Water News Archive

PhD student Gustavo Castro shares some of the challenges of managing animal mortality in livestock production, focusing on routine and large-scale events due to disease outbreaks or natural disasters. This article discusses carcass disposal by burial, best practice for siting burial pits, prevention of groundwater contamination, and logistical challenges caused by large-scale mortality events.

Wildfires were headline news in 2023, including the Lahaina, Hawaii fire and scores of fires across Canada and Nebraska. It’s comfortable to think a devastating wildfire can’t happen in your area, but it’s better to be aware of the possibility and be prepared. Learn the aspects of Fire Smart Landscaping including creating a defensible space, planning ahead for a fire event, and management of the surrounding landscapes to decrease potential fire damage.  

Recent flooding events beginning May 20-21, 2024 in portions of the state have some concerned about the need to replant corn when waters recede. It’s important to assess potential recovery before making replant decisions.

Extension insights on crop recovery, disease and harvest considerations for flooded wheat and alfalfa fields.

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.

This year’s theme is “Tech Talks — Tech Walks,” focusing on various technologies, with tours planned at a local organic heritage seed farm and North Platte NRD's geothermal greenhouse.

This year's 4Rs Field Day will feature a demonstration on UNL's newly developed web-based N tool, designed to increase efficiency of nitrogen use, as well as ease of record-keeping.

Insights on how wet field conditions affect compaction and ways to mitigate compaction when field work can't be delayed.

Nebraskans in the eastern part of the state have recently experienced good rainfall during April and early May. This was a much-needed relief, especially considering the dry winter with minimal rainfall/snowfall and the dry 2023 growing season. While rainfall is always welcomed, assessing whether the received rainfall was sufficient to recharge soil moisture to adequate levels is not an easy task. This information plays a crucial role in planning the first irrigation event of the season and estimating the duration until water deficit begins to affect crops in dryland fields.

Inspired by an extension event survey comment, Dr. Bijesh Maharjan, associate professor and extension specialist at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln Panhandle Research, Extension and Education Center, conceptualized the soil health cycle (SHC) as an iterative soil health management cycle to achieve agricultural sustainability.

Mulching landscape beds and gardens is a waterwise practice. Conserving soil moisture, controlling weeds, mitigating soil temperature extremes, and improving soil health are key benefits.

Image credit: Nebraska 811 Spring is here and that often means its time start outdoor projects. Whether you are spading in new trees, putting in a koi pond or other excavated landscape features, drilling a new well, or installing a new onsite wastewater system, you want to make sure a ‘Locate Request’ has been submitted to Nebraska811 before digging. Nebraska811 is the statewide one-call notification center, set up by Nebraska state law. It is the link between people who want to excavate and the underground facility owners/operators.

Alfalfa is a tough perennial with established rooting depths down eight feet or more. Depending on deep soil profile moisture, some varieties can extend spring dormancy and survive up to 45 days without rainfall. However, forage yields drop dramatically, since alfalfa requires about six inches of root available water to produce one ton of forage per acre.

An often asked question is, "how much manure do I need?". The answer is not as simple as the question. It depends on the crop you are growing and the expected yield, existing soil nutrients, knowing your goals, the type of manure you wish to use, and any other fertilizer nutrients you expect to apply.

This Nebraska Extension article highlights the impact of factors such as plant genetics and improved production practices to fertilizer consumption in Nebraska over numerous decades.

Producers who are looking to minimize time spent checking water may consider investing in one of many modern water monitoring solutions.

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

PFAS are forever chemicals. Old landfills, industrial sites, firefighting foam, and wastewater treatment discharge are just some of the ways PFAS can contaminate the environment. It then ends up in our groundwater and surface water resources and soils which impacts the water we drink, and the fish and grown food that we eat. It is important to understand how PFAS chemicals move through the environment in order to address the problem of PFAS pollution. Image credit: Minnesota Pollution Control Agency