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Commercial Nitrogen Optimization Pilot Grant Program

Introduction to Program

The application period for the 2024-2025 Nitrogen Optimization Pilot Program (NOPP) grant cycle is now closed.

NOPP is designed to encourage agricultural producers to develop innovative approaches to optimize the application of commercial nitrogen for a duration of at least two growing seasons. The producers must collaborate with a UWS institution, which will monitor the grant project on-site. The total award to an applicant cannot exceed $40,000.

Under 92.14(16), Stats., grant recipients must meet all of the following eligibility requirements to be considered for funding:

Project must include two growing seasons.
UWS institution should monitor the grant project on-site.
Priority will be given to innovative projects not currently funded through state or federal programs.
Priority will be given for longer-term projects.

NOPP Spotlights

Albright Brothers

The Albright Brothers LLC, in collaboration with Winnebago County LWCD's Sheila Smith and Emily Dufeck and Extension’s Kevin Jarek, is a 2024 Nitrogen Optimization Pilot Program (NOPP) grant recipient! The team is investigating nitrogen rates with solid manure. Read on to see how the idea transpired! A long-time family "discussion" brought the Albright Brothers to the Nitrogen Optimization Pilot Program. "How much nitrogen do we need to use with different rates of manure?" They started using different conservative rates of nitrogen with mixed results. Then came the next wrench in the question: a 32% applicator was used, which was accidentally set at a much higher rate than usual, and there was a very noticeable yield increase. But what about the rate of return? Jamie Albright hopes the Nitrogen Optimization Pilot Program will answer the family "discussion" and assist other farmers with the same question.

Bill Powel-Smith

Bill Powel-Smith is a 2023 Nitrogen Optimization Pilot Program (NOPP) grant recipient! Miltrim Farms of Marathon County and Woldt Farms of Manitowoc County are hosting on-farm trials designed to investigate commercial fertilizer supplementation for prime grass-legume crop with dairy manure. Forage crops are a unique beast to manage and become even more complicated when you plant a grass-legume blend and add manure to the mix. As a dairy specialist, Bill Powel-Smith understands the challenges farmers face in making management decisions related to forage crops. This project is designed to investigate the optimal nitrogen rates in addition to manure applications that achieve the sweet spot of optimal yield and forage quality. Miltrim Farms and Woldt Farms are both located in watershed-sensitive areas with ongoing collaboration with watershed groups. Limiting water runoff and groundwater contamination is a central goal of the participating farms and the work done within their respective watersheds.

Bibby

Paul Bibby, in collaboration with Extension Educators Sam Bibby and Steve Okonek, is a 2024 Nitrogen Optimization Pilot Program grant recipient! His project is designed to investigate sunflower response to nitrogen as it relates to yield, profit, and agronomic traits. Paul and Sam said this about the project: “We are interested in growing sunflowers in the Driftless region of Wisconsin because we desire more diversity across our farm. In addition to breaking up our corn/soy rotation, they look great and provide a huge food source for local pollinators. Most sunflower bird seed in our area is grown far away and shipped here. This doesn’t make a lot of sense to us when it is possible to grow sunflowers right here in Wisconsin. Our plan is to sell sunflower seed as a bird food product locally either off the farm or through local stores. Due to the lack of sunflower production in the state and surrounding area, the fertility guidelines are not well defined. Through the NOPP trial, we hope to collect some on-farm results that will help us and other potential Wisconsin sunflower farmers dial in our nitrogen rate.”

Dodge County HSHW

Fourteen farmers in Dodge and Jefferson counties, led by Bill Stangel and Tony Peirick, are 2023 Nitrogen Optimization Pilot Program (NOPP) grant recipients! With a trial on each participating farm, the group is investigating nitrogen use efficiency in corn in the Rock River Basin. The risk of groundwater contamination in an area dominated by dolomitic bedrock is a major concern and a main driver for producers in the Upper Rock River Basin to conduct nitrogen-related on-farm trials. The group has known that field-scale data can help to identify strategies that reduce losses of nitrogen to the environment while balancing profitability for farmers. This is why they began conducting Nitrogen Use Efficiency trials in 2022, but the group was grateful for a funding source in NOPP to continue the work for several more years! When asked why they agreed to participate in the Dodge County Farmers for Healthy Soil & Healthy Water’s NOPP project, one producer responded that his “agronomist of 30 years talked him into it,” while another replied, “because it’s fun!” It’s clear that this group of producers and collaborators are wholly invested in protecting their environment, community, and farms.

To read more NOPP project updates, visit the NOPP Project Spotlight Archives.