Managing Nitrogen in Wet Years

Hannah Ammann AND Tyler Brolsma,
FarmRX Site Specific Ag Specialists
Hannah.Ammann@NuWay-KandH.com and Tyler.Brolsma@NuWay-KandH.com

With the unseasonably warm winter that we received in 2023-2024, the potential for +20 inches of rainfall was definitely not on any of our radars. As we look back at the beginning of our growing season, we saw that April 1 to June 25 of this year, the fields around our main office in Trimont, MN received 23.35 inches of rainfall. Comparable to 2018, another historical wet year, rainfall totaled 22.4 inches for the same timeframe.

What does this mean for you, the farmer? How can you manage this kind of moisture in-season?

NuWay-K&H Cooperative has provided Adapt-N, a nitrogen modeling system, to our growers for over eight years. Adapt-N is partnered with EverAg to run their modeling system through FieldAlytics, another platform NuWay-K&H has been using for almost six years now. Still using the same analytics, Adapt-N monitors in-season nitrogen to help growers make decisions later on for any additional nitrogen. Local weather stations, soil composition, crop nutrients, growing conditions and many other factors go into making these variable-rate recommendations.

In wet years like 2024, the model shows what your N loss is on a per field basis. This is especially helpful for fields that might have fall applications of NH3 or manure, which can be prone to nitrogen loss later in the growing season.

Nitrate and Tissue Sampling

From May through July, NuWay-K&H Cooperative will utilize the summer internship program to help not only internally, but to also open doorways externally for those interested in learning more about agronomy. One area we focus on every year is nitrate sampling for Adapt-N, which is managed through our FarmRx department. In a normal growing season, sampling would start around V4-V5, but with wet years like this one samples began at the start of V3.

How do these samples help us with making management decisions? After sending samples to the lab, we will receive PSNT (Pre Sidedress Nitrate Test) results back to help us cross check with what the nitrogen model is projecting for each field based on the sample point. We are then able to recalibrate the model to get a more defined recommendation.

Along with nitrate sampling, we focused on tissue sampling as well. This was especially important, as this is the first year that we began demoing a new agricultural technology through a company which was founded and located in Canada. The new equipment that we tried is a real-time crop tissue analysis tool that can analyze 13 plant nutrients within one sample directly at the field location. The main crop system that this technology was developed and used for was potatoes. Our efforts are to help develop this system for corn so not only being able to use it in a different country but on a different row crop has been a great way to stay at the forefront of new technology opportunities. We will also look to run this system on soybean plants to help further the development.

Looking to the future

This was not the perfect season. The different variables being thrown into the mix makes for an unknown growing season. However, the same conclusion always stands — not every field is built the same. Not every field gets the same weather. And yet why do we feel it’s a sure bet to put the same amount of nitrogen to each field each year? These are the questions we should be asking when planning for any nitrogen applications.

Looking ahead to 2025? Be sure to take advantage of our Black Friday Sale when Adapt-N will be offered at at a 30% discount under the standard in-season price.

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