Soil & Water Management

Various soil and water management practices exist which will minimize soil loss and evaporative water loss, while providing a good environment for crop establishment.

Monday, April 13, 2020

The connection between soil organic matter and soil water

One benefit of increasing soil organic matter is to store more water in your soil. Why does this happen? Because soil organic matter creates pores in a range of sizes. Exactly how much more water is stored due to soil organic matter will depend on soil texture, though. Animal manures are one option for increasing soil organic matter and soil health.

Thursday, April 2, 2020

Proposed Changes to Nebraska Recommendations for Manure Nitrogen Credit

This article introduces University of Nebraska-Lincoln (UNL) proposed changes in recommendations for crediting manure nitrogen in a crop’s fertility program.

Managing manure for economic and environmental benefit is based, in part, upon our ability to efficiently recycle manure nitrogen (N) between animals and crops. This article introduces University of Nebraska-Lincoln (UNL) proposed changes in recommendations for crediting manure nitrogen in a crop’s fertility program.

Wednesday, February 5, 2020

No-till, Cover Crops, And Planned Grazing Systems Workshop to be held in Norfolk February 12th

If you are interested in learning more about Soil Health, Cover Crops and Nitrogen Management consider attending the No-till cover crops grazing workshop held by the Bazile Groundwater Management Area, Lower Elkhorn Natural Resource District and the NRCS in Norfolk at the Lifelong Learning Center. The workshop will run from 9:00 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. with lunch provided by the Bazile Groundwater Area NRDs.

Monday, April 1, 2019

Why does groundwater nitrate vary so much across Nebraska?

map of groundwater nitrate variability in Nebraska

Have you ever wondered why groundwater nitrate maps show so much variation across Nebraska? Or why wells near to your own tested well have such different nitrate levels? The answer has three parts. Nitrate in groundwater varies from place to place because of differences in:

Thursday, January 31, 2019

Manure Applications Prior to Planting

Spring manure applications may provide environmental and crop production advantages compared to fall manure applications. These benefits include reduced nitrogen leaching, increased crop yields, and higher phosphorus and potassium nutrient soil storage.