
New Model Saves Farmers Costs of Fertilizer,
Soil TestsBy Don Comis November 10, 1999A new computer model from the
Agricultural Research Service could save
farmers worldwide millions of dollars in increased crop yields, fewer soil
tests and less use of nitrogen fertilizer. The Nitrogen
Fertilizer Decision Aid is available on the World Wide Web. It eliminates
uncertainties that lead many farmers to over apply nitrogen as so-called
insurance fertilizer. ARS soil scientist Alan E. Olness in Morris, Minn., developed the new model.
It uses soil and weather information to predict how much nitrogen will be
produced by soil microbes after spring planting. Often, that amount can be 50
to 100 pounds per acre. Results from a soil test just before planting tell the model how much
nitrogen the soil has at that time. In addition, the model requires farmers to
know the soil's clay and organic matter content and pH and to provide data from
a field weather station. The model predicts nitrate-nitrogen content for up to 90 days after
planting, well before the critical nitrogen uptake period for corn. If the rate of natural nitrogen production doesnt meet their crop
needs, farmers will add nitrogen fertilizer to make up the difference. If
production of nitrogen is predicted to be too rapid, farmers can slow it down
by planting without tillage. The model can be downloaded from: http://www.infolink.morris.mn.us/~lwink/products/products.htm ARS is the chief research agency of the U.S.
Department of Agriculture. Scientific contact: Alan E.
Olness, ARS North Central Soil
Conservation Research Laboratory, 803 Iowa Ave., Morris, MN 56267; phone
(320) 589-3411, Ext. 100, fax (320) 589-3787,
[email protected].
U.S. Department of Agriculture | |