BUFFALO COUNTY LANDOWNERS: You should receive a packet containing an aerial photo of your land and the number of irrigated acres that the NRD currrently has recorded. If this number is incorrect, you will need to make an appointment with us to make the changes. We are requiring FSA records to prove your irrigation history. FSA will pull the necessary records for you if you call them with your legal descriptions. If you have not received a packet and have irrigated land, call the office immediately at (800) 577-3955.

Appointments will be taken by the NRD to contest the number of irrigated acres that the NRD has sent in your packet. Appointments will be at the Country Inn & Suites in Kearney-105 Talmadge Street (near Red Lobster).  Click Here for map.

Recently our observations and studies of aerial photography have shown that the cedar infestation in central Nebraska is greatly increasing. Scientists with the University of Nebraska have demonstrated that once cedar trees become established in a pasture, they will continue to increase until the pasture is completely over-run with trees. Once a pasture gets to this point- it has no value for grazing and a greatly reduced value for wildlife.

Even deer hunting suffers because a healthy deer population needs grass for grazing and native tall grasses for bedding down. Because neither of these is present in a cedar forest, deer become emaciated and the quality of animals begins to decline. This is further evidenced by the fact that many of the best deer in the state are taken in the sandhills where there are plenty of tall grass meadows and very few trees.

Prescribed burns are very cost effective; for example, in a 40 acre pasture infested with young cedar trees, a burn can kill all the trees in only a couple hours; taking much less time and expense than cutting or spraying. Also, the well-timed burns have the potential to increase grass quality and quantity; something that chemical and mechanical treatments cannot do. Because fire historically has been a natural and repetitive event in Nebraska, the grasslands are fire adapted and respond with surprising results. In pastures with mature tree infestations, a little more preparation is needed before the burn.

Properly planned and conducted prescribed burns are safe. The NRD burn crew consists of state certified firefighters and are equipped as such. Every part of the prescribed burn program follows the most stringent governmental standards for fire operations. What all this means to the landowner is that if they chose to do a burn, it will be handled safely and professionally.

Recently, the Board of Directors voted to allow the NRD crew to do the burning on private lands directly-without the use of a contractor. The NRD will charge a fee for the private lands burning. The fee for the burning will initially be set at $10.00 per acre for the first 40 acres in addition to $5 per acre for each acre over 40.

To help offset this cost a landowner should seek cost share through the NRCS, Nebraska Game & Parks Commission, or the Platte River Habitat Partnership. These other agencies or groups have money available that could make the burn significantly less expensive.

The letter concludes by saying "we’ll all have to sit down together with the Governor and develop a plan to carry out our respective responsibilities to meet the requirements of the Platte River Program and LB 962."

Bishop said that could have huge economic impacts-especially to new ethanol plants that will depend on the quantity of corn provided by irrigation agriculture.

Dianne began working as administrative assistant for the Soil & Water Conservation Service in 1971. Her title changed to administrative director in 1990. Dianne assists the general manager in the administration of office operations and preparation of the annual budget. She truly is the manager’s right-hand person.

Dianne also hires of clerical staff, maintains financial records, and is responsible for the investment of district funds. She is a member of the NARD/NRD Employee Benefits Committee and coordinates Central Platte’s employee benefit and insurance programs.

As personnel coordinator, Dianne is regarded by the staff as a trustworthy colleague. Her analytical approach to personal and professional issues is a great asset to the staff.

Dianne- Thank you for your 35 years of service to the CPNRD!

For the past few years a cropping system referred to as relay cropping has been practiced in several areas within the Central Platte NRD. With three different crops being involved with the cropping strategy—seed corn, wheat and soybeans— the project’s focus has been on managing nitrogen application amounts on two of the crops within the cropping strategy for seed corn and wheat. It has become very apparent that the nitrogen management of the wheat crop is important not only for environmental concerns but also has a huge effect on the potential lodging of the wheat, which in this cropping system is not a desirable condition when the interseeded soybean crop is in it’s vegetative growth stage.

Traditionally nitrogen recommendations for each crop were adjusted by the credits found in the soil and water. As new advanced technology becomes more available the project established a nitrogen fertility wheat plot that compared different nitrogen recommendation methods and applying different nitrogen amount levels for comparison purposes. Nitrogen strip plots were applied to the wheat crop based on the traditional and sensing based methods. A partnership with Oklahoma State University was established on this plot mainly because of their experiences with the sensor-based technology.

Nitrogen recommendations were based on a 75 bushel wheat yield goal. Soil nitrate-nitrogen averaged 4.44 ppm to a depth of 3 feet and water nitrate-nitrogen from the irrigation well is 20 ppm. These credits were utilized in making the UNL recommendation which was 70 of nitrogen per acre. The nitrogen rates for the OSU strips differed because of the individual reading from each of the three strips. The application rates for these treatments were 39, 47 and 70 pounds per acre.

The 2006 wheat fertility plot contained application rates of the following:

1. Oklahoma State (OSU) Recommendation based on Green Seeker Sensor

2. University of Nebraska Recommendation based on soil sampling and irrigation water sampling

3. UNL Recommendation plus 40 pounds of N

4. UNL Recommendation minus 40 pounds of N

5. 50 pounds N applied in fall plus 25 pounds N in spring

6. Check of 0 pounds of N applied