The Custer County Corn Growers association hosted their 2025 Plot Tour Monday evening, September 8. A member of the Nebraska Corn Growers Association (NeCGA), the Custer County Association supports research, provides education and advocates for farm-policy solutions at the local, state and federal levels.
Crop numbers looking good
The tour featured a number of hybrid corn varieties typically planted in Custer County from 8 different seed companies. Producer and tour host Ethan Zoerb planted the test plots in early May, and applied the last herbicide application via a drone around August 1.
According to Zoerb, southern rust has been a problem this year, as well as tar spot fungus beginning to come into the area. The latter can often be addressed through planting a resistant hybrid, said Zoerb.
Area farmers and others were able to examine the crops up-close. Optimistic estimates earlier in the year of record yields are being revised slightly downward. However, the overall assessment of the test plots was that the corn looked “pretty good”.
Nebraska Corn Growers Association highlight research, advocacy
Advocacy for producers was a particular topic during the evening. For the Corn Growers Association, this includes meetings with state and federal representatives, as well as administration officials such as Secretary of Agriculture Brook Rollins. NeCGA President Michael Dibbern was on hand, and discussed his conversations with Secretary Rollins.
“Its not every day that we get the US Secretary of Ag to come to Nebraska,” Dibbern said. One thing I brought up that she hadn’t heard about was fertilizer prices. Our input prices, obviously all of them due to inflation have been exacerbated, but fertilizer was one that I really wanted to point out because it is something that usually correlates with energy prices in other sectors as much of it comes from fossil fuel derived products. But even though the fossil fuels energy have gone down, a lot of our fertilizers have not, they’ve gone the opposite way.”
Ongoing research supported by the Custer County and Nebraska Corn Growers involves analysis of data collected on farms for more than 30 years to determine the best times to apply fertilizer and herbicides, and the best hybrids to plant on a particular plot of land.
According to the NeCGA, research using data from Nebraska farmers was used to directly support Nebraska’s US Congressional staff. Many of the provisions supported by the NeCGA made it into the “One Big Beautiful Bill” signed into law in July.
At the same time, the Association is advocating for data privacy laws laws closer to home, such as Nebraska LB 525, the Agricultural Data Privacy Act to prevent agricultural data from being inappropriately sold or used without the farmer’s consent.
Greeneye Technology show off advanced herbicide application system
Greeneye Technology was on hand to show off their precision herbicide application systems. Greeneye is based out of Tel Aviv, Israel, but has assembly facilities located in Exeter, Nebraska. The system is consists of replacement booms for farmer’s existing spray applicators, an advanced lighting and camera system, and artificial intelligence (AI) computer systems. Working together, the spray system identifies weeds and applies herbicide in an area as little as 10 by 10 inches.
The technology should allow farmers to decrease costs and increase income, according to Guy Mills, the Custer County Representative to the NeCGA.
“They tell me we can reduce our second pass herbicides by as high as 90%. It has little cameras that can spot a weed as small as a match head, and then will turn on and spray that little weed”, says Mills. “This is one of the things that helps farmers do more with less.”
Greeneye’s Ryan Sullivan indicated that next steps in the technology may include application of micro-nutrients to select areas in a field depending on individual plants’ needs.
“The applications of this system are limitless based on training of the AI system”, Sullivan stated.
Custer County Corn Growers showcase local support
After the tour and applicator discussion, dinner at Dale Zoerb’s Sherman County farm featured a live painting session by Litchfield teacher and artist Allison Varah. New and existing Custer County Corn Growers members were entered to win a print of the painting created at the event.
In addition, host Ethan Zoerb noted that the funds raised from seed companies who pay to be a part of the test plots, in turn fund three $750 scholarships administered through the Custer County Foundation.
More information on Custer County Corn Growers advocacy, research and events can be found at the Nebraska Corn Grower’s Association website.
