The 2026 Bean Growers Day in Grant will be held on Tuesday, Aug. 25, at the Stumpf International Wheat Center. The event will feature several speakers and an industry update.
The western bean cutworm has been prevalent in many dry bean fields this year. Dr. Pin-Chu Lai, Nebraska Extension Entomologist, will give a refresher on how producers can scout their own fields for the pests. She will also give a research update on thrips. “They do overwinter locally and have a wide distribution,” Lai said. One of their objectives moving forward is to look at management thresholds for thrips.
Nebraska Extension Educator John Thomas will provide an update discussing On-Farm Research in dry beans.
“We have five studies altogether this year and with several growers,” Thomas said. “We're looking at everything from varieties of black-eyed peas, which is a type of bean, to populations of black-eyed peas. We're also looking at some biological products on both Great Northerns and pinto beans.”
The free event will be held on Tuesday, Aug. 25, from 8:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. MT, at the Stumpf International Wheat Center, 76025 Rd 329, Grant, Nebraska.
Lunch will be served, and registration is requested to ensure an accurate lunch count. Call 308-352-4340 to register.
Sign up for CCA credits available at this meeting.
Agenda
- 8:30-8:50 a.m. - Sign-in and Coffee
- 8:50-9 a.m. - Welcome Samantha Daniel, Crops and Water Extension Educator
- 9-9:30 a.m. - On-Farm Research Update, John Thomas, Crops and Water Extension Educator
- 9:30-10:10 a.m. - Dry Beans Under Limited Water: 2026 Irrigation Season and New Management Tools, Xin Qiao, Irrigation Specialist
- 10:10-10:50 a.m. - Research Updates on Thrips and Western Bean Cutworm Refresher
- Pin-Chu Lai, Entomology Specialist, and Samantha Daniel, Crops and Water Extension Educator
- 10:50- 11:20 a.m. - Industry Update, Courtney Schuler, Field Operations Manager for Trinidad Benham.
- 11:20 a.m.-12:15 p.m. - Black-eyed Pea Variety Plots, Justin Richardson, Farm Manager, Stumpf Research Facility, plot background. Courtney Schuler and Riley Yermasek, Trinidad Benham, on varieties
- 12:15-1 p.m. - Lunch
- 1-2:15 p.m. - What was Panhandle Weed Science Doing in 2026? Nevin Lawrence, Weeds Specialist
- 2:15 p.m. - Complete Evaluation and Head Home
A big thanks to lunch sponsors: Jacks Bean, Kelley Bean, Trinidad Benham, and the Nebraska Dry Bean Commission.
