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Tight margins drive closer review of nitrogen management practices for 2026

A farm management specialist at the University of Illinois says high nitrogen prices have many farmers rethinking their application strategy heading into 2026.

Gary Schnitkey says research through Precision Conservation Management (PCM) shows that following the recommended Maximum Return to Nitrogen (MRTN) rate helps the bottom line.

“Our PCM data confirms that it is, in fact, true.”  He says, “That if you apply nitrogen in the range suggested by those tools, you do in fact maximize profits.”

He tells Brownfield, “You do get, particularly in some years, a yield advantage from applying more nitrogen than those rates. However, the cost of the nitrogen exceeds the additional bushels of yield, so that return, particularly isn’t here in these low-price, high-cost years.”

Schnitkey says the PCM data also shows that farmers are unlikely to make major changes in their operations from year to year, but he notes that tighter margins should lead to increased scrutiny of production practices.

AUDIO: Gary Schnitkey – University of Illinois