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UNL-TAPS •

Upcoming TAPS Summer Field Events

This will be the third consecutive year of the Agronomic Olympics event, an activity that bolsters experiential learning for attendees. TAPS team members, specialists, and industry representatives will together provide fresh opportunities for participants to engage in exercises of skill, as specific to the TAPS six major management decisions of nitrogen and irrigation management, hybrid selection and seeding rate, crop insurance selection, and marketing. The Agronomic Olympics activity is meant
UNL-TAPS •

Discussion Group Gathers Around for TAPS Economic Debriefing Event

The Testing Ag Performance Solutions (TAPS) program hosted the first of its kind, a Debrief Roundtable event, on March 8, 2023, at the West Central Research, Extension and Education Center (WCREEC) in North Platte, NE. Facilitated by Matt Stockton, TAPS team member and Agricultural Economist, the event focused on an in-depth conversation of the program’s economic components. Past participants of the TAPS Sprinkler Corn competition were invited to join the roundtable discussion group, and the ap
UNL-TAPS •

TAPS Program Kick-Starts 2023 Competition Season

After being postponed from the original date due to a spring storm, the Testing Ag Performance Solutions (TAPS) program hosted its 2023 Kickoff Event on Tuesday, March 21, 2023, in Doniphan, NE. Approximately 40 attendees gathered for a tour of the Corteva Agriscience production facility just south of Doniphan, beginning at 4 PM. Much was learned about Corteva as a company, their westernmost production facility located in Doniphan, and their processes in the production of seed corn. The TAPS gr
UNL-TAPS •

A peek at profitability: Most profitable award winners of 2022 TAPS corn contests

The Testing Ag Performance Solutions (TAPS) program’s 2022 competitions concluded at the annual awards banquet, held on Saturday, January 14, 2023, in Kearney, NE. More information on the annual event can be found at this link. During the celebratory evening, multiple awards were given to winners across the contests of sprinkler corn, Subsurface Drip Irrigated (SDI) corn, and sorghum in the categories of Greatest Grain Yield, Highest Input Use Efficiency, and Most Profitable. Specifically lookin
UNL-TAPS •

TAPS celebrates the success of Dr. Hope Njuki Nakabuye

Dr. Hope Njuki Nakabuye recently completed her program of study at the University of Nebraska at Lincoln (UNL). She earned her Ph.D. in Biological Systems Engineering in August 2022, after defending her thesis on “Canopy Temperature Based Irrigation Management of Maize and Soybeans in Semi-Arid Climates.” While studying at UNL, Nakabuye was located at the West Central Research, Extension and Education Center (WCREEC) in North Platte, NE, where she is currently working in a post-doctoral position
Cornhusker Economics •

UNL-TAPS Crowdsourcing Team Offers Public an Inside View

At the beginning of the 2022 production season, the University of Nebraska at Lincoln (UNL) Testing Ag Performance Solutions (TAPS) program kicked off the TAPS Crowdsourcing Team. Designed as an opportunity for the public to interact with the hands-on management of a TAPS sprinkler corn irrigated competition plot, the Crowdsourcing Team offers anyone a chance to be involved with the intricacies of crop production. Part of a multistate Conservation Innovation Grant (CIG) practicum, the Crowdsourc
UNL-TAPS •

TAPS celebrates the success of Dr. Abia Katimbo

Dr. Abia Katimbo recently completed his program of study at the University of Nebraska at Lincoln (UNL). He earned his Ph.D. in Biological Systems Engineering in May 2022, after defending his thesis on “Use of Close-Canopy Remote Sensing Tools Mountable on Ground-Based Platforms to Support Irrigation Water Management in Water-Limited Settings.” While studying at UNL, Katimbo was located at the West Central Research, Extension and Education Center (WCREEC) in North Platte, NE, where he is current
UNL-TAPS •

TAPS to Host Annual June Field Day

The Testing Ag Performance Solutions (TAPS) program looks forward to hosting its annual Field Day, which seeks to engage TAPS participants and the public, alike, in an informative morning and a social afternoon. The Agronomic Olympics event will again take place with updated events, such as a drone obstacle course, as well as sensor company demos, guest speaker(s), provided lunch, and a clay target shoot social event to follow in the afternoon. The 2022 TAPS Field Day will occur on Wednesday, J
UNL-TAPS •

Marketing Matters: A Quick Review of Contracts

The marketing window for the UNL Testing Ag Performance Solutions (TAPS) program 2022 contests officially opened on April 1. The window stays open throughout the season and is scheduled to close on November 30. Contestants are encouraged to use five marketing tools/techniques to maximize revenue from their production. This includes the use of forward pricing tools, if bushel value peaks in the spring, as well as use of Multi-Peril Crop Insurance (MPCI). Forward pricing the MPCI-covered bushels r
UNL-TAPS •

Insight from the efficiency award-winning 2021 Norton, KS, FFA team

Competitors in the Testing Ag Performance Solutions (TAPS) program, the Norton, KS, chapter of the National Future Farmers of America (FFA) Organization worked together to win Greatest Efficiency in the 2021 Sprinkler Corn contest. The Norton FFA team collectively made decisions throughout the contest season, and the group was captained by instructor, Caroline Howsden. Howsden and many of her pupils, who were senior students last year, are now in different places than when they competed collecti
UNL-TAPS •

TAPS presents new 2022 Crowdsourcing Team | Programmatic Press Release

The University of Nebraska at Lincoln (UNL) Testing Ag Performance Solutions (TAPS) program is pleased to announce an exciting new opportunity to participate for all who are interested. The 2022 TAPS Crowdsourcing Team is a new initiative beginning this spring and will depend entirely on the involvement of the public. A plot in the 2022 sprinkler corn competition, which is physically located at the West Central Research, Extension, and Education Center (WCREEC) in North Platte, Neb., has been se
UNL-TAPS •

TAPS January Awards Event Concludes 2021 Contests

After completing the fifth full year of competitions, the Testing Ag Performance Solutions (TAPS) program, which prides itself on networking opportunities, hosted its annual awards banquet on Saturday, Jan. 15. The event was held at the Younes Conference Center in Kearney, NE, and approximately 75 people attended the social hour, dinner, and presentation from the TAPS Team. The event’s main purpose was to summarize the 2021 farm management competitions held in North Platte, NE, at the West Cent
UNL-TAPS •

Inputs & Outputs: TAPS Impacts in the Workplace

How would you describe your TAPS experience? Pat Nott: I have really enjoyed and benefited from the competition. I work for an NRD, where conserving water quality and quantity is our goal. This contest has been a learning experience that I can use to relate to farmers, and also use to help farmers with their operations. Curtis Scheele: My experience has been awesome! I don’t farm. My job with NRCS is working with the irrigators to improve their irrigation scheduling and fertilizer applications,
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