Epsilon Archive for Student Projects

Abstract

For the future will we as farmers need to use nitrogen for our crops; however we are
forced to take responsibility for the environment. But we also want to earn money on the
improvements we make. With high costs of nitrogen and low prices of crops, we are
forced to use our resources in the best possible way.
To optimize the use of nitrogen the general opinion is that farmers need to divide the
nitrogen supply for winter wheat. This is more common to do in Scania (Skåne) than in
the rest of Sweden, even though results from research show that this is good in whole
Sweden, not only in Skåne.
The big variations between years are due to weather conditions. How much it rains and
when, have great means for the results.
Also the choices of cultivar have its affection. Some brands use the nitrogen better than
others, and have their optimum with a lower nitrogen level.
There are big variations in optimal nitrogen level between years and places, even within
one field. That is also why we have to optimize the use of nitrogen and at the same time
be careful with the environment, with dividing and varying nitrogen supply based upon
how the crops are developing. Test results in general shows that everyone in Sweden
need to divide their nitrogen.