Agricultural producers and Nebraskans attending Husker Harvest Days near Grand Island Sept. 13-15 will learn ways to maintain profitability while addressing challenges from the state's climate at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln's Institute of Agriculture and Natural Resources exhibit.

"Our faculty and staff have a wealth of research and information to share with Nebraskans on being prepared to manage their operations during significant variations in weather and climate," said Ron Yoder, IANR vice chancellor. "For the first time in recent years, we are taking a second year to build upon our previous year's exhibit theme that focused on successfully weathering extremes.

"With a theme of 'Weather Ready Farms: Successfully Managing Extremes,' we have further defined our focus on research, recommendations and tools designed to help our farmers and ranchers prepare for large variations in weather and economic conditions, and to improve their prospects for success in challenging environments. It is part of our ongoing focus on critical and groundbreaking research and initiatives that are important not only to all Nebraskans, but also nationally and globally, as we enhance our reputation as a leader in these areas of critically important research and education.” 

The exhibit will be house inside and next to the university's Husker Red steel building at Lot 321 on the south side of the exhibit grounds. Showgoers will get the latest information for planning successful agricultural operations.

    Exhibits and displays inside the building will highlight:

• New tools available from the Nebraska State Climate Office that enable farmers to immediately access current and historical weather data for their specific area of the state;
•  Strategies that help farmers improve risk management and financial stability in the face of economic extremes in agriculture;
• Resources from the National Drought Mitigation Center designed to help farmers and communities better deal with drought;
• Strategies for drought management in grassland and range systems;
• The role of cover crops in building more resilient, stable soils that better withstand the
• effects of extreme events;
• Management tools for climate-resilient irrigation systems to improve efficiency and improve uniformity of water application;
• Adding value to weather data by using crop models to improve corn yield forecasts and decision-making.

Outside and adjacent to the Husker Red building, live demonstrations and small plots will provide information on development of cover crops, energy crops, irrigation sensors for water conservation, crop scouting for insects, the interrelationship between manure and soil health, and cattle shading systems to reduce heat stress in feedlots.

"We are significantly expanding the use of our outdoor, living exhibits to help demonstrate the innovation and research of IANR in the form of living exhibits," Yoder said.

Inside the building, IANR faculty and staff will be available to answer questions on a variety of extension and research-related topics, provide copies of helpful NebGuides, and direct those needing further information to extension experts in their local area.

Showgoers can also learn about the latest opportunities for students at the university's College of Agricultural Sciences and Natural Resources, and the Nebraska College of Technical Agriculture in Curtis. College representatives will be available throughout the show to answer questions from potential students. Those interested in the Nebraska LEAD (Leadership Education Action Development) program can also visit with a LEAD representative.

"This is an opportunity for us to bring the best of UNL to Husker Harvest Days and we take that very seriously," Yoder said. 

IANR has been part of Husker Harvest Days since the first show in 1978. 

"We always appreciate the opportunity to visit with stakeholders about what they see as Nebraska’s main challenges and opportunities," Yoder said. "We are your land-grant university."