The IFCA Keep it 4R Crop Program helps to improve the nitrogen rate recommendations in Illinois by partnering with the University of Illinois, with our ag retail members and with farmers to establish nitrogen rate trials throughout Illinois.  In the first few years we have focused on priority watersheds that supply drinking water, but many trials are now in other areas of the state as well.  

 

We have a new feature on the IFCA website in our menu bar called "Keep it 4R Crop Tools."  In this feature we have posted the individual results of N Rate Trials performed in 2014 and 2015.  You can click on the icons and see the optimum N rates for trials performed in various counties.  The trials include fall applications, fall/spring splits and spring only applications.  These trials are all performed in accordance with UI protocols and are evaluated by Dr. Emerson Nafziger prior to their publication.  NREC provides funding to both the UI and IFCA to enable these N Rate trials and the data collected helps to improve the Maximum Return to Nitrogen (MRTN) rate recommendation system for Illinois.  Dr. Nafziger also published a bulletin on April 18 discussing Spring Nitrogen Management and making reference to what we learned from these N Rate trials.  Click here for the UI bulletin.  

 

To see the N Rate trial results, click here or you can also go to www.ifca.com and then go to the "Keep it 4R Crop Tools" menu bar to see not only the N Rate trials, but also additional information on the IFCA 4R Program.  If you have questions about the N Rate trials please contact Dan Schaefer at dan@ifca.com or at 217.202.5173.  The goal of NREC is to get this information to retailers, crop advisers and farmers to improve knowledge of applied science that you can utilize on your farm to improve nutrient utilization, enable a defensible position with regard to choosing the appropriate N rate  in any given field, and to minimize environmental impact with regard to nutrient use.