Crop Production

“How much is this manure worth?” This is a common question from both livestock farmers who are supplying manure and crop farmers who are utilizing it. To answer this question, it is important to understand the difference between gross value and net value. The gross value of manure reflects the equivalent commercial fertilizer value of the nutrients contained in the manure. The net value considers the impacts of application method, transportation, and cropping system nutrient needs as well as intrinsic values that are much more difficult to put a number on. Therefore, this article will focus on determining the gross value of nutrients in manure.

Nitrogen is an essential plant nutrient but increasingly found in our water. Here is a brief history:

Turning manure nutrients into better crop yields while protecting the environment will be the focus of ten Nebraska Extension Land Application Training workshops being held across the state this February and March.

The 2025 Nutrient Management Calendars are now available from the Nebraska Extension. This easy-to-use record keeping calendar tracks manure-related records for livestock and cropping operations. It serves as a guide for livestock operations that are required by the State of Nebraska to keep records. It was designed to be used by all sizes of livestock operations and includes all records required for operations permitted for the National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES).

A manure workshop will be held in conjunction with the Confronting Cropping Challenges programs at two locations, Randolph and Neligh. The manure workshop will help row-crop farmers Save Money and Resist Stress, and it is designed for crop producers using manure on their cropland. You do not need to own your own livestock to attend. Participants can choose to attend either the Confronting Cropping Challenges program, the manure workshop, or both.

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.

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

Updates on crop progress, irrigation water deliveries and crop water use for growers in the Panhandle and western 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.

Nebraska Extension will host a Nitrogen Sources and Water Quality Field Day on August 13, 2024, from 9:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m., at the Haskell Ag Lab near Concord, NE.

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.

Part 3 in a series of 3, this article explains the what you need to know when you want to apply for USDA Natural Resource Conservation Service's Environmental Quality Incentives Program, known as EQIP.

Part 2 in a series of 3, this article explains the what to think about when considering applying for the USDA Natural Resource Conservation Service's Environmental Quality Incentives Program, known as EQIP.

Part 1 in a series of 3, this article explains the basics of the USDA Natural Resource Conservation Service's Environmental Quality Incentives Program, known as EQIP.

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.

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.

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.

Several factors affect corn and soybean survival in flooded soils at early season growth stages. This Nebraska Extension article reviews considerations for growers concerned about impacts to seed germination for these crops.