Iowa Nitrogen initiative to bring more precision to fertilizer rates

By Andi Anderson

Iowa State University researchers are working with farmers to develop new tools to help them apply the right amount of nitrogen fertilizer to their corn fields. The project, called the Iowa Nitrogen Initiative, is collecting data from trials across Iowa to build models that offer far more granular guidance than current official recommendations.

Nitrogen fertilizer is essential for growing corn, but applying too much can have negative economic and environmental consequences. Researchers at Iowa State University are working with farmers to develop new tools to help them apply the right amount of nitrogen fertilizer to their fields.

The Iowa Nitrogen Initiative is collecting data from trials across Iowa to build models that offer far more granular guidance than current official recommendations. The project takes into account a wide range of factors, including soil type, weather conditions, and management practices, to determine the ideal nitrogen rate for each field.

The researchers plan to develop three decision-making tools:

• Updated and more dynamic benchmark recommendations for nitrogen rates
• Forecasting to estimate ideal rates based on current and near-term predictions for soil and weather conditions
• Hindcasting to help farmers look back at a prior growing year to explore how their crop's nitrogen needs would have changed if they'd done things differently

The tools are expected to be ready to use for the 2025 growing season. The researchers are currently recruiting farmers, crop advisers, and custom fertilizer applicators to sign up for a trial in the 2024 growing season.

Benefits of the Iowa Nitrogen Initiative:

• More precise nitrogen fertilizer application can improve yields, profits, and environmental sustainability.
• The new tools will be especially valuable for farmers using precision ag technology.
• The project is being developed in close collaboration with farmers to ensure that the tools are useful and easy to use.

The Iowa Nitrogen Initiative is a promising project that has the potential to help farmers apply nitrogen fertilizer more precisely and efficiently. This could lead to significant economic and environmental benefits for Iowa and other corn-growing regions.



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