Water Management

Irrigation and water management information is housed on the Nebraska Extension website Water.unl.edu in the Agricultural Production section. Sub-sections include:

Crops: Managing Water for Crop Production
Irrigation: Agricultural Irrigation
Manure: Livestock Manure Management
Drought: Managing in Times of Drought

Also see the Agricultural Water Management Guide, a Nebraska Extension publication on irrigation management — both why it is used and more importantly, strategies to improve irrigation efficiency. Also included are definitions of basic irrigation terminology and a brief history of irrigation. This publication is targeted to farmers, crop consultants, agriculture educators, science instructors, students, and anyone interested in increasing their knowledge of irrigation management.

Soil water measuring guage. — Wouldn’t it be great if our crops had a soil water gauge on them like the fuel tank? We could use them to help us directly determine when we need to irrigate and how much water the soil will hold. Soil water monitoring equipment can be the next best thing.

Field Days to Feature Irrigation Scheduling Equipment Demos August 16, 2018

Two field days Aug. 27-28 will feature in-field demonstrations of soil water measuring tools designed to provide growers key data for irrigation management. Five of the systems were installed earlier this summer and users can view and compare data and displays online.

Pie chart showing entities responsible for maintaining irrigation systems as part of cash leases

2018 Cash Lease Adjustments on Irrigation Equipment for Cropland Rental Arrangements in Nebraska August 16, 2018

How are landlords and tenants managing the costs for irrigation systems as part of their cash lease arrangements? Using data from the 2017-2018 Nebraska Farm Real Estate Survey, ag economists explore the options and discounts reported in this Cornhusker Economics.

Center pivot irrigating late season field of corn. — Figure 1. As you try to use stored soil water without wasting any new precipitation, the last few irrigations of the season require some of the most important water management decisions of the year. (Photo by Steve Melvin)

How to Schedule the Last Few Irrigations of the Season August 10, 2018

Final irrigations of the season are some of the most important water management decisions of the year. This guide walks through how to use weather and field information to schedule final irrigations and avoid costly, needless ones.

Rezaul Mahmood (left), co-leader of the GRAINEX project, talks with a student and co-leader Eric Rappin (right) of Western Kentucky University.

Husker-led Research Team to Examine Irrigation's Role in Precipitation July 16, 2018

A national team led by the University of Nebraska–Lincoln is studying potential links among irrigation, cloud formation and rainfall from a 3,600-square-mile region in southeastern Nebraska.

Youth at Youth Agronomy Field Day — Figure 1. Brad Ramsdale, professor of agronomy at the Nebraska College for Technical Agriculture, discusses plant and weed identification with a group of youth at a previous Youth Agronomy FIeld Day. (Photos by Kathy Burr)

Agronomy Youth Field Day Aug. 8 at Curtis June 28, 2018

Curiosity is key to learning and the Aug. 8 Agronomy Youth Field Day offers a myriad of opportunities for youth to explore, learn, talk with kid-friendly experts, and consider careers in agronomic fields of STEM (science, technology, engineering and math).

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