By Jack Wilcox
Access to unbiased, research-based information is essential for farmers and agricultural professionals. On the Advancing Nitrogen Smart podcast series, Extension educator Brad Carlson and Extension nutrient management specialist Dan Kaiser examine and unpack the latest in nitrogen management research and recommendations, enabling farmers to make their own best decisions to maximize profits and minimize nitrogen loss to the environment.
The Advancing Nitrogen Smart podcast series just turned 10! (episodes old). If you haven't listened yet, you can tune in here. Here's what we've covered so far and what you can expect from us in the near future.
Advancing Nitrogen Smart episodes:
Ep. 1 - N Placement Brad and Dan launch our series with a detailed discussion about the first of the 4 Rs - placement. What should Minnesota farmers know about depth, incorporation, loss pathways, and more to help achieve optimal nitrogen efficiency?
Ep. 2 - Best Management Practices (BMPs) How are nitrogen BMPs calculated, and how do they change over time? What should growers keep in mind regarding regional adjustments in the BMPs? What kinds of risks are the BMPs designed to address? How do the 4 Rs figure into Minnesota's nitrogen best management practices?
Ep. 3 - Carryover N Brad and Dan explain what carryover nitrogen is, how and when to test for carryover nitrogen, and what to keep in mind when considering this potential N fertilizer credit in Minnesota.
Ep. 4 - Sidedressing What are the growth stages critical to effective and efficient sidedressing? What are options for assessing whether to add supplemental N, and how should they be used? How do wet conditions affect yield, and are rescue treatments economically advantageous? What sensing methods are available (such as drones) and what are their pros and cons?
Ep. 5 - Soil water storage Brad and Dan identify the various ways that the soil stores water, and how nitrogen transforms in that soil under different climate conditions. They discuss field saturation and the water budget, heat units and how to track them, and how these trends have changed throughout Minnesota over the last 60 years.
Ep. 6 - N Transformation up close We take a look at the nitrogen transformation process in our 6th episode. Brad and Dan talk in greater detail about temperature conditions, rainfall vs. drainage, and what makes knowing this information so valuable to Minnesota farmers and ag professionals
Ep. 7 - Nitrogen pools What are nitrogen pools, and where do we find them? How is N actually consumed by the plant, and what forms of N will plants take up more readily? What are some potential signs of N deficiency in the plant? How do nitrogen pools relate back to the 4 Rs, like timing?
Ep. 8 - Timing What makes understanding timing central to using nitrogen efficiently? Should growers apply in fall, and if so, what source should be avoided? Between which growth stages does corn take up the bulk of a field's N? What do weather extremes teach us about optimal timing? Do some timing decisions negatively affect farmers' finances? In what ways? Brad and Dan break it all down.
Ep. 9 - Your optimal N rate What makes both over-application and under-application of nitrogen counter-productive in terms of yield? How does a Maximum Return To Nitrogen rate (MRTN) approach differ from a yield-based approach? What are long-term environmental consequences of over-application, and how does this relate to a farmer's operation? What are some ways to address in-field variability when determining N rate?
Ep. 10 - Fall manure application Extension manure management specialist Melissa Wilson joins Brad and Dan to talk about some of the most important dos and don'ts of fall manure application. How much time can nitrification inhibitors buy you after application? What's the optimum soil temperature for application, and what if you can't wait? What are characteristics of manure from different sources, and how can they work to your advantage?
What's coming up?
In the upcoming weeks, look for episodes on (among other things) a history of nitrogen rate decision-making, what different rate variability studies have shown, predicting rate needs going forward, and a discussion on fertilizer types.
Advancing Nitrogen Smart is proud to be supported by the farm families of Minnesota and their corn check-off investment through Minnesota Corn.
Source : umn.edu