Soil Water Content- and Soil Matric Potential-Based Irrigation Trigger Values for Different Soil Types
July 11, 2019
Keeping a close eye on soil water content in individual fields can help optimize irrigation efficiency. This article explores how to use research-based trigger points for various soil types using soil water content-based sensors or soil matric potential-based sensors. Nebraska research has shown that having 25% more water than needed in the maize root-zone reduced grain yields as much as 15 bu/ac.
Study: High Crop Yields Are Compatible with Prescribed Irrigation Levels
June 18, 2019
New research from University of Nebraska researchers has found that one-third of studied fields achieved high crop yields without surpassing prescribed irrigation levels.
Workshops Focus on Irrigation Scheduling to Save Money, Water Even in Wet Years
June 14, 2019
Installing soil water monitors and making irrigation scheduling decisions based on sensor data will be the focus of two luncheon workshops this month in central Nebraska.
Hybrid Selection Sets TAPS Contests Up for a Unique Year
May 30, 2019
Competitors in the three divisions of this year's UNL-TAPS contest have selected their seed and seeding rate. Additional research was added this year to look at production functions such as seed selection.
NET Awards Grant for Subsurface Drip Irrigation System with Feedlot
April 26, 2019
The Nebraska Environmental Trust has awarded a grant to construct a subsurface drip irrigation system that uses feedlot effluent to irrigate crop fields. The practice will be evaluated as a potential means to better manage the state's limited water resources, an ongoing research priority of the University of Nebraska.
UNL-TAPS Participation Increasing in 2019
April 3, 2019
Over 100 participants in 49 teams will be competing in this year's UNL-TAPS competitions for irrigated corn, irrigated sorghum, and Subsurface Drip Irrigation (SDI). Based on program success in the first three years, Oklahoma State University has started OSU-TAPS.
Management Recommendations for Irrigation Equipment Affected by Flooding
March 25, 2019
As waters drain and soils dry out, part of the recovery process will include checking irrigation systems for damage and performing maintenance/repair before those systems can be used. Here's what to check in your power unit, irrigation well, and center pivot.
Yield and Water Use of Field Peas and Chickpeas Under Irrigation
March 21, 2019
This study, conducted in southwest Nebraska, investigated the feasibility of field pea and chickpea production under irrigation and evaluated their potential for water conservation in irrigated cropping systems.