Water News Archive

The Nebraska Department of Agriculture has released a new feature article on the manure industry in Nebraska. In the article, which is part one of a two-part series, the author highlights the fact that manure is nature's recycling program.

When planning gardens, people may think about pollinators and select plants to benefit them. Another trend is using rain gardens to catch and hold rainwater. Water and pollinator conservation are two goals achieved with rain gardens. Rain gardens reduce irrigation needs and can decrease the amount of rainwater running off of a property and carrying pollutants to surface water. Rainwater is a valuable resource. Consider collecting some of it with a rain garden that is filled with plants to benefit pollinators.

Calling all crop producers who are considering using poultry manure…and rural citizens who want to learn more about poultry manure management!

Is manure a “Waste” that pollutes our water resources and creates undesirable nuisances for communities? Or, is manure a “Resource” that reduces the demand inorganic fertilizers and improves the health of our soils? A team of university educators and agricultural organizations would like to learn more about the issues most important to you as you make decisions for the use of manure in cropping systems.

As snow and ice are cleared from the driveway and sidewalk, there may be more than frozen water in the shovel.

You hear these terms – “the dead of winter” and “dead to the world”, but what do they really mean?  In most cases, they’re exaggerations or synonyms for other situations; in this case, really cold weather with no end in sight and really, really tired. In the plant world, the question of “is this plant dead?” comes up quite frequently, especially in winter, and especially with broadleaf evergreens such as arborvitae, yews, holly, boxwood and Oregon hollygrape.

Many Nebraska farmers are experienced with using beef feedlot and swine manures as fertility products. Over the next few years, Nebraska crop farmers may have opportunities to consider using broiler poultry litter as a soil amendment and fertilizer. Other regions of the US have a history of using poultry litter in crop production from which we can take away a few lessons.

Algal blooms may occur in bodies of water with excess amounts of nitrogen and phosphorus. These algal blooms are detrimental to fish populations, other animal populations, and possibly human health.

Fall is a great time of the year. Trees develop beautiful fall colors, and then those leaves fall to the ground. Tree leaves are fun to play in as a kid and most everyone loves the crunch sound under your feet as we walk over fallen leaves. However, leaves should not be left on the lawn. This can be damaging to turfgrass and to surface water. It is best to use leaves or remove them. Why Rake

If you raise livestock or poultry, you know it is in your best interest to keep your animals as healthy as possible. Healthy animals grow better. They also produce higher quality products, like meat, milk and eggs, and produce them with greater efficiency when they are healthy. So, along with keeping animals well fed and watered, comfortable, and safe, it is important to keep them healthy by minimizing their exposure to disease-causing organisms.

Groundwater Protection: It’s Up to Everyone  If you think about the water cycle, you begin to realize the water we use every day, is in essence, recycled. There’s no new water, we are drinking some of the same water the dinosaurs drank! Keeping our drinking water sources safe begins with each of us. There are many things everyone can do to assist with groundwater protection whether you live in an urban or rural area.

When a tree fails, it is sometimes difficult to determine the cause.  In many cases, it is due to a failure to spread the roots out in the planting hole or simply planting it too deeply.  Doing so leads to girdling or lack of an adequate amount of oxygen, resulting in death.  Other than the correct planting procedure, lack of good follow-up care is the next most common cause.  Each is very important in ensuring a successful planting.  Just like planting errors, many follow-up procedures can be done improperly or forgotten altogether.

There is still time to plant shade trees this fall, but know that fertilization and the addition of root stimulant products have been shown to have little or no effect on how quickly a tree establishes. However, the unnecessary use of these products could lead to an increase in nutrients in surface water that can impair water ecosystems. Fertilizer and root stimulant products are not recommended unless a soil test indicates they are needed.

Reducing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions may seem like extra work that can hurt business, but in reality best management practices for reducing GHG emissions can be economical. These practices may also have other benefits such as reducing unpleasant odors. There are two main areas where producers can reduce significant amounts of greenhouse gases. Best management practices to increase production efficiency and reduce methane produced from cattle digestion of feed can be used alongside manure management techniques.

While the North American Manure Expo may not reach bucket level status for your vacation plans, for anyone replacing or upgrading equipment for managing manure, it is the place to be. One emerging theme common at this year’s Manure Expo was “Precision Manure”. This article will share a few observations around my conversations with vendors and manure applicators on “Precision Manure”.

Manure storage and its application on crop land may contribute a form of environmental contamination: antimicrobial resistant bacteria. These bacteria in manure are perceived to cause diseases in humans through environmental contamination. However, a recent study in University of Nebraska-Lincoln feedlots near Mead, Nebraska concluded that long-term manure storage as static stockpiles has the advantage of inactivating antimicrobial resistant bacteria, and it has potential to reduce antimicrobial resistance genes.

Center pivot irrigation systems have several potential hazards, so personal safety is a priority!

Center pivots operation below or above the designed water pressure can create uniformity issues across the field and/or increase operating expenses.