The 5 Ws of corn production( MADISON WI AUGUST 31 2007- As of lat...)

MADISON, WI, AUGUST 31, 2007- As of late, many uncertainties have been sprouting up in corn production. Researchers and producers have been wondering if precision agricultural technologies can improve crop yield and quality or reduce their variability. Farmers have been asking a number of questions from, which hybrid should I plant for best yield and quality, to does applying nitrogen fertilizer at a uniform rate produce a better crop outcome, and if not, what nitrogen fertilization strategy does produce a better crop in yield and quality"

Scientists at China Agricultural University, the Precision Agriculture Center of University of Minnesota and Mosaic Crop Nutrition have been attempting to answer those questions by investigating the potential impact of precision nitrogen management on corn yield, protein content and test weight in a study funded by Cargill Crop Nutrition (now Mosaic Company), Cargill Dry Corn Ingredients and Pioneer Hi-Bred International, Inc. The results from this study are published in the September-October 2007 issue of the Soil Science Society of America Journal. View the abstract at: http://soil.scijournals.org/cgi/content/abstract/71/5/1490

Precision agriculture is defined as the usage of available technology to develop custom management of soil and crops to fit specific conditions of a small area that is within a larger unit, such as a field. This practice has revolutionized modern farming by allowing farmers to choose the best management strategy at a specific time and place in their fields. It has the potential to increase agricultural resource use efficiency, reduce environmental contamination, and maintain or increase crop yield. Corn farmers use this application by varying the rate of fertilizer depending on differences in potential crop yield, soil type and landscape features across the field. As grain markets shift to a greater emphasis
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