Make plans to come to Winter Fest at the Haskell Ag Lab on Saturday, December 3rd from 9 AM to noon. We have lots of great things planned for adults and youth. A special guest will be making an appearance around 11 AM to visit with children. See the flyer below for details regarding the programs and activities. Pre-register for the wreath workshop by calling 402-584-2261 by November 23rd. We look forward to seeing you for a fun filled and educational morning.
Ag land management webinar to focus on cash rents, farm programs, leasing
The latest trends in 2022 Nebraska county-level cash rental, ARC and PLC coverage options, and leasing considerations will be covered during the next Land Management Quarterly webinar, hosted by the University of Nebraska-Lincoln’s Center for Agricultural Profitability, at noon on November 21.
Offered since 2019, the 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.
The November webinar will cover recent findings from the 2022 USDA-National Agricultural Statistics Service county-level cash rent survey and trends in farm programs influencing operations across the state. The presentation will also include a segment on landlord-tenant communication issues related to closing out 2022 leases and review leasing considerations for 2023. The webinar will conclude with an “Ask the Experts” session, offering participants the chance to get live answers to their land or leasing questions.
Viewers will have the opportunity to submit land management questions for the presenters to answer during the presentation.
The webinar will be led by Jim Jansen and Allan Vyhnalek, who are both extension educators with the Center for Agricultural Profitability. Jansen focuses on agricultural finance and land economics, as well as the direction of the annual Nebraska Farm Real Estate Market Survey and Report. Vyhnalek is a farm succession and farmland management extension educator.
The webinar is free and will be recorded. Past recordings can be viewed the day after each session, along with recordings from the entire series.
Contact Jim Jansen, Agricultural Economist, Department of Agricultural Economics, 402-261-7572, jjansen4@unl.edu with any questions.
Please plan to join us at the Haskell Ag Lab for Coffee and Conversations the 2nd Tuesday of each month at 9 AM. The next Coffee and Conversations will take place on Tuesday, December 13th. Please invite friends and neighbors to attend with you. If you have ideas for other presentations at Coffee & Conversations, please share with us.
Solar Electric for Farms, Home, & Businesses Workshop Offered at HAL
The Haskell Ag Lab will be hosting this workshop on Tuesday, December 13th from 6 - 8 PM.Registration is $10. Register at: https://go.unl.edu/solarworkshop2022 or scan the QR code below.
Sponsored by Nebraska Public Power District, Omaha Public Power District, and Lincoln Electric Systems
This workshop is for homeowners, farmers, and business owners who are interested in exploring solar PV systems. Each solar installation is unique, and individuals have their own reasons for exploring solar installations. This workshop will help you decide if solar is right for you, by learning about how systems work, safety, the value of electricity, value of incentives, and how to evaluate quotes from installers. Questions:Jhay2@unl.edu
The Effect of Fire on Soil Properties
Mitiku Mamo is a Water and Integrated Cropping Systems Extension Educator serving Cedar, Dixon, Knox, and Wayne Counties.
Some areas in Northeast Nebraska recently have experienced wildfire that has burned some crop fields. In addition to the obvious direct loss of crops, fires have many effects on soils, some beneficial and some not so beneficial. The most significant effect of a fire is the reduction of soil organic nutrients due to oxidation and volatilization of vegetation on and near the soil surface. This change in organic matter, will in turn affect chemical, physical, and microbiological properties of the underlying soil.
The impact of a fire on soil properties is dependent on its intensity and duration. If the fire is fast moving, as it was the case with the fire we had in our area, its impact on soil nutrients and soil health compared to a slow-moving and intense fire is minimal. In addition to duration and intensity of the fire, soil related factors such as bulk density, moisture content, and thermal conductivity affect fire impact.
Normally, it takes a long time for the vegetation to decay sufficiently to release its nutrients into the soil. Fires, however, accelerate this process and increase plant available nutrients such as nitrogen and sulfur. Unfortunately, most of the released nitrogen and sulfur are lost to the atmosphere through volatilization. Therefore, after a fire, while in general the soil is heavily enriched with nutrients, it tends to be nitrogen deficient.
To determine post fire nutrient requirements, soil samples should be collected from representative areas of the burned field and analyzed for their Nitrogen, Phosphorus, and Potassium content. Soils that drier, sandier, of lower bulk density have greater thermal conductivity than soils that are wet, more clay, and high bulk density.
The other major concern after a fire is loss of surface plant residue. Plant residues cover the soil surface from the elements and protect the soil from both wind and water erosion. Considering the rolling hills topography of Northeast Nebraska and its intense and regular wind, it is important that priority be given to establishing ground cover by planting cover crops and/or applying manure to protect the soil from water and wind erosion.
To mitigate the not so beneficial effects of a fire, it is important to implement the proper soil management practices to best utilize nutrients released into the soil by the fire and protect the soil from erosion.
Anna Keenan is an Assistant Conservation Forester with the Nebraska Forest Service. She meets with landowners to discuss project work which includes eastern red cedar removal for wildfire mitigation. In addition she does field work for projects and finalizes projects when they have been completed. Other items include taking sick tree calls, assessing tree health and risk factors. She is also the curator of the Northeast Arboretum.
A little planning prior to manure application may prevent headaches later
In many cases, spreading manure is a job that no one wants to do. It takes time and labor. Sometimes manure applications must fit in between other projects or weather events. In some cases, it draws the attention of neighbors – and not in a good way. However, a little time spent planning based on the upcoming forecast and talking with neighbors may save you time later because you decrease the risk of fielding complaints and arguing with neighbors after application.
The Nebraska Manure Team suggests that you look at three primary weather variables to determine the best time for manure application to minimize odor nuisances. Once field conditions permit application, we recommend looking at wind, temperature, and sky conditions.
The number one factor in odor movement is the wind, specifically the direction and speed. One might think that high wind speeds are worse for transporting odors, but the opposite is actually true. Higher wind speed allows for more dilution of odor with fresh air, making the odor less noticeable. It might be transported further, but it probably won’t be as bothersome. And of course, because odor is carried by the wind, one must look at the direction since odor moves in the same direction. The manure.unl.edu website has a number of odor “roses” for different parts of the state that are used when determining a site for livestock housing to minimize the number of neighbors impacted by odor from the site. These odor roses might be helpful in determining stockpile sites but are less useful for spreading because odor tends to decrease over the course of a few days following application due to the manure drying. For spreading, it’s best to look at the local weather forecast to determine wind speed and direction rather than using normals.
Sky conditions and temperatures go hand in hand when considering the potential for odor nuisances. When looking at temperature, the change in temperature is the main concern. Odors stay closer to the ground when the air is cooling. This often happens in the evening and is more evident when the sky is clear. Think about the winter weather moving in soon. The nights that are the coldest are usually the best ones to look at the stars. Unfortunately, they’re also the most likely to cause odor problems for neighbors because the odor stays closer to ground-level. When the air is warming, odors are moved higher into the atmosphere (like smoke) above where people notice them, minimizing nuisances.
Figure 1. An example forecast with highest risk time indicated by red shading.
So, once your field conditions are right, take a look at the forecast for a day when the temperature is rising or is supposed to stay warm overnight, preferably with a strong breeze when the wind direction is not headed right toward town or neighbors that are particularly sensitive to manure’s fragrance. For instance, in the forecast shown here, Saturday the 12th would be the day that would be most likely to cause odor nuisances for neighbors to the north of the manure application site. Since the temperature and wind speed both drop in the evening, the smell is more likely to hang around at ground-level for a while. Sunday, on the other hand, would probably be better because the wind stays above 7 mph for a few days and it stays more overcast in the evenings, therefore keeping the temperature a little higher.
Consider spreading based on the forecast, but don’t forget about the neighbors. Talking to them first to see if they have outdoor plans, or giving them a heads up to not hang their laundry out to dry that day shows that you care about them, which may minimize complaints. Remember, the key to good neighbor relations is being a good neighbor yourself.
Manure Matters in Nebraska
During in-person events this summer, the manure team had a lot of fun talking with kids of all ages about the diverse types of manure, how manure provides nutrients to growing crops, and how manure helps improve soil health and water quality. We hope that all the folks we talked to learned how much manure matters in Nebraska. We asked the kids to submit some of their own more artistic interpretations of how “Manure Matters in Nebraska” for a chance to win a fun prize. There were some winners from the Northeast part of the state. Check out the full gallery at: https://water.unl.edu/article/animal-manure-management/unl-animal-manure-management-team%E2%80%99s-first-art-challenge-comes-end
The staff at the Haskell Ag Lab would like to wish you a very happy and blessed Thanksgiving.
Save the Dates for events at the Haskell Ag Lab ABC Budget Workshop - Monday, January 9th - 1:30 - 3:30 PM. Details can be found at https://cap.unl.edu/abc/training.
Women in Ag Series - This will take place on January 18, 25, February 1, 8 at the Haskell Ag Lab. Topics will include Cash Rental Rates, Written Lease Agreements, Communication and Negotiation, and Conservation. Dinner will be at 5:30 with the program from 6:00 to 8:30 p.m. More information and registration details will be coming in upcoming newsletters.
Grain Bin Safety - This will be offered at the Haskell Ag Lab in February. Tentative date is either February 8 or 15. More details will be coming on this.
Suggestions/Requests
Do you have a suggestion or a request for a program at the Haskell Ag Lab? We want to hear from you.
Click this link and complete this form and submit. We will look at all suggestions and requests. The form is available at: https://go.unl.edu/halsuggest
You can also reach us by phone at 402-584-2261 with your suggestions/requests for programs.
