TWO ESSAYS IN FERTILIZER MANAGEMENT FOR IMPROVED PROFITABILITY

Corn production in the United States has become increasingly efficient over the years. The use of nitrogen fertilizers has played a substantial role in this efficiency. Nitrogen drives biomass production which leads to increased yields. Unlike other nutrients, nitrogen is more mobile making it easier to lose through leaching and volatilization. The first part of this analysis uses an econometric model to examine the relationship between nitrogen usage and weather data. This relationship leads to farm management decisions to reduce nitrogen fertilization expenses. In addition to the use of nitrogen fertilizers, farmers in Kentucky take advantage of an abundance of poultry litter as a fertilizer source. Traditional poultry litter fertilization methods are being challenged by new technology, sub-surface injection, which has the potential to increase corn yields as compared to other methods. The second part of this analysis uses a resource allocation linear programming model to determine the economic viability of the sub-surface injection method for both spring and fall fertilizer applications. This model also reveals both farm management implications and provides valuable information for the development and commercialization of the sub-surface injector