Nutrient Management Research

Conducted by Market Directions

for the

Conservation Technology Information Center

Crop Nutrient Management Goal

Increase the adoption of crop nutrientmanagement practices

1999 2000 2001 2002

Establish a baseline

Set the goal

Grower Focus Groups

• Focus groups– Davenport, IA– Greenville, MS– Lubbock, TX– Goodland, KS

• One-on-one interviews– Washington, Arkansas, Penn., S. Carolina,

Maryland, Indiana

Focus Group Comments

• Livestock producers think “feed ration”

• Precision farming (VRT) adoption is slow, economics believed

• Education needed to increase understanding of plan components

Grower Phone Research

• National survey – 250+ acres of primary crop

Corn, soybeans, wheat, cotton

– Regional Northeast E Corn Belt N Great Plains

Southeast W Corn Belt S Great Plains

Delta Northwest

What types, if any, of Crop Nutrient Management do you practice?

Soil Testing

Yield Goal

VRT/Grid Sampling

Nutr. Mgmt. Plan

Split Appl.

Application

Manure Credits

Crop Rotation

0 10 20 30 40 50

Source: Marketing Directions, Winter 1997-98

What types, if any, of Crop Nutrient Management do you practice?

Source: Marketing Directions, Winter 1997-98

E Corn W Corn Southeast N Plains S Plains Northwest Delta Northeast Soil Testing 60% 42 60 32 40 42 52 47 Yield Goal 17 27 12 36 36 30 29 13 VRT, Grid Sampling 10 12 9 10 9 24 5 12 Nutrient Mgmt Plan 9 4 13 5 9 4 13 22 Spreading & Applying 1 15 4 14 8 12 1 5 Manure Nutrient Value 11 6 3 4 2 2 3 17 Crop Rotation 4 12 4 5 3 12 4 7 Split: Spring-Sidedress 5 11 7 6 6 6 3 4 Split: Fall-Sidedress 4 8 4 3 4 2 2 5

What are the economic benefits, if any, of Crop Nutrient Management?

Named at Least One

Saves Money

Increases Yield

Reduces Fertilizer Costs

Increases Profits

Better Land, Soil

0 20 40 60 80

Source: Marketing Directions, Winter 1997-98

What are the economic benefits, if any, of Crop Nutrient Management?

Source: Marketing Directions, Winter 1997-98

E Corn W Corn SE N Plains S Plains NW Delta NE Saves Money 47% 31 32 30 30 32 22 39 Increases Yield 15 24 20 33 34 42 22 18 Reduces Fertilizer Cost 22 18 27 15 14 22 11 27 Increases Profit 9 14 4 13 20 16 13 10 Better Land, Soil 10 14 10 14 9 16 15 6 Listed at Least One 75 71 70 73 79 78 60 74

What are the environmental benefits, if any, of Crop Nutrient Management?

Less Nutrients in

Streams, etc.

Balances Soil Fertility

Impoves Water Quality

Improves Aquatic Life

Listed at Least One

0 10 20 30 40 50 60

Source: Marketing Directions, Winter 1997-98

What are the environmental benefits, if any, of crop nutrient management?

Source: Marketing Directions, Winter 1997-98

E Corn W Corn SE N Plains S Plains NW Delta NE Less Nutrients in Streams, etc. 32% 26 19 28 22 32 19 38 Balances Soil Fertility 29 18 24 14 23 28 23 17 Improves Water Quality 20 16 10 7 12 18 9 15 Improves Aquatic Life 3 2 3 2 1 - 2 2 Listed at Least One 64 52 52 43 46 64 45 62

Barriers, if any, to more widespread adoption of crop nutrient management.

Expensive

Time

Lack Information

Gov't Interference

Not Familiar

Env Concerns

Others

None

Don't Know

Equip

Hauling Cost

Inaccurate S Test

0 5 10 15 20 25 30

Source: Marketing Directions, Winter 1997-98

Barriers, if any, to more widespread adoption of crop nutrient management.

Source: Marketing Directions, Winter 1997-98

E Corn W Corn SE N Plains S Plains NW Delta NE Expensive 22% 31 23 34 35 42 21 21 Time Consuming 8 9 6 9 4 8 6 11 Lack Information 5 3 8 5 11 6 5 9 Gov’t Interference or Regulations 5 5 - 2 6 4 3 4 Not Familiar with What’s Involved 3 1 6 - 7 - 5 2 Cost of Hauling Manure 5 2 1 3 2 2 3 5 Variable, Inaccurate Soil Tests 2 4 6 - 1 4 2 5

When did you last soil test?

Source: Marketing Directions, Winter 1997-98

68 20 8 4

65 17 4 13

82 7 4 7

47 17 8 17

59 17 6 16

70 6 4 6

55 26 10 8

82 10 2 7

0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% 90% 100%

E Cornbelt

W Cornbelt

Southeast

N Plains

S Plains

Northwest

Delta

Northeast

12 Months 24 Months 36 Months Longer

Do you reduce nitrogen applied to fields planted the season before with legumes?Of those who use legumes; Shown: Yes

Source: Marketing Directions, Winter 1997-98

0 20 40 60 80 100

E Corn Belt

W Corn Belt

Southeast

N Plains

S Plains

Northwest

Delta

Northeast

Do you reduce the amount of fertilizer on the area you use manure?Of those who use manure; Shown: Yes

Source: Marketing Directions, Winter 1997-98

0 20 40 60 80 100

E Corn Belt

W Corn Belt

Southeast

N Plains

S Plains

Northwest

Delta

Northeast

Univ Extension

Producers

Ag Companies

Consultants

Local Dealers

NRCS/CDs

Farm Orgs

Public Opinion

1 2 3 4 5 6 7

Source: Marketing Directions, Winter 1997-98

How much do the following influence your adoption of crop nutrient management?1=no influence; 7=great deal of influence

Demo Plots

Farm Pubs

Govt Incentives

Govt Mandates

Radio

Internet

1 2 3 4 5 6 7

Source: Marketing Directions, Winter 1997-98

How much do the following influence your adoption of crop nutrient management?1=no influence; 7=great deal of influence

Influencer Research

• National phone survey – Ag Retailers– Conservation Districts– Extension Agents– Independent Crop Consultants– NRCS

• Regional (matches producer survey)

How often do you recommend Crop Nutrient Management?

Source: Marketing Directions, Winter 1997-98

40 31 28 2

36 36 25 2

63 24 11 2

48 28 11 12

77 15 6 0

0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% 90% 100%

NRCS

Cons Districts

Extension

Ag Retailers

Ind. Crop Cons.

Routinely Frequently Occasionally Never

Why do you (routinely/frequently/occasionally/never) recommend crop nutrient management?

Ec

on

om

ics

Wa

ter

Qu

alit

y

Re

du

ce

Ov

eru

se

Ste

wa

rds

hip

Re

du

ce

Wa

ste

Inc

rea

se

Yie

ld

Ne

ed

Info

Co

mp

lian

ce

Go

od

Pra

cti

ce

No

Ne

ed

No

t M

y R

ole

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

Never Ocassionally Frequently Routinely

Source: Marketing Directions, Winter 1997-98

Why do you routinely recommend Crop Nutrient Management?

Source: Marketing Directions, Winter 1997-98

NRCS Cons Extension Ag Ind. CropDistrict Agent Retailer Consultants

Economics 40% 42 67 51 62

Water quality/runoff reduction 46 63 28 14 8

Minimize chemical overuse 21 17 13 21 8

Environmental benefits 10 13 23 12 31

Waste reduction 17 13 3 18 8

Increase yield/production 10 4 15 11 15

Need information 10 8 13 11 12

Compliance 15 17 3 4 4

Good conservation 14 13 - 7 4

Soil sampling 4 4 10 9 4

Good resource management 10 8 5 4 4

How comfortable are you recommending Crop Nutrient Management?1=very uncomfortable; 7=very comfortable

Ind. Crop Consultant

Extension Agent

Ag Retailer

Cons. District

NRCS

0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7

Source: Marketing Directions, Winter 1997-98

What would increase your comfort level with Crop Nutrient Management?

Source: Marketing Directions, Winter 1997-98

NRCS Cons Ext. Ag Ind. Crop

District Agent Retailer Consultant

Information 29% 27 53 28 38

Training/education 38 34 23 14 9

Experience 17 9 13 14 6

Positive results 5 8 11 6 -

Better soil testing 6 2 2 4 3

Where do you get information about Crop Nutrient Management?

0 5 10 15 20 25 30 35

Extension Agents

Univ Research

Univ Publications

NRCS

Univ Training

Professional Publ

Tech Guides

Supplier Training

Supplier Publ

Farm Experience

Supplier Research

Demonstrations

Source: Marketing Directions, Winter 1997-98

Source: Marketing Directions, Winter 1997-98

Where do you get information about Crop Nutrient Management?

NRCS Cons Ext Ag Ind. CropDistricts Agents Retailers Consultants

Extension agents 38% 40 19 23 21

University research 18 21 48 27 41

University publications 19 24 53 23 35

NRCS-State-Federal 44 37 13 6 12

University training 12 18 40 18 21

Professional publications 16 18 10 18 9

Tech guides 21 18 2 13 3

Supplier training 13 8 7 17 9

Supplier publications 8 6 8 12 9

Farmer experience 5 - 3 16 15

Supplier research 5 5 5 10 12

Demonstrations 3 5 13 7 9

What do growers perceive as barriers to more widespread use of Crop Nutrient Mgmt?

0 10 20 30 40 50

Not Familiar

Expensive

Don't Want toChange

Time

Soil TestInaccurate

Source: Marketing Directions, Winter 1997-98

Source: Marketing Directions, Winter 1997-98

NRCS Cons. Ext. Agri Ind. CropDistrict Agent Retailer Consultant

Lack of education/info 44% 42 39 26 59Expensive 21 16 24 22 18Not interested/won’t change 21 15 15 9 12Time consuming 12 12 8 4 9Soil testing procedures 5 3 16 4 3Cost of hauling manure 4 6 3 3 3

What do growers perceive as barriers to more widespread use of Crop Nutrient Mgmt?

Barriers to adoption: Grower vs. influencer perceptions

Ex

pe

ns

e

Ex

pe

ns

e

Tim

e Tim

e

La

ck

In

foL

ac

k I

nfo

Ha

uli

ng

Co

sts

Ha

uli

ng

Co

sts

S T

es

t In

ac

cu

r

S T

es

t In

ac

cu

r

Eq

uip

Eq

uip

Oth

ers

Oth

ers

No

ne

No

ne

Do

n't

Kn

ow

Do

n't

Kn

ow

0

5

10

15

20

25

30

35

40

Growers Influencers

Source: Marketing Directions, Winter 1997-98