Fertilizer

The rapid pace of planting in late April followed by rain has resulted in many fields having emerged corn before pre-emergence herbicide and nitrogen applications have been completed. Of particular concern are no-till fields where planting was completed prior to killing emerged weeds....More

Because of the unusually warm winter, may people who applied anhydrous ammonia last fall are concerned they might have lost some of their nitrogen (N), according to University of Illinois Assistant Professor of Crop Sciences Fabian Fernandez. "Nitrogen transformations and losses depend on many variables and complex interactions," says Fernandez, "including soil temperature, time of fall-N application, use of a nitrification inhibitor, rate of biological activity, drainage, amount and frequency of rain and soil type."...More

By installing small check dams within drainage ditches beside fields, research shows that growers can stop close to 30-50% of the nitrate nitrogen (N) from flowing downstream, according to Mississippi State University (MSU) studies....More

As Corn Belt farmers face challenges to reduce nitrate loss in surface and groundwater by 40-45%, Iowa State University (ISU) research confirms what many growers fear: “The right application of nitrogen (N) is [just] the first step,” says Matt Helmers, ISU associate professor, agricultural and biosystems engineering....More