NAWMN – Views from VanDeWalle

Irrigation Information

June 1, 2018June 1, 2018 Brandy VanDeWalle

If you would like to participate in a dynamic irrigation program, called the Nebraska Ag Water Management Network, let me know and I’d be happy to help and get you started! If you are in the NAWMN, consider installing your ETgage soon and once done with planting, start the soaking/drying cycle on your Watermark sensors to be sure they work! It’s also important to replace the #54 alfalfa canvas covers and wafers on a regular basis at the start of each season. For more information, go to: https://nawmn.unl.edu/.

ETgage

I plan to report the weekly evapotranspiration (ET) in my weekly blog. The ETgage I check is in the center of the county, just south of Geneva; hopefully it will help others become aware or have an idea what the local ET is.

The ETgage I check outside of Geneva changed 2.0 inches for the week of May 25-June 1^st. Corn in the V-4 stage has a coefficient of .18”. To calculate how much water, corn at V-4 stage used you simply multiply .18” x 2.0” for a weekly use of .36” or .05 inches/day. Corn approaching V-6 would have used .70”/week or .07” per day. Fortunately, we received about 1.2” rain in this location as well.

For more information about ETgages and Watermark sensors, check out the NAWMN website https://nawmn.unl.edu/.

Crops, Irrigation

NE Ag Water Management Network

May 11, 2018 Brandy VanDeWalle

It’s certainly proving to be a dry spring so far. One of the ways to better manage irrigation costs is through participation in the Nebraska Ag Water Management Network. In addition to saving costs and water, producers report a reduction in nutrient loss. Evaluation results have shown a one to two-inch savings of irrigation since its inception. The Network has been having significant impacts on both water and energy conservation due to farmers adopting information and implementing technologies in their irrigation management. The cost of applying an additional 2 inches of water is going to vary depending on your depth to water, system pressure, and equipment costs, but could easily run from $10 to $30 per acre.

To determine the actual cost, I recommend using the IrrigateCost app, developed by Nebraska Extension. The app, which is available for both Apple and Android products, allows users to input their specific information such as acres irrigated, pumping lift, system PSI, pump and pivot life, and inches applied as well as related costs such as for the well and engine, labor, energy, district fees, and taxes. The app then calculates total irrigation, total ownership, and total operating costs. It also breaks down costs by irrigation well, pump, gear head, pump base, diesel e irrigatecost ngine and tank and system and calculates per acre annual cost and per acre-inch annual cost.

A couple of the tools the NAWMN uses are ETgages® or Atmometers which mimic crop evapotranspiration or ET and Watermark soil matrix sensors which measure soil matric potential or the energy required to remove water from the soil. These two tools have really worked well and have made irrigation management much easier than those gut feelings. The more information you have the better decisions you can make!

ETgage

If you are in the NAWMN, and have not already installed your equipment, be sure to remember to start the soaking/drying cycle on your Watermark sensors to be sure they work! It’s also important to replace the #54 alfalfa canvas covers and wafers on a regular basis at the start of each season. For more information, go to: http://water.unl.edu/web/cropswater/nawmdn.

Once you have your ETgage out, I hope you will post your weekly readings to the Nebraska Ag Water Management Network (NAWMN) website. As a reminder, once you are on the main screen, you can login to your site by entering your site name and password and clicking on “Login.” Once you have logged in, you will be taken to your weekly data from past weeks, including last year. To enter your weekly data, click on the “Add new ETgage reading” link which will take you to the data entry page where you can enter your growth stage, rainfall, and ETgage change.

If you’ve forgotten your site name or password, please contact Aaron Nygren at anygren2@unl.edu or 402-352-3821.

Crops, Irrigation

NE Ag Water Management Network

June 16, 2017 Brandy VanDeWalle

Agricultural irrigation system watering corn field in summer

If you have irrigated ground and are looking for ways to save money, reduce nutrient loss and use less water, consider joining the Nebraska Agricultural Water Management Network, or NAWMN. Evaluation results have shown a one to two-inch savings of irrigation since it’s inception. The Network has been having significant impacts on both water and energy conservation due to farmers adopting information and implementing technologies in their irrigation management. The cost of applying an additional 2 inches of water is going to vary depending on your depth to water, system pressure, and equipment costs, but could easily run from $10 to $30 per acre.

irrigatepump

To determine the actual cost, I recommend using the IrrigateCost app, developed by Nebraska Extension. The app, which is available for both Apple and Android products, allows users to input their specific information such as acres irrigated, pumping lift, system PSI, pump and pivot life, and inches applied as well as related costs such as for the well and engine, labor, energy, district fees, and taxes. The app then calculates total irrigation, total ownership, and total operating costs. It also breaks down costs by irrigation well, pump, gear head, pump base, diesel engine and tank and system and calculates per acre annual cost and per acre-inch annual cost.

If you’ve forgotten your site name or password, please contact Aaron Nygren at anygren2@unl.edu or 402-352-3821.

Source: UNL CropWatchwebsite

Crops, Irrigation

NE Ag Water Management Network

May 13, 2016 Brandy VanDeWalle

Planting has been well underway and hopefully we will receive timely rainfall this growing season with little need to irrigate. If you have irrigated ground and are looking for ways to save money, reduce nutrient loss and use less water, consider joining the Nebraska Agricultural Water Management Network, or NAWMN. I’ve been in Extension for nearly eleven years and a program I’ve been involved with that has been a very rewarding program and made a positive impact for many is the Nebraska Agricultural Water Watermark Sensors Management Network, or NAWMN. Evaluation results have shown a one to two inch savings of irrigation since it’s inception. In 2005, only a few producers in the Upper Big Blue NRD, (shortly followed by the Little Blue NRD) were participating, but as of last fall, this program has reached 1,393 in 18 NRDs and 73 of 93 counties. The Network has been having significant impacts on both water and energy conservation due to farmers adopting information and implementing technologies in their irrigation management.

A couple of the tools we use are ETgages® or Atmometers which mimic crop evapotranspiration or ET and Watermark soil matrix sensors which measure soil matric potential or the energy required to remove water from the soil. These two tools have really worked well and have made irrigation management much easier than those gut feelings. The more information you have the better decisions you can make! ETgage

If you would like to participate in this dynamic program, let me know and I’d be happy to help and get you started! If you are in the NAWMN, consider installing your ETgage soon and once done with planting, start the soaking/drying cycle on your Watermark sensors to be sure they work! It’s also important to replace the #54 alfalfa canvas covers and wafers on a regular basis at the start of each season. For more information, go to Nebraska Extension’s Water Website.

Irrigation, Programming, Uncategorized

Nebraska Ag Water Management Network Conference

February 27, 2016February 25, 2016 Brandy VanDeWalle

Updates on irrigation engineering tools and research on new irrigation technologies, variable rate irrigation and fertigation fundamentals and cover crops will be the focus of the Nebraska Ag Water Management Network Conference that will be held on Thursday, March 10^th. It will be a

MVC-003L — Those who participate in the program receive assistance installing equipment and education on how to read the equipment.

t the Holthus Convention Center, located at 3130 Holen Avenue in York. The conference will run from 9:30 a.m. to 3:20 p.m., with registration beginning at 9:15 a.m.

Producers, crop consultants, NRD, DNR, NRCS, irrigation districts and other professionals are invited to attend. Participants are encouraged to share their experiences that have helped make the Nebraska Ag Water Management Network (NAWMN) successful and any ideas they have for growing the network.

Topics that will be covered include:

Update on status of the NAWMN
Water-related smart phone apps
Z-Mag Ag Water Management Guide
Automated Water Use Database Project
Cover Crop Research
NRD Update
Update from the Upper Big Blue NRD CropTip
Underground Wireless Sensor Update
Soil Moisture Sensor Research Update
Variable Rate Irrigation Science and Engineering and Variable Rate Fertigation Research

A total of 4 continuing education units have been applied for in Soil/Water Management.

The NAWMN goal is to transfer high quality research information to producers to use water and energy resources more efficiently for crop production and to enhance crop water productivity. Started in 2005 with 15 collaborators, NAWMN has now grown to nearly 1400 collaborators who implement cutting-edge water management technologies/practices taught in the Network. Many of them regularly contribute water use database to a central NAWMN website. In turn, this information is used by growers across the state to fine-tune their irrigation management and application timing to current plant water needs. The fundamental objective of the NAWMN has been to integrate science, research and education/outreach principles to provide citizens best information available to help them to make better informed decisions in their irrigation management practices, which contributes to the Land-Grant Mission of UNL. The practices/procedures taught in the NAWMN have been based on the scientific and research-based information led by UNL-IANR professor Dr. Suat Irmak.

There is no cost to attend. Lunch will be provided but we ask participants to RSVP for planning purposes by March 7^th to Jenny Rees at the Clay County Office Extension Office at 402-762-3644 or jenny.rees@unl.edu.

Crops, Irrigation

NE Ag Water Management Network

May 1, 2015May 1, 2015 Brandy VanDeWalle

Planting has been well underway and hopefully we will receive some timely rainfall with little need to irrigate. If you have irrigated ground and are looking for ways to save money, reduce nutrient loss and use less water, consider joining the Nebraska Agricultural Water Management Network, or NAWMN. I’ve been in Extension for nearly ten years and a program I’ve been involved with that has been a very rewarding program and made a positive impact for many is the Nebraska Agricultural Water Management Network, or NAWMN. Evaluation results have shown a one to two inch savings of irrigation since it’s inception. In 2005, only a few producers in the Upper Big Blue NRD, (shortly followed by the Little Blue NRD) were participating, but as of last fall, this program has reached 1,229 in 18 NRDs and 73 of 93 counties. The Network has been having significant impacts on both water and energy conservation due to farmers adopting information and implementing technologies in their irrigation management.

Those wishing to participate in the program receive assistance installing equipment and education on how to read the equipment.

Crops, Irrigation

Crop ET Weekly Report

June 7, 2013 Brandy VanDeWalle

Hopefully producers won’t have to irrigate as much this year as they did in 2012, but I’d like you to consider joining a program that can not only improve your irrigation efficiency, but reduce nutrient loss and save you money! I’ve been in Extension for nearly eight years and a program I’ve been involved with that has been a very rewarding program and made a positive impact for many is the Nebraska Agricultural Water Management Network, or NAWMN . My colleague, Gary Zoubek tracks the evaluation results and shared that in 2005 only a few producers in the Upper Big Blue NRD, (shortly followed by the Little Blue NRD) were participating, but this program has now grown to over 800 producers across the state and I’m sure we’ll add another 100 or 200 more this season!

As I have done the past couple of years, I plan to report the weekly ET in my weekly columns. The ETgage I check is in the center of the county, just south of Geneva; hopefully it will help others become aware or have an idea what the local ET is.

The ETgage I check outside of Geneva changed 1.4 inches for the week of May 31-June 7^th. Corn in the V-4 stage has a coefficient of .18”. To calculate how much water, corn at V-4 stage used you simply multiply .18” x 1.4” for a weekly use of .25” or .04 inches/day. Corn approaching V-6 would have used .49”/week or .07” per day.

Producers with Watermark sensors, which monitor the amount of water available in the soil profile should get them installed soon. Watermark sensors are installed early in the growing season at 1’, 2’, 3’ and in some case 4’ depths!

For more information about ETgages and Watermark sensors, check out the NAWMN website.

Uncategorized

Compaction at Planting & Other Educational Resources

April 19, 2013 Brandy VanDeWalle

As I write this, the ground is wet and there are chances of precipitation. While the moisture is very welcomed, producers might be antsy about the timing, as they try to get in the field. Much research reminds producers that plant roots in compacted, wet soil cannot grow properly and are even more vulnerable to disease. Paul Jasa, UNL Extension Engineer wrote an excellent article on CropWatch in 2010 that sidewall compaction during planting can be a problem, especially if the crop is “mudded in” and a dry spell occurs after planting.

Jasa goes on to explain other factors other than wet soils that can contribute to sidewall compaction. Planting too shallow can be a problem; in most conditions corn seed should be planted 2-3 inches deep for proper root development. One also should check their seed-vee closers; a variety of attachments are available to help close the seed-vee if the standard closing devices cannot. He provides specific details and types of attachments that you might consider. For more information, go to the archived CropWatch article. Finally another cause for sidewall compaction is lack of soil structure in some tilled fields.

Other Opportunities

In addition to subscribing to UNL Extension’s CropWatch electronic newsletter to remain current on research and recommendations to improve your profitability, there is still room for producers who would like to participate in the Nebraska On-Farm Research Network. Protocols can be found on the CropWatch website. Finally, if you haven’t already planned your irrigation management program for the season, I would encourage you to participate in the Nebraska Agricultural Water Management Network which I’ve worked with for the past 7 ½ years.