VRA Application On Fertilizer
by Jhope Hopie
1. CASE 3
1.1. Place: Glacier County, Montana
1.2. Type of soil: Clay loams and loams
1.3. Period of application: 1 year of VRA of fertilizer Dry land cropland spring wheat fallow rotation.
1.4. Before VRA fertilizer application: After VRA fertilizer application: 116-120 pounds of 40-20-0 with drills. Average yield-30 bushels
1.5. Change: -Cost of zone development - $5-$8 per acre -Cost of task controller - $1,500 -Yield increase in year one (five bushels), year two (seven bushels) Increased fertilizer cost ($1-$2 per acre) -Two to four-bushel increase in yield in future years.
2. CASE 4
2.1. Place: Toole County, Montana
2.2. Annual precipitation: 10-12 inches
2.3. Types of soils: – Clay loam, dry land cropland
2.4. Before variable-rate fertilizer application: -Producer had fertilized for 10 years -2003: 177 pounds of 55-25-5-5 on re-crop acres & 140 pounds of 55-25-5-5 on fallow acres with cost $13.65/acre -2004: 110 pounds of 25-25-5-5 dry fertilizer with cost $12.50 per acre plus $4.50 per acre for liquid fertilizer for a cost $17.00/acre -2004 was dry year- average 26.4 bushels per acre -Producer did not have a yield monitor on the combine
2.5. With variable-rate fertilizer application: -2006: zone development was $6.00 per acre by a TSP -Soil tests were $30.00 per acre - 5 zones were developed and designed cost $235 or $47 per acre -Producer spent more on fertilizer in 2006 because dry fertilizer prices increased 30% and wanted to even up the yield -Producer wants to use the yield maps obtained when harvesting the grain develop the fertilizer rates to variable-rate apply the fertilizer.
3. CASE 5
3.1. Place: -Teton Country, Montana
3.2. Type of soil: -Clay loam
3.3. Period of application: -1st year of VRA of fertilizer and received 6 inches of precipitation in June. -Received no moisture (hot summer).
3.4. Cost of VRA of fertilizer: -Developed 3 zone -Satellite imagery - $6.00 per acre, design the zone - $50 per zone, install the zone - $150 per zone. -Fertilizer apply - $4.00 per acre and it $0.50 per acre more than the uniform rate. -VRA of fertilizer varied between 112 and 193 pounds per acre with average 154 pounds of 46-0-0 at cost $300 per ton.
3.5. Change: -Cost of zone mapping - $6.00 per acre -Cost of design and installation - $300 for the zones.
4. CASE 1
4.1. Place: Glacier County, Montana
4.2. Type of soil: Loam and clay soil
4.2.1. Type of application: Sprinkler-irrigated malt barley