New Nitrogen App - December 21, 2023 - Amy Timmerman - Extension Educator
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- [0:00] This is Amy Timmerman with Nebraska Extension and this week’s Ag Update.
- [0:05] The University of Nebraska–Lincoln has updated a digital tool to make it easier
- [0:09] for ag producers to determine appropriate nitrogen rates for individual fields.
- [0:14] The nitrogen tool allows users to input specifics for a producer’s
- [0:18] individual fields, including soil characteristics,
- [0:21] soil nitrate sampling data, organic matter, irrigation
- [0:25] practices and economic information.
- [0:27] The university designed the software to provide easy-to-access information sources
- [0:32] to aid in the producer’s decision-making, drawing on decades of
- [0:36] nitrogen management analysis and recommendation.
- [0:39] Producers can access the new tool at CropWatch.unl.edu.
- [0:45] The tool automates a process that previously relied on
- [0:48] paper documents and Excel spreadsheets.
- [0:51] Ultimately, the update is intended to help producers
- [0:53] increase profitability and environmental stewardship.
- [0:57] The web-based tool provides robust, user-friendly capability
- [1:01] to help producers set a yield goal under the university’s recommendation.
- [1:05] Andrew Stech, who operates a farm in Osmond,
- [1:08] was among the early testers of the digital tool.
- [1:11] He described the app as “an easy-to-use tool that
- [1:14] will help farmers fine-tune their nitrogen applications
- [1:17] and maximize yield while minimizing the amount of
- [1:20] nitrogen needed, which increases profitability.
- [1:23] “There are so many factors in farming that can affect nitrogen efficiency,” Stech said.
- [1:28] “Lack of time and labor is a major issue in farming, and this app helps
- [1:32] address the issue of keeping track of how much nitrogen each field needs.”
- [1:36] Another early tester was Jon Walz, who farms near Stapleton, Nebraska.
- [1:41] Nebraska agriculture is “in a whole new era” that
- [1:45] requires efficient digital tools such as the new app, he said.
- [1:49] He especially liked that the app enables users to save and recall
- [1:53] their field data, which enables efficiency and ease of use.
- [1:58] Other additional features: A producer can input data for each specific field.
- [2:03] Once data is entered and a nitrogen rate is set, the
- [2:06] app provides information on a producer’s anticipated nitrogen-use efficiency.
- [2:11] In addition to the nitrogen rate recommendation, the software
- [2:14] provides breakdowns of product needed per acre, total product
- [2:18] needed for the field and product costs.
- [2:20] The app will be adjusted and updated over time.
- [2:23] The software will collect limited and generalized
- [2:26] user data to support improvements.
- [2:28] Producers can opt in to provide more detailed
- [2:31] information and help the university better understand
- [2:33] user behavior and performance.
- [2:35] The new app is part of a range of technologies to support
- [2:39] nitrogen management, including variable-rate application tools,
- [2:42] sensor-based management, aerial imagery and fertigation.
- [2:46] More questions regarding the revised tool,
- [2:49] please reach out to your local extension office.
- [2:51] This has been Amy Timmerman with Nebraska Extension.