With good soil conditions and cool soil temperatures, the anhydrous ammonia application season is in full swing.  Please be sure to use N-Serve with all fall applied ammonia; this is part of the IFCA 4R Code of Practice.  This past year, the water supplies had very low levels of nitrate overall, so keep up the good work on fertilizer stewardship, and follow the MRTN for nitrogen rates.  IFCA just released our Fall 2017 Keep it 4R Crop Report, which we send to all nutrient stakeholders to keep them updated on our efforts.  To see the newsletter including a story on just how much has changed in nitrogen stewardship over the years, click here.  

 

NREC funded research in 2017 shows that the MRTN was on target in terms of hitting the optimum nitrogen return on investment.  A recorded webinar by Dr. Nafziger that discusses the corn response to nitrogen in 2017 is available at www.ifca.com, as are the slides from the presentation.  Stay true to the 4Rs for the 2018 crop year and we will continue to retain the respect and leadership our industry has earned regarding agricultural nutrient issues in Illinois.  With winter approaching, remember that spreading on frozen or snow covered ground is not a 4R and should be discouraged; please promote getting the appropriate nutrients applied this fall, or wait until spring.