132 Ropp Agriculture Building COLLEGE OF APPLIED SCIENCE...

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February 16, 2015 Illinois Nutrient Research & Education Council We would like to take this opportunity to thank you for funding our research project titled “Analysis of Farmers’ Nitrogen Management Practices Using Farmer Survey Data and the SSI KIC Fertilizer Reporting System in the Lake Bloomington Watershed and Evergreen Lake Watershed” in 2014. Attached you will find our final report with the following information: 1. Objectives 2. Methodology 3. Main outcomes 4. Budget update 5. Timeline 6. Summary of survey findings Please let us know if you have any questions or comments. Regards; Dr. Aslihan D. Spaulding Professor of Agribusiness Shalamar Armstrong Assistant Professor of Agronomy COLLEGE OF APPLIED SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY Department of Agriculture 132 Ropp Agriculture Building Campus Box 5020 Normal, IL 61790-5020 Telephone: (309) 438-5654 http://www.agriculture.ilstu.edu

Transcript of 132 Ropp Agriculture Building COLLEGE OF APPLIED SCIENCE...

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February 16, 2015

Illinois Nutrient Research & Education Council

We would like to take this opportunity to thank you for funding our research project titled “Analysis of

Farmers’ Nitrogen Management Practices Using Farmer Survey Data and the SSI KIC Fertilizer Reporting

System in the Lake Bloomington Watershed and Evergreen Lake Watershed” in 2014.

Attached you will find our final report with the following information:

1. Objectives

2. Methodology

3. Main outcomes

4. Budget update

5. Timeline

6. Summary of survey findings

Please let us know if you have any questions or comments.

Regards;

Dr. Aslihan D. Spaulding Professor of Agribusiness

Shalamar Armstrong Assistant Professor of Agronomy

COLLEGE OF APPLIED SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY

Department of Agriculture

132 Ropp Agriculture Building Campus Box 5020

Normal, IL 61790-5020 Telephone: (309) 438-5654

http://www.agriculture.ilstu.edu

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Analysis of Farmers’ Nitrogen Management Practices Using Farmer Survey Data

LAKE BLOOMINGTON & EVERGREEN LAKE WATERSHEDS SURVEY FINDINGS

FINAL REPORT

February 16, 2015

Dr. Aslihan D. Spaulding Dr. Shalamar Armstrong

Jean Payne Dan Schaefer

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ANALYSIS OF FARMERS’ NITROGEN MANAGEMENT PRACTICES USING FARMER SURVEY DATA

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OBJECTIVES OF THE PROJECT

1. To execute a yearly survey in the Lake Bloomington Watershed that describes the Nitrogen management practices of grain farmers.

2. To utilize the relationship between CBMP and fertilizer dealers within the Lake Bloomington Watershed to structure a database to store fertilizer transaction data that relates to the questions asked in the survey.

3. To statistically compare the two datasets to determine if a correlation exists and to determine future indications of the dataset.

METHODOLOGY A mail survey method was used to collect data. We mailed surveys to 220 farmers in the list provided by Dan Schaefer. Forty-five of the surveys came back due to incorrect mailing address, retirement or death, or duplicates. After three mailings, we received 44 useable surveys (25.1% response rate).

Mailed out 220

Returned by postal service 14

No longer farming/Not farming in watershed/Deceased/Duplicate 31 OUT OF 175

No consent 34 19.4%

Not returned 102 58.4%

Useable with data 44 25.1%

MAIN OUTCOMES & NEXT PHASE OF THE PROJECT

Dr. Aslihan Spaulding presented the preliminary findings of the survey at the 2015 Illinois Fertilizer and

Chemical Association Convention on January 20th in Peoria, IL.

A survey with questions from the farmers’ survey is sent to the fertilizer and chemical dealers. They are

asked to report on their customers’ practices.

Dr. Shalamar Armstrong will present some of the findings at the 2015 Iowa Cover Crops Conference on

February 18th in Des Moines, Iowa.

The survey will be sent out to the farmers within the Lake Bloomington and Evergreen Lake Watersheds

for their 2014 corn crop once the renewal contract is in place;

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BUDGET UPDATE The difference between the proposed and actual expenses come mainly from research assistant pay and

the online survey subscription. We did not have to cover three months of summer salary for graduate

assistant. We also utilized Select Survey tool provided by ISU free of charge.

Items or Activity Proposed Actual

A. Personnel Salary for PI, Co-PI and Graduate Assistant $19,986 $16,811.00

B. Fringe Benefits PI, CO-PI, and Graduate Assistant $6,794 $6,228.39

C. Travel None $0 $0

D. Equipment None $0 $0

E. Supplies Survey materials (Paper, Envelopes, Labels, etc.) $271 $270.19

F. Contractual Services Survey and Postcard Printing, Mailing, Online

Survey Subscription $2,164 $1,904.01

G. Other Page charges for publications $0 $0

SUBTOTAL $ 29,215 $25,214.00

H. Indirect Charges 10% indirect rate $ 2,922 $2,521.36

I. TOTAL COST $ 32,137 $27,734.95

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TIMELINE Date Activity

January 27, 2014 Received a letter from Jean Payne, NREC notifying us the funding decision of the proposal.

January 28, 2014 Drafted a questionnaire.

February 3, 2014 Janis Swanton, Grants and Contracts Development Specialist, ISU Research & Sponsored Programs office notified Jean Payne that she will be the University contact person for the grant agreement review.

February 18, 2014 PI & Co-PI received a copy of the agreement with NREC.

February 18, 2014 A copy of a draft questionnaire submitted to Dan Schafer and Jean Payne for their review and feedback.

March 6, 2014 Received contact list of farmers from the NRCS office.

March 21, 2014 Received the executed agreement.

March 27, 2014 Dr. Armstrong completed Collaborative Institutional Training Initiative (CITI) training (5-hour long training).

April 2, 2014 Submitted Institutional Review Board (IRB) approval forms (requested Human Subject Review).

April 11, 2014 Received feedback on questionnaire from Jean Payne – Illinois Corn Growers.

April 23, 2014 Received award documents and post-award information from ISU Research Office.

April 29, 2014 Received RSP research grant account number.

April 30, 2014 Received feedback from IRB office requesting additional information on the project.

May 9, 2014 Received “Exempt from Further Review” status from IRB office.

May 19, 2014 Finalized survey instruments, cover letters, informational and reminder postcards. ISU Printing Services received the final copies of these files.

May 29, 2014 ISU Printing Services delivered the surveys, postcards, and business return envelopes.

May 30, 2014 Information postcards mailed to 227 farmers listed in the file provided by NRCS.

June 6, 2014 1st set of surveys (183 Lake Bloomington, 44 Evergreen Lake) were mailed by graduate research assistant.

June 20, 2014 Reminder postcard were mailed by graduate research assistant.

June 27, 2014 2nd set of surveys to non-responders were mailed by graduate research assistant.

August 25, 2014 Dr. Armstrong requested contact information (phone numbers) for farmers who did not respond to surveys.

September 1, 2014 Undergraduate research assistant completed CITI training.

September 8, 2014 Undergraduate research assistant entered survey data into Excel.

October-November, 2014 Data entry for additional responses, if any & data analysis.

January 5, 2015 3rd set of surveys were mailed to non-respondents.

January 12, 2015 Project progress report submitted to NREC.

January 20, 2015 Dr. Aslihan Spaulding presented the preliminary findings at the 2015 IFCA Convention.

February 9, 2015 Undergraduate research assistant entered additional survey data into Excel.

February 16, 2015 Final dataset is analyzed and final report to IFCA is submitted.

February 18, 2015 Dr. Shalamar Armstrong will present findings at the 2015 Iowa Covers Crops Conference in Des Moines, Iowa.

February 2015 Similar questionnaire is sent to fertilizer and chemical dealers by Dan Schaefer, IFCA. Currently waiting for the responses by dealers.

NEXT: Farmers will be contacted with the same questionnaire focusing on their 2014 corn production practices when the renewal contract is in place.

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ANALYSIS OF FARMERS’ NITROGEN MANAGEMENT PRACTICES USING FARMER SURVEY DATA

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SUMMARY OF SURVEY FINDINGS

DEMOGRAPHICS Average age of the respondents was 58.3 and they have been farming for 34.7 years. The majority of the

respondents were male. All of the respondents had at least a high school diploma, 64% with a 4-year college

degree. Gross farm income of the respondents varied from less than $50,000 (5%) to more than $750,000

(25%) with 84% with no livestock. Respondents stated they farm 54,635 acres with 14,878 acres within the two

watersheds. Total agricultural acreage between the two watersheds is about 62,400 acres. Therefore the

respondents represents 24% of the agricultural production within the watersheds.

Average Age 58.3

Years of Farming 34.7

Male98%

Female2%

GENDER

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ANALYSIS OF FARMERS’ NITROGEN MANAGEMENT PRACTICES USING FARMER SURVEY DATA

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Completed High school16%

Some College14%

Completed two-year college

degree9%

Completed 4-year college

degree54%

Some graduate work2%

Graduate degree5%

EDUCATION

Less than $50,000

5% $50,001 -$250,000

14%

$250,001 -$500,000

20%$500,001 -$750,000

25%

More than $750,000

25%

Not responded11%

GROSS FARM INCOME

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ANALYSIS OF FARMERS’ NITROGEN MANAGEMENT PRACTICES USING FARMER SURVEY DATA

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NO LIVESTOCK84%

BEEF CATTLE9%

DAIRY CATTLE3%

HOGS2%

OTHER LIVESTOCK2%

RAISE LIVESTOCK

37

18

FARMS AT LAKEBLOOMINGTON WATERSHED

FARMS AT EVERGREEN LAKEWATERSHED

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ANALYSIS OF FARMERS’ NITROGEN MANAGEMENT PRACTICES USING FARMER SURVEY DATA

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7,590 6,904

384

14,878

30,993

23,058

584

54,635

Corn after Soybean Soybean Corn after Corn TOTAL

ACRES FARMED

Watershed Total

Every other year14%

Every 3rd year32%

Every 4th year50%

Not answered4%

HOW OFTEN DO YOU DO A SOIL TEST?

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ANALYSIS OF FARMERS’ NITROGEN MANAGEMENT PRACTICES USING FARMER SURVEY DATA

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33%

67%

83%

OWN FIELDS LEASED FIELDS TILE DRAINED FIELDS

PERCENT OF FIELDS WITHIN THE WATERSHEDOWN? LEASE? TILE DRAINED?

7 76 6 6

54

32 2 2

1 1

FARMING & CONSERVATION PRACTICESCorn after Corn

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ANALYSIS OF FARMERS’ NITROGEN MANAGEMENT PRACTICES USING FARMER SURVEY DATA

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26 25 24 23 22

119 9

7 6 64 4

2 2 1 1

FARMING & CONSERVATION PRACTICESCorn after Soybean

2523 23 23 22 22

10 108 7

4 4 3 2 2 1 1

FARMING & CONSERVATION PRACTICESSoybean

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ANALYSIS OF FARMERS’ NITROGEN MANAGEMENT PRACTICES USING FARMER SURVEY DATA

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NITROGEN APPLICATION TIMING FALL SPRING

CORN AFTER CORN 45.9% 54.1%

CORN AFTER SOY 49.8% 50.2%

2

1

4

2 2 2

1

4

2 2

1 1

Cover crops No-till Variable rateof nitrogenapplication

Constructedwetland

Field terraces Strip-till

FARMING AND CONSERVATION PRACTICES“NOT YET, BUT PLANNING TO

Corn after Corn Corn after Soybean Soybean

137%

229%

334%

NUMBER OF APPLICATIONSCORN AFTER CORN

155%

218%

327%

NUMBER OF APPLICATIONSCORN AFTER SOYBEAN

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1917

3 2 20 0 0

NITROGEN INHIBITORS USED FOR 2013 CORN

4,766

420 369

NSERVE_FALL_ACRES INSTINCT_ACRES NUTRISPHERE_ACRES

TOTAL ACRES WITH NITROGEN INHIBITORS

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MAP DAP

DO YOU TAKE A NITROGEN CREDIT FROM MAP AND DAP IN YOUR N APPLICATION RATE?

FIELD HISTORY22%

DEALER RECOMMENDATION

17%

NITROGEN RATE CALCULATOR

5%

ILLINOIS SOIL NITROGEN TEST

5%

0.8 LBS/BUSHEL16%

1 LB/BUSHEL21%

1.2 LBS/BUSHEL12%

GREATER THAN 1.2 LBS/BUSHEL

2%

YIELD BASED51%

HOW DO YOU SELECT NITROGEN APPLICATION RATES FOR CORN?