New Funds Soon Available for Soil Health Practices |
Are you a producer who is interested in adding conservation activities such as cover crops, but have been deterred by the costs involved in changing your operation? Good news! There will soon be funds available for soil health improvement practices in the district, thanks to funding from the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service through the Resource Conservation Partnership Program (RCPP). The Upper Big Blue NRD and the Central Platte NRD are partnering with Nebraska NRCS and The Nature Conservancy on the soil health initiative Resilient Futures for Nebraska Soil. The goal of the program is to improve soil health through various practices on 100,000 acres of Nebraska cropland over the next five years. Read More...
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New Options Available to Growers in Zone 5 |
The Upper Big Blue NRD Board of Directors approved changes to Rule 5 – Groundwater Management Area #1 and #2 at their regular board meeting on August 20, 2020. The changes provide a definition for nitrification inhibitors that includes products with the following active ingredients: Nitropyrin, Pronitridine, and Dicyandiamide. Another change requires a copy of the receipt as proof of purchase for the nitrification inhibitor to accompany annual Phase II/III Management Area reports. This rule change will take effect on November 1, 2020, in time for fall anhydrous applications in the six townships in and around York known as Zone 5. These rule changes do not apply to other management zones in the district.
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Hastings Vadose Zone Study Summary |
Nitrate concentrations in the Hastings, Nebraska public supply wells have been increasing over the past 20 years, forcing the city to implement a very costly treatment system to comply with safe drinking water regulations. Two studies conducted by the University of Nebraska over the past 10 years have looked at nitrate storage and movement in the soils around the city’s wells to help understand how changing land use can also reduce contaminant loading to these wells.
This soil, called the vadose zone, or area between the land surface and the groundwater table, serves as a dynamic reservoir for water, nitrogen and other chemicals seeping past the root zone. Nitrate concentrations in the Hastings, Nebraska public supply wells have been increasing over the past 20 years, forcing the city to implement a very costly treatment system to comply with safe drinking water regulations. Two studies conducted by the University of Nebraska over the past 10 years have looked at nitrate storage and movement in the soils around the city’s wells to help understand how changing land use can also reduce contaminant loading to these wells. More...
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Operators of wells within our Groundwater Monitoring Well Network should have received a land practice survey along with their nitrate results this year. The purpose of this survey is to help producers, staff, and other district residents understand what is going on at the land surface and how it relates to the quality of the groundwater we all use.
The survey focuses on nitrogen application as well as irrigation usage. We plan to collect several years’ worth of this type of data in order to create a clearer picture of how nitrates move through the soil in our district. The data collected will not be used to single anyone out over their land practices, but rather will show trends over the entire district. Completing this survey with accurate and timely data will be an important contribution for every producer in this area, as these responses will be invaluable as we work together to find solutions to water quality management issues in our district.
Paper copies of the survey can be returned by mail to our office. You can also complete the survey online. You will need to know your well registration number to unlock the survey. Your well registration number can be found on the results letter.
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Improving Soils to Improve Harvests |
What drives soil health? What are the costs and benefits of improving your soil? These questions and more will be explored at the upcoming Project GROW Winter Workshop, December 3 in York. The third annual Winter Workshop will feature Dr. Jill Clapperton, owner and principal scientist at Rhizoterra, Inc. The event is free and open to all.
Attending the workshop will be of added benefit to producers in need of nitrogen management certification, as it fulfils the training requirement for recertification. In past years, this option was only open to those who had previously certified and needed to renew their certification. This year, even those producers who are certifying for the first time will be able to receive the requisite training credits by attending this event, plus a short meeting after the event. More...
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See the Project GROW Winter Workshop Trailer ⬇️
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The UBBNRD will continue to offer online water use and Phase II/III Management Area reporting in 2020-21. A link from our website takes you to the Beehive Online Reporting Portal. If you reported either water use or Phase II/III Management Area reports in 2019-20, use your existing username and password to access the portal.
First time users will receive an ‘Activation Key’ to set up an online account. The only requirements to create the online account is an active e-mail address and a minimum of eight-character password. If you have more than one entity, you will need a different e-mail for each entity or the same e-mail using mix case (Example: Entity #1: johndoe@gmail.com & Entity #2: Johndoe@gmail.com).
Producers without an active e-mail address will be required to continue to turn in hardcopy reports. If you have any difficulty with logging in, questions, or corrections to your report, please give us a call! We have technical support ready to assist you during normal business hours (M-F), 8 AM to 5 PM, (closed from 12-1 PM) at (402) 362-6601. You can also e-mail us through the online portal using the “Contact” button on the left-hand side of the online portal.
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Interseeder On-Farm Research |
Interseeding cover crops has become popular among innovative farmers to protect soil from erosion, take up excess nitrates in spring and fall, and provide grazing for livestock.
Traditional methods for planting cover crops usually involve drilling the seed after the cash crop has been harvested or seeding cover crops with an airplane into standing crops in late summer or early fall. Waiting to drill cover crops after corn is harvested means cover crops might not have enough heat units to get established before a hard freeze. Seeding cover crops with an airplane into standing crops is more expensive and the seed can get hung up in plant leaves with no chance of germination. Also, rain or irrigation with a pivot might be needed to make this method successful.
There is another option however, and that is drilling cover crops into standing corn at the V-4 to V-7 growth stage. The idea is to drill the cover crops between the rows of small corn where the cover crops will germinate and grow until the corn canopy shades the ground and the cover crops will go dormant for lack of sunshine. In early fall as the corn starts to mature, sunlight will be able to reach the cover crop plants and they will grow until a hard freeze or terminated with herbicide the next spring.
The Upper Big Blue NRD has developed a partnership with The Nature Conservancy and University of Nebraska Extension to test this practice. The Nature Conservancy has provided the NRD with a specially designed drill able to plant a mix of cover crops into standing corn.
Ten corn producers in the Upper Big Blue NRD signed on as partners to try this concept on some of their acres for three years, starting in 2020. Soil tests, biomass samples and yield checks are being done this fall and first-year results will be available in the near future. More...
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Groundwater Quality Sampling Schedule |
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The Upper Big Blue NRD is divided into twelve groundwater quality Management Zones. The median nitrate value for that zone determines the phase of management and therefore, rules and regulations (check out this handy reference doc for more information on zone specific rules).
Taking a step back, the median nitrate value for a zone is the product of water samples collected from a specific network of wells. These wells are selected based on construction and geology. A well that provides accurate results is screened in one portion of the aquifer only, and does not have multiple screens. The screen also does not transect geological confining units such as clay layers, which could mix shallow and deep water. More on quality sampling...
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Nitrate Analysis -- Zone 5 |
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Operators within a management zone that has been designated a Phase III Management Zone must have their irrigation water tested for nitrates at least once every three years. Presently, Zone 5 is the only management area in Phase III Management. Zone 5 includes Waco, New York, Lockridge, Bradshaw, Beaver, and Leroy townships.
Irrigation wells in Zone 5 must be sampled again by April 1, 2023.
The Upper Big Blue NRD is now utilizing a new database software that will allow staff to better track reporting information, such as, phase reports, sensor reports, and water samples. During this next three-year period for Zone 5, wells that have not been sampled by April 1, 2023, will be found in violation of district rules and regulations.
Important Things To Remember About Your Samples
- All active wells in Zone 5 must be sampled.
- Comingled wells need to be sampled individually.
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Follow sampling instructions, especially the time frame for delivery (24 hours).
- If there are multiple wells per quarter, be specific when labeling – sub-quarter or physical location description is helpful to assign results and therefore, comply with rules and regulations.
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NRD Continues Partnership with University of Nebraska Extension On-Farm Research |
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The Upper Big Blue NRD will continue to partner with local producers and University of Nebraska Extension in the On Farm Research Program in 2021 growing season. In 2020, the partnership, brought five groundwater quality centered on-farm research projects that helped volunteer producers answer questions about their operations. Projects included use of nitrification inhibitors, anhydrous timing versus rate comparison, and fall versus spring applied anhydrous with and without nitrification inhibitor.
Producers wishing to scientifically answer agronomic questions can work with University Extension to design trials and collect data throughout the growing season to find answers to their questions. The Upper Big Blue NRD will provide technical resources along with financial assistance for volunteer producers to offset the cost of soil, water, and plant tissue analysis. Project results are published for other interested producers to review. Past years’ results are available online.
If you are interested in participating in the On Farm Research Program speak to your local University of Nebraska Extension Agent or complete this form on our website. Qualifying projects must be approved by the NRD before planting.
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Project GROW Winter Workshop
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LOCATION
Holthus Convention Center (York)
DATE AND TIME
12/03/20 9:00am
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12/03/20 3:00pm
RSVP by November 25 if you plan to attend. Lunch catered by Kerry's of McCool is included.
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***Attendance at this workshop counts toward Phase II & III Management Area Certification***
Please RSVP by November 25.
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Project GROW Winter Workshop Speakers
- Dr. Jill Clapperton, Soil Health Expert and Principal Scientist at Rhizoterra, Inc
- Al Dutcher, Nebraska State Climatologist
- Dan Leininger, NRD Water Conservationist
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Nitrogen Management Training Dates |
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We're trying something new this year! We are offering a variety of topics and speakers at our winter Nitrogen Management Certification Trainings, due to requests from producers. If you're up for recertification, you only need to attend one training. However, you may wish to attend all of them, as the keynote speakers and topics covered will be different at each location. Even if you're not in need of certification at this time, you may want to join us for these informative sessions. Click the links for time and location specifics.
More Opportunities to Learn and Certify:
- Hamilton County Ag Day (TBA)
- UNL On-Farm Research Annual Meeting (TBA)
- Little Blue NRD Nitrogen Management Trainings
- Dec. 10 (Nelson Auditorium, Nelson)
- Jan. 19 (Jefferson County Fairgrounds, Fairbury)
- Jan. 22 (Davenport Community Center, Davenport)
**We will follow directed health measure guidelines for the area on social distancing and wearing masks at all trainings. All sessions are subject to change due to COVID, so always check the website for the latest details.**
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