Chemigation is the process of applying chemicals to land/crops with water from an irrigation system. Chemical is broadly defined as any fertilizer, herbicide, fungicide, or pesticides mixed with the irrigation water during application. In southeast Nebraska, the most common chemigation process is applying liquid nitrogen fertilizer through a center pivot. Applying nitrogen fertilizer through pivots […] Continue reading → 
The 2022 Eastern Nebraska Soil Health Conference (merger of two previous conferences, the Nebraska Cover Crop Conference and Southeast Nebraska Soil Health Conference) will provide information to farmers who are just getting started with cover crops and other soil health practices and to those who are already making soil health part of their farm operation plan. Register […] Continue reading → 
The U.S. Drought Monitor map shows parts of the U.S. that are in drought and how bad it is. As the Water & Integrated Cropping Systems Extension Educator for Saline, Jefferson, and Gage counties, I contribute reports for this area directly to the weekly authors in Nebraska through our internal Nebraska drought discussion group email […] Continue reading → 
What do you think about when you hear or read the word weather? In my role as an agronomist or more specifically as the Water and Integrated Cropping Systems Extension Educator for the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, I think of complexity and integration. Of the over 500 stakeholder calls I have received this year, weather or […] Continue reading → 
Southeast Nebraska farmers can sharpen their management strategies for the third and fourth most grown crops in the region at the inaugural 2021 Southeast Nebraska Alfalfa and Wheat Expo. Hosts and local Water & Integrating Cropping Systems Extension Educators, Nathan Mueller, Gary Lesoing, and Melissa Bartels said more diverse crop rotations are both underutilized and undervalued. […] Continue reading → 
Crop scouting in late August often will not result in immediate management decisions. However, taking notes on what you observe now can provide valuable information moving in to harvest and confirm or reprioritize agronomic goals for next year. There are many things to take note of and questions to ask. What diseases are the most […] Continue reading → 
Fusarium head blight (FHB), also called head scab, is a fungal disease that infects wheat during flowering, which typically occurs between mid-May to early June in this area. Over the past 15 years widespread FHB epidemics occurred in Nebraska in 2007, 2008, 2015, and 2019. Southeast Nebraska is particularly prone to FHB issues. In addition […] Continue reading →