Holt Boyd News Column for the Week of May 25, 2025

Nebraska Extension Educator - Holt/Boyd Counties - LaDonna Werth
Nebraska Extension Educator - Holt/Boyd Counties - Amy Timmerman
Nebraska Extension Educator - Brown/Rock/Keya Paha Counties - Brittany Spieker
Nebraska Extension Educator - Holt/Boyd/Garfield/Loup/Wheeler Counties - Bethany Johnston
Nebraska 4-H Assistant - Holt/Boyd Counties - Debra Walnofer

May 26: CLOSED: Holt and Boyd County Extension Offices for Memorial Day

May 28: DUE: Register for ServSafe Food Handlers Training, https://web.cvent.com/event/b20778cb-248b-410b-8421-a0bf92761e23/summary

May 28: Pressure Canner Dial Gauge Testing - 9:00-11:30am - Holt County Extension Office, O’Neill OR 1:30-4:00pm - Supervisors Room, Boyd County Courthouse, Butte

June 1: DUE: State 4-H Horse Expo Online Entries and Horse I.D.s submitted to extension office https://4h.unl.edu/statewide-events-opportunities/horse-program/horse-expo/show-entry/

June 3: Face-to-Face YQCA Training, 9am, Holt County Annex, O’Neill, NE, https://yqcaprogram.org/login/index.php

June 4: ServSafe Food Handlers Training, 8:30am-12:30pm, Holt County Annex Meeting Room

June 5: Workshop to Address the Spread of Cedar Trees and Control Options, 1:00–4:30pm, Holt County Courthouse Annex, O’Neill, NE

June 7: Holt County 4-H Shooting Sports Invitational, 8:00am, Holt County Fair Grounds, Chambers Nebraska

June 11: Tractor and Equipment Safety Training, AKRS Equipment Solutions, Inc, register at go.unmc.edu/tractor-safety-training

June 13: 4-H Rabbit Tattooing, 9:00am-4:30pm, Holt County Extension Office, O’Neill, NE

June 15: DUE: ALL Other Clover Kid, 4-H and FFA Animal ID Sheets, Holt County Extension Office, O’Neill, NE

June 15: DUE: Nebraska 4-H Enrollment Deadline

• Community exploration: visit the local park for a picnic, try out walking trails or play equipment, check out books from the public library that the family can read together, go to a farmer’s market or produce stand to get fresh berries or other fruits for homemade ice cream
   
• Family exploration: take time to share family traditions like foods, crafts or hobbies, let your child teach you something new, give your children a disposable camera to capture their perspective of the world

Whether you take a vacation or a staycation, give yourself and your children some free time to play and explore this summer. The memories of free time can strengthen family bonds through shared experiences, as well as provide a mental vacation during times of stress.

Source: Leanne Spengler, former Human Development Specialist, University of Missouri Extension

use efficiency, save energy and decrease water applications. However, this requires preparation focused on ensuring irrigation systems - including center pivots, furrow and drip irrigation systems - are functioning properly and paired with effective scheduling tools that monitor soil moisture for reliable, real-time water application decisions.

Irrigation Systems
Center pivots are the most commonly used irrigation systems in Nebraska, with their size varying depending on the number of acres in a field. Irrigation structures consist of spans where the sprinkler nozzle drops are connected, varying in size relative to the application rates and the pumping capacity - the volume of water that can be pumped or discharged from the well, recorded as gallons per minute.

Furrow irrigation system consists of open furrows dug in the field that are uniformly flat or with gentle slopes less than 0.05% to allow easy flow of water down the furrows. Water at the upstream from the well or canal is typically discharged into these furrows downstream using either flexible polyvinyl pipes with holes or standard gated pipes, or even siphon tubes (but rarely used). The wetting fronts created by water flowing down furrows are determined by orifice size of each gate or port, since this determines the discharge or flow rates.

Drip irrigation systems are slowly gaining acres in Nebraska, mainly on small acreage installations. Typically, drip systems can have more than one manifold connected to the main pipeline, with sub-main pipelines connected to drip tapes buried below ground for each irrigated zone or field area. Each sub-main pipeline has a flow meter to measure the amount of water delivered to each area or zone across the field.

Checking Tips for Pumping Plant

• Start at the pumping plant - check whether your pump is properly connected to the electrical source or other alternative energy sources, either diesel- or propane-driven engines.
• Turn on the pump and make sure it is running well and very smooth to avoid inefficiencies, which can cause high pumping energy costs.
• With known designed discharge and pressure, double check these parameters using ultrasonic flow meters and pressure gauges, respectively. Some pivot dealers can provide these services, or contact your local extension office, Irrigation Specialist Abia Katimbo or Extension Educator Todd Whitney (both located at the West Central Research, Extension and Education Center).

Checking Tips for Center Pivot System

• Turn on the pump and walk the pivot along the spans. Use the manufacturer’s color-coded nozzle diagrams to verify correct nozzle sizes. Inspect for major leaks, missing or damaged sprinklers or nozzles, or poor applications rates from the sprinklers.
• Replace any faulty nozzles with the right color-coded size. If poor uniformity is discovered, then the sprinkler company must redesign the system based on the current discharge/flowrate to develop a new sprinkler chart for new sprinklers and nozzles to be installed.
• Conduct the catch-can uniformity test to assess water application distribution and actual application rates from each sprinkler/nozzle, then match with sprinkler chart.
• Use water charts to ensure the pivot is putting on the actual set application depth based on the percentage speeds. Otherwise, adjustments can be made, especially when the system is getting older. Contact your local irrigation equipment dealer, UNL irrigation specialist or extension office.
• Repair leaks, especially at connection points between spans (i.e., boots - flexible union between span pipes) due to misalignment issues.
• Check pivot tracks for deep holes and cover them to avoid the pivot getting stuck or damaged from misalignment.
• Confirm that the flow meter is working properly and providing accurate flow rates; if not, repair or consider replacement.
• Confirm that the produced pressure is the same as designed, in addition to the flow rate.

Checking Tips for Sub-surface Drip Irrigation System

• Turn on the pump and walk through the whole field. Inspect for any major leaks caused by digging gophers or rodents chewing the drip tape, and for flowmeter failures at each manifold.
• Verify that the flows meters are measuring the right amount; if not, remove and clean them or replace.
• If a major leak is identified, dig around the leak to access the tape and fix it with the right tools. Before burying the tape, turn on the system to ensure there are no leaks.
• Make sure the inlets for main pipeline at all the manifolds are fully open to avoid pressure loss and low discharge into the drip tapes in the field.
• Confirm that all the filters are clean and in good working condition to avoid clogging of the emitters.
• Test the water quality, since chemicals can also lead to clogging of the emitters.

Checking Tips for Furrow Irrigation System

• Ensure the furrows are open and setup with a gentle slope. This will improve performance, increasing the wetting front for faster movement of water at the other end of the field.
• For open surface water, verify the drainage canal is clean with no materials or sediments.
• The furrows should be wide and deep enough to carry sufficient volume of water for better infiltration and uniform water delivery or application across the field, or for water to reach downstream at all ends of the furrows.
• Ensure there is a good drain at the end of the field to avoid waterlogging.

Right Irrigation Scheduling Tool
Although irrigation scheduling can be done by experience, hand probing and feeling the soil, observing the crop response to water stress (most times by curling of leaves) or checkbook method, utilizing new technology will likely improve efficiency. Using the right tools helps you to gauge how much soil-stored water remains before dryness causes water stress, which could reduce crop yields. Simply put, good scheduling technology is like a fuel gauge - it shows how far you can go before running empty. This technology will help you plan an irrigation strategy that avoids costly consequences like water stress or yield loss.

Tips For Choosing the Irrigation Scheduling Tool

• As there are many different irrigation technologies, choose one that you feel comfortable using and will provide reliable data for better irrigation decisions.
• Scheduling technology with simple platforms are preferred, since real-time data is represented in a format that can be easily interpreted.
• Select a tool that can be easily integrated into normal farming operations, especially herbicide and nitrogen applications.
• Reliability of technology personnel support is important in case of any breakdown, or if you need more clarification on collected and presented data.
• Make sure you have a strong internet connection if opting for permanently installed technology, such as soil moisture sensors, otherwise there will be failures in data transfer.
• It’s important to note whether the technology can be maintained or installed by reliable service providers.
• Wait until the crop is big enough to identify locations with better representative crops that are healthy to collect accurate data.
• Understand the history of your fields - when selecting locations to install your technology, choose field sites that will provide good data and manage irrigation for the whole field.
• Compare costs of varied soil and plant sensors technology.
• Get proper training on how to use data from new technology to make well-informed irrigation decisions.
• Reach out to WCREEC to participate in the Mobile Irrigation Testing program(s), which allows producers to test technology and learn how to use it. For more information about the program, contact Abia Katimbo, Ronaldo Marchezan (Mobile Lab manager), Todd Whitney, or other UNL Mobile Lab members.

Know Soil Moisture Conditions for Better Timing of First Irrigation Event
After you are confident with the performance of your irrigation system, the pumping plant, and have obtained irrigation scheduling technology, it is very important to ascertain soil moisture in the top 12-plus inches of your fields before you decide the first irrigation. Irrigation technology, such as soil moisture sensors, can be installed to monitor the available soil moisture. Wait to irrigate until sensors indicate drying in the top 12 inches of soil.

Notably, different soils hold water differently and should be managed differently - avoid guessing the moisture content and measure with the right management tool. Typically, irrigation in west-central Nebraska can be started either in late May or early June, but this can change, particularly with dry springs during limited rainfall like 2025. There are consequences of irrigating too early, such as water losses, which increase energy costs. Another drawback is nitrate losses due to deep percolation, especially when most of the nitrogen for the corn crop is applied at pre-plant.

Final Remarks
To prepare for an intensive irrigation season with forecasted drought - as is the situation for the 2025 growing season - ensure your system can perform to the desired potential and invest in reliable irrigation scheduling tools. If you feel tempted to avoid crop water stress by irrigating early, use soil moisture sensors to first verify soil moisture in the top 12 inches of your fields and avoid unnecessary water and energy use.

Source: Abia Katimbo - Assistant Professor, Biological Systems Engineering, Todd Whitney - Extension Educator, Bruno Lena - Extension Educator, Ronaldo Marchezan - Research Technician III, Lucas De Matos Siebeneichler - WCREEC Intern, Karthik Burra - WCREEC Intern (CropWatch – May 14, 2025)

good-quality water. It’s particularly important that calves are able to reach the water levels in a tank, especially in hot weather. If cows come into water first and drink a tank down, calves may struggle to get a drink if there is a slow recharge on the water tank. This can lead to stress and health problems for calves. Depending on the watering system, giving calves “creep” access to a water tank they can reach separate from the cows can help to ensure calves stay hydrated.

The importance of water to beef cattle is often overlooked, and cattle performance can be affected by water intake. Nutritionists balance diets for carbohydrate (energy), protein, vitamins, and minerals but water is the most critical of these nutrients. Several factors make water needs difficult to assess.

Because feeds contain some water, not all the water needs must be provided as drinking water. Feeds such as silages, green chop, or growing pasture are usually high in moisture, while grains and hays are low. When cattle consume feeds high in water content, they drink less water.

Water Quality For Cattle
Water quality is important for cattle health and performance. It’s important to check water for nitrates, sulfates, and blue-green algae if a problem is suspected.

Nitrates
Nitrates are of elevated concern in drought conditions. The total intake limit for cattle is the combined amounts from both feed and water. So, if you have feed that’s high in nitrates, but within acceptable limits, and water that is also high, but acceptable, the combination could exceed recommended limits and cause problems.

A safe level of nitrate nitrogen (NO3N) in the water for cattle is less than 100 ppm. The sulfate upper limit for calves is less than 500 ppm (167 ppm sulfur as sulfate). For adult cattle, the upper limit is less than 1,000 ppm (333 ppm sulfur as sulfate).

Symptoms of nitrate poisoning include brownish discoloration of the blood, difficult and rapid breathing, muscle tremors, low tolerance to exercise, incoordination, diarrhea, frequent urination, collapse, and death.

Blue-Green Algae
Blue-green algae can be toxic to cattle, and it grows in stagnant water, lakes, and ponds. When there’s a lot of blue-green algae, it makes the water look like someone has dumped a bucket of light green or turquoise paint in the water.

Signs of blue-green algae poisoning are diarrhea, lack of coordination, labored breathing, seizures, convulsions, and possibly death. More information on blue-green algae can be found in the BeefWatch article Blue-Green Algae Impacts on Cattle. Warm temperatures and sunlight can cause algae to grow rapidly, so keep an eye on that in both ponds and tanks. Routinely cleaning tanks and utilizing a copper sulfate treatment or chlorine treatment can help keep water tanks free from moss and algae.

Cattle standing in the water to fight flies or walking through it to drink increases the solids suspended in the water, and the added nutrients from manure and urine may encourage algae growth. Limiting cattle access to only a portion of a pond can reduce pond water contamination. Pumping water in the deep part of a pond to a water tank is a way to still utilize pond water for cattle while reducing the risk of cattle consuming blue-green algae. Fly management can also help cut down on the amount of time cattle spend in the water. Read more about pasture fly management here.

Water Testing
Monitoring water quality is a way to manage risk. Knowing if there’s a problem before symptoms show up in the cowherd is the best way to prevent losses to cattle performance, or death.

Taking a water sample and submitting it to a lab for analysis may take a few extra minutes, but if you’re out checking water anyway, it’s not much extra effort for the knowledge that the water is safe. While ponds and dams are often the most questionable in quality, the water in tanks and troughs may also need to be tested. Occasionally, events such as drought or flooding may impact the quality of water from a well or other source of water that is being used for livestock. Testing the water provides information needed to know if the water is safe for use. There are a number of labs available in Nebraska where livestock water can be tested. Prior to collecting a sample, contact the lab for a test kit and collection instructions to ensure a representative sample is taken and that the lab can complete the analysis needed.

The Nebraska Extension Nebguide “Water Requirements for Beef Cattle” contains information on guidelines for meeting cattle water requirements, potentially toxic levels of substances that can be in water as well as instructions for treatment of water tanks utilizing copper sulfate. Producers who are looking to minimize time spent checking water may consider investing in one of many modern water monitoring solutions. Many options are available and are discussed in the BeefWatch article “Using Technology to Monitor Water on the Ranch.”

Source: Troy Walz, Nebraska Extension Educator, Aaron Berger, Nebraska Extension Educator (April 30, 2025)

News Release

Keep Your Home-Canned Foods Safe

If you’re planning to preserve your garden harvest this year, now is the time to make sure your pressure canner is in top working order.

Nebraska Extension is hitting the road with its Pressure Canner Testing Roadshow, offering free dial-gauge pressure canner testing at several locations across north central Nebraska. Home canners are encouraged to stop by, meet Extension Educator Brittany Spieker, and ensure their equipment is safe to use.

“Pressure canners with dial gauges should be tested at least once a year,” said Spieker, who serves as the Food, Nutrition, and Health Extension Educator for the region. “Even what seems like a small inaccuracy in the gauge can lead to unsafe or poor-quality food. This quick test can protect your health and your hard work.”

TESTING SCHEDULE:

Canners may be dropped off in advance at the location where testing is scheduled or brought in during the listed hours.

During this quick test, Spieker will:

• Check the dial gauge using a professionally calibrated master gauge to ensure it reads accurately.
• Inspect the sealing ring for cracks, brittleness, or improper fit.
• Examine the vent pipe, air vent, and the overpressure plug to ensure they are clean and clear, ensuring proper function.
• Assess the overall condition of the lid and canner body for wear or damage.

Can’t make it to the roadshow? No problem - pressure canners can be tested any time of year. Just contact your local Extension Office to schedule an appointment ahead of time.

For more information about the Pressure Canner Testing Roadshow or to arrange a canner drop-off, call your local county Extension office.

Have questions about canning? Reach out to Brittany by calling (402-387-2213) or emailing (bspieker2@unl.edu).

NEWS RELEASE

WORKSHOP TO ADDRESS THE SPREAD OF CEDAR TREES AND CONTROL OPTIONS

Cedar trees are rapidly spreading across Nebraska’s grasslands, threatening valuable forage for grazing animals and habitat for wildlife. In some areas, grass production has dropped by as much as 75% over the past three decades due to cedar tree encroachment. The best time to control your cedar trees is now!

To help landowners and producers tackle this issue, a hands-on workshop will be held on Thursday, June 5, from 1:00 to 4:30pm CT at the Holt County Annex Building, located at 128 N 6th Street, O’Neill.

Gain insight from real-life examples of various cedar control projects, including before/after photos, cost of the projects, cost-share options, and how producers are maintaining cedar-free pastures to maximize grass. Understanding how cedar trees spread, and grow will help producers decide the best control options to use. Learn how to keep your prescribed burn contained to the unit - as slope, tree height, piles, weather, crew/equipment can be mitigated to ensure a safe and controlled burn. A member from the Prescribed Burn Association will share firsthand experiences and practical advice from their prescribed burns.

Walk-ins are welcome, but registrations are appreciated. Call the Holt County Extension Office at 402-336-2760 or email Bethany at mailto:bjohnston3@unl.edu.

Thanks to these partners: Nebraska Extension, Pheasant Forever, the Nature Conservancy, Sandhills Task Force, Nebraska Game & Parks, US Fish and Wildlife, and NRCS

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