Water News Archive

Wednesday, October 20, 2021

Now is the Time to Use the Nutrients You are Banking in Your Soils

By incorporating residual nitrate-nitrogen into the nitrogen fertilizer prescription, there is potential to substantially reduce fertilizer cost per acre.

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.

Wednesday, October 20, 2021

Anti-Transpirants Help Prevent Winter Drying Damage

Winter desiccation of white pine, Pinus strobus, needles.

In spring 2021, many gardeners and landscape managers in eastern Nebraska had severe plant damage to boxwood shrubs. In many cases, entire plants were dead. In others, all branches above the protecting snow line were brown, dried and dead. Although boxwood was not the only type of plant showing damage in spring 2021, why was the damage so widespread on this species?

Friday, October 15, 2021

The science behind 50-degree soil and nitrogen application

Does nitrogen becoming nitrate mean we are going to lose it? No, it takes rainfall or snowmelt in the spring that will cause a leaching event, but it does increase the risk of loss. Certainly, there is a balance between making sure we get our manure applied before the soil freezes and applying too early, but hopefully the information above illustrates a bit behind the science of the 50°F and cooling recommendation.

Thursday, September 30, 2021

COVID-68512: Sampling wastewater at ZIP code scale may help isolate hotspots

A graduate student collects a wastewater sample from a sewer connected to Harper Residence Hall. Photo Credit: Craig Chandler, University Communication

Friday, September 24, 2021

Maximizing Profitability of Manure Use

truck mounted spreader going over tarps to calibrate

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.

Wednesday, September 22, 2021

Using Pesticides Correctly

We are getting closer to fall which is a great time to work on improving your lawn. Late September and early October are great for spraying lawn weeds. When dealing with pests in your lawn, be sure to use pesticides correctly for the best success and for the least amount of damage to the environment.

Photo from the UNL Pesticide Safety Education Department

Pesticides

Monday, September 20, 2021

Fall Turnover: A Physical Look at Lakes

In most of Nebraska, deep lakes will tend to stratify or form layers, especially during summer. This happens because the density of water changes as its temperature changes. During the summer, a temperature difference is established between the upper water and lower water in a lake. The upper layer of water, called the epilimnion, is warm. This layer is about as deep as the sun can penetrate. The deep layer of water, called the hypoliminion is made of cooler water.

Monday, August 30, 2021

Scheduling the Last Few Irrigations of the Season Deserves More of Your Management Time Than Earlier Irrigations

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.

Tuesday, August 17, 2021

Biological benefits of manure application on agricultural soils

Soil quality has been traditionally described in terms of chemical and physical properties; however, soil organisms play an important role in soil health. Some studies suggest that using manure as soil amendment could result in increased microbial biomass, which results in higher soil bacteria, fungi and higher microbial activity. Soil microbial activity is crucial for nutrient cycling, aggregate stability, fertility, and other soil characteristics leading to better crop productivity.

Monday, August 16, 2021

Improving Soil Structure for Increased Infiltration and Water Holding Capacity

Plant roots grow in soil pore spaces. Pore spaces are also where oxygen is found. Just as plant roots cannot grow without water, they cannot grow without oxygen. Soil pore space is important to plant growth and efficient water use.

Soils with good structure have adequate pore space making them well drained while still having good water and nutrient holding capacity. Ideal soils have 50 percent soil particles and 50 percent pore space. An important aspect of good soil structure is soil aggregation.