After recent heavy rainfalls, runoff, leaching or denitrification can affect the nitrogen (N) levels in no-tillers' soil, but this N loss can be mitigated through good management strategies.
Data was collected and analyzed from 15 farmers for the 2019-2021 crop years to demonstrate the impact of conservation on soil and water quality. Four of the farms also participated in an assessment of how the practices affect financials.
Underground trenches filled with woodchips, called bioreactors, are gaining traction as viable edge-of-field tools to remove nitrogen (N) from the water that drains from agricultural fields. A new study from Iowa State University looked at how woodchip degradation affected the performance and lifespan of these bioreactors.
High precipitation and minimal crop demand for water in the spring makes for perfect conditions for water to move quickly through the soil profile, taking nitrogen with it. Although we cannot control the weather, there are a few management practices, including application timing, that can help prevent excess nitrogen losses in the spring, says the University of Minnesota.
Careful manure management is a principle of farm profitability and environmental stewardship. Applying manure to land that has a cover crop is another practice that can help with nitrogen management.
The University of Illinois examines the variety of agricultural conservation practices available to reduce the amount of nitrogen leaving fields and traveling downstream, what they cost and which ones are most effective for the money.
While the soil nitrogen cycle is very complicated is it extremely hard to measure exactly the amount of nitrate that should be in the soil from fertilizer or manure N applications. However, we can get an idea if leaching has occurred by evaluating the concentrations of nitrate-N by soil depth.
A recent study from University of Minnesota, with support from Pope County SWCD and the Minnesota Department of Agriculture, evaluated the use of winter rye as a cover crop in corn production.
It's difficult to estimate how much nitrate-N is lost from the root zone, but soil sampling and measuring the concentration of nitrate- and ammonium-N remaining is an alternative to guessing.
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On this episode of Conservation Ag Update, brought to you by Martin-Till, Brian and Darren Hefty, fourth-generation farmers and hosts of Ag PhD, share tips for treating tar spot in corn.
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