retaiN seeks to give farmers the tools and information they need to make the best conservation decisions on their land, starting by helping farmers test for, understand and retain their nitrogen.
retaiN is a collaboration between Conservation Districts of Iowa and Iowa State University Extension and Outreach and Iowa Learning Farms with support from the Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship, Division of Soil Conservation and Water Quality.
How N is lost
Nitrogen (N) from fertilizer and manure application is lost when the corn and soybean crops are unable to use all the nitrogen in the soil. During rainfall, unused nitrogen leaches down through the soil profile becoming inaccessible to crops and then leaves the field through tile lines.
How can you retain the N being lost for your crop and prevent it from leaving your field and flowing downstream or into groundwater? There are a suite of technologies and practices to help farmers do this!
