Crop Production

As planting is critical for everything else that happens during the growing season, the dry conditions have led to a variety of questions this planting season regarding soil conditions, planting depth, irrigation and herbicides.

The prices of synthetic fertilizers have increased significantly over the last year leaving growers and even homeowners facing the decision of finding alternative sources of nutrients. One great option is the use of manure or compost from a local farm or from your own operation. The use of manure in gardening can loosen compacted soil, increase carbon in the soil, and reduce surface runoff and leaching all while providing nutrients that your plants need. While this option is great, it is important to be aware of the potential carry over of herbicides in manure from grazing animals.

University of Nebraska-Lincoln (UNL) has changed recommendations for crediting nitrogen following manure applications for field crops. New research has shown that most manures are similar changing the organic-nitrogen availability factors.

In the Nebraska Panhandle, Gary Stone is raining down knowledge for local growers looking for a little help. Find out what he's been up to out west in this installment of Digging into Extension.

A review of the history of irrigation in the Great Plains region from a geographical, technical and political perspective, as well as how it has impacted water resources.

A research paper by University of Nebraska–Lincoln scientists points to an innovative irrigation approach that offers promise to decrease water use while increasing producer profitability.

When talking about manure's value, one needs to think about a variety of factors. Most folks think of fertilizer nutrients as manure’s primary value or MVP, but it takes more than one or two star players to make a great team. As such, manure wouldn't be as great as it is without other characteristics like the added organic matter that you get when applying manure, or the microbial community that is added to your field with that application.

The Testing Ag Performance Solutions (TAPS) program is excited to offer a new six-part series focused on water, nitrogen and “Effective Conservation Technologies and Management Practices for Corn Production,” as the practicum is titled.

A recent article by Dr. Steve Evett and others traces the history of irrigation in the Great Plains region from a geographical, technical, and political perspective as well as how it has impacted the water resources

With the recent increase in fertilizer prices, it is more important than ever to use the right amount of fertilizer to maximize the economic returns. Applying too little or too much fertilizer can result in substantial economic loss.

Fertility is critical to a good crop, so we know not to ignore our crop fertility needs, but we don’t always think about ways we may be able to trim costs by better utilizing local nutrients. Manure has many benefits, including some related to soil health, but perhaps the most recognized benefit is that manure contains the nutrients our crops need. Manure isn’t always an inexpensive product, but it contains multiple nutrients that are highly valued when planning your fertility program.

Scheduling the last few irrigations of the season deserves more of your management time than earlier irrigations because one must not only focus on keeping the crop wet enough to produce optimal yields, but also on using up enough of the stored soil water to lower the level to 40% of plant available water in the top four feet. This level will give about 2.4 inches of water storage room in sandy soils and about 5.5 inches in silt loam soils. Unfortunately, many irrigators leave the soil fairly wet with little to no storage room according to a recent study.

Nitrate Challenges

Irrigation is in full swing for the North Platte Valley in the Panhandle of Nebraska.  Water deliveries by the four major irrigation districts (Pathfinder, Gering-Fort Laramie, Goshen and Farmers) are expected to be near normal. The districts hope to deliver water to growers through the first week in September. Link to full article

This FREE event on 4Rs of Nutrient Stewardship features knowledge and tools to improve nutrient management, soil health, crop yields and water quality. This is a great opportunity to learn about 4Rs strategies to improve crop yield and profits while protecting the environment. Earn 4.5 CEUs on Nutrient Management. Link to full article and registration information

Part 5 of a series about basic water law in the United States, predominately in the western part of the country, and how it affects this finite resource. Water law can be traced back to Roman times and also has roots in English common law. Across the United States, it varies from state to state, and from East to West. When conflicts arise, courts usually determine the outcome, unless there are state or federal laws or previous case studies to resolve the issue. Exceptions to the law can arise from differences in each state’s water laws.

This year’s Land Application Recertification sessions, called Applying Manure Management Concepts On-Farm, are scheduled to be in-person at many locations across the state in June, with one taking place in May in Lexington. Manure trainings earlier this year were held virtually, but we’re making progress, and that means we’re looking forward to seeing everyone in-person for the next manure event.