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ARS Home » Midwest Area » Columbia, Missouri » Cropping Systems and Water Quality Research » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #383828
Research Project: Sustainable Intensification of Cropping Systems on Spatially Variable Landscapes and Soils

Location: Cropping Systems and Water Quality Research

Title: Data from a public–industry partnership for enhancing corn nitrogen research

Author
item Ransom, Curtis
item CLARK, JASON - South Dakota State University
item BEAN, GREGORY - McCain Foods, Inc
item BANDURA, CHRIS - University Of Wisconsin
item SCHAFER, MATTHEW - Purdue University
item Kitchen, Newell
item CAMBERATO, JAMES - Purdue University
item CARTER, PAUL - Corteva Agriscience
item FERGUSON, RICHARD - University Of Nebraska
item FERNANDEZ, FABIAN - University Of Minnesota
item FRANZEN, DAVID - North Dakota State University
item LABOSKI, CARRIE - University Of Wisconsin
item MYERS, BRENTON - Corteva Agriscience
item NAFZIGER, EMERSON - University Of Illinois
item SAWYER, JOHN - Iowa State University
item SHANAHAN, JOHN - Agoro Carbon Alliance

Submitted to: Agronomy Journal
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 7/7/2021
Publication Date: 9/6/2021
Citation: Ransom, C.J., Clark, J., Bean, G.M., Bandura, C., Schafer, M., Kitchen, N.R., Camberato, J.J., Carter, P.R., Ferguson, R.B., Fernandez, F.G., Franzen, D.W., Laboski, C.A., Myers, B.D., Nafziger, E.D., Sawyer, J.E., Shanahan, J. 2021. Data from a public–industry partnership for enhancing corn nitrogen research. Agronomy Journal. 113(5):4429-4436. https://doi.org/10.1002/agj2.20812.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1002/agj2.20812

Interpretive Summary: Applying nitrogen (N) fertilizer at a rate sufficient for crop N needs, but not more, can improve farmers’ profits and help reduce loss of N off agricultural fields. There are many decision aid tools to assist farmers in applying the right N rate. However, there is a lot of confusion as to which tool to use. Furthermore, there is limited data available to test tools across a wide range of growing conditions. To test these tools and investigate other means of improving N fertilizer management, a partnership was formed between USDA-ARS, eight land-grant universities, and Corteva Agriscience. This note summarizes that data and research outcomes, and provides the raw data for others to use. We anticipate the dataset will continue to assist public and private institutions with developing or validating N fertilizer rate recommendation tools. Improved N fertilizer decision tools will benefit producers because N fertilizer expenses will be better matched to crop needs. The public also benefits since they desires less N fertilizer loss from fields into the environment.

Technical Abstract: Improving corn (Zea mays L.) N management is pertinent to economic and environmental aims. However, there are limited data sources to develop and test N fertilizer decision aid tools across a wide geographic range of soil and weather scenarios. Therefore, a public-industry partnership was formed to conduct standardized corn N rate response field studies throughout the US Midwest. This research was conducted using a standardized protocol at 49 sites across eight states over the 2014 to 2016 growing seasons with many soil, plant, and weather related measurements. This note provides the data (found in supplemental files), outlines the types of data, provides a summary of key findings, and highlights the strengths and weakness of the data for those who wish to use this data.