Xin Qiao - Irrigation and Water Management Specialist

Xin Qiao

faculty
Work
4502 Ave I Scottsbluff NE 69361-4939
US

Faculty Bio

Canal without water
Figure 1. Tunnel No. 1 when there is no water in the Goshen/Gering-Fort Laramie Canal.

Update on the 2019 Tunnel Collapse and Canal Washout — Tunnel Repair or Replacement Options

February 14, 2022
The Gering-Fort Laramie Irrigation District is seeking public opinion on whether to repair or replace Tunnels No. 1 and 2.

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Goshen/Gering-Fort Laramie canal collage
Tunnel No. 1 on the Goshen-Gering-Fort Laramie main canal, inside and out, in 2021: (Left) The “ribs” for support and the metal sheeting installed to improve water flow and decrease water turbulence. (Right top) Water flowing into Tunnel No. 1 during the 2021 irrigation season. (Right bottom) Tunnel No. 1 in the fall, when there is no water in the canal.

Update on the 2019 Tunnel Collapse and Canal Washout and 2021 Irrigation Season

October 19, 2021
Water flow through the tunnels were returned to 97% of capacity this summer, resulting in near normal water deliveries by the three major irrigation districts in the North Platte Valley during the 2021 growing season.

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Research fields map
On the left, a comparison of participating fields in 2020 (a) and 2021 (b). On the right, total area of participating fields in 2020 (c) and distribution of individual field sizes in 2021 (d).

Panhandle Learning Agricultural Network (PLAN) Aims to Increase Farmer Adoption of Field-based Sensors

October 7, 2021
PLAN aims to use sensors, low-cost telemetry such as Internet of Things (IoT), localized algorithms, and an interactive data display and processing interface to better serve the farming community in the Nebraska Panhandle.

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Goshen/Gering-Fort Laramie supply canal Tunnel No. 1
Image 1. Irrigation water flows through Tunnel No. 1 on the Goshen/Gering-Fort Laramie supply canal in 2021.

Update on 2019 Tunnel Collapse and Canal Washout, Irrigation Water Outlook for 2021

July 13, 2021
Water deliveries by the four major irrigation districts (Pathfinder, Gering-Fort Laramie, Goshen and Farmers) are expected to be near normal. The districts hope to deliver water to growers through the first week in September.

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Lesions on sugar beet leaves.
Young lesions of the pathogen forming on sugar beet leaves.

Cercospora Leaf Spot Detected in the Panhandle

July 22, 2020
On July 13, symptoms characteristic of Cercospora leaf spot (CLS) were found on lower leaves of sugarbeets from research plots at the Panhandle Research and Extension Center at Scottsbluff.

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Goshen Irrigation District Tunnel No. 2

Update on 2019 Tunnel Collapse and Canal Washout – Water Flowing for 2020 Growing Season

June 18, 2020
Temporary repairs to the tunnels have been made resulting in restoring flow, but at reduced levels. The Gering/ Ft. Laramie Irrigation District is planning for their irrigators to receive only 75 percent of their normal allotment.

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SDI Irrigation at the Panhandle Research and Extension Center
Figure 1. An aerial view of the plot at the Panhandle Research and Extension Center where the Subsurface Drip Irrigation (SDI) system has been installed. The field is in the upper half of the photo and irregular in shape. The circular shape of the previous field, which was irrigated by a small center-pivot system, is still visible. (Photo by Xin Qiao)

Subsurface Drip Irrigation Being Tested at Panhandle Center

November 2, 2018
A state-of-the-art subsurface drip irrigation (SDI) system has been installed at the Panhandle Research and Extension Center at Scottsbluff and this summer was tested under production of great northern beans.

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