Soil Moisture

Wheat field
Historical crop progress data for Nebraska is available at USDA.

Crop Progress: Winter Wheat at 66% Good-Excellent Condition

March 26, 2024
While winter wheat condition improved slightly in March, soil moisture supplies generally decreased.

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14 day precipitation outlook map

Weekly Weather Outlook and Update: March 14, 2024

March 15, 2024
It wouldn't be the Midwest without balmy weather on the first day of spring followed by lots of snow. Check out next week's storm predictions in this latest update from the Nebraska State Climate Office.

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Green wheat field
Historical crop progress data for Nebraska is available at USDA.

Crop Progress: Winter Wheat at Nearly 70% Good-Excellent Condition

January 31, 2024
January's precipitation was a boon for Nebraska, improving "good" winter wheat standings by 23% and adequate-surplus topsoil moisture supplies by 26%.

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14-day temperature outlook map

Weekly Weather Outlook and Update: Dec. 14, 2023

December 14, 2023
Mild temperatures and dry conditions are expected for Nebraska again next week, but chances are increasing for a storm to bring rainfall and snow to the state around Christmas.

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Temperature during last four El Ninos

Winter Weather Outlook for 2023-24

October 27, 2023
Temperatures this winter are expected to be above average statewide, and total precipitation — including snowfall — is expected to be above average in southern Nebraska and around average elsewhere.

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MICRA project team posing for photo
The University of Nebraska–Lincoln team working on the MICRA project includes (from left) Taro Mieno, agricultural economics; Daniel Schachtman, agronomy and horticulture; Saleh Taghvaeian, biological systems engineering; and Seunghee Kim, civil engineering. (Photo by Nick Kumpula, Research and Economic Development)

Nebraska Part of Interdisciplinary Team Examining Climate Resiliency Through Soil

September 28, 2023
The research team will experiment with soil amendments and biochar to measure their impact on soil water-holding capacity to find ways to improve preservation of soil moisture in farm fields.

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Pivot in field
Irrigating a late season soybean field. (Photo by Steve Melvin)

Optimize Those Last Few Irrigations

August 17, 2023
Leaving the field a little drier at the end of the season can help producers save irrigation costs, decrease leaching losses, improve soil conditions for harvest traffic, save water for future years and capture more off-season precipitation.

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Irrigation system

Scheduling the Last Few Irrigations of the Season

August 25, 2022
Factors such as the amount of water a soil can hold, the amount of water a crop will use until it reaches maturity, and the maximum allowable soil water depletion should be considered when deciding the last few irrigations of the season.

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