University of Nebraska-Lincoln Extension, Institute of Agriculture and Natural Resources

February 12,2007

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Central Plains Irrigation Conference Feb. 27-28

UNL's Water Optmizier — a decision support tool for producers with limited water

UNL researchers developed the Water Optimizer tool in response to several years of drought and increasing water restrictions in the Central Nebraska Public Power and Irrigation District and Republican River Basin.

This tool evaluates single fields for several crop options:

  • Irrigated corn, soybeans, sorghum, wheat, alfalfa, edible beans and sunflowers, and
  • Dryland corn, soybeans, sorghum, sunflowers, alfalfa and wheat in continuous, summer fallow and eco-fallow rotations.

Users input soil type and irrigation system — center pivot or gravity, well or canal delivery, and electrical, diesel or natural gas power — as well as production and irrigation costs, crop prices, crop type and available water. The program then calculates what crops would be most profitable with the given costs and available water.

The Water Optimizer program (Microsoft Excel® spreadsheet) and user manual (Microsoft Word® document) are available via download or by ordering UNL's Water Optimizer DVD/CD set for $7. The CD includes the Water Optimizer program and users manual, and the DVD contains background information, applications, examples and research results. Information found on the DVD is not availble for download.

The Water Optimizer and supporting documents can be downloaded free at http://real.unl.edu/h20/update.html.

For more information or to order the DVD/CD set, call 800-755-7765.

Water issues affecting Nebraska are the subject of the 19th annual Central Plains Irrigation Conference and Equipment Exposition to be held at the Holiday Inn in Kearney Feb. 27-28.

“We have a really great conference planned for irrigators,” said Donna Lamm, executive assistant of Central Plains Irrigation Association. “There will be a lot of information available and there will be people from the irrigation industry present with booths that people will want to visit. The universities will also have displays and information on their research.”

The first day begins at 9 a.m. with registration, coffee and the opening of the exposition, followed by Technical Sessions 3 and 5. Lunch and the first general session will be at 11:30 a.m. The speaker will be Ann Bleed, director of the Nebraska Department of Natural Resources, who will address Nebraska water issues.

Technical Sessions 1 and 2 will be from 1:30 p.m. to 3 p.m. Technical Sessions 2 and 7 and the Hands-on Water Optimizer Session will be held from 3:30 to 5 p.m. A social hour with hors d’oeuvres will follow. The exposition will be open around sessions until 1:30 p.m. Wednesday. Universities also will have displays presenting recent research.

The second day begins at 7:30 a.m. with registration and a continental breakfast. Technical Sessions 4 and 6 and a Water Optimizer session will be held from 8:30 to 10 a.m. Technical Sessions 4 and 8 and a Water Optimizer session will be held from 10:30 a.m. to noon.

Luncheon speakers on Wednesday will be Derrel Martin and Suat Irmak, irrigation specialists and researchers at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, who will talk about “What Does ‘Water Savings’ Mean and How Can I Accomplish It?” Technical Sessions 1 and 3 will be held from 1:30 to 3 p.m.

Technical session topics

For those interested in hands-on computer training, Water Optimizer training sessions will be available. Martin, Melvin and Chuck Burr, all with UNL, will lead these sessions, offered several times throughout the conference. Registrations postmarked by Feb. 8 for the two days is $65 or $77 for CCA CEUs. After that date, cost is $75 and $85 for CCA CEUS. Registration includes all sessions, the equipment exposition, a copy of the proceedings, two lunches, all breaks, and the social hour. CEUs for Certified Crop Consultants are being applied for.

For more information, to register or to reserve booth space, contact Donna Lamm, CPIA executive assistant, at 785-462-7574 or donnalamm@yahoo.com, or go to http://www.oznet.ksu.edu/sdi/REevents/cpia.html. Housing reservations need to be made directly with the Holiday Inn at 308-237-5971.

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Copyright 2007 by the University of Nebraska Board of Regents. All rights reserved.
Published by University of Nebraska-Lincoln Extension in the Institute of Agriculture and Natural Resources Cooperating with the counties and the U.S. Department of Agriculture.
The University of Nebraska-Lincoln does not discriminate on the basis of gender, age, disability, race, color, religion, marital status, veteran's status, national or ethnic origin, or sexual orientation.