Learn from some of the most successful corn growers in Nebraska at a June 27 UNL-TAPS field tour and project update. The event, sponsored by Nebraska Extension and the West Central Research and Extension Center, starts at 5 p.m. at the WCREC at North Platte.

The UNL-TAPS project is a Farm Management Competition where producers compete against each other as well as UNL scientists in three categories:

1. most profitable farm,
2. highest input use efficiency (water and nitrogen), and
3. greatest grain yield.

The project goal is to promote efficiency and profitability while learning from those who grow corn profitably. The participants include farmers from Big Springs to Oxford, and everywhere in between as well as student groups from the Nebraska College of Technical Agriculture, the UNL Agronomy Club, and several UNL scientists with plots on full irrigation, deficit irrigation, and control (no nitrogen or irrigation water applied).

The program will begin in the field near the Research Center, 402 W. State Farm Road, North Platte. The field tour will highlight the impacts of decisions made by project participants including

• nine corn hybrids,
• seeding rates ranging from 28,000-34,500,
• preplant nitrogen applications from 0-140 lb/acre, and
• sidedress nitrogen applications of 0-125 lb/acre.

In addition, participants have selected crop insurance coverage including wind and hail and are making marketing decisions for the model 3,000-acre farm.

At 6 p.m. we will move inside for a free supper and an update from several vendors providing data on the project field. These include:

• capacitance probes (AquaSpy),
• aerial imagery (Airscout),
• zone soil map (FarmersEdge) and
• evapotranspiration measurements (LI-COR).

The evening will conclude with a project update on decisions that will be made in the near future on irrigation scheduling and fertigation application of nitrogen.

For more information on the project and program check out the UNL-TAPS website.  RSVP by June 23 at http://TAPS.unl.edu/taps-june-27th-field-tour. The program is jointly sponsored by University of Nebraska-Lincoln, the Nebraska Water Balance Alliance, and the Nebraska Corn Board.