Maumee On-Farm Network®

The goal of the Maumee On-Farm Network® is to work in partnership with farmers and service providers to improve nutrient efficiency in ways that benefit the farmer’s bottom line and water quality.

 The network enables farmers and their advisors to better evaluate different management practices and identify and pursue those that are most efficient and cost-effective.

The Maumee On-Farm Network® builds off work underway in Iowa since 2001 and in the Chesapeake Bay since 2004. Farmers are now participating in On-Farm Networks® in Iowa, the Chesapeake Bay (MD, VA, and PA), Ohio, Indiana, North Carolina, and soon in Illinois and Michigan. The core of the program is the feedback loops of information created to enable growers to make better-informed management decisions. The network enables producers and advisors to share ideas, discuss results, and find ways to improve, with economics a key consideration. The program has brought together the Environmental Defense Fund, a national non-profit conservation organization, with crop consultants, producer organizations, and technical experts from universities, cooperative extension, NRCS, and conservation districts, and most importantly, the farmers themselves.

Nitrogen Use Efficiency Tools

The project uses a variety of tools to assess nitrogen status and identify opportunities to improve efficiency and profit. Participating farmers are able to use these tools at no cost. Farmers may also enroll in EQIP to receive incentive payments. 

• Corn Stalk Nitrate Test (CSNT): Fall test to determine nitrogen use efficiency for the year. 
• Aerial Imagery: Visual observation of fields to assess variability, nitrogen deficiency, and value of CSNT as an assessment tool.
• Replicated Strip Trials: Comparison of different rates, form, timing, and placement of nitrogen to assess efficiency and impact on yield.

For more information about the On-Farm Networks® in Iowa and the Chesapeke Bay, including strip trial results, aerial imagery, webinars, and farmer testimonials, visit www.isafarmnet.com and www.bayfarmnetwork.org .