment.
Sugar Beets Begin Harvest, but Water Still Necessary for Maturing Crops
By Chabella Guzman and Gary Stone Western Sugar began its early harvest on Monday, Sept. 2, and sugar beets are beginning to pile up in the yard before heading into the factory for slicing and processing. “We’ve been running for a day and a half, and our sugar content is 15.4, a record high for this time of year,” said Jerry Darnell, Vice President of Agriculture, South Region for Western Sugar.
Center Pivots: Innovation That Grew Crops and Acres in Nebraska
The center pivot is the one invention that has changed the irrigated agricultural landscape worldwide. Center pivot irrigation has increased irrigation water use efficiency and reduced labor costs. It has also allowed agricultural development on marginal land with varying soil types and topography. Irrigated acres in Nebraska have increased from 3,998,000 acres (1960) to 9,378,462 acres (2022).
Center pivots: Innovation that grew crops and acres in Nebraska
The center pivot is the one invention that has changed the irrigated agricultural landscape worldwide. Center pivot irrigation has increased irrigation water use efficiency and reduced labor costs. It has also allowed agricultural development on marginal land with varying soil types and topography. Irrigated acres in Nebraska have increased from 3,998,000 acres (1960) to 9,378,462 acres (2022).
Center pivots: Innovation that grew crops and acres in Nebraska
The center pivot is the one invention that has changed the irrigated agricultural landscape worldwide. Center pivot irrigation has increased irrigation water use efficiency and reduced labor costs. It has also allowed agricultural development on marginal land with varying soil types and topography. Irrigated acres in Nebraska have increased from 3,998,000 acres (1960) to 9,378,462 acres (2022).
Planting and crops looking good in the Panhandle
The Nebraska Panhandle crop report for the weekend ending May 17, shows despite a slight delay in planting due to wet fields, the sugar beet crop is planted and emerging. Corn planting should be completed by this time next week. Corn is also emerging across the Panhandle. Winter wheat looks good to particularly good across the southern and northern Panhandle growing areas. Alfalfa is progressing towards the first cutting, with a few reports of alfalfa weevil showing up.
Planting and Crops Looking Good in the Panhandle
By Gary Stone The Nebraska Panhandle crop report for the weekend ending May 17, shows despite a slight delay in planting due to wet fields, the sugar beet crop is planted and emerging. Corn planting should be completed by this time next week. Corn is also emerging across the Panhandle. Winter wheat looks good to particularly good across the southern and northern Panhandle growing areas. Alfalfa is progressing towards the first cutting, with a few reports of alfalfa weevil showing up.
Start scouting now for alfalfa weevil
Alfalfa weevil has been an early season pest of the alfalfa forage crop in the Panhandle region reducing hay yield and quality. More recently, insecticide regulation and resistance brought new challenges to alfalfa weevil management. With the warmer temperatures we have had in the past few weeks and warmer temperatures on the way, producers should start scouting alfalfa fields for the alfalfa weevil now and in the coming weeks.
Start Scouting Now For Alfalfa Weevil
Julie Peterson Alfalfa weevil has been an early season pest of the alfalfa forage crop in the Panhandle region reducing hay yield and quality. More recently, insecticide regulation and resistance brought new challenges to alfalfa weevil management. With the warmer temperatures we have had in the past few weeks and warmer temperatures on the way, producers should start scouting alfalfa fields for the alfalfa weevil now and in the coming weeks.
Construction on canal tunnels could begin in fall
The 2024 Yonts Water Conference, on April 10, hosted representatives from the Goshen Irrigation District and HDR Engineering, who presented an update on the progress of replacing the tunnels on the Goshen and Gering-Fort Laramie Irrigation Districts 129-mile-long mainline canal. “We’ve selected a contractor, Atkinson Construction, a relatively large full-service construction company that has a focused underground division specifically focused on constructing tunnels in North America.
Nebraska Extension hosts Yonts Water Conference in April
The Yonts Water Conference will be held on Wednesday, April 10, at the Panhandle Research, Extension, and Education Center, in Scottsbluff. The morning begins at 8:30 a.m. with registration. The conference will begin at 9 a.m. with Xin Qiao, Nebraska Extension water and irrigation management specialist. He will discuss ways to improve irrigation efficiencies and give a research update on new irrigation technologies.
Army Cutworm Scouting Urged in Western Nebraska Wheat and Alfalfa
Jeff Bradshaw and Billy Jones, CCA With the recent warm weather in Western Nebraska, army cutworms have been spotted in southern Sioux County and central Lincoln County. With spring approaching, this pest may be seen in Nebraska crop fields in the near future. It is an important time to scout for army cutworm, particularly in winter wheat and alfalfa.
Brisbane deacon and veteran reveals dismay over shocking SAS war crimes | The Catholic Leader
War crimes: Chief of the Australian Defence Force General Angus Campbell delivers the findings from the Inspector-General of the Australian Defence Force Afghanistan Inquiry on November 19 in Canberra.
The five most important lessons from 30 years of investing in stocks
The stock market bug first bit me in 1990. I became obsessed with analysing companies and predicting whether the price of their stock would go up, down or sideways. I devoured annual reports, financial newspapers and magazines and books on investing. Back then, I did what conventional wisdom advised: put my money in managed funds. But when the spreadsheet I'd built on my state-of-the-art DOS computer revealed how much I'd pay in fees over the next 40 years, my jaw hit the ground.
Podcasts - Fossil Fuels Remain the Lifeblood of the Economy (Guest: Gary Stone)
March 24, 2020 By H. Sterling Burnett, Gary L. Stone The oil and gas industries are beset by a myriad of economic and political headwinds, but remain vital to U.S. economic prosperity. Oil, gas, and coal provide 80% of the energy used to power the economy and will remain vital to U.S. economic progress for decades to come.
MiFID II: What happens after July 3 if an issuer doesn’t have an LEI?
MiFID II’s “No LEI, No trade” policy, and the six months relief from this obligation that ESMA had to issue in December, have been widely discussed1.
The market practitioner's MiFID II calendar for 2018
Arguably, one of the reasons MiFID II went live relatively smoothly was that compliance in some of the areas that could have derailed a successful launch was pushed out.
MiFID II's beacon begins to illuminate the world
On 3 January 2018, MiFID II introduced transparency requirements for bonds, structured finance products, emission allowances and derivatives for instruments that trade on an EU trading venue (TOTV).
To be or not to be an SI, that is the question | Bloomberg Professional Services
Being a systematic internaliser (SI) comes with a lot of responsibilities.
Will diverging Member State approaches result in 28 flavors of MiFID II? | Bloomberg Professional Services
When EU policymakers drafted MiFID II, they were concerned that uneven national transposition of the rules could cause competitiveness distortions and lead to gaps in investor protection.
How to manage OTC trade reporting obligations: Just ask! | Bloomberg Professional Services
2. Why are implementation issues emerging now? The FCA has indicated it will prioritise regulatory reporting, i.e. trade reporting, transaction reporting and commodity position limit reporting.
ECHO review (PS4) | This Is Xbox
We all have different styles of playing when we game – whether you are naturally an aggressive player compared to a tactician, a defensive thinker compared to a brawler; we can always play to our strengths. What would happen then if the game you were playing learnt from your actions and used them against you? Welcome Echo. . . Echo starts by introducing us to En; a young female wearing a blood-soaked dress awakes from cryosleep in the middle of deep space on her way to “The Palace”.
Why MiFID II Matters in Asia
But it’s worth noting that the EU subsidiary of an Asian institution is considered a European legal entity. It is not Asian. And even a branch will be subject to MiFID when carrying out investment activities. There are obviously mixed opinions about how each firm should be dealing with this. Asia seems to only be starting to have proper discussions with regulatory solution providers, lawyers, industry bodies, and consultants. Why do you think that is?
For U.S. and non-EU firms, MiFID II is more than just research
"What do I need to do to retain access to EU liquidity?" "Do I need to assist my EU clients in reporting trades to an EU APA?" "What is an order execution policy and will my EU customers/investors expect me to provide them with one?" Becoming "MiFID II Friendly" - As we speed toward the 3 January 2017 implementation date, U.S. and non-EU brokerage and investment management firms are realizing that many aspects of MiFID II may impact them.
Are There Limits to Fair Access? Exchanges Should Define the Customer Experience
BATS has opened the door for exchanges to potentially compete on the basis of the “customer” interaction and that experience rather than simply on price, speed and market data. Denial of direct access is a lot of power to grant to an exchange and its SRO. However, the objective, quantitatively based way that BATS defined Rule 12.15 violations in our opinion is an appropriate approach. BATS was clear that it wanted to steer away from behavioral intent, a qualitative measure.
‘Bid this Bond’ Part II: Practical Implementation of Prescriptive Regulation
Moreover, the techniques the sell side uses to assess asset quality will be of particular value to the buy side as more and more regulators in the years ahead shift focus from the sell side to the buy side to address liquidity and redemption risk. Proposed regulations in the U.S. (i.e., SEC 22e-4) and Europe (i.e., MiFID II) are beginning to address how regulators want firms to assess, monitor, manage and adjust trading methods based on the liquidity risk of their portfolios.
‘Bid This Bond’ - How Regulation Will Change Trader and Sales-Trader Workflow
This conclusion was again confirmed at the Bloomberg Trading Solutions Sell Side Forum in New York on Feb. 9, when we asked an audience of fixed income sales traders: “Are you reducing your ability to supply liquidity to your customers?” The vast majority of respondents cited lack of profitability and market conditions, such as negative carry, little volatility and flow, as being the culprit (see Figure 1, below).
MiFID II Clock Synchronization Advice: Don’t Drop the Mic (Part 2)
The market structures of liquid securities are converging – they are all becoming faster, fragmented and more competitive. Order routers are being used to stitch these markets back together into a virtual central limit order book and efficiently navigate between the indicative and firm quotes.
How MiFID II Affects the Sell Side, Part 2: Challenges for Trading, Trade Management and Operations
This is Part 2 of a series on how MiFID II affects the sell side. Part 1, which covered pre-trade challenges, can be viewed here. This article is by Mark Croxon, Ray Tierney and Gary Stone. As discussed in Part 1, MiFID II touches on just about every aspect of the sell side’s business. As implementing the regulation will require a considerable amount of work, in this piece we explore what the challenges are for trading, trade management and operations, and how sell-side players should approach them.
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