This article was originally written by Alan Bartels, Lower Loup NRD Information & Education Coordinator, for the Loup Lines Column.

Loup Lines
Volume 46, No. 2
March 2026

People who don’t work in agriculture may not know about the variety of cost-share programs available to ag producers as incentives for incorporating conservation practices into their operations. And for those who do work in the ag industry, it can be difficult to keep up with all of the state and federal programs that pay producers to incorporate practices that can increase their efficiency while also protecting and/or enhancing the natural resources of the Lower Loup Natural Resources District (NRD).

During the March 2023 Lower Loup NRD Board of Directors meeting, the Directors approved the district-wide Advanced Soil Sampling Cost-Share Program. That program provides $75,000 annually, with $50,000 being designated for district-wide sampling, and the remaining $25,000 committed to Phase II Water Quality Management Areas and vulnerable fields identified by the Lower Loup NRD’s Nitrogen Vulnerability Model. The purpose of the program is to encourage landowners to adopt advanced soil sampling analysis with the intent of reducing nutrient input and improving soil health across the District. As with all cost-share programs, there are conditions that must be met in order to qualify for the program. Participation in the Advanced Soil Sampling Cost-Share Program can result in bonus ranking for producers who take part in other cost-share programs.

The Nebraska Legislature’s Nitrogen Reduction Incentive Act (NiRIA) established a state-funded program that provides incentive payments to producers for reducing their use of commercial fertilizers. The requirements for NiRIA are that producers verify a reduction in nitrogen fertilizer application rates as the lesser of 40 pounds or 15% of their baseline application rate. The program debuted in 2024, and the Legislature renewed it in 2025. Producers should know by fall 2026 if the program will be open to a new round of applications.

The Lower Loup NRD is taking tree orders through April 1, 2026. Orders can be placed by calling District secretaries at area NRCS offices, or at LLNRD.org. Cost-share through the Nebraska Soil & Water Conservation Program (NSWCP) can help toward the costs of tree purchases and machine planting of trees, as well as site prep and installation of drip irrigation. Coconut mats, used to inhibit weed growth, are also cost-shared.

The Lower Loup NRD Board of Directors approved a Districtwide Flow Meter Cost-Share program at the August 2024 board meeting. Flow meters are a management tool that can aid producers in supplying the right amount of water at the correct time to their growing crops. As inputs like fertilizer continue to increase in price, it is important to remember that over-watering can drive those critical nutrients past the active root zone (out of reach of the crops!) and toward the groundwater resources that most Nebraskans utilize for drinking water and other domestic uses.

Once that lost fertilizer reaches groundwater resources, it becomes a health hazard (Blue Baby Syndrome, pediatric cancer, thyroid disease, low birth rate, birth defects, etc.). Livestock and wildlife are also negatively impacted by nitrates in water.

Lower Loup NRD will cost share 50% of approved flow meters and telemetry systems that are installed within the district. An approved application is required before flow meters are installed. There are also restrictions on the kind of meter that can be cost-shared. Find the Lower Loup NRD’s Approved Flow Meter List at LLNRD.org.

New programs come online often. The 2026 Nitrogen Use Efficiency (NUE) Program is projected to go into effect in March 2026. In partnership with Nebraska’s Natural Resources Districts, the Nebraska Department of Water, Energy and Environment (DWEE) is administering the NUE Program. Partial funding for the conservation program was provided by the Nebraska Corn Board. 

The purpose of the program is to employ financial incentives to improve nitrogen use efficiency, reduce costs, and increase returns for farmers by optimizing fertilizer application. Reducing over-application of  nitrogen fertilizer not only reduces producers’ input costs, it also reduces the risk of nitrogen fertilizer leeching into groundwater resources.

Nitrogen Use Efficiency (NUE) measures how effectively a crop converts available nitrogen (N) into harvested grain yield, quantifying the relationship between N inputs and crop output. NUE accounts for total available N by including credits such as soil, water, legumes, and manure (lbs./acre) divided by grain yield (bu/acre). More details will be available soon at dnr.nebraska.gov/.

Some cost-share programs require applicants to complete a W-9 and citizenship form. Visit LLNRD.org to learn about these programs and other cost-share opportunities.