Monthly Archives: January 2026
2026 Pesticide Training
Pesticide Training: This is the big year for pesticide training where the majority of people in the State need private applicator certification. There are a number of trainings available if you’re unable to attend the dates/times in the county you reside in. All trainings are listed at: https://go.unl.edu/psep26.
I apologize for the confusion and need to correct something I wrote regarding pesticide training. What I shared was the way we had always been taught was the law, but I was told by Nebraska Dept of Ag this week that the way it’s been written doesn’t share the whole information. When it says certified applicators are ones who “purchase and use restricted use pesticides”, the “purchase” is referring to “purchase by a retailer”. Thus, for those of you who are solely relying on a Coop or ag retailer to apply your restricted use pesticides and you are not applying them yourselves, you technically do not need a private applicator license. Feel free to call if you have specific questions regarding your situation.
The first trainings in York are this Thursday, January 15th at 9 a.m. and 1 p.m. at the Cornerstone Event Center (Fairgrounds) in York. We have been asking for RSVP to 402-362-5508 to save on the time for registration at the door, but walk-ins are welcome. Attendees need to bring a valid driver’s license or legal identification and $60/person. Those who are recertifying should also bring your NDA barcode letter, but we have other paperwork if you don’t have that for some reason.
If you don’t prefer to do the face to face training, other ways one can certify as a private applicator include an online self-study course and exam (cost $100) or attend the all-day Crop Production Clinic (cost $110) RSVP: https://agronomy.unl.edu/cpc/.
Crop Production Clinics: Especially for commercial and non-commercial applicators, Crop Production Clinics is the easiest way to recertify for the 00 and 01 categories. Please register at: https://agronomy.unl.edu/cpc/ for the location you wish to attend.
Also a reminder of the Nitrogen Challenge this week on Friday, Jan. 16th beginning at 9 a.m. at the Holthus Convention Center. If you’re interested in learning more about better managing nitrogen resources on your farm and most likely saving on nitrogen inputs, I hope you will consider joining us. Please RSVP to 402-362-5508 for meal count.
Reducing Nitrogen Inputs
With higher input costs and low commodity prices, I’ve been thinking how to be of help to the farm community I serve during these times. A small group of farmers and I met before Christmas. We talked about the difficulties the farm economy is facing yet also talked about realistic things that can be done to save money right now. One of those is around nitrogen and thus, we planned a Nitrogen Challenge Meeting on Jan. 16th at the Holthus Convention Center in York beginning at 9 a.m. The goals of this meeting are to share the research-based results from using in-season nitrogen management via Sentinel Ag, understand how to use this technology, and share testimonies from growers utilizing this technology. They wanted to create a peer network of famers supporting farmers during the growing season with this technology-so the first step will be a peer networking lunch sponsored by Sentinel Ag. The NRD is providing nitrogen certification credits. There is no charge but please RSVP for the meal count to 402-362-5508 or jrees2@unl.edu.
Why have I stressed nitrogen so much? In the Upper Big Blue NRD newsletter, Terry Julesguard wrote an article about nitrogen in the NRD based on the information provided by the Phase 2 and 3 reports. You can read the full article at: https://www.upperbigblue.org/increased-nitrogen-efficiency-brings-new-questions. In this excerpt Terry shares, “The numbers that stand out are the residual nitrate nitrogen in the soil:
- Corn-on-corn field increases from 33 lbs/A average to 86 lbs/A, an increase of 202%.
- Corn/bean rotation field increases from 32 lbs/A average to 86 lbs/A, a 212% increase.”
I know most farmers are seeking to do their best. The data is showing we’ve increased soil nitrate post-season by over 200%, meaning we’re overapplying N. We talk about the nitrate legacy from past generations, but this is the legacy we’re leaving right now in the soil for our kids and grandkids.
Soil tests in this area of the state from the 2025 season are showing residual soil nitrate is available to reduce the amount of nitrogen applied next growing season. This provides an opportunity to save on nitrogen input costs. No agronomist, including myself, can tell you exactly how much nitrogen you will need because we don’t know the weather/soil conditions for each piece of ground each year. This is why sensing what the plant needs is so powerful using technology like Sentinel Ag.
We have an opportunity to change the nitrogen story now-with us! On-Farm research with Sentinel Ag (2022-2024) in our part of the State showed an average 56 lb N/ac savings without impacting yields, while leaving an average of 5 ppm Nitrate in the top two feet. No other product or practice has proven that in our area of the State via on-farm research. It’s about using technology to manage the nitrogen the plant needs to the best of our ability. Thus, the Nitrogen Challenge in which I’ve asked growers to consider only applying a base rate pre-plant of 50-100 lb N/ac and apply the rest of the nitrogen in-season using a sensor-based technology like Sentinel Ag. Sentinel Ag uses satellite imagery to sense when a corn plant is becoming nitrogen stressed before our eyes can see it. The research was originally developed at UNL and the grad student (Jackson Stansell) then developed a company (Sentinel Ag) around it. Please consider learning more by joining us for the Nitrogen Challenge meeting on Jan. 16th. Farmer testimonials at: https://go.unl.edu/f3si.
JenResources 