Agricultural Irrigation

Agricultural water users can optimize water use efficiency and protect the quality of water resources by applying basic information about irrigation systems, crop water use and management practices.

Wednesday December 12, 2024

Registration open for Nebraska Master Irrigator Design Summits

We are excited to launch Master Irrigator in Nebraska and would like your help to build it! Master Irrigator is a producer-directed comprehensive educational series focused on taking your irrigated acres to the next level. We are hosting a series of Design Summits bringing together farmers, industry, extension, and policy partners. We'll preview and discuss across four key themes:

Wednesday November 11, 2024

Data Shows Limited Economic Impact from Western Bean Cutworm Control in 2024 Sprinkler Corn Competition

During the 2024 growing season, competitors in the sprinkler corn competition were given the opportunity to choose insecticide treatments targeting the western bean cutworm, a moth/caterpillar pest. This decision was based on scouting data gathered by Julie Peterson and her team on July 12, 15 and 19. The scouting report showed that a cumulative 4% of corn plants were infested with either eggs or newly hatched larvae.
Monday August 08, 2024

Full Soil Water Profile Encouraged to Finish Crops Before Harvest

As surface/canal water usually curtails mid-September, extension recommends that Nebraska Panhandle producers ensure their soil water profiles are full to sustain crops through to harvest.
Monday August 08, 2024

Siphon Tubes: Setting Water to Grow Crops in Western Nebraska

A new water research series from Nebraska Extension, this article focuses on the history, construction and use of siphon tubes for crop irrigation.
Wednesday August 08, 2024

Soil Water Tension Sensors to Schedule Irrigation in East-central Nebraska

Nebraska growers share Week 2 results of their irrigation management decisions based on soil moisture sensor data, as part of a new collaboration with extension educators.
Wednesday August 08, 2024

Irrigation Season Could Run Longer for Dry Bean Crop

Updates on crop progress, irrigation water deliveries and crop water use for growers in the Panhandle and western Nebraska.
Monday July 07, 2024

The Drought of 2023 Impact on Irrigation and What We Can Learn from It

The amount and timing of irrigation applied in recent years may have very little to do with what's needed this year. Review the factors before making a decision.
Wednesday June 06, 2024

How to Determine the Chemigation Injection Pump Setting for a Center Pivot with the End Gun Off and On

The key to knowing the correct setting for a chemigation pump is to first determine how many acres per hour the pivot will cover at the desired irrigation application depth or rate.
Friday June 06, 2024

Storm-damaged Pivot Survey

Through this new survey, producers have the opportunity to assist Nebraska Extension with identifying factors that may contribute to increasing or decreasing storm damage to center pivots.
Thursday June 06, 2024

Soil-Water-Plant Interaction Basics

As irrigation season approaches, producers may find it beneficial to review the basics on how soil, water and plants all work together to grow crops.
Thursday May 05, 2024

UNL Researchers Advance Soil Health Cycle Concept

Inspired by an extension event survey comment, Dr. Bijesh Maharjan, associate professor and extension specialist at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln Panhandle Research, Extension and Education Center, conceptualized the soil health cycle (SHC) as an iterative soil health management cycle to achieve agricultural sustainability.
Wednesday April 04, 2024

Pasture and Forage Minute: Early Season Irrigation, Controlling Alfalfa Weevil

Alfalfa is a tough perennial with established rooting depths down eight feet or more. Depending on deep soil profile moisture, some varieties can extend spring dormancy and survive up to 45 days without rainfall. However, forage yields drop dramatically, since alfalfa requires about six inches of root available water to produce one ton of forage per acre.
Thursday March 03, 2024

Yonts Water Conference

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.
Tuesday March 03, 2024

100 years of Nebraska nitrogen

Nitrogen is an essential plant nutrient but increasingly found in our water. Here is a brief history:
Friday February 02, 2024

Nebraska Water Facts

Nebraska means “flat water” from the Omaha Sioux “ni braska” and Oto “ni brathge”/ Nebraskier describing the Platte River. The Platte River was named by early French explorers, also meaning “flat.” The Panhandle is almost 6.5 times higher elevation than the Southeast. (5,424 ft above sea level versus 840 ft). Southeast NE receives 2.5 times as much annual precipitation as the Panhandle (average 33” versus 13”).
Thursday January 01, 2024

TAPS Awards Banquet Culminates 2023 Competitions

See the results of the 2023 UNL-TAPS Competition for sorghum, SDI corn, sprinkler corn and the newest category for the contest — irrigated popcorn.
Wednesday January 01, 2024

Chemigation Training in 2024

Chemigation training for Nebraskans will be offered at nearly 50 in-person sessions from now through April, as well as online.
Friday December 12, 2023

The Importance of Maintaining High Uniformity of Water Application of Center Pivot

The Importance of Maintaining High Uniformity of Water Application of Center Pivot
Thursday November 11, 2023

UNL, Nebraska Company Collaborate on New Value for Pivot Irrigation

A new pivot valve, created by KZValve of Greenwood, Nebraska, has self-power generating capabilities that could potentially be used in partial variable rate irrigation.
Thursday November 11, 2023

Irrigation Varies Amid One of Wetter Seasons in TAPS History

This article provides a brief summary of the irrigation decisions made in the TAPS sorghum, popcorn, SDI corn and sprinkler corn competitions this year.