An Economic Analysis of EM for Variable-Rate Nitrogen Applications
Contacts: Ray Massey, Joe Parcell, MU Agricultural
Economics Extension
and Glenn Davis, Precision
Agriculture Specialist
Collaborating Investigators: Newell Kitchen and Ken Sudduth
USDA-Agricultural Research Service
Objectives: To determine the economic value of soil electrical conductivity (EC) information when used to facilitate variable-rate nitrogen applications on Missouri claypan soils growing corn. Historical weather data will be used to enhance the value of maps generated from EC measures.
Determining economic value will entail examining what degree of variability in soil depth needs to be present to justify the expense of variable-rate applications of nitrogen. It is hypothesized that variability of soil depth within a field will affect the economic value of EC. Fields with a high percentage of sufficiently deep soils and fields with extremely variable topsoil depths are expected to have a different economic value associated with EC-generated variable nitrogen application maps than fields with little variability in soil depth.
Home | People | Projects | Publications | Upcoming Events | Links | Partners