News

Knox announces retirement from Nebraska Crop Improvement Association Thursday, July 1, 2021

Steve Knox, Nebraska Crop Improvement Association secretary/manager and affiliate with the Department of Agronomy and Horticulture, retires July 1. Knox has led the NCIA since 2001. He started with the Association on March 1, 1998, as the field services supervisor. In 2000, he stepped into the interim manager position and was named secretary/manager in 2001 by the NCIA Board of Directors.

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4Rs Nutrient Stewardship Field Day set for July 15 Wednesday, June 30, 2021

Nebraska Extension is holding the inaugural Nebraska 4Rs Nutrient Stewardship Field Day July 15 at the Eastern Nebraska Research and Extension Center.

Nebraska Extension is holding the inaugural Nebraska 4Rs Nutrient Stewardship Field Day July 15 at the August N. Christenson Research and Education Building at the Eastern Nebraska Research and Extension Center near Ithaca, Nebraska.

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Twidwell among university inventors listed on U.S. patents Wednesday, June 30, 2021

Twenty-three University of Nebraska–Lincoln inventors are listed on U.S. patents in April – June 2021.

Congratulations to all University of Nebraska–Lincoln inventors who are listed on U.S. patents in April – June 2021, including Department of Agronomy and Horticulture Associate Professor Dirac Twidwell.

Full story at NUTech Ventures

Panhandle Perspectives: 100-year corn yield data from the historic Knorr-Holden Plot in Nebraska Thursday, June 24, 2021

Native soil is broken on the Scottsbluff Experiment Station in 1910 where the Knorr-Holden plot would come to be located.

The commitment of generations of dedicated soil scientists in maintaining and managing the historic Knorr-Holden Plot near Scottsbluff for more than a century came to fruition in a recently published manuscript in Agronomy Journal.

The lead author of the manuscript, Bijesh Maharjan, is an assistant professor at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln (UNL) Department of Agronomy and Horticulture and currently manages the Knorr-Holden Plot. He is the soil and nutrient management specialist at the Panhandle Research and Extension Center at Scottsbluff.

Full story at IANR News

Hybrid Breeding Workshop begins August 10 Monday, June 21, 2021

A three-day workshop, Designing, Implementing and Managing a Breeding Program for Hybrid Crops, sponsored by the University of Nebraska–Lincoln Department of Agronomy and Horticulture, is set for 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., August 10–12, 2021. Instructors are Blaine Johnson, agronomy and horticulture adjunct professor and lecturer, and Keith Boldman, Research Scientist at Corteva Agriscience^TM.

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104 undergrads receive stipends for summer research projects Tuesday, June 15, 2021

Malayna Wingert, a sophomore biological systems engineering major from Sterling, Nebraska, lifts a water sample out of Holmes Lake as Anni Poetz and Maddie Carpenter record data in August 2020. The students worked under faculty member Jess Corman this summer through Nebraska's UCARE program.

The following two agronomy and horticulture students, listed with their year in school, academic major and project title, received summer UCARE awards: Rachel Clarkson, sophomore, agronomy, “The Effect of Playa Wetlands Hydrological Zones on Decomposition.” Lizzie Schousek, senior, plant biology, “Falcarindiol and its Effectiveness as an Antifungal Agent.”

Full story at Nebraska Today

East Campus Discovery Days and Farmer’s Market will offer hands-on, science-focused experiences Tuesday, June 8, 2021

The East Campus Discovery Days and Farmer’s Market will offer hands-on, science-focused experiences from various Nebraska departments, as well as a vendor fair, live music and food trucks.

The Department of Agronomy and Horticulture has several activity stations planned for youth at its booth, at the East Campus Discovery Days and Farmer’s Market, a fun, family friendly event for all ages, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. June 12, July 10 and Aug. 14 on East Campus.

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4Rs Nutrient Stewardship Field Day set for July 15 Friday, June 4, 2021

The 4Rs is a nutrient management and water stewardship approach which emphasizes fertilizer use with the right source, right rate, right time and right placement of fertilizers.

The University of Nebraska-Lincoln is excited to offer the first annual 4Rs Nutrient Stewardship Field Day on July 15, 2021, from 8:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the Eastern Nebraska Research and Extension Center in Ithaca.

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The Great Plains prairie needs fire to survive. These ranchers are bringing it back. Thursday, June 3, 2021

Dirac Twidwell | Craig Chandler, University Communications

Fire is as essential as sunlight for prairie plants. Frequent burns kill tree saplings before they can mature and disperse seeds. The flames also release nutrients in the soil that nourish new grass and flower shoots, and clear out old leaf litter so sunlight can reach them. The absence of fire has shifted the scales in trees’ favor, allowing millions of them to grow tall and reproduce.

See story in National Geographic

Thompson’s drone work helps inform, improve producer decisions Tuesday, June 1, 2021

Welcome to “She’s a Scientist,” a video series launched to highlight the work of female researchers at the University of Nebraska–Lincoln.

Today, we’re showcasing Laura Thompson, associate extension educator with Nebraska Extension, who uses sensor-laden drones to fly over farms, collecting data that is used to show producers how to save money. The work is part of the Nebraska On-Farm Research Network, which collaborates with farmers to test new methods and technologies.