Former DPH Director, Dr. Gary Hein explains "why Nebraska" in this brief video
Plant health training at UNL will take advantage of the extensive diversity of crops, soils and environment that occurs across Nebraska and surrounding states.
Across Nebraska, there are four major ecoregions representing the western regions of primary U.S. corn and soybean production and extending into the semi-arid high plains.
Annual rainfall in Nebraska varies from 13" (300 mm) in the west to nearly 40" (>1000 mm) in the southeast. Nearly a third of Nebraska's over 22 million acres of cropland is irrigated, and rangeland and pastures make up another 23 million acres.
Elevation ranges from 250m to over 1600m above sea level, with corresponding differences in humidity, maximum and minimum temperatures, and seasonal heat unit accumulation. Soils range from loamy sands to silty clays.
These variable environmental and edaphic conditions across Nebraska dramatically affect plant health and plant management systems.