Manure Reduces Nitrate Losses to Water in Iowa Study

poultry litter applicator
Iowa State University researchers concluded from a long-term field study that poultry manure, when applied at a rate to meet the crop nitrogen (N) requirements, can reduce nitrate loss and achieve equal or better yields in corn soybean production systems. While this research focused on nitrate (NO­3-N) loss by field-tile drains (typically placed 3 to 6 feet deep), similar trends would be anticipated in Nebraska for nitrate leaching below the crop root zone and the eventual impacts on surface and ground water quality.

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Manure Applications Prior to Planting

manure spreading dry manure
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.

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Rainwater Harvesting in Residential Scale Landscapes

Photo of a Raingarden in Columbus

When it rains, do you know where rainwater from your property goes? Does it spread out and soak into the lawn or landscape beds to recharge soil moisture and benefit plants; or does it run off into the street and down a storm drain where it often transports pollutants to surface water?

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Manure and Me: 10 Years of Amazing Changes

participation in the shoebox calibration activity
Land Application Training events are coming up in February. Several new hands-on activities will focus on using weather forecasts to minimize manure application odors, considering where to stockpile manure prior to land application, selecting the “best” routes for hauling manure to fields and defining who is responsible for manure under various scenarios.

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Using Deicers Safely in your Landscape

Deicing Salt
With winter in full swing, it is a common practice to use deicers on our sidewalks and driveways to prevent falling on ice. With deicing agents, we need to be careful to not harm our plants when we use them and make good choices on what we use.

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Manure and Mulch are Teaming Up

photo of spreading cedar mulch and manure with manure spreader and tractor
Cedar trees are spreading into grasslands and reducing forages that support cattle grazing. The Nebraska Forest Service is promoting management practices to keep the trees from spreading outside of their usual habitat and into grasslands and areas along the banks of rivers and streams (called ‘riparian forests’). So what do cedar trees have to do with manure? Since 2015, two resourceful farmers have generously given up a few acres of their fields for UNL researchers to test various applications of mulch alone or co-mingled with cattle or swine manure.

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To Aerate or Not to Aerate? That is the winter question.

It’s been getting colder and winter is upon us. If you have an aerator in your pond you maybe wondering what to do with it. Cold water holds more oxygen, animal and plant use of this oxygen is lower than in the winter than the summer, and oxygen-using decomposition is very slow. So, if the pond is open most of the winter or only has occasional ice cover, the pond should not have an oxygen problem. In this case, aeration is not benefitting the pond.

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Safe Pesticide Storage

Pesticide Label showing Storage Requirements
As we move into winter, store lawn and garden pesticides correctly and securely. Read and follow the label for safety and to help prevent accidental poisoning or spills that could contaminate storage areas or water resources.

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Observations of Manure Management on a South Dakota Dairy

photo of sand lane to recover sand bedding
As a part of the North American Manure Expo events, participants were invited to tour a family-operated dairy farm located in Hamlin County, SD to witness first-hand some of the improvements that have been added to their manure management system over the past few years. I was able to observe how, in trying economic times for the dairy industry, this family farm has modified their manure management system to get the most out of precious resources – water and nutrients.

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Checklist for Winterizing Your Center Pivot

Irrigation season has wrapped up here in Nebraska. Now is a good time to evaluate you center pivot to make sure it is ready for winter and for another growing season. Here is a quick list of things to look at before winter sets in.

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