Research conducted at the Dudley Smith Farm is just as much about shaping policy passed down by lawmakers as it is on benefiting our everyday farmers. This is true for a research project being done by Andrew Margenot, an assistant professor within the Department of Crop Sciences at the University of Illinois. 

Margenot is seeking to demonstrate the balance between row crops and their nitrogen balance. To put it more simply, Margenot says think of this balance as a bank account.

Nitrogen and it’s application on fields, has come under a microscope in recent years. Concerns arise from potential runoff and how much of that ends up in our water systems and more. Margenot says before new laws are imposed on farmers that could dramatically impact yield potential, there needs to be science behind it.

Margenot shares an example of the extremes that other nations have gone to solve the problem. He believes that through the work being done at the Dudley Smith Farm, researchers can provide the needed data to make better informed policies.

Find out more about the research projects shown and the Dudley Smith Farm, by visiting www.dsi.aces.illinois.edu.

Andrew Margenot appeared as a guest on the WTIM Morning Show as part of our coverage from the Dudley Smith Farm Field Day.