flatlick farmer - 1/31/2026 21:09

We VR'ed N for 10-15 years with satisfactory results. Spent a lot of time studying and developing Rx's for the farm. Starting 2 years ago, we moved backed to straight rates per acre which is still VR's per bushel. Our Rx's started tightening up after years of doing it and there wasn't as much of a swing in application rates as we used to apply. If you think about it, it typically takes more N per bushel in low yielding ground and less N on good ground. By straight rating N, we still average about 1 lb/bushel overall, but better ground is .7-.8#/bushel while weaker ground is 1.1-1.2#/bushel. Don't know if we were right to switch back, but we have been well pleased with results. Still using the same amount of N. Our OM ranges for around 1.7-2.5, so we still need around 1 lb/bushel in most of our testing.