Water Quality

Aaron Mittelstet, Troy Gilmore, Mikaela Cherry and Didier Gatsmana sampling groundwater
From left, Aaron Mittelstet, Troy Gilmore, Mikaela Cherry and Didier Gatsmana sample groundwater in the Little Blue Natural Resources District near Hastings in July 2018. A recent study from Cherry, doctoral candidate in the School of Natural Resources, and colleagues found that winter precipitation reloads most of the state’s groundwater supply. (Courtesy photo/Sydney Corcoran)

New Research Shows When Nebraska’s Groundwater Supply Recharges

May 28, 2020
When it rains, and even when it pours and floods like it did in Nebraska in late 2018 and through much of 2019, the precipitation that hits the surface doesn’t always factor in to recharging the state’s vast and vital groundwater supply. So when does it most often happen?

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indiangrass

Buffer Strip Plant Selection

October 31, 2019
When planning a vegetative buffer strip, select grasses, shrubs, and trees that will perform well in your geographic area. Here's an introductory guide as to what works well in different areas of the state.

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Grass and tree riparian buffer
Figure 1. Late fall is a good time to assess the need for buffer strips to protect waterways from potential runoff of pesticides, fertilizers, and sediment. Funding assistance for buffers is available from the Nebraska Department of Agriculture. (Photos courtesy of NRCS)

NDA Funding Available to Install, Renew Buffer Strips

October 31, 2019
After a wrenching year of storms and floods across much of the state, it's time to take stock of steps to reduce the impact of extreme weather on your farm and the surrounding environs. Financial incentives are available for vegetative buffer strips.

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Javed Iqbal
Javed Iqbal

Javed Iqbal Joins IANR Soil Science Team

September 13, 2019
Welcome to Javed Iqbal who recently joined the Department of Agronomy and Horticulture as an assistant professor for nutrient management and water quality. Iqbal will be conducting research and education on efficient uses of nutrients to enhance crop production and reduce environmental effects.

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alfalfa
Figure 1. Research in northeast Nebraska indicates that adding alfalfa to a corn-soybean rotation can reduce nitrate in the aquifer while increasing profit.

Adding Alfalfa to Corn-Soybean Rotation can Increase Profit, Reduce Nitrate Leaching

July 31, 2019
University research shows that adding alfalfa into corn-soybean rotations can help reduce the loss of nitrate to and increase the extraction of nitrate from aquifers while improving profitability.

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Figure 1. Graph showing average (1998-2009) cumulative NO3-N loss in response to interaction effects of N treatments

Poultry Manure Reduces Nitrate Loss to Water in Iowa Study

March 6, 2019
Iowa State University researchers concluded from a long-term field study that poultry manure, when applied at a rate to meet crop nitrogen (N) requirements, can reduce nitrate loss and achieve equal or better yields in corn-soybean production systems.

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Nebraska Water Center Receives Grant to Research Nitrate Mitigation

June 19, 2018
This project will demonstrate how subsoil injection of an abundant carbon source (recycled sawdust and wood shavings) will establish a biologically active layer for interception and removal of dissolved nitrate after it has left the crop root zone.

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UNL Lectures on Water and Health Begin Jan.13

January 11, 2016

Seven free public lectures on the importance of water and health comprise the University of Nebraska-Lincoln's spring semester water seminar beginning Jan. 13.

The lectures take place roughly every other Wednesday from 3:30 to 4:30 p.m. through April 13. All lectures will be in the first-floor auditorium of Hardin Hall, 3310 Holdrege St. on UNL's East Campus.

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