By Andi Anderson
As Ohio farmers finalize planting plans, a new decision-making tool is helping them manage rising nitrogen fertilizer costs. Agronomy experts from The Ohio State University College of Food, Agricultural, and Environmental Sciences introduced the Corn Nitrogen Rate Calculator to help farmers focus on profitability rather than only on yield.
Higher fertilizer prices are pushing growers to rethink nitrogen management. Researchers say the new calculator uses years of Ohio-based on-farm and plot research to show how corn typically responds to different nitrogen rates.
The goal is to help farmers apply the right amount of fertilizer to achieve the best economic return.
“The calculator utilizes actual on-farm nitrogen rate trial data to calculate a typical-for-Ohio nitrogen response curve over many sites and years of data,” Henry said. “This curve is a very close estimate of what a farmer’s corn crop response to fertilizer would look like in a typical year.”
The tool compares fertilizer prices with projected corn prices to determine the maximum return to nitrogen, or MRTN. This approach shows when adding more nitrogen no longer increases profits.
“The focus in agronomic crop production has for a long time been on the highest yield possible,” Henry said. “But in reality, it should be on the highest profitability.”
Nitrogen is one of the largest costs in corn production, making fertilizer decisions especially important. Farmers who have not yet locked in nitrogen supplies may need to revisit their plans.
“Due to the extreme volatility in the marketplace, farms that do not have their nitrogen needs locked in should start to re-evaluate their management plans,” Schroeder said. “This might mean switching to a different form of nitrogen that is more economical, decreasing rates or even shifting planting intentions from corn to soybeans.”
The MRTN concept helps farmers understand when fertilizer costs outweigh yield gains.
“Based on the price of the input and the expected price for the crop, we can establish a relationship that shows that at a certain level of further investment in nitrogen will not cover the cost through increased production gains,” Schroeder said.
Research trials show this approach works. In a 2024 study, the MRTN rate delivered the greatest return.
“That MRTN rate had a $3.41 advantage per acre over the higher nitrogen rate treatment and a $25.10 advantage per acre over the lower nitrogen rate treatment,” Henry said.
Weather also affects nitrogen efficiency.
“One of the biggest challenges with nitrogen is managing for environmental losses,” Schroeder said. “Even the best plans for nitrogen management can be impacted by an unexpected weather event.”
Experts recommend testing changes on small fields first.
“Trying something new on a small area for a few years can help farmers see what works best for their operation,” Henry said.
Farmers are encouraged to monitor markets carefully.
“If the current corn futures price is above their cost of production, farmers may want to consider locking in their corn price,” Schroeder said.
Photo Credit: gettyimages-fotokostic
Categories: Ohio, Sustainable Agriculture