Soil Management

What's New with S Fertilizer Use? April 5, 2018

When is applying sulfur likely to be profitable and when is it cutting into your potential profit? This brief shares information from more than 100 university trials verifying current university recommendations.

How do You Define Soil Health? April 4, 2018

For many people the definition of soil health depends on their perspective and use of the soil. While definitions can vary widely, there are four common practices that everyone should consider to ensure healthy soil biota.

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.

Cover Crop and CO2 Emissions February 26, 2018

Do cover crops affect CO2 emissions from the soil and if so, under what conditions? These were among the questions addressed by university researchers monitoring CO2 emissions from cereal rye cover crops in irrigated and dryland no-till continuous corn treatments.

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.

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.

To avoid compacting more of the field, the grain cart should run down the same row middles as the combine. An auger extension may be needed on the combine to get the wheel tracks to line up. The wheel spacing on the combine, tractor, and grain cart should be adjusted to all run between the rows.

Avoiding Compaction at Harvest October 11, 2017

If you're worried about compacting still-wet soils this fall, these recommendations can help you avoid or reduce potential compaction and its effects on next year's yields.

Illustrating improved soil aggregates from manure applications.

How Manure Impacts Soil Aggregation July 6, 2017

Researchers compare differences between soils fertilized with three types of manure versus commercial products and note four benefits, including an increase in water-stable large macro-aggregates that hold P differently.