Supplemental Nitrogen – Don’t Waste It
Summary:
Delayed corn plantings have allowed pre-plant forms of nitrogen to dissipate, leaving many fields with wide variations in their need for supplmental nitrogen applications. One potential solution is tractor-mounted sensors which detects the amount of greenness in corn and reveals whether there is sufficient nitrogen or it needs additional side-dress application and the amount to apply. Such a process may require a capital outlay for sensors and the controller, however, it may result in significant returns to the farmer in not having to apply nitrogen to areas where there is sufficient supplies already.
Details:
The late harvest of 2008 caused many farmers to run out of time before they could get any fall plow down nitrogen on their 2009 cornfields. Then came a wet spring that prevented spring nitrogen applications for many farmers. In the meantime, nitrogen was lost in millions of acres because it dissipated while corn planters were kept out of the field by incessant rain.
Missouri Extension agent, Peter Scharf indicates the solution may be to use sensor-guided sidedressing. In a nutshell, nitrogen is applied between corn rows with an appropriate volume based upon the color of the corn leaves. If the corn has a deep green color, then very little nitrogen is applied. If the color is more yellow, then more nitrogen is applied . A corn grower will save money by not applying nitrogen where there is already a sufficient amount of nitrogen.
Scharf indicated that for 2008, corn that was side dressed with nitrogen out-yielded pre-plant nitrogen by about 44 bushels per acre. At $4 corn, that is extra revenue of about $176 per acre which would more than pay for the side-dressed nitrogen. With the warm soils and continuous rainfall in 2009, much of the pre-plant nitrogen for 2009 may have already leached out. With soil and ponding variations in a given field, Scharf says the nitrogen available to the new crop could be widely variable and late planted corn may not be capable of rapid uptake until July, with additional losses of nitrogen expected.
Side-dressing using sensors will most likely incur an upfront cost of about $15-20,000 for the sensors and related controller. This type of application is not good for just adding 30 additional pounds per acre, but works best when you need to a add “a little, a medium amount or a lot”.
With new nozzle technology, farmers can now get up a four-fold increase in pressure for applying liquid nitrogen. Without that, your equipment may only allow a doubling of the pressure between the bottom and top rates of application and this would not be enough to maximize your return. With dry application, changing the rate of applicaiton only requires the speeding up or down of the delivery belt and spinners.
Scharf believes that only three sensors are needed before you start the point of diminishing returns. Some suppliers only sell them in packs of 4 or 6 and the newsletter addresses several different supplies of the sensors and related equipment.
Paul Neiffer is a certified public accountant and business advisor specializing in income taxation, accounting services, and succession planning for farmers and agribusiness processors. Paul is a principal with CliftonLarsonAllen in Walla Walla, Washington, as well as a regular speaker at national conferences and contributor at agweb.com. Raised on a farm in central Washington, he has been immersed in the ag industry his entire life, including the last 30 years professionally. Paul and his wife purchase an 180 acre ranch in 2016 and enjoy keeping it full of animals.
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