|
|
Stark-Billings County |
Extension Spotlites
October 8, 2009
NDSU to Study Variable-Rate Fertilization
Producers are invited to participate in a research demonstration project to investigate the effects of variable-rate fertilization on crop yields, according to John Nowatzki, North Dakota State University agricultural machine systems specialist.
"Increasingly, farmers are purchasing equipment capable of applying variable rates of fertilizer, but many farmers are reluctant to incorporate this practice," Nowatzki says. "It could be because there is little whole-field research available to evaluate its effectiveness. The most obvious reason to use variable-rate fertilization is to decrease input costs per unit of harvested crop."
Northern Plains crop producers are invited to participate in the program with up to four fields each. Each field will be analyzed separately, but then combined into a single database to evaluate the effectiveness of variable-rate fertilization. Interested individuals can contact Nowatzki for more detailed information.
The in-cab computer uses GPS to monitor its position in the field and communicates electronically with the rate controller on the application equipment to change the fertilizer rate as the equipment moves from one zone to the next.
Zone maps are made using a geographic information system (GIS) computer program to combine field variability information to delineate field areas based on productivity levels.
Project participants will be required to soil test each zone separately. The producer will select the crop and yield goal. To compare the crop yield between variable rate and the normal practice of applying one fertilizer rate across the entire field, random sections of each zone will have fertilizer applied based on a composite soil test from all soil samples.
Participant requirements include supplying the geographic field description, cropping history, planned crop and yield goal for each field; soil sampling and testing of each zone; testing a composite soil sample; doing the variable-rate fertilization; sharing the as-applied map; harvesting the crop with a yield monitor; and sharing the yield data.
NDSU will prepare zone and fertilizer application maps, provide the maps to the producers in their desired digital format and analyze the data at the end of the growing season.
For more information contact:
Kurt Froelich,
Extension Agent
NDSU Extension Service
Stark-Billings County
1340 W. Villard St.
Dickinson ND 58601-4646
(701) 456-7665