One Red: At Husker Harvest Days, a new program was rolled out called One Red. From the website and brochure it says “The ONE RED Ag Data Bank & Grants Program is a voluntary Nebraska program that combines a secure Ag Data Bank with potential payments, grant opportunities, and support from Approved Service Providers. It is designed around eligible fields, participating acres, qualifying practices, equipment, and technology.” https://oneredag.com/

Producers can qualify if they have at least 80 cumulative acres located within the following eligibility areas: irrigated acres, NRD Phase II and higher management areas, and designated Wellhead and Source Water Protection Areas throughout Nebraska (see the website). For now, interested producers can go to the website and put their name in as being interested. Putting one’s name in as “Interested” doesn’t mean a producer has to enroll in One Red and also doesn’t guarantee that the producer qualifies.

What I appreciate about how the program has been designed is that the data provided by the farmer is owned by the farmer and only aggregated data is shared in reports. It’s also one of the only programs I’ve seen that pays for technology – such as technology to improve irrigation scheduling and application, nitrogen sensing, and to allow software programs to talk to each other. The overall goal is to help farmers improve water quality through better irrigation scheduling, nitrogen application, and soil health practices. When the program money runs out, it’s hoped that growers will still be connected to each other via peer networks. While nothing is perfect, I’m hopeful it can help more farmers try practices to be better stewards of water and soil without taking on as much financial risk.

Nitrogen Challenge: In November 2023, after years of research, I asked producers and their advisors to consider a Nitrogen Challenge. The Challenge is this: for growers who apply fall anhydrous or spring pre-plant fertilizer, on one field, apply a base rate of 50-100 lb N/ac. Apply the remaining nitrogen in-season using a sensor-based tool like Sentinel Ag.

Why do I keep encouraging this Challenge? Because it’s UNL’s recommendation backed by solid research…it’s the only thing we’ve found that consistently reduces the amount of nitrogen growers apply without significantly impacting yield. That’s how we change the groundwater nitrate story for the future! As we think of input prices rising again for 2027, as we think of our rural and urban communities dealing with rising nitrates in groundwater, as we think about the future we leave behind for our children and grandchildren, I ask growers to consider the nitrogen challenge for 2027. I’m only asking growers to consider this for 1 field using the smaller base rate and Sentinel Ag in season and see how it works for you. This works for both irrigated and non-irrigated fields. And, growers can utilize the One Red program to help offset any costs. Brian and I use Sentinel Ag on all our non-irrigated corn fields. It’s incredible to see the satellite imagery show mineralization spikes and how the plant reacts by increasing the nitrogen sufficiency index in-season. I don’t know who will continue to champion this Challenge in Extension after I leave. As a farmer, I plan to continue working with farmer peer mentors who have championed this Challenge on their own farms. Their testimonies are found here: https://go.unl.edu/g0xn. The “why” of cleaner groundwater for future generations is clear for all of us. Will you join us? You can go to this website to sign up for the Nitrogen Challenge: https://crm.sentinelag.tech/nitrogen-challenge. For questions, please contact me directly.

Also, an Open House is planned for me on Sept. 30th from 4-6 p.m. at the Cornerstone Event Center at the York County Fairgrounds. Memories and pictures are being collected by Laurie Linabery and can be emailed to: llinabery2@unl.edu.