Soil Fertility

Legumes Can Benefit Your Pasture Mix

March 2, 2018
Five years of grazing research in eastern Nebraska showed that brome/legume pastures produced almost four-tenths of a pound higher average daily gain on yearlings than did straight brome pastures fertilized with 50 lbs of nitrogen. Adding legumes to your pasture mix may be just the boost your production system needs.

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Figure 1. Aerial imagery was collected at bean emergence using a drone. All dark green rows correspond to plots with different rates of char (10, 20, 30, 40, and 60 tons/acre).
Figure 1. Aerial imagery was collected at bean emergence using a drone. All dark green rows correspond to plots with different rates of char (10, 20, 30, 40, and 60 tons/acre).

Coal Combustion Residue: A Potential Soil Amendment

February 22, 2018
University of Nebraska researchers applied char, a by-product of sugar beet processing, at three sites to study its effect on soil properties.

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Figure 1. Manure being applied in a corn field, using a drag-hose system. Learn more in this month's Soil Health Nexus Blog article.
Figure 1. Manure being applied in a corn field, using a drag-hose system. Learn more in this month's Soil Health Nexus Blog article.

Can Manure Improve Soil Health or Soil Quality?

February 8, 2018
Is land application of manure something you're considering or practicing? Two university research articles look at potential effects on soil health and soil quality.

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Grant Funding Available for Biochar Projects

January 12, 2018
The Great Plains Biochar Initiative, a partnership of the Nebraska Forest Service, the Kansas Forest Service, and private industry, recently announced grant funding opportunities for developing biochar usage in the region.

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Land-applied manure
Research to validate or adapt canopy sensor-guided in-season N application practices for manured fields was evaluated in two trials.

Adaptation of Canopy Sensor-Guided In-Season Nitrogen Application for Manured Fields

January 8, 2018
An article from the Proceedings of the 2018 Nebraska Extension Crop Production Clinics on research on land application of manure to enhance soil nutrients for crop production.

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Figure 1. Land-applied manure from finishing 5 million beef cattle per year in Nebraska contains the equivalent of 150 lb/ac/yr N applied to 1.2 million acres.
Figure 1. Land-applied manure from finishing 5 million beef cattle per year in Nebraska contains the equivalent of 150 lb/ac/yr N applied to 1.2 million acres.

Fertilizer N Substitution Values of Land-Applied Organic Materials

January 8, 2018
An article from the Proceedings of the 2018 Nebraska Extension Crop Production Clinics on accounting for nitrogen from land-applied manure when determining soil nutrient needs for crop production.

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Chart of N research treatments

Feasibility of Sensor-Based Nitrogen Fertigation Management in Corn

January 8, 2018
An article from the Proceedings of the 2018 Nebraska Extension Crop Production Clinics on university research testing sensor-based N fertigation treatments.

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Charles Shapiro speaking at a Nebraska Extension field day in the late 1980s.

It is Time to Hang Up the Soil Probe ― Reflections on a Career

December 13, 2017
In his final article for CropWatch Nebraska Soil Scientist Charles Shapiro reflects on changes in crop nutrient management practices across his career.

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