The dynamic challenges of achieving increased crop yields, reduced losses of nitrogen (N) to the environment, and improved profitability can be daunting to crop producers. The public is demanding reduced agricultural nutrient impact on water resources (surface and groundwater) and air quality; including lower greenhouse gas and ammonia emissions. Better soil management and soil health are also being advocated; including better indicators of desirable soil biological, chemical, and physical characteristics. Suites of 4R nutrient management practices - in the context of the entire cropping system - can help raise crop N recovery, limit environmental N losses, and foster sustainability. Professionals with precision agriculture tools and information management expertise can be at the center of improved 4R N management implementation, and assist farmers in addressing these shared challenges. How much of a difference can we make?

Nitrogen fertilization for corn production is complicated by soil and weather variability, yet such has far-reaching economic and environmental implications. To address this challenge, alternative N management strategies have been explored extensively in recent years by both public and private groups for determining the most consistently-correct N fertilizer rate.  Existing as well as new technologies and decision tools are being employed to obtain and process information that facilitates those strategies. This presentation will present results from side-by-side comparisons of these decision tools for corn production over 8 states in the U.S. Midwest. Such comparison improves understanding of strengths and limitations of different N recommendation tools.