Soil Health

Cover crops
Figure 1. Cover crops planted after wheat harvest at the Daryl Obermeyer Farm east of Auburn in Nemaha County. On the left are oats plus turnips and radishes. On the right are turnips and radishes and cereal rye. The brassicas (turnips and radishes) out-compete the cereal rye in late summer. (Photo by Gary Lesoing)

Cover Crop Field Tour Sept. 17 in Nemaha County

September 4, 2019
A Cover Crop Field Tour of three sites in Nemaha County will look at how cover crops are being used and what the early yield and biomass data are showing. A soil pit at one site will also offer insights into longer-term soil health benefits.

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August 30 Field Day to Showcase Local Value of Soil Health

August 16, 2019
Positioning your farm to become more resilient to extreme weather includes focusing on long-term soil health. An August 30 Soil Health Demo Field Day will feature soil health and conservation practices to help improve soil health over time.

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Figure 6. University of Nebraska-Lincoln winter wheat variety trial (25 entries/varieties) on July 16 in Washington County hosted by Hoegermeyer Farms, southwest of Herman. (Photo by Nathan Mueller)
Figure 6. University of Nebraska-Lincoln winter wheat variety trial (25 entries/varieties) on July 16 in Washington County hosted by Hoegermeyer Farms, southwest of Herman. (Photo by Nathan Mueller)

A Review of the 2018-19 Eastern Nebraska Winter Wheat Growing Season

August 15, 2019
Nebraska Extension educators review the wheat production season in eastern Nebraska and factors affecting it, from a rough start with cool, wet conditions to a good finish.

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Farmers, Nebraska Extension educators, and NRCS employees at the NRCS-Nebraska Extension Soil Health Initiative Meeting held in York earlier this year. (Photo by Laura Thompson)
Figure 1. Farmers, Nebraska Extension educators, and NRCS employees at the NRCS-Nebraska Extension Soil Health Initiative Meeting held in York earlier this year. (Photo by Laura Thompson)

Why Growers are Adopting Practices to Build Soil Health

July 11, 2019
Growers conducting on-farm demonstrations as part of the Nebraska Soil Health Initiative met with UNL and NRCS staff to share about what they were doing and learning on their farms. Their work offers valuable insights for other growers considering how they too can build soil health on their farms.

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Farmer field testing two cover crop management options

Farmers Find Solutions Through Nebraska Soil Health Initiative

July 11, 2019
How can we manage cropland to improve soil health? To test and encourage adoption of soil health practices, the Soil Health Demonstration Initiative was launched as a collaborative effort of growers, UNL and NRCS. Now a network of farm research sites is providing valuable information from in-field studies.

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manure

3 Resources on How Animal Manure Can Benefit Your Soils

June 4, 2019
Animal manure can be a valuable soil nutrient. Three stories at Water.unl.edu explore how manure improves soil fertility and productivity, how poultry manure can be managed in crop production, and how composted beef manure can be added to sugar beet production.

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Rye cover crop

Soil Microbial Communities under Cover Crops

March 12, 2019
This study examined impacts of using a cereal rye cover crop in corn systems in eastern Nebraska and found that it boosted the microbial community in the upper two inches of the soil. This may improve soil aggregation, nutrient cycling, and other soil health benefits.

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Cattle grazing cover crops
The benefits of grazing cover crops will be one feature of the Southeast Nebraska Soil Health Conference March 6 in Beatrice.

Southeast Nebraska Soil Health Conference March 6

February 4, 2019
Soil health, cover crops, and grazing annual cover crops will be among the topics at the Southeast Nebraska Soil Health Conference on Wednesday, March 6, in Beatrice.

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