Crop Production

The production of crops is the heart of Nebraska's economy. Water is essential to all plant growth. Thus Nebraska's economy relies on a plentiful supply of water to produce crops – in both rainfed and irrigated environments. Several factors involved with producing crops interact with either water supply or water quality issues – or both.

Thursday May 29, 2025

Managing Corn Irrigation in South-central Nebraska: Insights for 2025 Under New Groundwater Allocations

infographic about irrigation during allocations
Cutting irrigation doesn’t have to cut yield — as groundwater allocations take effect, 2024 field data show high corn yields are achievable within new NRD limits. Now’s the time to adopt proven scheduling tools and strategies to make every inch count.
Friday June 13, 2025

How is Crop ET Used for Irrigation Decisions?

graphical representation of corn evapotranspiring
Your crop is talking. Crop ET helps you listen. Use crop evapotranspiration to know when and how much to irrigate.
Thursday April 10, 2025

Using Irrigation Scheduling Tools to Save Water Without Sacrificing Yield

irrigation scheduling graphic overlaid on field
Results from a series of UNL field trials in 2024 that compared traditional irrigation practices with data-driven scheduling tools highlight the potential for smarter irrigation to boost sustainability and reduce costs on the farm.
Friday May 2, 2025

Efficiency’s Role in Irrigation and Nitrogen Use

center pivot watering field
Advanced tools like soil moisture sensors, variable rate irrigation, and precision nitrogen management are driving gains in input efficiency and on-farm profitability.
Wednesday April 23, 2025

Introducing PLAN: Mobile Irrigation Management App

mobile phone showing app overlay on center pivot photo
Unlock real-time, in-field decision-making with UNL's new PLAN mobile app — bringing irrigation insights, crop water use and weather data straight to your fingertips.
Thursday May 8, 2025

Ten Ways to Cut Nitrogen Fertilizer Expenses

nitrogen facts infographic
With urea ammonium nitrate in short supply, Nebraska corn growers must make every pound of nitrogen count — start optimizing your N strategy today with these UNL recommendations and tools.
Monday May 19, 2025

Groundwater regulation impacts on Nebraska land values

Center pivot irrigating corn

With new regulations being implemented in Nebraska because of falling groundwater levels, you may be wondering how they will impact the value of agricultural lands in those regions. Ag economists from the University of Nebraska - Lincoln and Daugherty Water for Food Global Institute analyzed what has happened historically. Their findings: Land values were unaffected by groundwater allocations. Neither allocations or well moratoria had any significant effect on the value of land that had already been developed for irrigation. Well moratoria reduced the value of dryland acres by 9%.

Thursday January 2, 2025

Ready, Set, Spread: Manure Application Workshops Across Nebraska

Register for a Manure Application Workshop Near You
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.
Wednesday January 29, 2025

Registration open for Nebraska Master Irrigator Design Summits

irrigation pivot watering crop field

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:

Phenology

Simulating Crop Phenology by Gregory S. McMaster, from The Regional Institute, 4th International Crop  Science Congress, 2004. Simulating Crop Phenological Responses to Water by Gregory McMaster, John White, A. Weiss, P. Baenziger, Wallace Willhelm, J. Porter, P, Jamieson; USDA Agricultural Research Service; Jan. 2008.

The production of crops is the heart of Nebraska's economy. Water is essential to all plant growth. Thus Nebraska's economy relies on a plentiful supply of water to produce crops – in both rainfed and irrigated environments. Several factors involved with producing crops interact with either water supply or water quality issues – or both.