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Optimizing Nitrogen Applications in Corn Production: The Benefits of Variable Rate Technology

Effective nitrogen management in corn production is crucial for maximizing economic returns and minimizing environmental impacts, such as nitrate leaching and contributions to Gulf of Mexico hypoxia. Variable rate technology (VRT) enables tailored nitrogen applications based on soil types and crop needs, leading to higher returns and reduced fertilizer use. While VRT presents challenges, including potential cost inefficiencies and the risks of prescriptive strategies, it also offers significant nitrogen cost savings and aligns nutrient application with actual crop demands, enhancing both economic and environmental outcomes.

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Optimizing Nitrogen Applications in Corn Production: The Benefits of Variable Rate Technology

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  1. Variable Rate Nitrogen Application in Corn Production Jimmy Stotts Precision Ag 4213

  2. Introduction • Effective Management of fertilizer nitrogen (N) in corn production is needed to maximize economic return for producers and control N losses that can cause environmental problems. These environmental concerns with N use in corn are mainly focused on nitrate leaching to groundwater and surface water nitrate contributions to Gulf of Mexico Hypoxia.

  3. Reasons for Variable Rate Applications • More economic return • Less environmental risk • Less fertilizer applied • Different soil types • No Grid Soil Sampling

  4. Environmental cures • Less amount of nitrogen leaching • Not near as much environmental risk with these variable rate applicators

  5. Application Systems • GreenSeeker • Great for late applications of fertilizer • These are Greenseeker sensors located on a Hagle High-Clearance Sprayer

  6. Application Systems • RT 500 • Greenseeker Sensors on an Apache Spraying machine • 2ftx2ft Resolution • Good for early fertilization

  7. Other Application Systems • Soil doctor • Standard Ag Coulters • Paired “Rolling Electrodes” • “Plug Into The Soil” • One is positive and the other is negative • Conductivity • Electrochemistry • Complex resistivity

  8. Challenges For VRT in Corn • The Potential Cost Savings Can be minimal • When all costs of developing and executing the variable rate strategy are considered the net return may be insufficient to cover the added expense.

  9. Challenges For VRT in Corn • Prescriptive Nitrogen Strategies Involve Risk • These could include unusually favorable growing conditions or yield limiting events such as frost, hail, stalk lodging, pests, drought, or N losses due to excessive rainfall and denitrification

  10. Check Strips (NRICH) • Needs to be several uniform check strips throughout the fields • A uniform rate should be applied based on current local or university recommendations • Additional strips with 50lb/ac above and below the recommendation rate may be helpful also • Can be harvested as separate loads on yield monitors or as a side by side comparison with a weigh wagon

  11. Nitrogen Cycle

  12. Application • If rates of applied N can be matched to actual corn N requirements throughout production fields, the economic and environmental goals of N management could potentially be achieved to a greater extent than would be possible with a single N rate applied to the entire field

  13. Growth Chart

  14. Application time • (V5) Tassel formation • (V6) Yield can be closely predicted • (V9) Ear shoots develop • (V12) By waiting until (V12) it would be better for predicting potential grain yield

  15. Adoption Of Technology • Variable Rate methods involving assessment of plant N status Through remote sensing during the growing season may have potential if the cost of these technologies does not exceed the value of the benefits provided

  16. RETURN • Doerge(2001) estimated that the Nitrogen cost savings is in the range of 5-15$/ac • That is big time on 1000 acre farm

  17. http://www.neuse.ncsu.edu/nitrogen/ http://www.dasnr.okstate.edu/Nitrogen_use http://www.ppi-far.org/far/farguide.nsf http://www.ppi-far.org/ppiweb/ppibase.nsf/ http://www.soils.wisc.edu/extension/ http://www.soildoctor.com/nmgmt.html http://geospatial.osu.edu/conference/ http://msucares.com/pubs/bulletins/b1129.pdf http://www.riecks.com/2577-31.html Sources

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