Adapt-N blog

More press for Adapt-N: A second feature article in the Corn and Soybean Digest was posted online, May 15, 2013:

Nitrogen Testing Tool Increases Corn Profits
The latest fertility technology means that you can reassess your corn crop’s nitrogen needs every 24 hours, reducing nitrogen inputs and saving corn input expenses.

We have just posted two articles (2012 results, and two year summary) on the results of our 2011-2012 Adapt-N Strips Trials. In short: Adapt-N did very well in providing weather-adjusted N recommendations. These articles include some pointers for effective use of the tool as you consider this for your 2013 crop. We hope that you find them useful:

1. Adapt-N Increased Grower Profits and Decreased Nitrogen Inputs in 2012 Strip Trials
2. Adapt-N Proves Economic and Environmental Benefits in Two Years of Strip-Trial Testing in New York and Iowa

Need some training on how to use the Adapt-N tool? Remember that we have our recent webinar posted in sections here: http://adapt-n.cals.cornell.edu/webinars/index.html

Also – If you did not have the chance to do so already please consider taking the time to complete our survey: https://cornell.qualtrics.com/SE/?SID=SV_78QQudfdC9AS36B. We value your feedback as it helps us understand user needs and questions, so that we can further improve this tool! This survey will be up until Monday morning (5/20).

We wish you all a great growing season!

Bianca and the Adapt-N Team

Farmers Robert and Rodney Donald review the Adapt-N tool with Cornell extension associate Bianca Moebius-Clune. They saved thousands of dollars after applying Adapt-N recommendations during a trial at their Moravia farm.

New tool helps farmers nip nitrogen losses

By Stacey Shackford

A new tool helps farmers feed crops only as much as they really need.

The free Web-based tool, Adapt-N, draws on local soil, crop and weather data – including high resolution climate data stored at the Northeast Regional Climate Center at Cornell – to provide better estimates of nitrogen fertilizer needs for corn, in real time, throughout the season.

Read the whole article.

Dear Adapt-N Community:

We have made available two significant updates for Adapt-N:

• The geographic range for the tool has been significantly expanded beyond last year’s states of IA, MN, WI, IL, IN, and the 13 Northeast states.  The tool can now also be used in beta-mode in the following areas:  Eastern parts of KS, NE, SD, and ND; and all of MO, MI, KY, OH, VA, WV, and NC.  (View map of the new Adapt-N geographic coverage, which shows that the tool now covers the vast majority of rain-fed corn production in the US.  For the new states, however, you enter data through the interface by using the Adapt-N version for a neighboring state.  For example, for an eastern KS field, enter through the IA version of the Adapt-N tool.  For a MI field, use the WI or IN version, etc.  Also, you will need to use the generic soil textural classes instead of the soil series names.  We had planned to offer full featured capabilities in those regions, but our funding is tied up in the federal budget sequester.

• Adapt-N now has batch upload capability under the “Manage Locations” tab for advanced users who are familiar with standard use of the interface. This is an attractive feature for consultants or large farms who would like to rapidly enter information from large numbers of fields from their own software or spreadsheets.  Basically, this involves importing the data through specifically-formatted comma-separated-value (csv) files under the “Upload File” feature.  Detailed instructions and examples are included online for this module.

As always, feel free to contact us if you have questions.

The Adapt-N Team

*** Please consider taking the time to complete our survey: https://cornell.qualtrics.com/SE/?SID=SV_78QQudfdC9AS36B. We value your feedback as it helps us understand user needs and questions, so that we can further improve this tool!***

Cornell Adapt-N Intensive Workshop by Webinar:
Precision Nitrogen Management in Corn Using the Adapt-N Tool

Thursday, March 21, 2013
10:30 am – 3:00pm Eastern Time (9:30am 2:00 pm, Central Time)
Broadcast to Multiple Host Locations in the Northeast and Midwest

The tool uses a dynamic simulation model, high-resolution climate data and location-specific inputs by users through a web interface. The webinar and the current Adapt-N interface are provided free of charge, supported through funds from a USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service Conservation Innovation Grant, USDA-NIFA Agriculture and Food Research Initiative, Hatch-Smith Lever Funds, New York Farm Viability Institute, the Northern New York Agricultural Development Program, the International Plant Nutrition Institute, and the Walton Family Foundation.

Visit webinar website for program details, locations and registration information.

Adapt-N was selected as the Best New Product of the Year 2012 by AgProfessional magazine, the leading publication related to agronomic and business management for agricultural retailers/distributors, professional farm managers and crop consultants.

Adapt-N took a huge 52 percent of the vote, and it is the first time a non-commercial organization received the award.

“The Adapt-N Team at Cornell University is very honored to receive the award, and it is a distinction to be the first university to receive it,” said Harold van Es (right), professor, Department of Crop and Soil Sciences, Cornell University. “We are very pleased with this recognition from a key group of professionals in the agricultural sector.

“The Adapt-N tool provides benefits to crop producers and can also reduce the environmental impacts of nitrogen use on corn. Such win-win approaches are most promising to enhancing the sustainability of corn production in the U.S. Therefore, having the support of agricultural consulting professionals is critical to achieving this goal.”

Read the whole AgProfessional article.

Hello Adapt-N Users,

The conversion to 2013 was completed over the weekend, and Adapt-N is now available for the 2013 season. Retrospective runs for 2012 remain available as well.

As always, please do not hesitate to send questions and feedback.

Bianca Moebius-Clune bnm5@cornell.edu

From Jeff Melkonian:

Adapt-N will be down the first week of January 2013, to adjust dates and tables for the new year.

Save the Date:

March 21, 2013 we will hold a multi-location Adapt-N Intensive Training  via webinar.

Details and host locations in the Northeast and Midwest will be announced soon.

Hello Adapt-N Users and Friends of Adapt-N!

We have great news: Ag Professional Magazine has identified Adapt-N as one of the Top Ten new products for 2012.  See

http://www.agprofessional.com/newsletters/agpro-weekly/articles/Vote-for-the-best-new-product-of-2012-183777161.html.   Adapt-N is the only non-commercial product in the group.

This is a wonderful recognition of our tool. We have an opportunity to be the BEST, and win the New Product of the Year Award.

Please, consider voting on-line at http://www.agprofessional.com/poll/182026081.html to get us to the top.

If you know of other “Friends of Adapt-N”, please encourage them to vote.  That would be a great recognition for us and will help make the tool more visible.

With much appreciation,

Bianca and the rest of the Adapt-N Team