Life Sciences Commons^™

Nitrogen Application Decision-Making Under Climate Risk In The U.S. Corn Belt, Benjamin M. Gramig, Raymond Massey, Seong Do Yun

Department of Agricultural Economics Faculty Publications

Nitrogen fertilizer is one of the most important inputs to corn production and farmers manage their crop by deciding how much to apply, when to apply it and how to apply it to maximize their yields and resulting profit. There is risk inherent in crop fertility manage- ment because once nitrogen is applied to the soil it is no longer immobile and cropland is subject to loss of this costly input under different weather conditions. Days suitable for field work, a farm’s machinery set, and weather conditions determine when field prepara- tion and planting activities are completed each year. This …