The Agrometeorology Lab at the ARDC was established in the mid- 1960s. While equipment and projects may have changed over time, the influence of weather on agriculture will always be a key factor in productivity and ultimately, profitability.

Carbon Sequestration Project A state-of-the-art field research facility at the ARDC seeks to quantify carbon sequestration (storage) in agricultural systems. Agricultural crops have the potential to offset a significant amount of carbon dioxide emissions by sequestering carbon in the soil.

The carbon sequestration program is an interdisciplinary research effort that includes six UNL departments, focused on improving our understanding of processes controlling carbon sequestration. The overall goal

All About the Weather...Agrometeorology

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Field Notes...

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The USDA recently announced that over half of the state’s winter wheat crop was in poor or very poor condition and harvest is expected to be the lowest since 1944. Fluctu-ating temperatures, disease, and lack of rain are taking a toll on this year’s wheat crop.

The sustainability of wheat production is crucial for food production and for produc-ers’ profitability. Research on varieties, dis-ease and adaptability play an important role in meeting these challenges.

Participants at this year’s Annual Hard Winter Wheat Workers’ Field Day represented various universities, USDA-ARS locations, and companies from across the United States.

Dr. Stephen Baenziger, UNL researcher and small grains breeder, was on hand to provide the latest information on UNL wheat varieties during the field day. He says, “Get-ting this group together continues and adds to the sense of community while solving many of the questions facing hard winter wheat improvement.”

Those attending participated in a field tour at the ARDC that featured regional nurseries, UNL breeding nurseries, and an up-close look at the wheat streak mosaic virus screening.

UNL researcher Dr. Gary Hein shared information on research being conducted on wheat streak mosaic virus. Dr. Bob Graybosch, USDA-ARS research geneticist, discussed UNL wheat varieties at the wheat nursery plots at the ARDC. And UNL plant pathologist, Dr. Stephen Wegulo, talked with the group about wheat diseases. Researchers from other states and industry representatives also presented information at the field day.

is to investigate the carbon sequestration potential of major rainfed and irrigated agro ecosystems in the north-central USA and to understand the biophysical controls on carbon sequestration. 450 acres of corn/soybean production are dedicated to the project. In this issue, we review updates related to the agrometeorological research.

Biomass Removal Project - A biomass removal project (Second Generation Biofuels: Carbon Sequestration and Life Cycle Analysis) began at the carbon sequestration sites in 2010. Continuous maize is being grown at the two irrigated sites and identical management practices are being employed, except for one key component. In the fall following harvest, the stover remaining on one of the fields is baled and removed from the field. This stover would be processed for second generation

Collaboration Focusof Wheat Field Day

The goal of participants in the queen honeybee rearing workshop is to raise high quality, locally-adapted queen honeybees. During a 3-day work-shop at the ARDC, beekeepers were able to practice grafting larvae into queen cups and mock manipulation of beekeeping equipment. Then they moved on to setting up starter boxes of young bees and a strong finishing colony. They also grafted larvae that would be fed royal jelly by the young bees and raised to be queens. In the photo below, workshop participants learn how to arrange a strong finishing colony.

The Making of a Queen

UNL researcher Dr. Gary Hein discusses research being conducted on wheat streak mosaic virus. The screening utilizes natural infestations with natural mite populations.

- Continued on Page 2

In this issue we feature agrometeorology research conducted by the Univer-sity of Nebraska–Lincoln’s School of Natural Re-sources.

Also inc ludedin thi s i s sue :

• A View from the Road• Best Wishes to Bill McCormick• Collaboration Focus of

Wheat Field Day• Committed to Wellness• Field Notes• Meet Lindsay Chichester• NU Regents Visit the

ARDC• The Making of a Queen• The School Connection

- Big Red Exploration Camp Visits Vet Sci- Learning aboutRuminants at MPS- Omaha Westside Learns About Ag

• Summer Interns and Student Employees

• UNL Bred Steer Places

in Top Three

Lights, Camera, Action - The ARDC served as the backdrop for the filming of a video by UNL’s Pesticide Safety Education Program staff. The video is an educational segment about The Worker Protection Standard in agriculture. See the video on YouTube. Search for “UNL Extension PSEP.”

Summer Time, Tour Time - Sum-mer is a popular time for interna-tional guests to visit the ARDC. Chinese visitors have topped the visitors list so far.

UNL Beef Feedlot Manager, Dirk Burken, discusses feedstuffs with Chinese visitors hosted by Pennfield Animal Health.

You can see more photos from on topics featured in this edition and from past issue at: ardc.unl.edu/photos.

Photo by Erin Ingram

When the center pivot was installed for the carbon sequestration project, the system was modified in order to clear the sensor equipment utilized in the research. Normal clearance on a center pivot is 9 feet. The carbon sequestration pivot was extended by 14 feet (note the higher towers in this photo). Similar systems can be found in Texas where oil wells coexist with pivot-irrigated crops.

Tom Lowman (right) of UNL’s School of Natural Resources is the manager of the agrometeorology lab at the ARDC. On the left, he is shown performing routine maintenance on the eddy covariance sensors at the carbon sequestration site.

UNL research technologist, Todd Schimelfenig maintains soil moisture sensors at the carbon sequestration sites

Photo by Andy Suyker,Photo by Andy Suyker,

INSTITUTE OF AGRICULTURE AND NATURAL RESOURCES

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Learning about Ruminants at MPS

The School Connection

It’s All About the Weather - Continued from page 1

ARDC Today

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NU RegentsVisit the ARDC

The three newest members of the University of Nebraska Board of Regents recently vis-ited the ARDC. The visit at the ARDC was part of a whirlwind tour across Nebraska hosted by UNL Institute of Agriculture and Natural Resources Vice Chancellor, Ronnie Green.

The Vice Chancellor and NU Regents Robert Schafer, Hal Daub, and Jim Pillen travelled to each of the UNL research and extension centers across Nebras-ka. While the group covered many miles in a short amount of time, the statewide tour gave the Regents the unique op-portunity to learn about how research and extension function across the state.

While visiting the centers and interacting with staff and faculty, they learned about the accomplishments, challenges, and opportunities for meeting the needs of Nebraskans and stakeholders now and in the future.

At the ARDC, discussion focused on the roles and proj-ects that the ARDC, Southeast Research and Extension Center and UNL Extension in Saunders County are involved with.

(Top) IANR Vice Chancellor Ronnie Green, UNL ARDC Director Mark Schroeder, and NU Regents - Robert Schafer, Hal Daub, and Jim Pillen during a visit to the ARDC.(Bottom) UNL Southeast Research and Extension Center (SREC) Associate Director Dave Varner and SREC Director Susan Williams explain how technology is utilized in educating youth.

A View From the RoadHere are a couple of projects you may have seen

out your window if you have driven through the ARDC recently.

Summer Interns and Student EmployeesBig Red Exploration Camp Visits Vet Sci

biofuels. The carbon exchange, evapotranspiration, and

fluxes of nitrous oxide and methane are being moni-tored. Life cycle analyses is also being performed and researchers are looking at the impact this could have on soil organic carbon. The results are currently being analyzed.

Impact of Drought - Data is currently being analyzed from the drought of 2012. Some of the high-est values of evapotranspiration (ET) in the irrigated sites (8-10 mm/day) are being measured. The yields from the two irrigated sites were comparable to previ-ous years (about 208 bu/ac). The rainfed soybean crop yielded 32 bu/ac which was about half of what has been harvested in previous years.

Spreading the Word - Almost 70 articles have been directly published from this research. In addition, as the data are made available through a public website (Ameriflux.lbl.gov), many other research groups are using our data in synthesis studies of carbon exchange. Data has also been provided to dozens of scientists and students here at UNL, nationally, and internationally

Funding the Research - Additional funding continues to be sought to continue research on carbon sequestration under different management practices. There are many more issues that need to be addressed in light of potential climate change across the Corn Belt.

Precipitation ChemistryLearning about Acid Rain - This is the 36th year

that data is being collected from an atmospheric depo-sition monitoring station at the ARDC. The collector station at the ARDC is part of a national precipitation chemistry monitoring network. It is maintained in cooperation with the National Atmospheric Deposition Program, a U.S. State Agricultural Experiment Stations National Research Support Program .

The goal of the network has been to provide data on amounts, trends and geographic distributions

of acids, nutrients and base cations in precipitation. Long-term data from the station measurements have shown a general decreasing trend in SO4-S ion and NO3-N ion deposition. The long-term data have also shown an increasing trend in NH4-N ion deposition. The results from these measurements are disseminated by the National Atmospheric Deposition Program to a wide range of scientific communities.

Automated Weather Data NetworkLongest Operating Station in U.S. - The Ag-

rometeorology Laboratory at the ARDC is home for the longest continuously operated automated weather stations in the U.S.A. There are 68 Automated Weather Data Network stations in Nebraska and a total of 212 in the High Plains region providing comprehensive in-formation, on air and soil temperature, humidity, wind speed and direction, solar radiation, and precipitation for use in agricultural decision making throughout the region. The Nebraska stations monitor soil water at depths of 10, 25, 50, and 100 cm. This is a unique non-federal network formed by cooperation between climatologists in the High Plains and nearby states. . Daily maps are available by smart phone by setting your browser to: hprcc3.unl.edu/Ap.

UV-B Monitoring and Research ProgramThe Effect of Sun Rays on Agriculture - One of

the 36 USDA UV-B Monitoring and Research Program (UVMRP) climatological UV-B (Ultraviolet-B) sta-tions is located at the Agrometeorology Laboratory at the ARDC. Data have been collected and reported to a central site since 1996. Data from the monitoring program provides information important for assessing the local impact of UV-B sunlight radiation on human health, plants, the environment and materials. Data from the UV-B Monitoring and Research Program are made available via the UVMRP website: uvb.nrel.co-lostate.edu/UVB/index.jsf. - Faculty contributing to this article: Andy Suyker and Ken Hubbard, UNL School of Natural Resources

Pennfield Animal Health hosted a delegation of Chinese visitors on a tour to the ARDC to learn about cattle production in the United States. Another visitor from China was Li He, board chairman of the Inner Mongolia Kerchin Cattle Industry Company, Ltd. Kerchin Cattle Industry is one of the largest beef processing companies in China. In fact, it was appoint-ed as official beef supplier of the 29th Beijing Olympic Games in 2008. The company takes on all aspects of the meat pro-duction process - breeding, slaughter and processing. Kerchin Cattle Industry raises cattle on the grasslands in inner Mongolia. Irrigation was the focus of He’s visit to the ARDC. Jason Parker of Lindsay Corporation accompanied He on his trip to the ARDC. Parker says that Kerchin is planning to develop their own forage production farms where they will use modern production technologies including pivot irrigation. Dr. Mauricio Silva, a researcher at Universidad Católica de Temuco, recently traveled with a group from Chile visiting various UNL Department of Animal Science labs and projects. The main purpose of Silva’s visit was to learn about the beef industry in Nebraska. Silva says, “My specific interest was to learn more about reproductive management of beef cattle under Nebras-ka conditions, but also to learn about nutritional and health management of the cow-calf operations.” At his visit to the ARDC, Silva says he learned about management of pastures and grazing. He states, “ I learned about cow´s and heifer´s breeding weight, dura-tion of breeding season, bull:cows ratio during breeding and management of newborn calves.”

Omaha Westside Learns About Ag

A visit to the individualized feeding barn at the ARDC was a first encounter seeing cattle up close for many of the Omaha Westside students.

With the increased workload that summer brings, students and interns play an important role in keeping projects running smoothly at the ARDC. The following students are working or interning this summer at the research areas listed. Also included are hometowns and colleges.

Mead Public School student, Wyatt Andersen, learns about ruminants in the mobile beef lab.

Photo by Tom Dux

• Agronomy - Brittney Cihal - Valparaiso (UNL)• Beef Feedlot - Bradley Boyd - Colorado (UNL)• Beef Feedlot - Justin Nollete - Nenzel (UNL)• Beef Feedlot - Max Rasmussen - Laurel (UNL)• Biotechnology - Zachary Kick - Omaha (UNL)• Cow/Calf - Nate Hanson - Wayne• Cow/Calf - Ben Schneider - Lincoln• Cow/Calf - Austin Schroeder - Kenesaw• Entomology - Andrew Kuhr - Mead• Entomology - Chandler Sorensen - Mead• Entomology - Brett Virgil - Mead (UNL)• Entomology - Brian Pearson - Mead (UNO)

• Extension - Doug Bohaty - Wahoo - (Buena Vista University - Storm Lake, IA)

• Extension - Jayce Drege - Fremont (Wayne State College)• Extension - Melissa Matulka - Thedford (UNL)• Extension - Roger Yerdon - Alliance (UNL)• Facilities Operations - Ryan Phillips - Yutan (UNL)• Forestry - Matt Pirog - Imperial (UNL)• Horticulture/Turf - Emily Brabec - Wahoo • Horticulture/Turf - Tony Thorson - Wahoo • Horticulture/Turf - Ryan Witkowski - Lincoln (UNL)• Veterinary Science - David Williams - Lincoln (UNL)

If you think keeping your lawn mowed in the summer is time consuming, imagine what it takes to maintain the largest irrigated turfgrass facility in the United States. Students play a vital role in research projects at the turf research area during the summer. Here they are shown marking out the plot for a shade study on buffalograss.

Field Notes - Continued from page 1

The University of Nebraska mobile beef lab stopped by Mead High School to educate the students on ruminant and non-ruminant digestive systems. This hands-on experience fit right in with the Mead Agricultural Education’s animal science class as they were going over animal nutrition and were covering digestion. The students at Mead High School learned a great deal and were able to experi-ence animal digestion first hand by learning about the four compartments of a ruminant stomach - Thomas Dux, Mead Agricultural Education Instructor

A human geography class from Omaha West-side visited the ARDC to learn about agriculture. The students were studying the development and economics of agriculture. The visit also assisted in their understanding of how rural communities differ from urban areas.

Teens attending the Big Red Academic Camp, “Discover Veterinary Science” did just that during a visit to the ARDC. Taught by UNL’s School of Veteri-nary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, they learned how animal diseases progress, and are diagnosed, treated and prevented through hands-on experiences.

Corrals at the ARDC are usually reserved for animal science projects. But there is a “corral” set up at the turf research area (black tarps shown above). The set-up is being utilized to increase humidity for a Leaf Spot Disease study.

County Road 10 (the blacktop that goes to Mead) is a well travelled road at the ARDC. So many vehicles have undoubtedly passed by this project in the bull development pasture - a winter feeding site where stable flies are being trapped. The buckets are emergence traps to collect stable flies emerging from the hay feeding site substrates. We are doing control studies at the site. Half of each hay ring is being treated with a control agent, the other half is being left untreated as a control.

components (e.g., for maize these primarily include the grain, roots, leaves, stalks, and cobs). The carbon in the grain (and sometimes the remaining stover) is generally used as livestock feed or to produce biofuel.” Suyker further explains, “This carbon is removed from the field but not all of it cycles back to the atmo-sphere as CO2. The remainder of the captured carbon is left in the ecosystem on or below the soil surface.” Suyker says that a large portion of this carbon cycles back to the atmosphere during the next few years due to multiple processes (e.g., decomposition from soil microbes). According to Suyker, “Some of this carbon becomes incorporated in the soil on a long-term basis (several years) which helps soil structure (reducing erosion) and improves soil fertility. This long-term captured carbon is particularly important in maintaining agri-cultural production.”

Calendar of Events

ARDC Today Summer Issue 2013

This issue of the ARDC Today was produced and edited by Deloris Pittman, Marketing and Promotions Manager. The ARDC Today is published quarterly by the University of Nebraska–Lincoln ARDC, 1071 County Road G, Ithaca, Nebraska, 68033-2234.

Mark Schroeder is the director, University of Nebraska–Lincoln ARDC. For more information, call (402)624-8030 or (800)529-8030. On the web at: ardc.unl.edu. Email: dpittman1@unl.edu.

University of Nebraska–Lincoln Extension in Saunders County and the Southeast Research and Extension Center administrative offices are located at the ARDC. Links are located on the ARDC website.

© 2013 University of Nebraska–Lincoln Agricultural Research and Development Center.

The University of Nebraska–Lincoln does not discriminate based on gender, age, disability, race, color, religion, marital status, veteran’s status, national or ethnic origin or sexual orientation.

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UNIVERSIT Y OF NEBRASKA–LINCOLN INSTITUTE OF AGRICULTURE AND NATURAL RESOURCES

Best Wishes to Bill McCormickBest wishes are extended to Bill McCormick who

has served as the entomology research project coordina-tor at the ARDC since 1999. McCormick assisted with many entomology projects at the ARDC with research-ers, Lance Meinke and Marion Ellis over the last 14 years. He was instrumental is building and modifying research equipment and assisting with research.

While working at UNL, McCormick went back to school to obtain a 2nd undergraduate degree and is currently working towards a masters degree at UNL. He is now working in an engineering position in private industry.

Bill McCormick (2nd from left), is pictured with entomology researchers Lance Meinke and Marion Ellis, and UNL Entomology Department Head, Gary Brewer.

Meet Lindsay Chichester

UNL Bred SteerPlaces in Top Three

UNL took home the silver at the Nebraska Cattle-men Association’s 125th annual mid-year convention in June. A steer bred and born into the UNL cow/calf teaching herd located at the ARDC was selected for second place honors in the overall competition of the Retail Value Steer Challenge (RVSC) feeding competi-tion. 167 steers were entered into this year’s challenge.

The Nebraska Cattlemen Foundation conducts the annual fund-raiser to raise and provide funds for educational and scientific activities that benefit beef cattle production in Nebraska. Spring-born calves are donated and fed out at Darr Feedlot near Cozad.

Dr. Matt Spangler, UNL Extension Beef Genetics Specialist, supervises the teaching herd. He says, “The NC Retail Value Steer Challenge provides support to the NC Foundation who in turn generously donate critical financial support to many collegiate programs in the state including competitive judging teams, the Nebraska Beef Industry Scholars program, and scholarships. This generosity ensures that our educational program here in Nebraska is second to none.”

The UNL steer was a March born calf that was AI sired by a red Simmental bull bred to a UNL Husker Red cow.

Andy Suyker and Ken Hubbard are two of the UNL faculty members currently working on agro-meteorological research at the ARDC. Other UNL researchers with agrometeorological projects at the ARDC include: Tim Arkebauer, Adam Liska, Elizabeth Walter-Shea, Martha Shulski, Jinsheng You, and Art Zygielbaum - all are faculty in UNL’s School of Natural Resources. The following questions were posed to Hub-bard and Suyker regarding current research.

Ask a scientist...Dr. Hubbard, sunlight radia-tion data has been collected at Mead since 1981.

Obviously, it was very hot and dry during the 2012 drought. But were there measurable changes in the intensity of the energy from the sun? Dr. Hubbard says, “Yes, generally we have fewer

Ask a Scientist about Ag Meteorology

Dr. Andy Suyker

Dr. Ken Hubbard

Ask a scientist...Dr. Suyker, what happens

to the carbon that is captured in the carbon sequestration research? Dr. Suyker explains, “By the end of the growing season, the crop has captured a net amount of carbon that is distributed to different plant

Saunders County extension educator, Lindsay Chichester is no stranger to 4-H and livestock production. Chichester grew up on a ranch in northern California, raising sheep and cattle. She was an active member of 4-H for 10 years, participating in projects such as: market and breeding cattle and sheep, fashion review, speech and demonstration, and junior leadership. Her extension educator career began in Richardson County (Falls City, NE) in January 2010. In April 2013, she accepted an extension educator position in Saunders County, where her responsibilities include livestock, consumer education around livestock and food systems, and 4-H/youth development. Lindsay works closely with the Nebraska Youth Livestock

Lindsay Chichester

Quality Assurance Program, Animal Care and well-being issues, and will begin to host consumer education field days at the ARDC. Chichester was recruited to attend Redlands Community College, El Reno, OK on a livestock judging scholarship. After completing her associate’s degree in animal science, she transferred to Oklahoma Panhandle State University and earned a bachelor’s degree in animal science and agricultural business. She obtained master’s degrees in animal science and in speech communication West Texas A&M University. She also possesses a PhD in systems agriculture.

Wellness is a way of living, but finding that balance in our daily activities and du-ties can be a challenge.

The ARDC recently received an outstanding contribu-tor to UNL Employee Wellness award. This award identifies de-partments/units and wellness ambassadors that exhibit excep-tional commitment to providing wellness opportunities to their co-workers. This award displays the University’s apprecia-tion of a commitment to the movement towards a culture of

Committed to Wellness

Cheryl Sheary Lanik (shown with the award) coordinates wellness programs at the ARDC and encourages a community of wellness amongst co-workers.

wellness at UNL.

clouds during a drought and therefore more hours of direct sunlight. The aver-age daily energy from the sun last year, during the period April 1 to October 31 was 461 Langleys. This is one of the highest values since observations began in 1981 being exceeded only by 468 (1987), 494(1988) and 472(1994).”

AUGUST

12-13 ARDC 6 Year Review

19 Argentine Irrigation Visitors

28 Physical, Chemical and Biological Properties of Soil

and Water Crop Management Diagnostic Clinic

30 Dodge Elementary Bioenergy Field Trip

SEPTEMBER

4 4-H Council Meeting

14 Advanced Robotics Workshop

16 Saunders County Friends of 4-H and Extension

Foundation Board of Directors

OCTOBER

7-10 Ag Awareness Festival

16 Wahoo Public High School PSAT Testing

18 SREC Fall District Conference

Learn more about what’s on the calendar, visit ardc.unl.edu. You can also click on the links on our website to

“follow us” and “like us”!