This article was originally written by Lower Loup NRD Information & Education Coordinator Alan Bartels as a Loup Lines Column.

Loup Lines
Volume 47, No. 1
January 2026

ORD, Nebraska -- A new year is upon us. One thing that is not new is the continued trend of rising commercial fertilizer prices predicted for 2026.

Even without high input costs it only makes sense to apply agricultural chemicals as efficiently as possible. Chemigation – the injection of agricultural chemicals into water flowing through an irrigation distribution system for application to cropland – allows ag producers to apply chemicals at the exact time that plants need it. The actual handling of chemicals is reduced, so operator exposure is minimized and the chance for spills is diminished.

When chemigation is used, nitrate-leaching losses are reduced along with the possibility for nitrate contamination of groundwater.

When utilizing a chemigation system, care must be taken to prevent accidental groundwater contamination through backflow into the irrigation well. To avoid this contamination, the appropriate chemigation equipment and system must be set-up, operational, and properly maintained.  The lack of properly installed and serviceable equipment will result in a chemigation permit application being denied.

The goal of the Nebraska Chemigation Act is to protect the groundwater and surface waters of Nebraska from contamination by fertilizers and pesticides. Nitrate levels in groundwater resources are on the rise in many parts of Nebraska. Pollution from commercial fertilizers is a major contributor to this contamination.

This contamination presents a health risk to people, livestock, and wildlife.

Research from the University of Nebraska Medical Center has found a link between areas with high brain cancer rates and elevated nitrate concentrations in groundwater. Also, Nebraska has the seventh-highest pediatric cancer rate in the United States and the highest of any state west of Pennsylvania. Many cancers and other diseases are associated with nitrate exposure.

Modern technology allows farmers to determine how much fertilizer their crops need, when it is needed, in order to achieve target yields. Applying the proper amount of fertilizer needed by plants, at the exact time that the plants need it, is the only responsible way to apply fertilizer. In addition to directly influencing human health, proper application of fertilizer is a part of sound financial management.

On top of that – research shows that overapplication of fertilizer can actually harm crop productivity. It makes no sense for producers to intentionally spend more to apply excess inputs that will reduce their yield!

This year, hundreds of irrigators across the Lower Loup Natural Resources District (LLNRD) will use chemigation to apply fertilizers and pesticides to their fields. In 2025, LLNRD issued 3,618 chemigation permits. The farmers who received those permits reported applying nearly 17 million pounds of in-season nitrogen fertilizer within the District.

That is an increase of more than 10 million pounds over what was applied in the Lower Loup NRD in 2006. (16,749,389 pounds of nitrogen fertilizer in 2025 vs. 6,519,000 pounds in 2006).

Before an irrigator can begin chemigation, state law requires that a permit be obtained from their local Natural Resources District. Permit applications are available at the Lower Loup NRD District Headquarters in Ord, online at LLNRD.org, and at Natural Resources Conservation Service offices in Albion, Broken Bow, Burwell, Columbus, Fullerton, Ord, Spalding, and St. Paul.

University of Nebraska-Extension has scheduled chemigation training courses across Nebraska in the coming weeks and months. Producers planning to chemigate must be certified. To gain certification, producers must complete a training course and pass a written exam. Certification is good for four years before renewal is required.

Upcoming area chemigation training sessions include:

• Jan. 20, Platte County Fairgrounds, 2 p.m., Columbus
• Jan. 22 Ericson Fire Hall, 1 p.m., Ericson
• Jan. 28, Greeley Fire Hall, 1 p.m., Greeley
• Jan. 29, Merrick County Fairgrounds, 1 p.m., Central City
• Jan. 30, St. Paul Library, 1 p.m., St. Paul
• Feb. 5, Holt County Extension Office, 9 a.m., O’Neill
• Feb. 10, Valley County Fairgrounds, 1 p.m., Ord
• Feb. 10, Custer County 4-H Building, 1 p.m., Broken Bow
• Feb. 12, Loup City Community Building, 1 p.m., Loup City
• Feb. 12, Buffalo County Extension Office, 1:30 p.m., Kearney
• April 14, New Community Center, 9 a.m., Bassett
• April 15, Holt County Courthouse Annex, 1 p.m., O’Neill

Learn more about online certification at pested.unl.edu/training-and-certification/

Contact your local Extension office for more information on chemigation training.