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RESEARCH – NITROGEN – NUTRIENT MANAGEMENT TOOLS
Researchers within the Land Grant University System or with CSREES funding are developing and evaluating new tools to help farmers, producers, and citizens to better manage nutrients, notably nitrogen, throughout agriculture. These tools include techniques that incorporate information technology, computer software to predict nutrient needs, sampling strategies, and programs aimed at decision support.
Precision Agriculture
Traditionally, we've managed our cropland based on the average soil condition and treated the entire field as a single unit. This method is sometimes inefficient, because you'll over-apply fertilizer in some areas and under-apply in others. Precision agriculture uses information technologies, like Global Positioning Systems (GPS), Geographical Information Systems (GIS), and remote sensing, to target nutrient inputs and management practices to site-specific variable field conditions. These technologies take into account unique soil/landscape characteristics resulting in less excess nutrients leaving the farm thereby reducing the pollution risk to ground and surface water.
Research at the University of Minnesota Precision Agriculture Center will determine whether vegetation and topographic indices computed from Remote Sensing data and terrain models can improve prediction of crop N status, 
and whether these indices can be used to predict the crop yield or crop quality response to late season N application.
On-going research at Colorado State University is strengthening the hypothesis that variable rate application of nitrogen using site-specific management zones, developed using remote sensing technology, will optimize the nitrogen uptake and removal by the crop, enhance or maintain grain yield, decrease potential for under and over application of nutrients in different parts of the field, increase nitrogen use efficiency, and decrease potential for nitrate leaching.
It was determined at Montana State University that the nitrogen nutrition status of wheat, sugar beets, and corn can be predicted at mid-season using multi-spectral, high-resolution images recorded from aircraft or satellites. This information has proved useful in designing variable-rate irrigation systems for maximizing watering efficiency. For example, growers in Georgia have realized from 8 to 19% in water savings resulting from irrigation system design based on imagery.
In a project at Auburn University, yield monitors—devices that are mounted to harvesting equipment to measure crop yield and field position during harvesting— showed that acreage farmed with conservation tillage had significantly higher yields than the conventional system.
Researchers at The Ohio State University are evaluating the ability to use sensing techniques to prescribe an in-season variable rate nitrogen application for corn.
The potential for site-specific N fertilizer application in the Northeast was found to be very limited in research from Cornell University, but considerable agronomic and environmental gains were possible from annual rate adjustment based on early-season weather.
Economic analysis of precision farming practices for cotton, grain sorghum, peanuts, and corn at Texas A&M University indicate that these practices have the potential to be economically beneficial as compared to conventional production practices.
Research at Kansas State University evaluated remote sensing of potential mineralizable N (PMN) and integrating PMN into fertilizer N recommendation models, thereby providing the opportunity to refine N recommendations for every locations within an entire filed and increase N use efficiency.
Other Decision and Field-based Tools
Land Grant Universities conduct research and evaluation of nutrient management planning tools, software, and innovative technology that measures the effectiveness of planning and field nitrogen application techniques. With these tools, N is applied more appropriately to land, and N leaching is reduced.
Cornell University researchers developed the New York Nitrate Leaching Index (LI), an indicator of the potential for nitrate to reach groundwater. The latest version of the LI uses township-based precipitation data rather than county-based data, which more accurately reflects precipitation patterns than the previously used county-based precipitation data.
A joint research project between North Carolina State University, University of Hawaii, and Cornell University seeks to integrate and disseminate decision aid tools that facilitate the diagnosis of soil nutrient constraints and the selection of appropriate management practices for location-specific conditions.
Researchers at Colorado State University developed statewide
groundwater vulnerability/sensitivity maps to nitrate contamination 
that
will aid decision makers in prioritizing limited protection resources
in areas with the greatest potential for contamination. They
are working to make the outputs more accessible to farmers, consultants,
and agency personnel.
Cornell University researchers are testing the effectiveness of the Illinois Soil N Test (ISNT), a newly developed soil test from the University of Illinois that measures a more stable organic fraction of soil N that could possibly be used to determine if corn will be responsive to sidedressing, and other soil N tests in New York.
The Universities of Connecticut and Massachusetts continue to utilize and refine nutrient management testing techniques such as Pre-sidedress Nitrate tests, crop tissue and manure testing, end of season corn stalk tests, calibration of field equipment, and crop yield measurements to provide USDA NRCS in southern New England with the development and refinement of performance based nutrient management plans. UCONN has developed nutrient management plans for 9,598 acres as of 2006.
The University of Vermont has tailored the CropMD computer software tool from Penn State University for Vermont conditions. With this tool and UVM Extension, ten farmers planned a total of about 8,000 acres.
New N fertilizer recommendations for irrigated corn were released
as a result of completed research at the University of Nebraska. A
new N calculator
for corn and
web-based nutrient
decision software were
developed.
The Idaho OnePlan Nutrient Management Planner is the only officially recognized planning tool for creating certified nutrient management plans in Idaho. The State of Idaho and the USDA offer the software and training for individuals to become Certified Nutrient Management Planners in Idaho. This decision support tool was a collaborate effort developed by the University of Idaho, NRCS, U.S. EPA and the Idaho Associate of Soil Conservation Districts.
Recent advances in understanding and managing N losses from rural and agricultural lands were highlighted at the 2006 CSREES National Water Conference Symposium “Advances and Challenges in Reducing Nitrogen Export from Rural Watersheds". Suggestions to meet the research and extension needs to reduce the risk of watershed N export were offered.
page last modified on
May 21, 2008
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