Soil Fertility

Cattle grazing a corn field
Cows grazing corn residue may not remove as much organic material and as many nutrients as might be expected, but they will likely redistribute some nutrients in the field due to their traffic patterns.

Nutrient Removal by Cows Grazing Corn Residue

November 5, 2018
Nutrient removal by cows grazing corn residue may not be as much as you might think. Here a livestock and a forage specialist break down the numbers and look at removal rates for organic matter and minerals.

Read more

Figure 1. Final soybean stand count was not necessarily an indicator of yield in this 2017 study of the effects of late-season (R3) nitrogen application in soybean. The Lincoln County plot (left) had a final stand count of 72,000 plants per acre and yielded 72.7-73 bu/ac. The Perkins County plot (right) had a final stand count of 161,000 plants per acre and yielded 74.4-77 bu/ac.
Figure 1. Final soybean stand count was not necessarily an indicator of yield in this 2017 study of the effects of late-season (R3) nitrogen application in soybean. The Lincoln County plot (left) had a final stand count of 72,000 plants per acre and yielded 72.7-73 bu/ac. The Perkins County plot (right) had a final stand count of 161,000 plants per acre and yielded 74.4-77 bu/ac.

Is Late Season N Fertilization Warranted for Irrigated Soybean in Western Nebraska?

November 2, 2018
On-farm research trials were conducted in three southwest Nebraska counties to study whether a late season N application during the pod setting and seed filling phases would increase soybean yields.

Read more

How do I accurately credit nitrogen from manure?

Estimating Nitrogen Credit from Manure

September 5, 2018
Nitrogen in manure requires some simple planning to insure it's given proper credit for offsetting commercial fertilizer inputs. This Water.unl.edu article offers key information for calculating N credit.

Read more

Odor plumes from land application of manure
Odor plumes from land application of manure

Timing Manure Application to Avoid Neighbor Nuisances

August 14, 2018
Roughly half of all neighbor complaints of livestock odors originate from land application of manure. This article outlines the weather conditions to consider when planning a manure application.

Read more

Irrigation in corn near a cattle feedlot with cattle
Irrigating diluted animal manures on growing crops can work if you ask the right questions. (Photo by Larry Howard)

Can I Irrigate Animal Manures On Growing Crops?

June 27, 2018
Recent heavy rains have many feedlot holding ponds full and operators looking for irrigation options to apply animal manure during the growing season. Here are some considerations for applying diluted animal manures without damaging the crop.

Read more

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.

Read more

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.

Read more

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.

Read more