Ohio State is looking for farmer cooperators and crop consultants to help conduct on-farm field trials this year.
Steve Culman, OSU Soil Fertility specialist and others are attempting to update fertilizer recommendations for Ohio. Updating fertilizer recommendations is a major undertaking that will require a collective effort from numerous OSU extension personnel, crop consultants and farmer cooperators. They will be looking specifically at N, P, K and S in corn, soybean and wheat. They hope to collect data from a large number of farms across the state and determine economically-optimum fertilization rates to maximize farmer profitability.
These trials should be considered an opportunity to learn more about your farm’s fertility needs, but also contribute to a state-wide effort for better nutrient management and water quality outcomes.
Specialists can work either directly with farmers, or contract crop consultants and agronomists to conduct the trials and collect data on farmers’ fields. Farmers can choose which nutrient they’d like to work with and will have a large degree of flexibility in the plot layout and applied rates. We have funds to compensate both farmers and crop consultants for their time and effort.
Phosphorus, Potassium, Sulfur Trials
Experiments will involve either applying fertilizer or no fertilizer to replicated strip plots. Farmer can decide the rate and source of fertilizer. We are especially interested in fields that test low in P and K.
Data to be collected:
• Soil sample before planting
• Leaf nutrient analysis at early reproductive stage (R1)
• Grain yields at harvest and nutrient analysis of grain
• Short questionnaire about soil management
Nitrogen Rate Trials
A full N rate will be applied in replicated strips (0, 100, 150, 200, 250 lbs N/acre). A zero N treatment is highly desired, but optional. Growers that include a fully replicated zero N treatment will be compensated extra to account for yield loss.
Data to be collected:
• Soil sample before planting
• Leaf nutrient analysis at early reproductive stage (R1)
• Corn stalk nitrate (optional)
• Grain yields at harvest and nutrient analysis of grain
• Short questionnaire about soil management
For more additional information regarding this project contact Tony Nye at [email protected] or by calling the Clinton County Extension Office at 937-382-0901 or contact Steve Culman at [email protected] or 330-822-3787.
Another project that is ongoing is a Soybean Yield and Management Project hosted OSU Soybean Production specialist, Laura Lindsey.
Through funding from the Ohio Soybean Council and North Central Soybean Research Program, Lindsey is embarking on a state-wide project aimed at generating some baseline producer data on current soybean management practices in Ohio’s production systems. The project goal is to identify key factors that preclude the state soybean producers from obtaining yields that should be potentially possible on their respective individual farms.
The term used for the difference between what yield is possible on your farm each year and what yield you actually achieve is called a “Yield Gap.”
Lindsey is asking crop producers in Ohio to provide them with yield and other agronomic data specific to their soybean production fields. With that data, we could then conduct an in‐depth analysis of what on‐farm factors might be causing a Yield Gap on producer farms.
We intend to provide annual reports to all crop producers informing them of what factors we may have identified that, based on our analysis of the data collected from farms, are likely limiting you from achieving soybean yields closer to yield potential that is likely possible on your farms!
Specifically, they are requesting yield and other data specific to two 2015 fields of soybean and also two 2014 fields of soybeans, that YOU grew on your farm. They recognize that you may best remember the yields and related agronomic data for the 2015 season because you just harvested those fields within the past few months.
However, they would very much appreciate additional data in the last two columns of the Survey Form for two 2014 soybean fields on your farm. If you cannot recall or do not have data for any given cell in the columns shown on the Survey Form, leave them blank.
They look forward to receiving your data. Keep in mind that all data submissions will be kept strictly confidential. In this project, our objective is to WORK FOR YOU. Our goal is to use the data YOU supply to help YOU get soybean yields on YOUR farm fields that, in the future, will be closer to the potential soybean yields that are possible on those fields, once you know what production system factors are holding back YOUR current soybean yields.
To participate in this research, please see the online survey: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/ohiosoybean
You may also contact Laura Lindsey if you have any questions regarding this survey, please feel free to contact her at 614-292-9080 or [email protected]. According to Lindsey they are still in need of approximately 180 more fields for this study. You can also contact me and I can get you hooked up to the survey. Contact me at [email protected] or call at (937) 382-0901.
Tony Nye is the state coordinator for the Ohio State University Extension Small Farm Program and has been an OSU Extension Educator for agriculture and natural resources for 28 years, currently serving Clinton County and the Miami Valley EERA.
