Bonus! Nitrogen Management Training Date Added
Growers in the Upper Big Blue Natural Resources District will have an extra opportunity to learn useful info and earn certification for nitrogen use this spring. The NRD has added an additional training event on Thursday, March 18, at 6:30 p.m. at the Holthus Convention Center (York).
Each year the NRD offers several training dates in locations across the district to address issues related to nitrogen fertilizer use, including how nitrogen use impacts water quality in the district, mandatory reporting, and resources available. All district producers who are in a Phase II or III management area are required to attend one of these training sessions or to complete an agronomic centered take-home test every four years to maintain their nitrogen certification.
The NRD has hosted training events in York, Osceola, and Aurora so far this season, with a variety of speakers and topics from the NRD staff and experts from other organizations. Videos of these sessions may be viewed at www.upperbigblue.org/nitrogen-management.
Upcoming training events include:
Dan Leininger, water conservationist for the NRD, is the chief organizer for the annual nitrogen management training sessions. In previous years, the same content was delivered at each session, no matter where it was offered, so that attendees would hear a consistent message across the district. This year, some portions of the trainings offered are standard across all locations, while others are varied. Producers still need to attend only one training session, however, they have been encouraged to attend multiple training events or watch the recordings from each of the events to hear the expanded content.
“We hope that local growers will take advantage of these opportunities to learn,” said Leininger. “The NRD wants to partner with producers so that we can all work together to protect the natural resources of our district while improving nitrogen use efficiency.”
Each year the NRD offers several training dates in locations across the district to address issues related to nitrogen fertilizer use, including how nitrogen use impacts water quality in the district, mandatory reporting, and resources available. All district producers who are in a Phase II or III management area are required to attend one of these training sessions or to complete an agronomic centered take-home test every four years to maintain their nitrogen certification.
The NRD has hosted training events in York, Osceola, and Aurora so far this season, with a variety of speakers and topics from the NRD staff and experts from other organizations. Videos of these sessions may be viewed at www.upperbigblue.org/nitrogen-management.
Upcoming training events include:
- Wednesday, February 10, 9 a.m. to 11 a.m., at the Holthus Convention Center. Dr. Dan Snow, University of Nebraska research associate professor, will present on how nitrate-nitrogen moves through the soil profile in Nebraska. Paul Jasa, University of Nebraska Lincoln extension engineer, will present on increasing nitrogen efficiency using cover crops and reduced tillage.
- Thursday, March 18, 6:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m., at the Holthus Convention Center. This event will feature Tim Mundorf and Mick Goedeken, hosts of the Soil Talk podcast from Central Valley Ag. Mundorf, a nutrient management lead at CVA, will present on how to interpret the results of a soil test to make data-driven decisions about inputs. Goedeken, ACS innovation agronomist at CVA, will present on improving efficiency to get the most bang for your buck with nitrogen fertilizer.
Dan Leininger, water conservationist for the NRD, is the chief organizer for the annual nitrogen management training sessions. In previous years, the same content was delivered at each session, no matter where it was offered, so that attendees would hear a consistent message across the district. This year, some portions of the trainings offered are standard across all locations, while others are varied. Producers still need to attend only one training session, however, they have been encouraged to attend multiple training events or watch the recordings from each of the events to hear the expanded content.
“We hope that local growers will take advantage of these opportunities to learn,” said Leininger. “The NRD wants to partner with producers so that we can all work together to protect the natural resources of our district while improving nitrogen use efficiency.”