Outcomes-Based Nitrogen Efficiency Project for Corn Production--Year 2

Nutrient enrichment in the Gulf of Mexico and nitrate contamination in drinking water and rural wells have focused attention and regulatory concern on losses of nitrogen from agricultural soils to tributary rivers. These water quality issues can be addressed through more efficient application of nitrogen, which can provide agricultural producers with both environmental and economic benefits. With the help of a 2004 Conservation Innovation Grants award, several hundred Iowa producers have used remote sensing with replicated strip trials and/or guided stalk nitrate sampling to evaluate their own nitrogen (N) needs and new management approaches. The majority have found they can maximize profit and reduce N losses to the environment by applying far less fertilizer and adopting different application strategies. The purpose of this project is to expand on this effort in the following ways: 1) include new watersheds and types of fields in the nutrient management demonstration, 2) develop and test a model coordinating system for information pooling, analysis and reporting, and 3) train 120 potential Technical Service Providers to deliver the enhanced nutrient management practices.