VRA Application On Fertilizer

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

4.3. Period of application: 3 years (12-14 inches of mean annual precipitation)

4.4. Cost of fertilizer Before VRA application : $28.47 plus $8.38 = $36.85 per acre. After VRA application : $13.40 plus $14.80 = $28.20 per acre

4.5. Change: -Fertilizer savings of $8.65 per acre. -Increased fertilizer application costs of $1.50 per acre. -Cost of satellite imagery of $11.00 per acre for the first two years and $5.00 the third year. -Five-bushel yield increase the first year

5. CASE 2

5.1. Place: -Glacier county, Montana

5.2. Period of application: -1 year of variable-rate application of fertilizer -The month of july was hot and dry

5.3. Type of soil -Clay loam

5.4. Cost of VRA of fertilizer: -Producer paid $3600 for zone development by a TSP on 521 acres for cost of $6.90 per acre -The cost of VRA fertilizer application was $4.00 per acre -Broadcast 104 pounds of 46-0-0 ($330 per ton) -70 pound applied with drill

5.5. Change: -Cost of zone development of $6.90 per acre -Increased fertilizer cost of $17.16 per acre -Cost of GPS guidance system $6700 which can be used for all farming operation

6. REFERENCES

6.1. Title: Variable-Rate Application of Fertilizer

6.2. Author: Gerald M. Schaefer

6.3. Year: February 2007

6.4. Publisher: United States Department of Agriculture

6.5. Journal: Natural Resources Conservation Service