Water is essential to agricultural life in Nebraska.
The University of Nebraska-Lincoln Extension is trying to help save this vital resource.
UNL Extension is holding a water-saving field day series called the Irrigation Strategies Field Tour, with the next stop on the schedule being Imperial, Neb., on Aug. 1.
This stop on the tour starts at 5 p.m. with a meal and includes speakers lecturing on topics like pesticides, crop residue management and water management.
"This is a unique research project," said Robert Tigner, associate extension educator at UNL.
Not only will this project look at lowering the amount of water allocation for irrigation, he said, but it will also look at the economic part of those strategies.
One of the speakers at the tour is Greg Kruger, an assistant professor at UNL's West Central Research and Extension Center.
Kruger said he will be talking about controlling weeds in terms of water use or consumption.
He said water is one of the most important resources in crop production and it's important to conserve as much water as possible while maximizing returns and production.
This includes different tillage practices that work together to preserve moisture and reduce the amount of water needed for irrigation.
Kruger said the goal of the tour is to provide information to benefit farmers in the area.
"I think it's a great opportunity to see what work the university has done," he said.
Tigner said another part of the research plot is looking at sensors for nitrogen and water efficiency in the soil. The sensors may have the ability to predict efficiency in corn in western Nebraska, he said.
"We know there will be regional differences," he said. "That's part of the research."
Nebraska sits atop of the Ogallala Aquifer, and the Republican River flows through the state. Water from both are used in agricultural practices.
"We need to be as efficient as possible using water resources," Tigner said.
kimbuckley@dailynebraskan.com
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