Laura Thompson - Former Extension Educator

Laura Thompson

student, faculty
Graduate Student
Agronomy
Work
1700 Stone St Falls City NE 68355-2033
US

Degrees
B.S. Agronomy (Soil Science focus), University of Nebraska-Lincoln, 2012
M.S. Agronomy, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, 2014

Areas of Focus: On-farm research, ag technologies

Extension Interests: Co-coordinates the Nebraska On-Farm Research Network, through which innovative growers from across the state use on-farm research to address critical production, profitability, and sustainability questions.

CW Profile: Thompson Pursues the Puzzles of On-Farm Research

Soil in field
Figure 1. Ammonia loss can be significant where the surface applied urea is not timely incorporated.

Interested in Testing Nitrogen Stabilizers on Your Farm?

January 19, 2021
Nutrient Management Specialist Javed Iqbal analyzes the use of fertilizer stabilizers to mitigate nitrogen fertilizer loss and increase productivity.

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example aerial imagery

Using Aerial Imagery to Help Determine the Impact of Cover Crops on Cash Crop Growth and Development

October 15, 2020
Through education and on-farm assessment, Nebraska landowners part of the Soil Health Initiative (SHI) are evaluating the effects of diverse cover crop mixtures on both soil properties and agronomic indicators of soil health.

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example aerial imagery

Assessing Cover Crop Biomass Using Aerial Imagery: Lessons Learned During the UNL-NRCS Soil Health Initiative

October 15, 2020
Using aerial imagery, a non-destructive and easy-to apply method, we are able to gain insight into cover crop biomass production across an entire field, which would not be possible with traditional, boots-on-the-ground biomass sampling.

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Location by county for soybean seeding rate studies
Figure 1. Location by county (shown by red fill) for soybean seeding rate studies through the Nebraska On-Farm Research Network from 1990 to 2019 based on the resultsfinder.unl.edu database. Counties with studies not currently in the database are noted by red lines and have been reported in CropWatch articles.

Soybean Seeding Rate On-Farm Research

April 16, 2020
The Nebraska On-Farm Research Network has shown that a seeding rate of 120,000 seeds per acre has performed well across counties, farms, and fields in Nebraska.

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Streaming On-Farm Research Logo

Streaming On-Farm Research Offers Live, Timely Results from Research Studies

April 9, 2020
New for the 2020 growing season, Nebraska Extension presents “Streaming On-Farm Research,” a series of short live webinars for farmers and ag professionals. These events will occur weekly, on Tuesday evenings at 7:00 p.m. Sessions will be 30 minutes, featuring 15 minutes of presentation, and 15 minutes of Q&A.

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A farmer inspecting soil
Checking soil conditions while planting the improved soybean practice treatment on April 20 in Richardson County.

On-Farm Research Study to Investigate Practices to Increase Soybean Yield

March 12, 2020
The results of the first year of the study were promising. Across four sites, the improved treatment resulted in an average 8 bu/ac yield increase and $46/ac profit increase compared to the baseline treatment.

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men examine condition of soybeans in field

Four Nebraska Farmers Share What They Learned From Conducting On-Farm Research Last Year

February 10, 2020
Conducting on-farm research can help provide the reliable answers you need to make decisions for your operation with confidence.

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Nebraska On-Farm Research Network 2020 results update dates and location

Growers Statewide to Share On-Farm Research in February Meetings

January 23, 2020
Farm operators and agronomists from across the state are invited to attend the Nebraska On-Farm Research Network research results update meeting at a location near them.

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