69th SWCS International Annual Conference July 27-30, 2014 Lombard, IL

1. Advancing Agricultural Performance®
Summary of 2013 Iowa
Adaptive Nutrient Management Project
2014 Soil and Water Conservation Society Annual Meeting
Heath Ellison, CCA
Agriculture and Natural Resources Manager
Iowa Soybean Association
Peter Kyveryga, PhD
Operations Manager‐Analytics
Iowa Soybean Association

2. Advancing Agricultural Performance®
Outline
• Overview of project and adaptive management process
• Review 2013 results and analyses of historical data
• Tools and information

3. Advancing Agricultural Performance®
2013 Adaptive Nitrogen Management Project
OBJECTIVES:
• To evaluate N management practices within 3 HUC‐8
watersheds in Iowa;
• To compare current and historical trends in corn N status
across state and within North Raccoon, Boone River and
Upper Cedar watersheds.
• To develop Adaptive Management Publication and outline
examples of decision support system.

4. Advancing Agricultural Performance®
Adaptive Management/Participatory Learning
• A process of evaluating, adjusting
and improving management
practices by:
conducting on‐farm studies and
collecting critical management, soil
and weather information;
sharing and discussing results with
other farmers, agronomists, crop
consultants, and scientists;
 and using evaluation results to
make adjustments for the future.
Analyses,
Discussions,
and
Interpretations
Plan
Collect DataAdjust

5. Advancing Agricultural Performance®
ISA AM Process
• Working with groups of farmers (OFN groups, watershed
projects)
• Conduct in field research and testing
• Aggregate data including
• Management practices
• Trials and testing results
• Weather
• Soil data
• Site observations
• Reporting
• Individual farmer reports
• Group meetings
• Online database
• ISA Research Conference

6. Advancing Agricultural Performance®
Post Season Feedback in Corn N Status
• Tools to collect feedback in N
status:
1. Digital aerial imagery.
2. Corn stalk nitrate test (CSNT).
3. On‐farm replicated strip trials
(RST).
4. Aggregate data analyses and
result interpretations.
Iowa State Univ. PM 1584

7. Advancing Agricultural Performance®
Activities & Participation
• Guided stalk sampling 2013 – 1548 samples collected from
387 fields for 146 farmers
• 90 fields enrolled in Boone River
• 170 fields enrolled in Raccoon River
• 127 fields enrolled in Upper Cedar
• Replicated strip trials 2012 ‐ 2013
• 24 nitrogen related trials implemented
• Farmer meetings in each watershed to review data and
discuss observations

8. Advancing Agricultural Performance®
2013 Study Coverage

9. Advancing Agricultural Performance®
Average Monthly Rainfall in 2013
mesonet.agron.iastate.edu

10. Advancing Agricultural Performance®
Corn N Status in Upper Cedar
0%
20%
40%
60%
80%
100%
Corn‐after‐Soybean Corn‐after‐Corn
Upper Cedar in 2013
Excessive
Optimal
Marginal
Deficient
Total N rates: 160 lb N/acre 212 lb N/acre

11. Advancing Agricultural Performance®
2013: Corn N Status, Rainfall and N Rates

12. Advancing Agricultural Performance®
Observations from 2013
1. Higher likelihood of deficient N status for corn after
soybean than for corn after corn.
2. Higher N rates were needed to reach optimal N
status for fields receiving Fall Manure applications.
3. Spring UAN applications were at a higher risk of N loss
than other forms and timing in 2013.

13. Advancing Agricultural Performance®
Analysis of Historical Data: 2006‐2013
3430 corn fields from 2006 through 2013

14. Advancing Agricultural Performance®
Benchmarking Farmer Practices
Distribution of N rates
that resulted in corn
optimal N status within
166 corn after corn
and 465 corn after
soybean fields.
For aggregate data,
these are “benchmark
rates” that farmers can
use to compare their N
management with
similar management.

15. Advancing Agricultural Performance®
Differences Between N Management Categories
For Optimal N Status, fields with Fall‐Injected Liquid
Swine Manure required about 15‐20% higher N rates
than those with commercial N.
Potential reasons:
 Increased yield potentials and higher demand for N;
 Large uncertainty in N availability or delayed N
availability;
 Larger N losses with manure.

16. Advancing Agricultural Performance®
Evaluation Results On‐Line

17. Advancing Agricultural Performance®
On‐Line Database of Replicated Strip Trial Summaries
http://www.isafarmnet.com/onlinedb/index.php

18. Advancing Agricultural Performance®
On‐Line Database of Trial Summaries

19. Advancing Agricultural Performance®
Developing Decision Support Systems
Content:
P2. Complexity of N management.
P3. Adaptive management to collect feedback.
P4. N diagnostic tools for late‐season evaluations.
P5. On‐farm replicated strip trials.
P6. Data collection, summarization and
interpretation.
P7. Verifying calibration categories of corn stalk
nitrate test.
P8. Using feedback in N status to make adjustments
for the future.
P11. Establishing relationship between corn N status,
management and rainfall.
P11. Concerns and fears of unexpected results.
P12. Farmer group meetings.
P13. Optimized N management and water quality.
P13. General concussions.
www.isafarmnet.com/publications

20. Advancing Agricultural Performance®
Partners
• Project funded by;
• Natural Resources Conservation Service in Iowa
• Integrated Farm and Livestock Management (IFLM) through Iowa
Department of Ag and Land Stewardship
• Local partners;
• Soil and Water Conservation Districts
• Local crop consultants and agronomists
• Farmers

21. Advancing Agricultural Performance®
Natural Resources
Conservation Service
In addition to the sponsors, the On‐Farm Network® wishes to thank our partners
in the commercial agronomic service industry, including farm supply dealers and
cooperatives, independent consultants and service providers, community colleges,
and above all, the hundreds of farmers who have cooperated with the network
and contributed to its success this year and in the past.
Iowa Soybean Association Research Programs are partially funded by the soybean checkoff
Thank you 2013 research sponsors…

22. Advancing Agricultural Performance®
Thank you!
Contacts:
Heath Ellison
Desk: 515.334.1045
hellison@iasoybeans.com
Dr. Peter Kyveryga
Desk: 515.334.1011
pkyveryga@iasoybeans.com