Transforming manure from 'Waste' to 'Worth' in rural Nebraska

Cattle slurry application
The misconception about manure being just a waste and harmful biproduct of the cattle and livestock industry is still a big concern. A group of researchers and extension educators have joined efforts with farmers across Nebraska to find the value of manure as a source of nutrients in crop fields in the Sandhills and reduce the environmental impacts caused by this industry. At the same time, they are trying to incorporate residues from red cedar trees that are currently threatening the Nebraskan wildlife and ecosystems due to its rapid expansion.

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Smart Summer Watering

Garden Sprinkler

Photo above of Oscillating sprinklers, they are one of the least efficient ways to water a landscape, due to the amount of water lost to evaporation.

Smart Techniques Conserve Water in Your Yard

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Understanding Bacteria in Lakes

Bacteria Analysis

A dip in the lake can be refreshing, but it’s important to consider what’s going on in the water that you may not see – especially for E. coli bacteria.

Identifying an E.coli issue

It’s fairly easy to see Harmful Algal Blooms (HABs) and algae at a lake.  Unfortunately, the same visual assessment does not apply to E. coli.  However, there are three indicators of E. coli in a lake to consider:

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What Are the Barriers and Benefits of Manure Use in Cropping Systems? (part 1 of 2)

Understanding the agriculture community's perceptions of manure's benefits and barriers is important to recycling manure nutrients efficienty.  A survey of 957 individuals from the U.S. and Canada is helping us understand the next steps to encouraging manure's use as a valuable asset.
Animal manures can be a “valuable asset” or a “pain in the assets”. Understanding the agriculture community's perceptions of manure's benefits and barriers is important to recycling manure nutrients efficienty. A survey of 957 individuals from the U.S. and Canada is helping us understand the next steps to encouraging manure's use as a valuable asset.

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What You Need to Know About Having a Well Drilled

well drill rig
Those residences that are not served by a public water system need a source of water for both consumption and daily needs. A private well most often fulfills these needs. While the cost of drilling a well is not a huge expense in the overall purchase or building of a home, it is a necessary expense to provide the residence with a useable water supply and it adds value to the property.

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Water Efficiency with Container Gardens

Irrigated container
Using just the right amount of water is important no matter what the situation whether it’s watering a football field or providing for your patio planters and container gardens. The keys to success are 2 fold: 1. Watering to the bottom of the roots 2. Keep the roots moist, not soggy or dry.

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Checking Water from Afar

Being able to quickly identify if a problem is occurring with a water source gives producers the opportunity to respond rapidly to correct any issues. Photo credit Troy Walz.
For cattle producers who rely on wells in pastures and rangelands as a water source for their cattle, much time is spent checking water to make sure that windmills and submersible wells are delivering the water cattle need. These water checks are often made daily or every other day to ensure water is available. When problems occur with a water source cattle depend on, time is limited to get the problem fixed, haul water or move the cattle to another location where water is. Timeliness of knowing there is a problem with a well or a tank that stores water is essential to being able to correct the problem quickly and avoid the detrimental impacts of cattle being without water.

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Understanding the New Health Standard for Nebraska Public Beaches - HABs

a beach

Heading to the Beaches of Nebraska!

It’s amazing how much people are drawn to water.  With this recent hot spell, it’s time for us to head to the beaches of Nebraska! Fifty four of Nebraska’s most popular public beaches are monitored weekly from May through September for E. coli and Harmful Algal Blooms (HABs). 

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Is It Too Easy To Turn The Irrigation Water On?

I have worked with irrigation management for almost 20 years. Today most farmers are doing a better job than when I started, however many still tend to over apply water -- leaving room for improvement. That left me wondering “Why” and “What could help more farmers apply the optimal amount of irrigation water?”

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Can I Irrigate Animal Manures On Growing Crops?

irrigating manure in front of feedlot
High rainfalls can leave holding ponds or manure storage full and operators looking for irrigation options for applying animal manure during the growing season. This article discusses important considerations for application of open lot holding pond effluent and diluted manures during the growing season without damaging the crop.

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