Extension Update by Gary L. Zoubek - Extension Educator
Coming Events
Feb. 1-2, 2012 – Nebraska Agricultural Technologies Association Conference & Trade Show, Midtown Holiday Inn, Grand Island http://neata.org
Feb. 2, 2012, 6:00 p.m. – From Farms to Families Program, Opera House, Bruning
Feb. 6, 2012, 9:00 a.m. – Center Pivot Irrigation Management Short-Course, Monsanto Water Utilization Learning Center, Gothenburg
Feb. 8, 2012, 9:00 a.m. – Center Pivot Irrigation Management Short-Course, Cornerstone Ag & Event Center, York
Feb. 16, 2012, 1:30 p.m. – Private Pesticide Applicator Training – 4-H Building, York
Feb. 16, 2012, 6:00 p.m. – From Farms to Families Program, Opera House, Bruning
March 7, 1:00 p.m. – 4:30 p.m., Chemigation Training, 4-H Building, York
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Center Pivot Irrigation Management Short-Courses Planned
I’ve mentioned it the last couple of weeks, but want to remind area producers of our Center Pivot Irrigation Management Short Course planned for Wednesday Feb. 8th here in York in the Cornerstone Ag Event Center on the Fairgrounds. This should be a good meeting that will be worth your time to attend. Planned topics will include: performance of center pivots; soil water management; matching sprinklers to soils; sprinkler package selection; minimizing pumping costs; estimating crop water use; water balance, consumptive use/limited irrigation; center pivot technology and variable rate irrigation; and center pivot management.
I visited with Rod DeBuhr at the Upper Big Blue NRD and he indicated that those producers that register and attend the center pivot short course will quality for Phase II certification, so it will complete your NRD Phase II certification! I’ll share a list of those that attend with Rod!
No charge to attend, however we ask you to register so adequate materials & meals will be available. Please call or email me this week at (402)-362-5508 or email: gzoubek1@unl.edu. Registration begins at 9:00 a.m. program at 9:30 a.m. Additional info on can be found at: http://water.unl.edu/web/cropswater/home.
Irrigation Management Equipment Cost Share Available
Speaking of water management, the 2012 equipment cost share has just been posted on the NRD website. The Nebraska Agricultural Water Management Network (NAWMN) has been one of the best educational programs I’ve been involved with since I’ve been in Extension. We’ve grown from about 15 producers in the Upper Big Blue NRD to over 700 statewide with many more involved with efforts like Fontanelle and other equipment manufactures. If you irrigate and don’t have an Atmometer or ETgage and or some type of soil sensor, you’ll make it your new year’s resolution to give it at try! Dan or I will be glad to help you determine your equipment needs and where to install the equipment. We’ll also help you make sense of the data as the season goes one.
Give me a call at 402-362-5508 or email me at gzoubek1@unl.edu if you have questions. I’d like to work with 20 or 25 new growers this season. I’m also hoping to test some equipment to make it easier to get the sensor reading to our desktop or mobile devices.
The 2012 cost share order form is posted on our website at: http://york.unl.edu. Then, just click on my link in the center of the page. You then fill it out and email or send the form to the NRD. One lest irrigation will pay for this equipment plus a dividend.
Chemigation Training and Certification Classes Planned
The past couple of years we have had increase interest in spoon feeding our nitrogen on to our crops, thus an increase interest in becoming certified to apply nitrogen with our center pivots. We have scheduled a couple of sessions here in York. The first will be March 7th with a catch up one on April 4th!
Participants will be provided a chemigation manual and calibration workbook the day of the training. Participants attending for the first time are encouraged to pick up a copy of the training materials prior to the training. Review of study materials prior to the training session is encouraged.
Training and testing will take approximately 3 to 4 hours. On the day of training please bring your Chemigation Training Manual, Calibration Workbook, and a calculator. There is no charge for the manuals or training. Advanced registration is not required. Let me know if you need information about the chemigation sessions.
Training sessions in our area of the state are planned for:
March 7, 1:00 p.m. – 4:30 p.m., 4-H Building, York
April 4, 1:00 p.m. – 4:30 p.m., 4-H Building, York
NeATA Conference Planned
Dave Varner and the Nebraska Agricultural Technologies Association (NeATA) have a great Conference & Trade Show planned for Feb. 1-2nd at the Midtown Holiday Inn in Grand Island. Some topics I’m interested in include: Farm-Based Networks for Irrigation Management, Variable Rate Irrigation, Smartphone and Tablet Applications for the Farm and Irrigation Sensor Remote Data Access just to name a few.
Check out their website: http://neata.org for more information or to register. I hope you’ll be able to attend!
2012 Nebraska No-Till Conferences Planned
The UNL No-Till team has lined up some TOP-NOTCH speakers to help you fine tune your no-tillage practices! Day long meetings are planned for:
Feb. 21 at UNL’s Agricultural Research and Development Center near Mead, NE
Feb. 22 at Valley Ag Complex in Ord, NE
Feb. 23 at the Ag Center in Holdrege, NE
9:30 a.m. – 3:30 p.m. – Registration begins at 9 a.m. at the ARDC and Holdrege and at 10 a.m. at Ord.
Conference organizers, UNL Extension educators Keith Glewen and Chuck Burr, and Paul Jasa, UNL extension engineer, indicate that producers will learn the benefits of no-till and how it can work for them.
Speakers include no-till farmers, university specialists and industry representatives. Program topics include:
- Soil Structure, Compaction and No-Till – Sjoerd Willem Duiker, Associate Professor of Soil Management, Crop and Soil Sciences, Pennsylvania State University
- My Experiences with No-Till Farming – Paul Ackley, No-Till Farmer – Bedford, Iowa
- Where Ag Tires Fear to Tread – Scott Sloan, Product Engineering Manager, Titan Tire Corporation, Des Moines, Iowa
- Precision Agriculture, The Key Pieces to Use – John Propheter, Agronomy Trials Manager, Pioneer Hi-Bred International
- Resistant Weed Management in No-Till – Lowell Sandell, University of Nebraska–Lincoln Extension Weed Specialist
- Farmer Panel Discussion
Pre-registration is due Feb 17. You can go online to registration at http://ardc.unl.edu/no-till.shtml.
