Coming Events
- Jan. 14, 2014 — Heuermann Lecture, East Campus Union, 7:00 p.m., “Regaining the U.S. Lead in Agricultural and Natural Resources Research and Education”
- Jan. 15, 2014 – Crop Production Clinic, York; Register at: http://cpc.unl.edu/
- Jan. 23, 2014 – 9:00 a.m., Land Application Training, Extension Office, York
- Jan. 23, 2014 – Private Pesticide Training, Heartland Community School, Henderson, 6:30 p.m.
- Jan. 24, 2014 – Private Pesticide Training, York 4-H Building, 9:00 a.m.
- Jan. 24, 2014 – Private Pesticide Training, York 4-H Building, 1:30 p.m.
- Jan. 28, 2014 – Cow/Calf College, US-MARC, Clay Center 9:30 a.m.; Register: Webster Ext. Office
- Jan. 29, 2014 – Precision Ag Workshop, Fairgrounds, Clay Center, 8:00 a.m.
- Jan. 30, 2014 – Precision Ag Workshop, 4-H Building, York, 8:00 a.m.
- Feb. 3, 2014 – Private Pesticide Training, York 4-H Building, 6:30 p.m.
- Feb. 7, 2014 – 1st Annual Nebraska Ag Water Management Network Conference, 9:00 a.m., York City Auditorium
- Feb. 11, 2014 – Center Pivot Irrigation Conference, Fairgrounds, Clay Center, 9:00 a.m.
- Feb. 11, 2014 – Master Gardner Connect Session, Integrated Pest Management Options in Landscapes – Wayne Ohnesorg, 6:30 p.m., Extension Office York Info at: http://york.unl.edu/water-environment
Crop Production Clinics Planned
It’s not too late to register for the York Crop Production Clinic. The York one will be held January 15 at the City Auditorium. Cost for the clinic will be $60.00 if you enroll ahead on line at: http://cpc.unl.edu/. Cost the day of the program will be $75.00 so it’s important to go on line to register. You can pre-register up to 3:00 pm the day prior to the event, so now’s the time to get it done If you do not have computer access, call Wendy Morrissey (402-472-5636) and she will take their registration over the phone.
SowBridge & PorkBridge Registrations Due
I just received some information about educational opportunities for pork producers in the Midwest and wanted to share it with area pork producers. The registration deadline for both PorkBridge and SowBridge is January 15. PorkBridge has been around since 2005 while SowBridge was started in 2008. PorkBridge sessions are planned for Feb. 6, April 3, June 4, Aug. 7, Oct. 2, and Dec. 4 while SowBridge will have monthly session in 2014.
Producers that are interested can enroll at: http://www.extension.umn.edu/agriculture/swine/docs/umn-ext-porkbridge-sowbridge-registration-info-2014.pdf
Precision Ag Workshop
We’re hosting Precision Ag Workshops in Clay Center and York on January 29 and 30 respectively! Registration begins at 8:00 a.m. with the program from 8:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. This program is for anyone interested in precision ag and cost is $45 for the first person in an operation or $10 to cover lunch if the second person in an operation is willing to share a computer. Computers, software, and data will be provided, but you are welcome to bring your own yield monitor data card to work on if you wish.
Our goal is to have the participants learn: best management practices to improve data quality and collection, how to use YieldEditor software to clean data, creating yield maps, how to interpret differences between raw and clean data, and quantifying yield within zones. Please register for the January 30 session at the York Extension Office at 402-362-5508 or gary.zoubek@unl.edu or for the January 29 session at the Clay County Extension at 402-762-3644 or jrees2@unl.edu. We’re limited to 20 individuals per location. Give me a call if you have any questions or need more information. We’ve received a few registrations already, hopefully we’ll have a full house!
Featured Website of the Week UNL Water
This week I want to visit a little about one of my favorite UNL website the Water Website http://water.unl.edu. This site is packed full of information for everyone. It has agricultural, residential, industrial and drinking water information along with policy/law, stormwater and wastewater management, well head protection, water basics wetland and much more.
Along the left hand of the opening page are the following links (click on them to explore and learn much about water):
Agricultural Irrigation
Crop Production
Drinking Water
Drought
Lakes / Ponds / Streams
Lawn and Landscape Irrigation
Lawns, Landscapes, and Gardens
Livestock Manure Management
Policy / Law / Economics / Human Behavior
Stormwater Management
Wastewater – Domestic Sewage
Water Basics (groundwater, surface water, hydrology)
Watersheds
Well and Wellhead Management
Wetlands
The Water Basics link shares some really interesting information.
“Water is vital to Nebraska. In fact, groundwater provides approximately 85 percent of the water used for human consumption in Nebraska. With approximately half of the state’s cropland under irrigation, agriculture, by far, is the leading consumer of water.
Water is essential for other uses as well: communities, power generation, tourism and manufacturing. But most importantly, water is essential for life itself. No matter where people live, in large cities or on an isolated farm, they all need water. Groundwater provides approximately 85 percent of Nebraska’s drinking water. Fortunately, Nebraska has excellent water resources – ground and surface.
Probably the best known is the Ogallala/High Plains Aquifer, which lies beneath much of the state. Not as well known is that Nebraska ranks 10th nationally in miles of rivers and streams. Unfortunately, we have not always managed our water resources well. Nor have we done the things needed to ensure long-term quality. The challenge is to ensure the continued availability of water, adequate in both quantity and quality, for today’s and future needs. Wise management of our resources is a big factor in meeting that challenge.
We manage water when we slow or halt runoff from rain, store streamflows and pump groundwater. These actions affect water use and conservation and help prevent pollution. Management also can help prevent and, in some cases clean up, water pollution.  Water quality concerns are now as important to Nebraskans as quantity concerns have been for decades. Urban and rural Nebraskans share the responsibility of wisely managing water. Sharing a resource requires educated citizens and policy makers. Education is the key to understanding water issues.â€
Much of my time is spent in the area of Agricultural Irrigation. Â Links in this area include:
Agricultural Irrigation Home
Agricultural Water Management Network
Center Pivots
Chemigation
Crop Water Use
Crops
Economics & Costs
Furrow Irrigation
Management
Regulations & Policies
Subsurface Drip
Water Quality
So from this brief introduction, you can see that the UNL Water website is full of timely water information. Along the top of the home page you have links to general water information, students, research, maps & data. You’ll many different water related maps to choose from along with a link for find UNL faculty involved in water issues. So, don’t hesitate to call if you have water related questions.
Some of the other websites that I’ll be sharing information about in future columns include:
UNL Beef Information: http://beef.unl.edu/
UNL Acreage Information: http://acreage.unl.edu/
UNL 4-H Information: http://4h.unl.edu/
UNL Extension in York County: http://york.unl.edu
UNL Extension Publications:Â http://ianrpubs.unl.edu/epublic/pages/index.jsp
1st Annual Nebraska Ag Water Management Network (NAWMN) Conference
Hopefully by now most of you all know what NAWMN stands for. It’s our Nebraska Ag Water Management Network which started in 2005 with a few participants and has grown to over 1,100, so we’re planning a one day conference to thank all of our producers and partners for your collaboration. We will hear research updates from Dr. Suat Irmak and have an innovation sharing time-so bring your ideas and inventions you’ve created whether it was how you hook up the sensors, a sensor puller, etc. There will be a State-wide NRD update, an update on the status of the Network, keynote speaker and an open session for discussing questions and concerns about the Network.
If you are currently involved in the NAWMN using watermark sensors and/or Etgages or are planning to in the future, you’re welcome to attend! That date is February 7 at the York City Auditorium here in York. Registration will begin at 9:00 a.m. with the program beginning at 9:25 and concluding at 3:00 p.m. There is no charge and lunch is being provided by Upper Big Blue NRD. If you’re planning to attend, please RSVP to Gary Zoubek at (402) 362-5508 or gary.zoubek@unl.edu. It should be a great event!
Cover Crop Survey
Do you use cover crops? The NCR-SARE and CTIC is conducting a survey of farmers that use cover crops across the nation. The survey focuses on the 2013 growing season, so if you are a farmer that uses cover crops, the link to the survey is listed below. They would like your input.
To access the survey, click on the Cover Crops Survey: https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/CoverCropSurvey13-14. The deadline is January 31.
