On February 4, 2025, at the Iowa Ag Expo, the Iowa Nitrogen Initiative (INI) released the Nitrogen Fertilizer Application Consultation Tool, or N-FACT. N-FACT is an online tool powered by INI on-farm nitrogen rate trials data and the Agricultural Production Systems sIMulator (APSIM), an advanced cropping systems model.
N-FACT allows users to select inputs based on their farm and management decisions, including location, crop rotation, growing season precipitation, post-harvest soil nitrate, planting date and market prices for corn and nitrogen. Based on these inputs, N-FACT outputs probability-based ranges of optimum N fertilizer rates. The INI team worked with commodity groups and farmers across the state to develop the tool.
N-FACT also hosts an INI trial data explorer that allows users to observe, benchmark and compare optimum nitrogen rates across different locations, years and managements. It can be accessed at https://n-fact.ag.
The INI is a public-private partnership based at Iowa State University (ISU) with a vision to provide Iowans with the best nitrogen science in the world for the benefit of productivity, profitability and environmental performance. Iowa Corn is proud to be a funding partner with ISU along with other key stakeholders. Many Iowa Corn members participate in the on-farm trials using variable rate nitrogen application equipment.
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