Water News Archive

Wednesday, June 20, 2018

Is Manure Irrigation Risky Business?

Because of a growing concern about manure irrigation, the University of Wisconsin Extension assembled a workgroup to research the concerns. The workgroup included scientists, public health specialists, state agency experts, farmers, conservationists and others. Over the course of two years, the group gathered and studied the science of manure irrigation, which culminated in a report that contains findings, responses and recommendations. This article will review a few of their findings related to bacterial transport as well as highlight some of the reasons why a farmer might opt to apply manure via irrigation rather than other ways.

Tuesday, May 29, 2018

Managing Runoff Holding Ponds During Wet Weather

When designed properly, runoff holding ponds, lagoons, and other earthen manure storage structures are sized to contain manure, process wastewater, and storm water that drain into or fall on them throughout their designed storage period. Excess precipitation, particularly chronic wet weather, can lead to concerns about storages overflowing even when they have been managed correctly.

Wednesday, May 23, 2018

Inspect and maintain your wastewater lagoon now

The arrival of spring, warm weather and sunshine brings a flurry of activity around your acreage. Annual plantings are done, mulch is purchased, spring cleaning is completed and the mowing season begins. All of those things are done annually to maintain homes and yards.

Friday, May 18, 2018

Summer Turf Fertilization

In the overall “holiday” turf fertilization schedule, where Arbor Day, Memorial Day, Labor Day and Halloween are indicators of good timing for applications to cool season turfgrasses (Kentucky bluegrass, tall fescue, perennial ryegrass), early summer is a key timeframe for encouraging healthy growth. When growing warm season turf species such as buffalograss and zoysiagrass, Memorial Day is perhaps the most important time to apply fertilizer, perhaps followed by a light 4^th of July application if a lawn is thin or in need of recovery.

Friday, May 11, 2018

Nebraska Beach Monitoring

Are you planning a day at the lake? Did you know you can check on the water quality before you head out?

Tuesday, May 1, 2018

Value of Landscapes

Planting of a landscape that provides shade

With spring weather finally in the forecast, I get excited thinking about my gardening activities for the summer. One of the things that is always on the front of my mind is watering. Will this be another dry year, a normal year (if Nebraska even has normal), or a wet year.

Monday, April 23, 2018

Celebrate (and check) your drinking water in May

National Drinking Water Week is held in May each year to bring attention to important water quantity and quality issues and their relationship to drinking water supplies. The attention to drinking water during that week provides an opportunity to learn more water resources in general and also serves a reminder to think about where your water comes from.

Tuesday, April 10, 2018

Does Manure Benefit Crop Productivity? Environment?

dry manure spreader with vertical beaters

Manure is often viewed by many as an environmental liability. However, if manure is applied at rates equal to or less than the nitrogen (N) requirement of a crop, can manure produce environmental benefits over commercial fertilizer? This was the focus of an Asian research group which summarized the results of 141 published studies from Asia, Europe, and the U.S. comparing manure substitution for fertilizer. This article summarizes the “Take Home Messages” from this research paper.

Tuesday, April 10, 2018

Effects of liquid manure injection into a winter rye cover crop: on-farm trials

Fall manure injection into cereal rye cover crop

Winter cereal rye planted as a cover crop has been shown effective in capturing nitrate before it leaches from the root zone. We conducted on-farm trials in central and southern Minnesota to determine if a rye cover crop would capture significant root-zone nitrate in the fall and spring but release it in time to maintain yield in the subsequent corn crop.

Friday, March 30, 2018

Protecting Ground and Surface Water

Rain water and irrigation go to the storm drain

With a tip of the cap to National Groundwater Awareness Week, which was March 11-17, the landscape and gardening industry must do their part to prevent groundwater and surface water pollution on the properties we manage.