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Nutrient Management

Tractor spraying soil — For producers planting corn-on-corn this growing season, Nebraska Extension encourages taking soil samples to determine accurate nitrate levels and adjusting N application rates accordingly, as there may be considerable amounts of residual nitrogen left from the previous corn crop.

Understanding Soil Residual Nitrogen and its Dollar Value for Next Crop

For producers planning corn-on-corn this growing season, there may be a substantial opportunity to reduce nitrogen fertilizer applications, as drought and reduced yields likely left higher-than-normal residual N in many fields.

Corn yield diagram — This graph demonstrates the increase in crop yield over time at the Knorr-Holden plot, which has been continuously planted with corn since 1912, and treated with beef cattle manure since 1942. (Graph courtesy UNL Water)

Manure Improves Soil Health and Provides Yield Stability and Reliability

UNL researchers share their results after 77 years of applying manure to soil at the Knorr-Holden plot, the oldest experimental irrigated corn plot in North America.

Manure application — The value of manure depends upon several factors that must be assessed, including its type, how and where it's applied, the amount of nutrients needed in the field for the next crop and the cost of fertilizer.

Calculating the Value of Nutrients in Manure

Nebraska Extension Animal Manure Management Educator Leslie Johnson walks through the steps of calculating manure value.

Farmers discuss ag tech — Taylor Cross (right), a graduate student in mechanized systems management, speaks with Nebraska ag producers Doug Jones (left) and Tony Jones about the sensor-based fertigation management technology that’s been shown to increase nitrogen-use efficiency and profitability in on-farm research. (Photo courtesy Nebraska Today | Hannah Gaebel Dorn, HG Images)

Sensor-based Fertigation Management Research Boosts Efficiency, Profitability

Tested on cornfields in eastern Nebraska, the study's sensor-based fertigation produced about 44 pounds more grain per pound of nitrogen than traditional methods, with an increase in profitability ranging from $28-$40 per acre.

Farm Management

Tractor in field — According to the Nebraska Farm Real Estate Market Survey preliminary report, the market value of agricultural land in Nebraska increased by over 14% over the prior year. (Photo courtesy Center for Agricultural Profitability)

2023 Farm Real Estate Report Published: Nebraska Land Values Up 14%

The 2023 report findings mark the second-largest increase in market value of ag land in Nebraska since 2014, and the highest non-inflation-adjusted statewide land value in 45 years.

Agricultural Land Management Quarterly Webinar for February 2023

The first Agricultural Land Management Quarterly webinar of 2023 covers setting cash rents, flex lease alternatives and considerations for updating agricultural rental arrangements for the year.

Combine in field — Led by Allan Vyhnalek and Jim Jansen, the March 23 workshop will be geared toward eastern Nebraska producers, and the March 24 workshop will feature examples more relevant to central and western Nebraska producers.

Virtual Landlord/Tenant Cash Rent Workshops March 23 and 24

The free workshops will offer updated leasing information, new 2023 Nebraska land values and cash rental rates, and address numerous concerns related to land management.

Farmers talking — Currently, only a third of farm families successfully transition management to the next generation. In this article, Nebraska Extension Educator Allan Vynhalek shares advice on how to incorporate the next generation of leaders into an operation before succession to ensure their prosperity in the years to come. (Photo courtesy Center for Agricultural Profitability)

Recognizing Power and Control in Estate Planning

Nebraska Extension Educator Allan Vyhnalek shares strategies that can help farm families improve their collaboration skills and prepare the next generation for leadership.

Wildfire photo — UNL Associate Professor and Extension Policy Specialist Brad Lubben discusses two new USDA assistance programs, the Emergency Relief Program (ERP) Phase 2 and the 2020 Pandemic Assistance Revenue Program (PARP), with USDA representatives Patrick Lechner and Cathy Anderson.

USDA Farm Service Agency Disaster Programs Webinar

Learn more about two new USDA programs created to assist farmers and ranchers with natural disaster and pandemic-related losses in this Center for Agricultural Profitability webinar.

Farm finance clinic banner — Though the farm finance and ag law clinics are offered monthly at sites across Nebraska, remote sessions are another option — call the number below to arrange a one-on-one meeting via phone or virtual platform.

Free Farm and Ag Law Clinics Set for March

If you can't attend one of the two dates scheduled for free, in-person farm and ag law clinics in March, virtual/phone options are also available anytime.

Butterfly pollinating coneflower — Producers and landowners enrolled more than 5 million acres into CRP in 2022, which helped them establish long-term, resource-conserving plants to control soil erosion, improve water quality and enhance wildlife habitat on cropland.

USDA Conservation Reserve Program Signup Ends April 7

Producers and landowners interested in signing up for CRP in 2023 should contact their local USDA Service Center for assistance prior to the deadline.

Pesticide Safety

EPA Proposes Updates to Pesticide Application Exclusion Zone Regulation, Opens Public Comment Period

The updates would clarify procedural duties if an unauthorized person enters the AEZ during a pesticide application, where landowners may be located during application, and proposes a new droplet size classification system.

IANR & Extension

Farm equipment — Participants of the 2022 Innovative Youth Corn Competition experimented with using supplemental sulfur, fertigation, PrairieFood, Pivot Bio and cover crops to boost yields and maximize their return on investment.

Innovative Youth Corn Challenge Contest 2022 Results

Arlington FFA Chapter members Aaron Fuchs and Braden Monke placed first in the 2022 contest with their study on supplemental sulfur, which increased plant health and final yield of their corn crop.

Soil school attendees working — A group of farmers, consultants, researchers and USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service employees collaborate on an activity to first find the soil type and then its appropriate standard at the Nebraska Soil Health School. (Photos courtesy Nicole Heldt)

Nebraska Soil Health School Offers Expert Insights to Producers, Ag Professionals Statewide

Following a successful premiere of the new Nebraska Soil Health School, the second installment will be June 27-28 at the West Central Research, Extension and Education Center in North Platte, Nebraska.

FarmBits Podcast: Instant Insights with Intelia

In the latest episode, FarmBits investigates livestock sensors for poultry, which track bird health, barn temperature, food consumption and more to deliver producers real-time insights on their flock.

FarmBits Podcast: Smart Fencing

The FarmBits team interviews UNL master's student Kaitlyn Dozler to learn more about how virtual fencing can minimize the labor and time commitments required for rotational grazing.

Weather Outlook

February 2023 Brings Wet and Warm Conditions East, Cold and Drier Conditions West

Several areas of Nebraska had a one- to two-category improvement in drought conditions throughout the winter season, which has been the fifth wettest winter on record for the state.

Forage Production

Pasture landscape — Fertilization of smooth bromegrass pastures should begin soon, by late March through April

Pasture and Forage Minute: Winter Survival in Alfalfa, Fertilizing Cool-Season Grass

Tips on choosing winter survival traits in alfalfa without compromising yield, and timing and application rates for fertilizing cool-season grass pastures.

Alfalfa field — Spring is a critical time to control weeds in alfalfa, as weeds grow faster than stressed alfalfa, leading to thin stands, weakened plants and lower yields.

Pasture and Forage Minute: Increasing Alfalfa Productivity with Grass Mixtures, Spring Weed Control

Interseeding cool-season perennial grasses into alfalfa and applying herbicides in early spring are reliable methods of improving alfalfa production and health this growing season.

In Case You Missed It...

Soybean pesticides — Though Illinois, Iowa, Indiana and South Dakota have received new guidelines for the cutoff date to apply dicamba-based herbicides this year, Nebraska's cutoff date remains June 30.

No Change in Dicamba Cutoff Date in Nebraska for 2023

Nebraska's cutoff date of June 30 for application of Engenia, Tavium and XtendiMax in soybean remains unchanged for the 2023 growing season.

2022 On-Farm Research Results book cover — All Nebraska On-Farm Research results books are free to the public and available as PDF downloads.

Nebraska On-Farm Research Network Releases 2022 Results Publication

The nearly 70 on-farm research studies conducted by Nebraska farmers in 2022 addressed fertility and soil management, cover crops, crop protection, equipment and non-traditional products, including biologicals.