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This graph demonstrates the increase in crop yield over time at the Knorr-Holden plot, which has been continuously planted with corn since 1912, and treated with beef cattle manure since 1942. (Graph courtesy UNL Water) UNL researchers share their results after 77 years of applying manure to soil at the Knorr-Holden plot, the oldest experimental irrigated corn plot in North America.

In the latest episode, FarmBits investigates livestock sensors for poultry, which track bird health, barn temperature, food consumption and more to deliver producers real-time insights on their flock.

The FarmBits team interviews UNL master's student Kaitlyn Dozler to learn more about how virtual fencing can minimize the labor and time commitments required for rotational grazing.

Fertilization of smooth bromegrass pastures should begin soon, by late March through April Tips on choosing winter survival traits in alfalfa without compromising yield, and timing and application rates for fertilizing cool-season grass pastures.

The value of manure depends upon several factors that must be assessed, including its type, how and where it's applied, the amount of nutrients needed in the field for the next crop and the cost of fertilizer. Nebraska Extension Animal Manure Management Educator Leslie Johnson walks through the steps of calculating manure value.

Currently, only a third of farm families successfully transition management to the next generation. In this article, Nebraska Extension Educator Allan Vynhalek shares advice on how to incorporate the next generation of leaders into an operation before succession to ensure their prosperity in the years to come. (Photo courtesy Center for Agricultural Profitability) Nebraska Extension Educator Allan Vyhnalek shares strategies that can help farm families improve their collaborate skills and prepare the next generation for leadership.

The Center for Agricultural Profitability's agriculture land management quarterly webinars address common management issues for Nebraska landowners, agricultural operators and related stakeholders interested in the latest insight on trends in real estate, managing agricultural land and solutions for addressing challenges in the upcoming growing season. (Photo courtesy CAP) The first Agricultural Land Management Quarterly webinar of 2023 covers setting cash rents, flex lease alternatives and considerations for updating agricultural rental arrangements for the year.

UNL Associate Professor and Extension Policy Specialist Brad Lubben discusses two new USDA assistance programs, the Emergency Relief Program (ERP) Phase 2 and the 2020 Pandemic Assistance Revenue Program (PARP), with USDA representatives Patrick Lechner and Cathy Anderson. Learn more about two new USDA programs created to assist farmers and ranchers with natural disaster and pandemic-related losses in this Center for Agricultural Profitability webinar.

According to the Nebraska Farm Real Estate Market Survey preliminary report, the market value of agricultural land in Nebraska increased by over 14% over the prior year. (Photo courtesy Center for Agricultural Profitability) The 2023 report findings mark the second-largest increase in market value of ag land in Nebraska since 2014, and the highest non-inflation-adjusted statewide land value in 45 years.

In week 8 of this series based on the class “The Science of Well-Being,” we will discuss two strategies for creating better habits—setting goals and situation support. Most of the examples from the class were around healthy eating, but these strategies can be applied to other happiness-supporting habits as well (exercise, meditation, doing acts of kindness).

Several areas of Nebraska had a one- to two-category improvement in drought conditions throughout the winter season, which has been the fifth wettest winter on record for the state.

For producers planting corn-on-corn this growing season, Nebraska Extension encourages taking soil samples to determine accurate nitrate levels and adjusting N application rates accordingly, as there may be considerable amounts of residual nitrogen left from the previous corn crop. For producers planning corn-on-corn this growing season, there may be a substantial opportunity to reduce nitrogen fertilizer applications, as drought and reduced yields likely left higher-than-normal residual N in many fields.

Producers and landowners enrolled more than 5 million acres into CRP in 2022, which helped them establish long-term, resource-conserving plants to control soil erosion, improve water quality and enhance wildlife habitat on cropland. Producers and landowners interested in signing up for CRP in 2023 should contact their local USDA Service Center for assistance prior to the deadline.

A group of farmers, consultants, researchers and USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service employees collaborate on an activity to first find the soil type and then its appropriate standard at the Nebraska Soil Health School. (Photo courtesy Bijesh Maharjan)

Though the farm finance and ag law clinics are offered monthly at sites across Nebraska, remote sessions are another option — call the number below to arrange a one-on-one meeting via phone or virtual platform. If you can't attend one of the two dates scheduled for free, in-person farm and ag law clinics in March, virtual/phone options are also available anytime. 

Taylor Cross (right), a graduate student in mechanized systems management, speaks with Nebraska ag producers Doug Jones (left) and Tony Jones about the sensor-based fertigation management technology that’s been shown to increase nitrogen-use efficiency and profitability in on-farm research. (Photo courtesy Nebraska Today | Hannah Gaebel Dorn, HG Images) Tested on cornfields in eastern Nebraska, the study's sensor-based fertigation produced about 44 pounds more grain per pound of nitrogen than traditional methods, with an increase in profitability ranging from $28-$40 per acre.

Spring is a critical time to control weeds in alfalfa, as weeds grow faster than stressed alfalfa, leading to thin stands, weakened plants and lower yields. Interseeding cool-season perennial grasses into alfalfa and applying herbicides in early spring are reliable methods of improving alfalfa production and health this growing season.

Participants of the 2022 Innovative Youth Corn Competition experimented with using supplemental sulfur, fertigation, PrairieFood, Pivot Bio and cover crops to boost yields and maximize their return on investment. Arlington FFA Chapter members Aaron Fuchs and Braden Monke placed first in the 2022 contest with their study on supplemental sulfur, which increased plant health and final yield of their corn crop.

For weeks 7-10 of this article series on “The Science of Well-Being,” I am going to move away from the class structure because the last four weeks of the class are more about accountability with setting goals and sticking to them. Though this is important, it doesn’t give me as much to write about, so I will delve into details I skipped over from previous weeks.