PROGRAM INFORMATION

EQIP, WHIP, WRP, CREP & Continuous CRP: Applications for funding assistance and annual payments can be taken anytime at your local USDA Service Center.  The deadline for EQIP sign-up is December 14, 2007 so make sure you stop in your local NRCS office to get your applications signed up.

NSWCP: Applications for cost-share assistance can be taken at your local NRCS office.  To be considered for the September approvals, applications must be completed and submitted by Aug. 31.

CALENDAR OF EVENTS

Aug. 22: Whirlwind No-Till Expo near Bladen, Neb.  Go to www.notill.org or call 1-888-330-5142 for more information and registration.
Sept. 4: CNPPID Board of Directors meeting, 9 a.m.
Sept. 11:  TBNRD Board of Directors meeting, 1:30 p.m.
Sept. 11-13: Husker Harvest Days, Grand Island (www.huskerharvestdays.com)
* Times are tentative

NRCS Assistance Improves Pivot System!

Phelps County farmer Vernon Nelson knew he wanted to upgrade his gravity irrigation system to a pivot system.  Vernon visited the NRCS office where he learned that the Environmental Quality Incentive Program (EQIP) could provide him with financial assistance to upgrade his system and that the NRCS could provide him with the technical assistance needed to provide significant savings in fuel costs and inches of water pumped.

"NRCS provides a real service," Vernon said.  "EQIP helps you get the pivot paid for, and the NRCS staff makes sure the pivot system is installed right.

Each installation is unique.

"There is no 'one-size-fits-all' when it comes to installing a pivot," said Kim Swanson, CET, at the Holdrege NRCS office.

A properly installed center pivot can greatly reduce the amount of water applied to a field each year.  Vernon figures he is saving nine inches of water per acre with center pivots.  He is also figuring an energy savings of $7,000 a year in diesel costs.

Pivots have allowed Vernon to convert to no-till where even more water and energy savings are taking place.  No-till improves soil structure, allowing more water to infiltrate into the soil, reducing erosion and runoff, thus less water needed for irrigation.

No-till also means fewer trips across the field.  This saves wear and tear on machinery and reduces fuel needs.  "It's been a positive chain reaction," Vernon said.  "EQIP helped me convert to pivots.  Converting to pivots helped me switch to no-till.  These changes have had tremendously positive results on my farm."

Kim says she designs the pivots to provide optimum pump, fuel and water efficiencies, a balance for the total pivot system.

(Thanks to Vernon, Kim and Joanna Pope for this article.)

ACROSS THE TRI-BASIN NRD

Latest on the 2008 EQIP Program :

Applications for 2008 EQIP dollars can be taken anytime at your local NRCS office.  The cutoff date for funding applications is Dec. 14, 2007.  This will provide more time for installing spring practices.  Rankings will take place after Dec. 14.  Once the rankings are complete, approved applicants will be notified.  Once given the go-ahead, contracts will be written and signed, a process that should be complete by mid-February.  With EQIP, practices that have started installation prior to approval are not eligible for assistance.

Conservatio practices include pivots, surge valves, pipelines (irrigation and livestock), flow meters, windbreaks, grass plantings, terraces, diversions, underground outlets, cross-fencing, tanks, livestock wells, ponds, ets.  Incentive payments are for converting irrigated land to dryland, irrigated land to grass, no-till, etc.

Applications from previous years are still on file.  If you have applications on file, it is highly recommended that you review your application this fall and update it to reflect the current ranking system.

If you have any questions about EQIP, contact your local NRCS office.

Stage of Growth:

Corn (Dough to full dent stage): At full dent, all or nearly all kernals are dented or denting.  Corn takes about 2.5 inches of moisture to reach maturity at the full dent stage.  Kernals hae about 55% moisture content at full dent.

Soybeans (R-1 Beginning bloom to R-6 full seed stage): Soybeans in wheat harvested fields are not as far along as other soybeans.  Stress during the seed-filling period can cause large yield reductions.  At full seed, soybeans need about 3.5 inches of moisture to reach maturity.

Irrigation:

Periodic rains have continued to relenish the soil with valuable moisture for the crops.  Some irrigators are putting on their final watering on corn to finish the irrigation season.  I would recommend not irrigating to finish the irrigation season as this costs money.  There is probably enough moisture in the soil to carry the crop up to a week or so.  Wait and irrigate at that time if we don't get rains.  Why pay for irrigating now when you have moisture available that could get you to a rain, thus possibly not irrigating again this season.  You need to closely evaluate your soil moisture situation.

Lake McConaughy is at 28.0% capacity versus 21.9% a year ago. Inflows in the North Platte River at Lewellen are at 334 cfs versus 228 cfs a year ago. Flows in the South Platte River at Roscoe are at 27 cfs versus 0 cfs a year ago.   You can track these flows on Central's web site.

Rainfall:
Rainfall amounts come from NeRAIN which can be found at http://dnrdata.dnr.ne.gov/NeRAIN/index.asp?&.

EVAPOTRANSPIRATION (ET) and GROWING DEGREE DAYS (GDD) INFORMATION
(Crop ET data comes from CNPPID's web site)

Additional ET Information Sites:

KRVN radio broadcasts
KRVN.com
Central Nebraska Public Power and Irrigation District
Water Use Hotline: 1-800-993-2507

EQIP in the Tri-Basin NRD:  2003-2007

Number of pivots installed = 181
Dollars paid towards pivots = $2,275,926.89

Converting irrigated land to dryland for four years = 2,548.5 acres
Incentive dollars paid for dryland conversion = $382,275.00

No-till acres = 7,146.7 acres
Incentive dollars paid for no-till = $214,401.00

Converting irrigated land to wildlife habitat = 583.4 acres
Incentive dollars paid for dryland conversion = $175,020.00

NOTE:  These numbers do not reflect the EQIP program from 1997 through 2002.  They also do not include cost-share dollars for underground pipelines, flow meters, grass seed, grass drills and other miscellaneous costs.

Check out these web sites:

"Don't ask for an easier life; ask to be a stronger person." - Patty Mostek, Loup City NRCS

If you would like to receive this newsletter via e-mail, or have any questions, comments or ideas, feel free to contact Curtis Scheele at the NRCS office in Holdrege or your local NRCS office at the addresses or phone numbers listed below.

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