Nitrogen Challenge Meeting Feb. 10: In November of 2023, I issued a nitrogen challenge. As a reminder, my challenge was to everyone with irrigated ground who applies fall anhydrous or spring pre-plant fertilizer:

• Leave 1 piece of ground with a base rate of 70-100 lb N/ac
• Goal is to apply the rest of N in season using a tool like Sentinel Fertigation that senses what the plant needs.
• Only asking to consider for 1 field. Are you willing to join me in this?

Sixteen area producers took the challenge on 4718 acres in 2024. I haven’t heard the combined nitrogen savings yet, but if each reduced nitrogen by 40 lb/ac, that’s a savings of 188,720 pounds of nitrogen. And the greatest impact is that nitrogen use efficiency continues to be improved to on average around 0.6 lb N/bu produced with minimal residual soil nitrate remaining post-season in soil samples. The comments I’ve heard from the growers so far are that they’re so surprised how the technology can see when the crop needs nitrogen before they can and how much nitrogen they saved using the technology while obtaining similar yields.

I don’t have the 2024 on-farm research results yet. The 2023 on-farm research data showed that on average, 57 lb/ac less nitrogen was applied in the Sentinel Fertigation sectors than the grower sectors with similar average yields of 253 bu/ac for the Sentinel sectors and 255 bu/ac for the grower sectors. Average nitrogen use efficiency was 0.57 for Sentinel and 0.77 for the growers (which was actually really good for these growers to begin with!)

My goal for nitrogen management is to see an increasing number of producers use sensing technologies such as this that have been research-proven to help with nitrogen management. The updated Extension Circular published by UNL Nutrient Management Specialists also recommends using sensing technologies and in-season nitrogen applications vs. recommending a rate or even recommending using nitrogen equations. There’s just too much uncertainty with weather conditions to know what a crop will need in any given year.

So, I’m hosting another Nitrogen Challenge Meeting this year. It will be February 10, 2025 from 9 a.m.-Noon at the Holthus Convention Center in York. It will be a similar format to last year where on-farm research results will be presented in addition to an explanation of how the sensing technology works from Sentinel Fertigation. We will hear from NRD staff regarding chemigation requirements and this training qualifies for nitrogen recertification credits for both the UBBNRD and LBNRD. I think the most impactful part of last year’s program was the larger farmer panel, which I will have again. There’s so much we can learn from the growers using the technology and from the differences each of them have in their pivot and chemigation systems. You’ll hear from them about the successes and challenges they had.

For non-irrigated acres, there’s increasing interest to use the satellite imagery to also make applications in season. You’ll learn more about this as well. There is no charge for this meeting but please RSVP to me or to 402-362-5508 so we can plan for refreshments and materials. I hope to see more growers trying the Nitrogen Challenge in 2025!

Farm Succession Meetings: As a reminder, our farm succession meetings begin on Tuesday nights for four weeks beginning Jan. 21. It’s a great opportunity and men are welcome in addition to women. More info: https://wia.unl.edu/succession25/