Land Application Training is a Producer’s Google Maps

Swine Lagoon - photo by JC Ramos
Just over a year ago, I joined Dr. Amy Schmidt, the Manure Lady’s, team as a content developer to help spread the word about manure (and her other area of interest, antimicrobial resistance). Luckily, UNL’s Manure team is full of friendly, inviting people who are really good at teaching about manure. Feeling more confident in my manure knowledge, and with my interest peaked for all things manure, I attended my first manure Land Application Training (LAT). LAT events, led by members of UNL’s Manure Team, are offered each spring at venues all across the state. Participants can attend for a full day if they are newbies like me, or a half day if they just need a refresher.

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Manure Application from a German Perspective

aerial view of the Lanwermann farm
Student researcher Saskia Lanwermann reflects on what she's learned about the benefits of manure use both back home in Germany and here in the US while studying agricultural and environmental sciences communications and working with the UNL Manure team.

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Fungi Can Develop from Improper Irrigation

summer patch in the lawn
Fungi can be very problematic for our plants, and there are a lot of different fungi. In plants, there is a disease triangle that leads to plant diseases. For disease to develop, you must first have a pathogen, a susceptible host, and a favorable environment. Pathogens are common in the environment and just waiting for the right weather to occur and a susceptible host to infect. The environment can sometimes be altered by our plant management practices, such as overwatering or underwatering and improper irrigation practices can lead to more disease problems. That’s why it's so important, whenever possible, to choose disease resistant plants for our landscapes – both turf, fruits, vegetables and ornamentals.

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The Soil Health Exchange: Addressing Waterlogging Issues with Soil Health Management

tire tracks in muddy clay soil
Fields with diverse soil types can pose distinct challenges in water management, especially under pivot irrigation. In this article, UNL experts review factors that contribute to waterlogged soil and several practices that can improve drainage issues.

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Soybeans to be Newest Nebraska TAPS Competition in 2024

close-up of a soybean plant
Although Nebraska is best known for the commodities of cattle and corn, soybeans land in the third-place spot among the top commodity rankings in the state, according to the Nebraska Department of Agriculture. The University of Nebraska-Lincoln (UNL) is adding soybean to the lineup of Testing Ag Performance Solutions (TAPS) farm management competitions for 2024. The new soybean competition will be facilitated at UNL’s Eastern Nebraska Research, Extension and Education Center (ENREEC) near Mead, Nebraska. The soybean competition will be supported by the Nebraska Soybean Board.

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Nebraska Water Facts

Nebraska means “flat water” from the Omaha Sioux “ni braska” and Oto “ni brathge”/ Nebraskier describing the Platte River. The Platte River was named by early French explorers, also meaning “flat.” The Panhandle is almost 6.5 times higher elevation than the Southeast. (5,424 ft above sea level versus 840 ft). Southeast NE receives 2.5 times as much annual precipitation as the Panhandle (average 33” versus 13”).

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TAPS Awards Banquet Culminates 2023 Competitions

UNL TAPS logo
See the results of the 2023 UNL-TAPS Competition for sorghum, SDI corn, sprinkler corn and the newest category for the contest — irrigated popcorn.

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Chemigation Training in 2024

chemigation
Chemigation training for Nebraskans will be offered at nearly 50 in-person sessions from now through April, as well as online.

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Pesticide Safety Certification Training for Private Applicators in 2024

Photo of corn crop being sprayed
Producers who need to acquire or renew a private pesticide applicator license this year can choose between several options, including in-person training, online self-study programs, and an NDA-administered exam.

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Drought Tolerant Plants

Rocky Mountain Pussytoes plant
With ongoing drought, conserving water in home, business and public landscapes is important. One way to conserve water is selecting drought tolerant plants. As a rule, a drought tolerant plant is one that can survive on average rainfall with little or no supplemental water once established.

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