Irrigation Technology & Conservation Program

• Data collection

  • Must sign up for ProducerConnect to submit annual end of year report 

    • Irrigation event amounts

    • Crop/ Yield

    • Nitrogen Application amounts and events 

• No- till is required on W-7 & W-8 and encouraged on all-other practices

  •  Cost- Share is available on new adoption 

• Complete an approved education program(s) (four clock hours) pertaining to the cost-share practice 

  • Field days, workshops, ag conferences, online classes

• Receipts and reports must be provided for cost- share reimbursement

• Must not exceed UNL’s fertility and irrigation recommendations- NebGuides available

• Acres to be enrolled would not qualify if the acres were sod busted in the last ten years

• All irrigation wells must be registered and all irrigated acres must be certified with the LCNRD

• Applicants agree to allow LCNRD to conduct inspections and collect water and/or soil samples at any reasonable time

• Any changes to the above requirements during the contract period must be made in coordination with the LCNRD, before doing so

• Applications for cost share are not effective until approved by the LCNRD Board of Directors

  • Applications must be approved before the project can be started

• Claims for payment will not be accepted more than five months after the growing season application is completed

Irrigation Technology Cost-Share Program Application

Irrigation Technology Cost-Share Program Guidelines/Requirements

NebGuides

In-Season Nitrogen Management for Irrigated Corn

Irrigation Scheduling Strategies When Using Soil Water Data

Variable Rate Application of Irrigation Water with Center Pivots

Nutrient Management Suggestions for Corn

Soil Water Sensors for Irrigation Management

Focus Areas: 

Bow Creek Watershed, Bazile Groundwater Management Area, Wellhead Protection Areas

• Guidelines

  • Up to 75% cost-share with a maximum of $1,250 per year per sensor

  • Max 2 sensors per applicant

  • One sensor up to 160 acres with a minimum of 33 acres

  • Length of contract is 3 consecutive years and includes all data collection requirements

  • Payments will be made after installation and annually until the end of contract

  • Option to lease and/ or purchase with maintenance and service contract

• Requirements of Operator/ Landowner

• Have soil samples taken annually by approved contractor- Reimbursable by LCNRD up to $4/ac

  • One sample per 40 acres

    • Individual depths of 0”-8” (Routine Test, Ward Lab S-4), 8”-24” (Nitrate), 24”-36” (Nitrate)

  • Must have a flow meter installed- Cost- share is available on new adoption

    • Flow meter readings must be submitted at the start of contract, then annually 

  • Sensors must be installed by a contractor immediately after planting throughout the root zone based on the crop grown

  • Equipment purchases and installer will need to be approved prior to installation

  • No- till is encouraged, but not a requirement- Cost- Share is available

Focus Areas: 

Bow Creek Watershed, Bazile Groundwater Management Area, Wellhead Protection Areas

• Guidelines

• Up to 75% cost-share with a maximum of $2,250 per meter 

  • Telemetry data plan will be cost- shared at 75%, up to $160 per year for three years

  • One flow meter per irrigation system that irrigates a minimum of 33 acres

  • Length of contract is 3 consecutive years and includes all data collection requirements

  • Payments will be made after installation and at the end of the contract

• Requirements of Operator/ Landowner
  

  • Must be a McCrometer flow meter including telemetry 

  • Equipment purchases need to be approved and installed by a contractor prior to first irrigation event

No- till is encouraged, but not a requirement- Cost- Share is available on new adoption

Focus Areas: 

Bow Creek Watershed, Bazile Groundwater Management Area, Wellhead Protection Areas

• Guidelines

  • Option to upgrade to variable speed and/or section control

  • Up to 75% cost-share with a maximum of $15,000 per producer

  • Annual subscriptions will be cost- shared at 75% up to $225 per year for three years

  • Minimum of 66 acresirrigated per system
  • Max 2 system upgrades per applicant

  • Length of contract is 3 consecutive years and includes all data collection requirements

  • Payments will be made after installation and at the end of the contract 

• Requirements of Operator/ Landowner
  

  • Share VRI prescriptions created by crop consultants

  • Must have a flow meter and a soil moisture sensor- Cost- share is available on new adoption

  • Must have been irrigated for two of the last five years

  • Equipment purchases need to be approved and installed by a contractor prior to first irrigation event 

  • Nutrient management plan is strongly encouraged – Cost-share is available 

  • No- till is encouraged, but not a requirement- Cost- Share is available

Focus Areas: 

Bow Creek Watershed, Bazile Groundwater Management Area, Wellhead Protection Areas

• Guidelines

• Up to 75% cost-share with a maximum of $1,350 per system

  • Max 1 system upgrade per applicant irrigating a minimum of 33 acres

  • Length of contract is 3 consecutive years and includes all data collection requirements

  • Payments will be made after installation and at the end of the contract

  • Eligible components include:

    • Variable rate pump

    • Standard pump can be cost-shared if pivot is set up for variable rate

    • Slam Valve (If none is present)

      • Not eligible for new construction 

• Requirements of Operator/ Landowner
  

  • Chemigation permit

  • Operator must have certified chemigation applicator license

  • Equipment purchases need to be approved and installed by a contractor prior to first irrigation event 

  • No- till is encouraged, but not a requirement- Cost- Share is available on new adoption

Focus Areas: 

Bow Creek Watershed, Bazile Groundwater Management Area, Wellhead Protection Areas

• Guidelines

  • Up to 75% cost-share with a maximum of $11 per acre per year

  • Max 320 acres of prescription cost- share per applicant with a minimum of 20 acres 

  • Length of contract is two corn years and includes all data collection requirements

    • Can be consecutive or can move to second field in year two

      • Must be approved by LCNRD prior to growing season

  • Payments will be made at the beginning and the end of the contract

• Requirements of Operator/ Landowner
  

  • Chemigation permit (If applicable)

  • Operator must have certified chemigation applicator license (If applicable)

  • Must have Variable Rate fertilizer capabilities to be eligible- can enroll irrigated and dryland acres 

    • Share prescriptions created by crop consultants with LCNRD

  • Must work with an approved provider

  • No- till is encouraged, but not a requirement- Cost- Share is available on new adoption

Focus Areas: 

Bow Creek Watershed, Bazile Groundwater Management Area, Wellhead Protection Areas

• Guidelines

• Up to 75% cost-share with a maximum of $3,000 per station 

  • Telemetry data plan will be cost- shared at 75% up to $240 per year for three years

  • Max 2 weather stations per applicant

  • One station up to 160 acres with a minimum of 33 acres

  • Length of contract is 3 consecutive years and includes all data collection requirements

  • Payments will be made after installation and annually until the end of the contract

• Requirements of Operator/ Landowner
  

  • Must have a flow meter and soil moisture probe with capabilities to connect to the weather station- Cost-Share available 

  • Equipment purchases need to be approved and installed prior to first irrigation event

  • No- till is encouraged, but not a requirement- Cost- Share is available on new adoption

Focus Areas: 

Bow Creek Watershed, Bazile Groundwater Management Area, Wellhead Protection Areas

• Guidelines

  • A flat rate payment of $40 per acre on a small grain (Only on year planted) 

  • Payment will be made after the small grain is established and at the end of the contract

  • Acres enrolled must be irrigated, payments will not include dryland acres

  • Max 80 acres per applicant with a minimum of 20 acres

  • Length of contract must include 2 years following the small grain year and includes all data collection requirements

  • Eligible small grain crops include, but are not limited to:

    • Rye, wheat, oats, triticale, barley

  • Allowed to double-crop with normal 2 crops in rotation

  • Alfalfa is not accepted as a small grain crop

     

• Requirements
  • Must have an existing 2 crop rotation
    
    • Acres enrolled cannot have current harvested small grain rotation

  • Must plant a small grain once in the contract term 

  • Must be harvested as small grain 

    • A minimum of 6 inches of stubble must be left after harvest

    • Can be followed by a forage mix to graze (must have 75% soil cover after grazing)

  • Must do No-Till into bean and/or small grain stubble and encouraged through the entire length of the contract - Cost- Share is available on new adoption

  • No baling or silage production

  • Have soil samples taken annually for the length of the contract by approved contractor- Reimbursable by LCNRD up to $4/ac

    • One sample per 40 acres

    • Individual depths of 0”-8” (Routine Test, Ward Lab S-4), 8”-24” (Nitrate), 24”-36” (Nitrate)

  • Must have a flow meter- Cost- share available

  • A crop/ rotation plan will need to be approved before seeding 

Focus Areas: 

Bow Creek Watershed, Bazile Groundwater Management Area, Wellhead Protection Areas

• Guidelines

  • Payments are a flat rate of $115 per acre on an Alternative Crop (Only on year planted)

  • Payments will be made after the alternative crop is planted and at the end of the contract

  • Acres enrolled must be irrigated, payments will not include dryland acres

  • Max 80 acres per applicant with a minimum of 20 acres

  • Eligible alternative cash crops include, but are not limited to:

    • Grain sorghum, sunflowers, canola, buckwheat, millet

    • Small grains will not qualify for an alternative cash crop (Wheat, Rye, Oats, Triticale, Barley, etc.)
  • Alfalfa is not accepted as a third cash crop
• Requirements
  

  • An alternative third cash crop must be added into a three-year rotation (Small grains excluded)

  • Must have an existing 2 crop rotation

  • Acres enrolled cannot have current alternative cash crop rotation 

  • Must be harvested as grain or grazed

    • A minimum of 6 inches of stubble must be left when mechanically harvested

    • Grazed forage mix must have 75% soil cover after grazing

  • Must do No-Till into bean and/or alternative crop residue and encouraged through the entire length of the contract- Cost- Share is available on new adoption

  • No baling or silage production

  • Have soil samples taken annually for the length of the contract by approved contractor- Reimbursable by LCNRD up to $4/ac

    • One sample per 40 acres

    • Individual depths of 0”-8” (Routine Test, Ward Lab S-4), 8”-24” (Nitrate), 24”-36” (Nitrate)

  • Must have a flow meter- Cost- share available

  • Crop/ rotation plan will need to be approved before seeding

  • Seeding rates and grazing plan will need to be approved before seeding

Focus Areas: 

Bow Creek Watershed, Bazile Groundwater Management Area, Wellhead Protection Areas

• Guidelines

  • Payments are a flat rate of $450 per acre per year

  • Payments will be made after the perennial is planted and annually until end of the contract

  • Max 40 acres per applicant with a minimum of 30 acres

  • Forgone income included in payment
  • Alfalfa is not accepted as a perennial crop
• Requirements
  

  • May be grazed or harvested as a forage crop

    • Must leave 75% soil cover

    • Cannot cut stubble below 6 inches

    • Paddock grazing is encouraged but not required- Cost- share is available

  • Have soil samples taken annually for the length of the contract by approved contractor- Reimbursable by LCNRD up to $4/ac

    • One sample per 40 acres

    • Individual depths of 0”-8” (Routine Test, Ward Lab S-4), 8”-24” (Nitrate), 24”-36” (Nitrate)

    • Vadose Sampling down to 50 ft 

  • Irrigated two of the last five years

  • Implementation for 5 consecutive years

  • Must have a flow meter- Cost- share available

  • Seeding rates and grazing plan will need to be approved before seeding