Fall is a season of critical decisions for row crop farmers, with many choices shaping not just the final results of this season’s crop yields but also the output of the next season’s crops. For the first time, farmers across the country are facing Fall management decisions not just with next year’s agronomics and financials to consider, but with the carbon intensity (CI) of next year’s crop hanging in the balance.
As the conversation around CI grows louder, understanding the impact of management practices made today—such as yields and harvest moisture, fall nitrogen application, tillage, and use of cover crops—on how they will impact your CI tomorrow, has become more important than ever.
Join us as we explore the top four management decisions you’ll likely be making over coming weeks which may help (or hamper) your farm’s ability to capitalize on the growing demand for your low-carbon feedstocks.
Impact #1:
Yield and Harvest Moisture:
A Dual Impact on Carbon Intensity
Decision: What moisture should I harvest my corn at? How does that moisture and ultimately yield affect my CI?
CI Impact: Default Yield (176.7 bu/ac) & 27.5 g/MJ CI
Yield + 10% = 25.3 g/MJ
Yield -10% = 30.19 g/MJ
Harvest Moisture at 25% = 34.7 g/MJ CI
Harvest Moisture at 20% = 30.73 g/MJ CI
Harvest Moisture at 15% = 26.96 g/MJ CI
CI Recommendation: Let corn field dry as much as you’re comfortable with. Harvesting grain before it reaches 20% moisture in the field is shown to maximize yields and but can also increase drying penalties as it relates to CI scoring. Ultimately, maximizing yield is the surest way to improve feedstock carbon intensity, even when drying energy is required. When seeking to find the balance between grain drying penalties and yield credits, target a harvest moisture in the 20-25% range to reduce LP or natural gas CI penalties and also reduce risk of yield loss.
One of the most straightforward ways to reduce carbon intensity is through improving yield. Higher yields dilute the fixed carbon emissions generated from inputs like fuel, fertilizer, and land use, thereby lowering emissions per bushel. Higher yields generally lead to a lower CI score because more corn is produced from the same or slightly increased inputs.However, the timing and moisture content at harvest can also be of effect. Higher harvest moisture in corn, typically above 20%, requires more energy for drying, increasing CI. Efficient drying techniques and optimizing harvest timing to avoid high-moisture conditions can help reduce the energy consumption associated with post-harvest processes.
Impact #2:
Fall Nitrogen Application:
EEF’s Role in Reducing Emissions
Decision: Should I stabilize my fall nitrogen fertilizer application?
CI Impact: Secure an Enhanced Efficiency Fertilizer (EEF) nitrogen technology classification = 2.40 g/MJ CI reduction from default.
CI Recommendation: Especially regarding anhydrous ammonia stabilizers, applying a fall fertilizer with a stabilizer is the most effective way to reduce CI impact.
Nitrogen fertilizers are a key input in corn production, but they are also a significant contributor to greenhouse gas emissions due to nitrous oxide (N₂O) release during denitrification processes. Fall nitrogen applications, especially of anhydrous ammonia, are common in many farming operations. However, the timing of nitrogen applications, as well as the technology used, has a considerable impact on CI. The use of Enhanced Efficiency Fertilizers, (EEFs) can mitigate some of the environmental impact by stabilizing nitrogen and reducing losses through volatilization, leaching, or denitrification. These technologies, including urease inhibitors, nitrification inhibitors, and slow-release fertilizers, help maintain nitrogen availability to crops when they need it most, reducing both nitrogen losses and associated N₂O emissions. Applying nitrogen in the fall can result in increased emissions from a higher likelihood of the product being lost to leaching and volatilization, leading to higher nitrous oxide emissions. This inefficiency results in a higher CI score compared to spring applications.
Impact #3:
Fall Tillage:
Balancing Soil Health and Carbon Intensity
Decision: What tillage practice will optimize my CI score when also considering best practices for crop rotations and agronomic considerations?
CI Impact: Default = 27.5 g/MJ CI with reduced tillage in Story County, Iowa.
No-Till 24.43 g/MJ (-3.07)
Reduced 27.50 g/MJ
Conventional 29.95 g/MJ (+2.45)
CI Recommendation: Conventional tillage, unless focused on heavily compacted soils, is not the best form of tillage for optimal CI scoring. We understand that conventional tillage has its necessary uses, but in a carbon intensity context, it is suboptimal in comparison to reduced and no tillage.
Tillage is a long-debated agricultural practice that has significant impacts on soil structure, carbon sequestration, and emissions. Fall tillage, often used to manage crop residues, prepare seedbeds, and control weeds, also influences the carbon intensity of a farm’s operations. Frequent and aggressive tillage can lead to soil organic carbon oxidation, increasing CO₂ emissions. It also disturbs the soil microbiome, making soils less efficient at cycling nutrients, which can indirectly result in higher nitrogen fertilizer requirements. Implementing reduced tillage or no-till systems has been shown to improve soil health and reduce soil organic matter decomposition. These practices enhance carbon sequestration, keeping carbon locked in the soil and lowering overall emissions, thus improving CI scores.
Impact #4:
Fall Seeded Cover Crops:
Enhancing Soil and Reducing CI
Decision: Should I seed any cover crops post-harvest?
CI Impact: Default = 27.5 g/MJ CI with reduced tillage in Story County, Iowa
Adding cover crops = 15.67 g/MJ reduction
CI Recommendation: Cover crops can provide significant CI benefits, but do not adapt well on every operation. Partner with local cover crop experts to find ways to implement cover crops on your operation. (NOTE: GREET FD-CIC models positive and negative Soil Organic Carbon [SOC] changes. It does so by leveraging the CENTURY model when a specific state and county is selected. Therefore, the net SOC change varies county by county, and with some counties not being represented due to a void in local modeling data. Cover crop “Impact” can vary by 5-10 CI points from county to county).
Winter cover crops, such as rye or clover, are increasingly recognized for their role in improving soil health, reducing nitrogen losses, and sequestering carbon. Their benefits in reducing carbon intensity come through several mechanisms: Cover crops absorb excess nitrogen left in the soil after harvest, preventing it from leaching into waterways or being lost as N₂O. This nitrogen can then be mineralized and made available to the subsequent cash crop, reducing the need for synthetic nitrogen fertilizers. Cover crops increase organic matter inputs into the soil, enhancing its capacity to store carbon. This helps offset some of the emissions from fertilizer use and other inputs, improving the overall carbon intensity of the system.
Summary:
Lowering carbon intensity isn’t a one-size-fits-all approach, but understanding how fall management decisions can influence your CI score is the first step. Whether it’s optimizing harvest decisions around moisture levels, incorporating nitrogen stabilizer on Fall NH3, optimizing tillage, or experimenting with cover crops, each choice plays a part in shaping a farm’s future as a valuable low-carbon feedstock supplier. As markets for low-carbon grain expand, being proactive this Fall will not only improve your operation’s CI but could also unlock new opportunities for profitability and stewardship in the seasons to come.
Ross Cady
Agricultural Services Manager
Incite.ag
ross@incite.ag
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Incite.ag guides producers across the agricultural supply chain to Turn Emissions into Income. Incite.ag’s CI scoring system unlocks novel revenue streams and empowers producers to take control of their unique CI Scores. Learn more by hitting the link below or reach out to the team directly at success@incite.ag or 815.373.0177.
