Celebrate Earth Day: Corn farmers’ bring innovation to conservation
For farmers who depend on the soil for their livelihood, Earth Day is an opportunity to recognize the conservation efforts employed in agriculture helping keep the land fruitful for future generations. In Minnesota, corn farmers have taken an innovative approach to promote soil health while protecting our water quality through their participation in the Minnesota Corn Growers Association (MCGA) Innovation Grant Program.
In 2016, the farmer leaders at MCGA announced a goal to become the most environmentally responsible and sustainable corn farmers in the nation. As part of that goal, they launched the Innovation Grant Program, funding research led by farmers to bring innovative, practical and conservation-minded solutions to the field.
Through their investment in the corn check-off, the state’s corn farmers have invested nearly $700,000 in 37 original projects improving soil health and nutrient management while protecting our water quality. Projects have included new approaches to cover crop implementation, rethinking of how nitrogen is applied to improve efficiency, evaluating tillage practices, integrating manure application and more.
In addition to a number of one-year projects, the first long-term Innovation Grant projects are nearing completion. Three farmers from across Minnesota are wrapping up three years of research on projects with tremendous implications for agriculture:
- Brian Velde, Wood Lake: Velde installed a state-of-the-art drip irrigation system on a 58-acre plot on his corn and soybean farm that allows him to spoon-feed both water and nitrogen to his crop. By providing the plant with only the amount of nitrogen it can utilize (no more or less), Velde’s theory is no fertilizer escapes into the water and beyond the farm.
- The result: While becoming more efficient in his nutrient management, Velde’s crop has greatly benefitted from the irrigation system. When compared to fields not using the system, the spoon-feeding approach has led to a tremendous increase in yield. The implications for all of agriculture are substantial if the system is adapted for widespread application.
- Sam Peterson, Northfield: Split application of nitrogen has grown in popularity for farmers looking to increase nitrogen efficiency and yields while limiting nitrogen loss. Peterson set out to compare the different variable-rate nitrogen programs to see if they resulted in a boost in nitrogen efficiency, increasing his return on investment, limiting run-off and producing high yields.
- The result: By implementing three variable-rate nitrogen programs on identical fields and comparing it to a control field using flat-rate application, Peterson was able to measure the effectiveness of each based on the overall return on investment, as well as the shortcomings of each. Peterson’s data, which you can find here, will be invaluable to farmers looking to increase their nitrogen efficiency using a variable-rate program.
- A.J. Krusemark, Fairmont: Krusemark is wrapping up year three of research to improve the precision of application rates of injected liquid hog manure for meeting phosphorus needs while minimizing the risk of nitrogen losses. Nutrient analysis during the first two years of the study to develop variable rate application capability in the final year for optimal precision of application.
- The result: While a wet, cold fall made manure application difficult in the third year, Krusemark has been able to develop an application rig that allows for more than 95-percent accuracy, giving them confidence to apply a true variable rate application. The accurate application process could have tremendous applications for manure fertilizer moving forward.
