UNL Field Tours Focus on Improving Irrigation Efficiencies and Nitrogen Application
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August 1, 2008
Faced with increasing fuel and nitrogen prices, producers wanting to get the most from the water and nitrogen they apply will want to attend one of this year's Irrigation Strategies Field Tours.
Sponsored by UNL Extension, the tours offer the producers and crop consultants a chance to see demonstrations of how soil moisture monitoring equipment and irrigation strategies are being applied in farmer fields, said Steve Melvin, Extension Educator and program coordinator. A primary focus for the tours will be water conservation.
Melvin's goal is to make the decision of when and how much irrigation water to apply as easy as keeping fuel in the tank using the fuel gauge. Applying excess water costs extra money, leaches nitrogen below the root zone, and can lower yields, but applying too little water can also lower yields. Applying the optimum level of water is more important today than ever.
The program will teach methods to get the most effective use from your irrigation water and energy dollars by obtaining top pumping plant performance, selecting lower cost energy sources, and applying the optimum amount of water.
Tour topics will include: Predicting the Last Irrigation; Lowering Irrigation Energy Costs; Monitoring Crop Water Use and Soil Moisture Status — Simple, Durable, Accurate, and Economical Tools; Water Savings with Crop Residue Management; and How Time of Application and Amount of Water Applied Effects Crop Yield.
Program speakers include Derrel Martin, UNL Irrigation and Water Resources Specialist, Steve Melvin, UNL Extension Educator, and Simon van Donk, UNL Irrigation and Water Resources Specialist.
For more information about the Irrigation Strategies Field Tour Series, contact Steve Melvin at (308) 367-4424 or smelvin1@unl.edu.
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