Crop nutrition management has never been a one-size-fits-all approach. Several variables factor into a farmer’s fertilizer plans. And now they’re facing unique circumstances that make developing an effective and efficient strategy even more difficult.
Field agronomists need to develop customized crop nutrient plans that navigate these challenges while still producing a high-yielding, quality crop. That means making scientifically-backed recommendations based on high-quality data. With the right crop nutrition digital support system, agronomists can be confident that their plans will deliver exactly what the farmer needs.
Farmers’ Challenges Affect Fertilizer Plans
The importance of developing an efficient, effective fertilizer plan has never been more important than we’ve seen in the last year.
Farmers faced record high fertilizer costs in 2022, and though prices are cooling off, they’re still looking at tight margins in 2023—especially since, as farmdoc daily points out, many farmers were able to lock in fertilizer prices for the 2022 season while they were lower in 2021. That opportunity for 2023 does not exist.
As a result of these prices, and in some cases fertilizer shortages, president and CEO of The Fertilizer Institute Corey Rosenbusch told AgWeb that farmers should lean on their retailers and other agronomic advisors to help them be as efficient with their products as possible.
Fertilizer prices aren’t the only factor driving the need for efficiency. As Reuters reports, consumers are pressuring food producers to support farms using sustainable farming practices. So companies like PepsiCo are now sourcing sustainably grown ingredients.
Environmental concerns from nutrient runoff are also pushing farmers to adopt sustainable practices. In some places, like the Western Lake Erie Basin in Ohio, there are restrictions around fertilizer application. While other states like Iowa have voluntary regulations that growers may be trying to abide by, especially with the growing demand for enforceable restrictions.
Complexities in Meeting Crop Nutrient Needs
On top of trying to keep costs low and ensuring a fertilizer program is the most sustainable it can be, agronomists still need to create a plan that provides crop-essential nutrients needs so that growers can still have healthy, high-yielding fields.
That’s no simple task given that they need to account for:
- Crop type and its specific macro and micronutrient needs
- Crop rotation
- Soil type and conditions
- Other management factors, such as tillage practices
- Weather conditions
- Available input options
- Labor, equipment and technology available
All of those factor into designing a crop nutrient plan and determining which fertilizer products to recommend.
Data-Driven Digital Tools Remove Guesswork
Given the complexity of creating a crop nutrient plan, agronomists need data-driven digital solutions to ensure they’re accounting for all of the different variables and designing a fertilizer program that best meets their farmers’ needs.
When built on a wealth of high-quality data, a crop nutrition decision support system can take all of the specific variables, from weather to crop prices to the impact on the environment, and provide insight into what would be the best fertilizer plan based on a grower’s budget and goals.
Ultimately, it can help build trust between agronomists and growers. Because data removes any bias an agronomist or grower may have, it helps avoid decision-making that’s based on emotions or gut feelings. Growers can trust that their agronomists aren’t just trying to sell them a product. All parties can feel confident that what’s being recommended is the best plan because the science and facts back it up.
Optimize Crop Nutrient Plans for 150+ Crops
Agmatix’s Digital Crop Advisor delivers exactly what agronomists need—a scientific-based crop nutrition decision support system that provides customized guidance for their farmer customers.
Digital Crop Advisor is built on 12 scientifically proven crop nutrient data profiles, which allows agronomists to create unique nutrient plans for over 150 different crops, using data integration of crop-essential nutrients.
It’s also the first crop nutrition optimization planning tool that can account for controlled release fertilizers. Field agronomists can include these fertilizers in their crop nutrition management plans and see the nutritional distribution along the different phenological stages of the crop. This includes the expected depletion date of the controlled release fertilizer, so they can schedule the next fertilizer application at the optimum time.
Not only does Digital Crop Advisor tailor nutrient plans to the specific crop, it also taps into data from previous customers’ plans or other fields using our technology to provide sustainable nutrient recommendations. Agronomists can quantify and compare sustainability KPIs, such as the program’s carbon footprint or if there’s susceptibility for nitrogen leaching. Each plan will show the total carbon emissions and a percentage of how each nutrient contributes to that total.
Digital Crop Advisor is also adaptable. Suspect crop prices will take a dip or wonder how the plan would change if you got above average precipitation? Run different simulations and the customized fertilization planning tool will correctly adjust crop nutrient needs so you can compare recommendations.
And agronomists can create a customized nutrient plan instantly. Our software tool rapidly integrates field boundaries, creating an automated fertilization plan quickly, accurately, and efficiently.
Farmers are under a lot of pressure to grow crops that will still benefit their bottom line, meet their buyers’ yield and quality expectations, and do so in a way that doesn’t harm the environment. The right nutrient plan is crucial in this, and with the right crop nutrition decision support system, agronomists can become their trusted partners in making that a reality. See how Agmatix’s Digital Crop Advisor can help your agronomists become that trusted partner and optimize their crop nutrition management plans. Contact us today to schedule a demo.
