1
Dec
2020
German chemist Justus von Liebig is often credited with ushering in the modern era of soil chemistry and plant nutrition. In the mid-1800s, von Liebigs’ research and discovery led to the development of the first nitrogenbased commercial fertilizer. Since then, soil scientists and agriculturalists around the world have endeavored to understand and manage the use of these fertilizers in corn production. Managing nitrogen (N) for corn production is a difficult task due to the complexities of the nutrient and the hundreds, if not thousands, of factors that influence N in the soil and plants.
Categories: CropTalk, 2020
Tags: CropTalk, corn hybrids, Nitrogen, nitrogen utilization
Jul
Every day, we swim through a soup of gases, and nearly 80% is elemental nitrogen, N2. This nitrogen (N) gas is two molecules of N connected by an incredibly strong triple bond. Humans have only had the technology to transform atmospheric N into biologically-available forms for less than 80 years, and it comes at enormous costs. So, despite that 80% of the air the plant encounters, in the stomata of the leaf or the pore spaces in the soil, is pure N, plants have no way to tap into the infinite supply of N2.
Tags: CropTalk, Nitrogen, pivot bio, envita, source
4
Feb
Cycles of precipitation, along with freezing and thawing in the Midwest, made fall field a challenge to say the least. For areas that primarily use anhydrous ammonia, this may be especially true with the increase in annual precipitation that we have experienced in the Corn Belt. Beck’s Practical Farm Research (PFR)® team has been conducting research on different nitrogen management products and practices to help farmers make decisions and analyze various options to maximize their ROI.
Categories: PFR, PFR Reports
Tags: corn, Nitrogen, sidedress, #AskPFR, 2x2x2, 2x2, 2x2x2 Systems, nitrogen applications, multi-location
2
Oct
2019
Every growing season is different, and quantifying those differences in determining their effect on our crop will enable us to adapt and overcome the constant challenges that we face as farmers. Beck’s PFR team has put an emphasis on scouting and gathering observations. This allows us to learn from the challenges we face throughout the growing season and how they correlate into the results we gather at harvest.
Tags: harvest, Scouting, Nitrogen, tissue samples, soil test, nitrogen deficiency, plant health
5
Jun
With prominent wet conditions this past fall and spring, switching to more in-season nitrogen management programs is a task many farmers are faced with this year. So what options are available for in-season nitrogen application? Beck’s Practical Farm Research (PFR)® team has past data on yield-gaining nitrogen management programs. One new product we are testing this year is PinnitMax™, a nitrogen stabilizer product.
Tags: Nitrogen, PFR, nitrogen stabilizers, nitrogen management, PFR Report, nitrogen sealers, UAN, nitrogen applications
This latest PFR Report features Clayton Stufflebeam, PFR Location Lead at our Central Illinois PFR site as he talks about an exciting new-ish study we will be conducting this year!
Tags: Nitrogen, PFR, PFR Report, Nitrogen Application, nitrogen on corn
30
Apr
Across the Midwest, finding a window to do field activity has been very challenging this spring. Many farmers find themselves wondering if they should change any of their management strategies as planting continues to be delayed. But, before you make any changes to your 2019 plans, let’s discuss some factors that could influence your growing season.
Tags: Nitrogen, Farmserver, Delayed planting, Planting Date, Spring Burndown, Fall Burndown, Precision Farming, pre-emerge herbicide applications, residuals
11
2018
As farmers, we do our best to create an environment that encourages positive plant responses like higher yields. For example, we may alter the environment by planting a different population, utilizing a new method of working soil or, perhaps the most obvious, adding a fertilizer. All of this is done in the hopes that the plant’s response, or its phenotypic alteration in response to its environment, creates additional yield and profit.
Tags: Wheat Harvest, Wheat, Nitrogen, PFR, PFR Report, Wheat Results, Nitrogen on Wheat
6
Join our Central Illinois PFR Team in this PFR Report as they talk about a few new studies being conducted this year.
Tags: Nitrogen, PFR, PFR Report, Starter Fertilizer, biologicals, 2x2x2 Systems
Mar
The 2017 season proved to have enough challenges on its own without having to battle the $3.50 corn prices. Those challenges pushed us as farmers to think about more efficient and profitable ways to raise the highest yields possible, and utilizing different techniques and methods when making applications on our farms is a must.
Tags: Nitrogen, PFR, PFR Report, Starter Fertlizers, Starter applications, 2x2x2, 2x2
2017
One question we get asked a lot is how we apply nitrogen (N) on our wheat acres. What we have observed in Practical Farm Research (PFR)® is that, regardless of the source of N applied, split applications pay. Some of the benefits of split applications include increased yield, increased N efficiency, and the potential for lower environmental losses.
Tags: Practical Farm Research, Wheat, Nitrogen, Fungicide, PFR, PFR Proven, Nitrogen Timing
Nov
After a season of what felt like never ending rain, one question on everyone’s mind is, how much nitrogen (N) was lost? Will the economic optimum nitrogen rates (EONR) be higher this year? Will late season N pay more in 2017? How much did genetics play a role in our N response? We hope to address all of these questions with the data gleaned from our PFR studies.
Tags: Nitrogen, UAN, EONR, economic optimum nitrogen rate
May
With all the rain we have been experiencing throughout the Midwest, the number one thing on most farmer’s minds is replant or delayed planting decisions. Looking ahead to the rest of the season however, one important consideration is how much nitrogen (N) is available to our corn crop.
Tags: Beck's Blog, corn planting, Beck's Agronomy, Nitrogen, Yield, PFR Report, Replant, Jim Schwartz, Denitrification, Leaching, Volatilization
28
Let’s play a game. It’s called two truths and a lie. We’ll tell you three facts, two are true and one of them is not. Your goal is to determine which is false. Ready? Go.
Tags: Beck's Blog, corn, Beck's Agronomy, Nitrogen, PFR Report, Jim Schwartz, Midwest, Population Size