FINAL GREEN MEANS GO MAP POSTED TODAY

Lindsay Mitchell

Nov 17, 2016  |  Today's News

All the farmers north of Route 16 in Illinois are “green” this week, indicating that soil temperatures are cool enough to safely apply fall anhydrous with a nitrification inhibitor, per the Green Means Go campaign published on IL Corn’s website.

IL Corn’s Green Means Go map is created with the technical expertise of and in partnership with a Champaign-based company called Agrible.  The map originated to answer corn farmers’ concerns about making the best decisions they can about fertilizer application timing.

This prediction is broad and based on county level data, and therefore should be considered directional rather than prescriptive. For the best information, farmers should consider accessing farm-level data to pinpoint application timing that is best for their specific situation.

IL Corn members can do just that.  Also located on the IL Corn website, IL Corn Growers Association members can access a free 90-day trial of the Agrible service to input data concerning their specific farms and receive more detailed information.

“Protecting water quality by reducing nutrient loss really needs to be top of mind for Illinois corn farmers,” said Jarboe. “The role fall N plays in water quality is described in the Nutrient Loss Reduction Strategy and so we really think that providing this type of forecasting and planning help is a valuable service to our members and all corn farmers. Additionally, the economics of corn farming right now really point toward reducing loss.”

“Agrible was founded on the idea that site-specific data, such as rainfall and soils, can help growers make better decisions for their acres,” said Mike Hirschi, Agrible Senior Sustainability Advisor. “We provide the best science available to farmers, so they can make the best possible decisions for their specific fields on nitrogen application timing, logistics planning, and field operations.”

IL Corn recommends proper timing of Fall N as a component of a suite of best management practices that should be tailored to each farm’s unique situation. A nitrification inhibitor should also be used at the recommended rate.