Farms.com Home   News

Reducing rates of applied nitrogen and phosphorus while maintaining high yields increases farmers’ return on investment from nutrient management programs.

Finely tuned nutrient management plans are helping farmers throughout the U.S. improve nutrient use efficiency, increase return on investment (ROI) from their fertilizer inputs, and proactively address environmental concerns about nutrient run-off.

First Farmers Coop, an innovative, privately owned agricultural retail operation that offers products and agronomy services across 11 counties in west-central Tennessee, is doing an exemplary job in implementing nutrient management plans. These plans help customers minimize run-off of nitrogen and phosphorus and help to provide maximum ROI from nutrient applications through reduced application rates and high yields.

“Our objective is to let return on investment drive our customers’ nutrient management programs, as well as keep our farmers proactive where environmental stewardship is concerned,” says Alan Sparkman, agronomy marketing manager for Tennessee Farmers Coop who works closely with the agronomy staff at First Farmers Coop. “We don’t apply any more nitrogen and phosphorus than what is needed for crop uptake – we want to lower the farmer’s production costs but keep yields high.”

To maximize plant uptake of applied nitrogen and phosphorus – as well as minimize nutrient loss to the environment – First Farmers Coop pre-treats 100 percent of its urea with NutriSphere-N® Nitrogen Fertilizer Manager and 90 percent of its MAP and DAP with AVAIL® Phosphorus Fertilizer Enhancer. The two products, from Verdesian Life Sciences, are popular with customers and included in just about all fertilizer applications.

“We seem to get a synergistic effect when we bundle the NutriSphere-N and the AVAIL together,” says P.R. Morris, a staff agronomist. “We impregnate them on dry bulk fertilizer and feel like these products address yield-limiting factors at the front of the growing season. They increase our chances of getting the most nitrogen and phosphorus into the plants.”

In the case of phosphorus, Morris says that nutrient gets tied up in the soil due to the positive and negative charge reaction between the phosphorus and soil elements such as calcium, magnesium, aluminum and iron. “Once the phosphorus binds to these elements, it becomes unavailable for plant uptake and may remain in that state for quite some time,” the agronomist explains. “Our soil tests often show high levels of phosphorus, yet tissue analysis will indicate phosphorus deficiency.”

In the case of nitrogen, which is usually applied in split applications at planting and then three to four weeks later when corn reaches the V-6 stage, up to 50 percent of this nutrient can be lost following application through volatilization, leaching and denitrification. “NutriSphere-N essentially provides protection of applied nitrogen against these environmental losses throughout the growing season,” Morris says. “This keeps more nitrogen available for plant uptake at the growth stages when corn needs it the most.”

Morris adds that most competing nitrogen managers only protect against volatilization, and for only a few weeks following application. NutriSphere-N, on the other hand, reduces volatilization of nitrogen, in addition to the leaching and denitrification that can lead to water quality issues and to nitrogen quickly moving out of the ammonium form that is best suited for plant uptake.

Jason Cherry is a coop customer as well as a corn and soybean grower. He farms nearly 4,000 acres with this father-in-law and brother-in-law under the name Essary and Cherry Farms near Milledgeville, Tennessee. They were early adopters in the use of NutriSphere-N and AVAIL. Much of the ground they farm is comprised of wet bottom land that is highly prone to all three forms of nitrogen loss. “Since I began using NutriSphere-N, I’ve been able to reduce my nitrogen rates by 5 to 10 percent,” Cherry says. “There’s no doubt in my mind that more of my applied nitrogen is going into the grain.”

The farmer also feels that AVAIL has greatly improved uptake of phosphorus: “The root masses are noticeably larger, and the corn and soybean growth is more vigorous,” he says. “Because the phosphorus I apply is getting into the plant and not being tied up in the soil, I’ve been able to reduce my rates of phosphorus by up to 15 percent. Between some very nice yield increases and being able to reduce fertilizer rates, the return on investment for these products is very good.”

Source: VLSCI


Trending Video

The FCDC and AgSmart Bring Plant Breeding to a Wider Audience

Video: The FCDC and AgSmart Bring Plant Breeding to a Wider Audience

In the vast prairies of Alberta, Olds College’s Field Crop Development Centre (FCDC) stands as a beacon of innovation and research in the agricultural world. The institution has become a key player in advancing agricultural technologies and practices. The FCDC’s commitment to applied research has driven them to seek effective means of disseminating their findings and creating a positive impact on the farming community.

One such avenue that aligns with their mission is AgSmart, an event dedicated to showcasing cutting-edge agricultural technologies. The coming together of the FCDC’s annual Field Day and Ag Smart has proved to be a natural fit, fostering a synergy that benefits both parties and propels the agriculture industry forward. The FCDC Field Day took part in conjunction with AgSmart for the first time this week on Aug. 1-2 in Olds, Alta. FCDC Program Director Kofi Agblor and Olds College VP of Development Todd Ormann sat down for an interview with Marc Zienkiewicz to discuss the significance of the two events taking part together and what the future holds.

The Intersection of Research and Technology The essence of the FCDC lies in its dedication to plant breeding and new seed varieties, particularly barley and triticale. While conducting research is essential, it becomes meaningful when its benefits are shared with the wider community. This is where AgSmart steps in, providing a key venue for the FCDC to showcase their research. This union between research and technology creates a holistic and enriching experience for farmers, ranchers, and industry professionals, the pair said.

Seeds as Technology For the FCDC, the partnership with AgSmart goes beyond mere event collaboration. It is about creating an environment that bridges the gap between seeds and smart technology, Ormann said. The college believes that for technology to truly revolutionize agriculture, it must begin with a strong foundation — high-quality seeds. As the saying goes, “it all starts with a seed.” To demonstrate this critical aspect, the collaboration aims to showcase the seed value chain as an integral part of the smartphone.

The Birth of a Powerful Alliance The idea of joining forces emerged when staff realized the potential synergy between AgSmart and the FCDC Field Day. With just a few days separating the two events, a proposal was put forward to merge them. The marketing and communications teams from both sides worked seamlessly to ensure the essence of both events remained intact, creating a powerful alliance that leverages the strengths of each, Agblor said.

Driving Advancements in Breeding For Agblor, the partnership with AgSmart has tremendous potential to drive advancements in breeding and other technology. With technologies like drones and imaging becoming integral to phenotyping, breeding is no longer confined to vast fields to assess thousands of plants manually. Instead, it benefits from the data-rich insights brought about by smart technologies. These advancements make breeding more efficient, precise, and instrumental in shaping the future of agriculture.

Overcoming Challenges Together While the partnership between Olds College and Ag Smart has been a resounding success, there are challenges on the horizon. Securing stable funding for long-term breeding initiatives is crucial to sustain progress. The college is committed to navigating these challenges and investing in agriculture’s future sustainably, Agblor said.