In today’s world, going anywhere without your smartphone is a rarity. And for crop growers, smartphones are becoming an integral part of everyday business.

In an effort to bring more resources for growers to use both online and on their smartphones, the Agricultural Fertilizer Research and Education Council has helped fund several tech tools to aid Minnesota farmers.

HIGH-TECH ADVANTAGE: Mobile and online tools help growers in their decision-making. (Photo: gpointstudio/iStock/Thinkstock)

“We’ve been working hard to make sure Minnesota growers have access to our research and other tools at their fingertips,” says Daniel Kaiser, University of Minnesota assistant professor, Department of Soil, Water, and Climate. “The tools we’ve developed, both online and for smartphones, can help growers ensure they’re making the best informed decisions when it comes to their crops.”

Mobile applications

The Crop Nutrient Calculator application, available for both Android and iOS systems, features calculators to help farmers determine the nutrients needed in their soils to grow a specific crop. Currently the app features two crop calculators — a wheat calculator and an in-season corn nitrogen calculator.

“We’re really excited to be able to bring these tools to farmers,” Kaiser says. “We’ve had increasing demand from growers and agronomy experts to help them more efficiently run their businesses.”

The wheat calculator (Figure 1) allows farmers to add their yield goals, required information about the soils' organic matter, nitrogen and nitrogen credits, and any soil test results that have been completed. Once all of the information is entered, the app calculates recommended broadcast or drill fertilizer application rates for the crop.

Figure 1

The in-season corn nitrogen calculator (Figure 2) asks farmers to answer three simple questions:

1. When was nitrogen applied?
2. What was the condition of the soil in the spring?
3. What does the crop look like?

The tool includes a library of photos to help better identify within the calculator how their crop looks.

By making selections based on the current state of their soil and crop, this calculator provides an assessment of whether or not growers need supplemental nitrogen.

“Taking this assessment is a quick and easy way to ensure growers aren’t applying fertilizer when it’s not needed — and if it is needed, giving them a second opinion on whether supplemental N may be needed,” Kaiser says.

Online calculators

In addition to the mobile applications, there are also online calculators for alfalfa, barley, wheat and soybeans. These calculators can be found on the University of Minnesota Extension nutrient management site, extension.umn.edu/agriculture/nutrient-management/crop-calculators.

Figure 2

All of the calculators use soil-test values to determine suggested rates of fertilizer to apply. This includes the soil nitrate test, which can be used to adjust nitrogen applications on the barley and wheat calculators. Suggestions for liming are also available for most crops, with the option of targeting your pH to 6.0 if you grow soybean, barley or wheat, or 6.5 if you are growing alfalfa.

“It is important to make sure that the soil-test values you are using match with what is used in the calculators,” Kaiser says. “For phosphorus, this includes either the Bray-P1 or Olsen P tests, and for potassium, the ammonium acetate test for dried soil samples. For phosphorus and potassium sampling, depth should be 6 inches, and if the nitrate test is to be used, a separate 2-foot sample should be collected.”

In addition to the crop calculators, the nutrient management site is rich with information on nutrient inputs and crop production.

“We’re always working to keep this site up-to-date,” Kaiser adds. “We’re continuing to add publications that cover the nutrient management for specific crops in Minnesota. We've updated publications for zinc, boron, and phosphorus.”

Each of these covers the sources of the nutrient, its role in plant development, what deficiency looks like and its symptoms, crops that respond to the nutrient, soil testing recommendations, any research that has been done with the nutrient in Minnesota, application methods and more.

“Increasing input costs and environmental concerns are making nutrient management decisions so much more important for growers,” Kaiser explains. “Using these mobile and online tools is just one more way growers can be more confident in their decision-making.”

For more information, visit z.umn.edu/nutrientmgmt or mnsoilfertility.com. To download the app, visit the App Store or the Google Play store and search for "Crop Nutrient Calculator."

The Minnesota Agricultural Fertilizer Research and Education Council funds various soil fertility and plant nutrients research projects that explore tools to sustain crop production and reduce potential environmental effects from crop nutrients. To learn more about the results of the council’s research, visit mnsoilfertility.com.

Source: Minnesota Agricultural Fertilizer Research and Education Council