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UNL Water: Agricultural Irrigation

The Nebraska Agricultural Water Management Network

Crop Water Use — Evapotranspiration (ET)

Log on or create an account to use our Online ETgage Tool for quick recording of and access to weekly ET (crop water use) readings.

Videos on evapotranspiration gauges and sensors

  • How to Stage Crop Growth for Managing Crop Water Use (:54)
  • Assembly and Placement of an Evaportranspiration Guage (5:17)
  • How to Assemble and Prepare Watermark Sensors (2:39)
  • Installing Soil Moisture Sensors in the field (4:05)

*Videos require Flash or Quicktime player.

Contact Us & Our Partners

Send Comments/questions for Project Leader to:

Suat Irmak
Soil & Water Resources Engineer
Univ. of Nebraska-Lincoln
Biological Systems Eng.
241 L.W. Chase Hall
Lincoln, NE 68583
Phone: (402) 472-4865
E-mail: sirmak2@unl.edu

Gary Zoubek
Extension Educator
Univ. of Nebraska-Lincoln
2345 Nebraska Av.
York, NE 68467 Chase Hall
Phone: (402) 362-5508
E-mail: gzoubek1@unl.edu

Partners:

Central Nebraska Public Power and Irrigation District (CNPPD)

Little Blue Natural Resources District

NE Network of Natural Resources Districts (NRDs)

NE Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS)

South Central Agricultural Laboratory (SCAL)

Upper Big Blue Natural Resources District

Full List of Project Contacts and Partners

NAWMN ETgage® project

The NAWMN ET gauge project is one part of a system for testing cutting-edge technologies and creating a network with growers, UNL Extension, NRDs, NRCS, and crop consultants, and other interested partners, that will enable the adoption of water and energy conservation practices.

The article "Nebraska Agricultural Water Management DemonstrationNetwork (NAWMDN): Integrating Research and Extension/Outreach" was published in a 2010 journal of the American Society of Agricultural and Biological Engineers. The NAWMN project started in 2005 with about 15 farmer collaborators and has expanded to over 500 collaborators.

See the 2009 survey results from NAWMN collaborators.

The ETgage® is a tool that can be used to mimic evapotranspiration (ET) rates and this information can be utilized for irrigation management. The online ETgage tool gives collaborators an easy-to-use tool for recording readings. This online tool also provides quick, easy access to readings from a specific location.

NAWMDN launched in 2005 and started with 20 growers from south central Nebraska who joined the Network as collaborators.  An online tool, ETgage®, was added in 2008 to enable participation by growers throughout Nebraska. Read more about the NAWMDN project background.

 

 

Did You Know?

Chemigation Training Sessions Planned New!

The Nebraska Chemigation Act was passed in 1987 to help ensure that the ground and surface waters of the state would not be contaminated by backflow of chemicals from irrigation water application systems used to apply crop nutrients and pesticides (chemigation). The law requires a person directly involved in calibrating and monitoring a chemigation system to be certified by the Nebraska Department of Environmental Quality (NDEQ).

To become a certified applicator, the law stipulates that the person attend a training session and pass a written exam to verify their knowledge of the Chemigation Act requirements, procedures for deciding where and when chemigation is appropriate, what safety equipment is required, and how to calibrate the injection equipment. The NDEQ has subcontracted with the University of Nebraska Extension to provide the training, proctor the exam, and deliver the results of the exam.

Dates for upcoming 2012 training sessions, locations, and contact persons. Readmore (pdf).

Nebraska Ag Water Management Network 2010 Survey Results

Over 500 NAWMN participants were sent surveys in early April and 208 from 36 Nebraska counties have been returned.  Total cropland acres reported by responding producers was 342, 250 acres while crop consultants/agri-business and public agency representatives reported 333,667 acres.  On average they reported a water savings of 2.4 inches per acre on corn and 2.1 inches per acre on soybeans.  When asked if they will continue in 2011 98% of the participants responded yesRead more (pdf).    

Nebraska Ag Water Managment Network Efforts Supported by Research

NAWMN is supported by research conducted at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln and South Central Agricultural Laboratory located near Clay Center, Nebraska. Read more (pdf).

(PDF requires free Acrobat Reader)

ETgage and Automatic Weather Station Data is being posted

Producers, Extension Educators, NRD and NRCS employees are regularly posting weekly ETgage change information to the ETgage website. Information from the High Plains Regional Climate Center is also being posted daily. The blue colored locations are National Weather Service Station Data updated daily and includes the past days estimated crop water use or ET for various crop stages of growth as well as the past three weeks average information. The red locations are being posted by volunteers across Nebraska. View ET Data.

 

CropWatch

CropWatch: Water resources & irrigation management; cropping & reference ET

For the most up-to-date cropping information and how to successfully use regional evapotranspiration (ET) estimates, visit the CropWatch Web site. Check out the “Weather: GDD, ET” link. CropWatch is a news service of the University of Nebraska-Lincoln Extension.