Economics of Variable Frequency Drives for Irrigation Pumps
June 23, 2016
Dilshad Brar, a graduate student in the UNL Biological Systems Engineering Department, looked at 1000 center pivot installations in 10 Nebraska counties to determine if placing a variable frequency drive (VFD) on the system would be economical. He also looked at the best location for the VFD pressure sensor. Brar breaks it down to four common scenarios, outlining when it pays and when it doesn't.
Impacts of Extreme Heat Stress and Increased Soil Temperature on Plant Growth and Development
June 21, 2016
Both corn and soybean are susceptible to extreme heat (and water) stress during early vegetative stages as well as later critical growth stages (pollination for corn and flowering for soybean). Extreme heat stress can reduce plant photosynthetic and transpiration efficiencies and negatively impact plant root development, which collectively can negatively impact yield. The author recommends that during an extended heat wave (air temperature equal to or greater than 90 F for 7-10 days), applying 0.25-0.40 inch of water can be very beneficial.
New, Multi-Media Ag Water Management Guide
June 15, 2016
Nebraska Extension's new Agricultural Water Management Guide, an online, interactive resource, offers information, videos, and illustrations about various types of irrigation, their advantages and disadvantages, technologies and strategies.
Atmometer (ETgage) Installation Tips
May 26, 2016
ETgages estimate potential crop evapotransiration, allowing growers to track crop water use and apply irrigation more precisely when the crop can best use it. Learn about how to prepare and install ETgages and use the resulting data. Includes table of crop coefficients for corn, soybean, and wheat.
Irrigation Sensor Installation Tips
May 26, 2016
As planting progresses across the state, it is recommended that irrigators start installing water sensors in fields as time allows. Any time sensors are installed, a few simple questions should be addressed to ensure accurate readings for irrigation management later this season.
1) When should sensors be installed?
North Platte River Basin Water Update
May 18, 2016
A collaboration of management agencies is closely monitoring the situation as reservoirs on the North Platte River in Wyoming fill and water is released. Flooding is likely in an area along the river in western Nebraska for several weeks to several months. Minor to moderate lowland flooding is occurring along the North Platte River from Lewellen west into southeastern Wyoming and will continue for several weeks or months. The areas affected are primarily the river bottom, mostly pasture but some cropland and homes.
North Platte River Basin Water Update
May 4, 2016
Recent storms rolling through southeast Wyoming and the Nebraska Panhandle have brought considerable moisture to the North Platte River Basin. The typical time for runoff/snowmelt in the Snowy Range and Sierra Madre mountains in southeastern Wyoming is mid-April; however, this year it was delayed several weeks and is just starting.
North Platte Water Carryover Up from 2015
April 20, 2016
The US Bureau of Reclamation presented their North Platte River water update and forecast of water operations for the 2016 season at a recent meeting at the University of Nebraska Panhandle Research and Extension Center in Scottsbluff.