Ramp Calibration Strip (RCS) for Corn and Wheat

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Ramp Calibration Strip (RCS) for Corn and Wheat

• Optical Sensing Nitrogen Management Group

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Collaboration

• 1996-2003 USDA-ARS
• 1st national/international conference planned
  with Jim Schepers
• Stillwater, OK
• Lincoln, NE
• Columbia, MO
• Waseca, MN
• Monmouth, IL
• Manhattan, KS ?

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Students

• Dr. Steve Phillips, IPNI
• Dr. Wade Thomason, Virginia Tech
• Dr. Robert Mullen, Ohio State
• Dr. Kyle Freeman, Monsanto
• Mr. Jeff Ball, Noble
• Dr. Jagadeesh Mosali, Noble
• Dr. Kefyalew Girma, OSU
• Dr. B. Chung, OSU
• Dr. Paul Hodgen, Monsanto
• Mr. Kyle Lawles, Monsanto
• Mr. Jason Lawles, John Deere
• Kent Martin, KSU

• Brian Arnall
• Starr Holtz
• Olga Walsh
• Pam Turner
• Clint Dotson
• Daniel Edmonds
• Cody Daft
• Brandon England
• Yumiko Kanke

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• 586 RAMPS, 2006

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What is a RCS?
March 2007, The Furrow, Larry Reichenberger
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Calibration Stamp2002-2004
Ramped N Rich Strip2005-2006
Agron. J. 2005 97 338-342
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Long-Term Winter Wheat Grain Yields, Lahoma, OK
Optimum N Rates Are Different, Every YEAR!
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Why the RAMP works

• How can the RAMP be used to identify the
  appropriate rate?
• Agronomic Assumptions
• Even when early season N stress was present (0-N
  preplant), N applied topdress at Feekes 5
  resulted in maximum or near maximum yields at 4
  of 6 site-year combinations when compared to
  other treatments receiving both preplant and
  topdress N.

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Dr. Larry Hendrickson, Deere and Co.ASA
Meetings, 2006, Indianapolis
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Dr. Larry Hendrickson, Deere and Co.ASA
Meetings, 2006, Indianapolis
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Dr. Larry Hendrickson, Deere and Co.ASA
Meetings, 2006, Indianapolis
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Why N Rich Strips are Needed

• High NDVI could be due to
• Weed coverage in the center of the row
• Low end could be due to something other than N
• Without them, paired comparisons cannot be made
  that have statistical meaning
• No way to determine what the maximum N rate
  should be. Could have high NDVI, but do not know
  at what N rate it was associated with
• Low NDVI could be due to low P, K, etc.
• Most importantly. is added N needed?

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Near Marshall, OK - IKONIS NDVI
N RichNo P
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(No Transcript)
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(No Transcript)
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Ramp Calibration Strip

• Walk it off
• Or use Hand-Held Sensor

0 N
195 N
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Winter Wheat, Enid, OK
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Winter Wheat, Drummond, OK
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Issues

• Corn Weakness - you don't know whether or not
  this rate will "run out" later in the season. 
• Long-term experiments have shown that there are
  years where the check plot (No N Fertilizer ever
  applied) produced near maximum yields. 
• Have years where the demand for fertilizer N is
  less (and highly dependent on the environment),
  and other years where it is cool and dry and the
  demand for fertilizer N is greater. 
• RCS approach can help to determine how much the
  environment delivers and that is variable year to
  year  

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Lake Carl Blackwell
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www.nue.okstate.edu
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Garfield County Ramp Strips March 22, 2007
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RAMP Calibration Strip
200 0 15 30
45 60 75 100
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N Rate, lb/ac
200
30
15
0
200
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(No Transcript)
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J2 Ramper
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Rendel Sprayer

• 7 tip sets on 20 center
• 4 solenoid control valves
• 50 gallon poly tank
• PTO-driven roller pump
• 1 supply line
• ½ spray line

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Summary

• OSU put out 586 ramps in farmer fields in the
  fall of 2006, and 90 of farmers who have seen
  them have requested that they be placed in their
  fields in 2007.
• RCS needed in every field, every year, because
  optimum N rate changes every year
• No way to accurately determine mid-season
  fertilizer N rate without RCS or N Rich Strip
• Mid-season fertilizer N is much more efficient
  than pre-plant N
• Building your own RCS applicator is simple, or
  they can be purchased (Jason Lawles, Western
  Equipment, Weatherford)
• COOPs should ultimately apply ramps for farmers,
  interpret them, and charge farmers for this
  service

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RCS Applicator Components
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Synchro Controller Components
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Sensor Based N The Tools that Make it Work,
SuperPete to the Rescue
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Need for Sidedress N

• Schmidt et al. (2002) AJ 94798 recommended
  sidedress N application to improve NUE
• Blackmer et al. (1989) JPA 2103 delaying N
  fertilization until mid-season allowed for more
  accurate determination of crop needs (in-season
  soil test)
• Wuest and Cassman (1992) AJ 84689 higher N
  recovery when fertilizer is applied mid-season

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Gyles Randall, 2006Problems - sidedress N

• 1. We have limited equipment for the later SD
  applications.
• 2. We see more and more 20 and 15 rows, which
  poses a huge problem.
• 3. Quick N uptake is problematic, depending on
  rainfall.
• 4. Will yield-drag occur if some hidden N
  deficiency occurs around the VT and R1 stages.
• Farmers see these challenges as one big RISK, and
  risk in todays environment plays a large role in
  farmers decision making.