Nitrogen rates have been hard to pin down and many times are completely wrong. A good way to describe the need for nitrogen is “variable.” Joe Nester, an independent crop consultant, discusses the nitrogen plot work his company, Nester Ag, has done over the last 10 years and provide some tips for nitrogen management on your no-till farm. Nester also talks about new soil tests he is using to develop variable-rate nitrogen recommendations, and he presents some tools that can help you tighten your nitrogen budget.

Phosphorus has come under fire lately, especially around Lake Erie where toxic, blue-green algae blooms caused by phosphorus runoff have plagued the lake’s western basin the last several years. Why is this happening? Nester Ag owner and independent crop consultant Joe Nester from Bryan in northwest Ohio shares his thoughts on why phosphorus management is different today than it used to be. He talks about what practices no-tillers can employ on their farms to ensure their crops have adequate phosphorus while minimizing loss.