Alberta Farm Fertilizer Information and Recommendation Manager

Overview

The Alberta Farm Fertilizer Information and Recommendation Manager (AFFIRM) Version 3.0 is a web-based decision support application. It helps land managers evaluate fertilizers and livestock manure management options, and formulate a fertilizer program that fits within the farm budget. This in turn:

• optimizes crop production
• minimizes nutrient losses
• supports profitable and sustainable crop production in Alberta

Optimizing production for profitability

AFFIRM helps land managers optimize crop production by determining appropriate nutrient application rates. Nutrient application rates are dependent on the principle of identifying the limiting growth factor and diminishing economic returns based on crop price, fertilizer nutrient costs and the farm fertilizer budget.

“What if” scenarios

The application allows the user to compare nutrient management scenarios based on the 4R nutrient stewardship principles for right nutrient source, right time of application, right placement and right rate. The user can enter information specific to their situation into AFFIRM to test various cropping, nutrient management and climatic scenarios to optimize nutrient management decisions.

AFFIRM features

The AFFIRM decision support tool:

• is a full spectrum nutrient recommendation tool for Nitrogen (N), Phosphorus (P), Potassium (K), Sulfur (S) and micronutrients
• accepts soil test results from a variety of laboratories that use various soil test procedures.
• provides individual field or sub-field nutrient recommendations
• assists with making fertilizer decisions for farming operations
• completes an economic analysis of fertilizer application options and a whole farm optimization of nutrient application decisions and budget limitations
• allows the user to consider various crop choices, and economic scenarios based on crop prices and fertilizer costs
• uses low, intermediate and optimum moisture conditions for spring soil and growing season based on legal land location, soil regions, precipitation probabilities, irrigation and soil texture
• presents fertilizer recommendations, economic analysis and farm optimization in easy to understand messages, tables and graphics
• evaluates the effects of different management strategies that includes crop selection, crop management, moisture conditions, manure management and nutrient stewardship
• presents diagnoses of soil-related crop problems
• helps maintain records for crop management, soil and manure test information, fertilizer costs, crop prices and field specific user notes
• is designed to be used by a wide range of users, including producers, crop specialists, farm consultants, industry agents, researchers and students
• can recommend fertilizer rates for over 160 different cereal, oilseed, pulse, forage and specialty crops grown on either dryland or irrigation within the province
• is based on soils and agronomy research predominantly within Alberta, and sometimes within Western Canadian prairies with growing conditions similar to Alberta

New in Version 3.0

Improvements in this version include:

• updated yield response curves based on measured or estimated spring soil moisture, growing season precipitation and irrigation rates
• nutrients from manure sources affected by timing, placement, rate and weather conditions, in nutrient recommendation and analysis
• nutrient stewardship options for fertilizers and manures based on time of application and placement
• inclusion of crops that represent cereals, oilseeds, pulse, forage and specialty crops grown on either dryland or irrigation within the province

AFFIRM has also been updated to include:

• estimated nitrogen release from soil organic matter (soil mineralizable nitrogen), nitrogen from previous crop residue, manure nutrients and fertilizer products for nutrient sources
• new fertilizer products such as enhanced efficiency fertilizers

Access AFFIRM

Step 1. Sign up for an Alberta.ca Account

To use AFFIRM, you must have a basic Alberta.ca Account.

Create an Alberta.ca Account

Step 2. Sign in to access AFFIRM

Sign in to use AFFIRM

Publications

The AFFIRM v3.0 User Guide provides information on AFFIRM and how it generates recommendations.

For an overview of how fertilizer recommendations and economic analyses in the AFFIRM v3.0 application were developed, see the article: Do EFF Nitrogen Products Fit on Your Farm? (Top Crop Manager West, September 2020).

Agreement

• The AFFIRM application and any written materials that might accompany the electronic version of AFFIRM ("written materials") are proprietary to and all rights except those expressly given herein remain with His Majesty the King in right of Alberta ("Agriculture and Irrigation").
• The AFFIRM application and written materials are protected by Canadian copyright law and international treaty provisions.
• This agreement authorizes you to access the AFFIRM application.
• This agreement allows you to freely distribute the written materials.
• You may not reverse engineer, decompile, disassemble, or create derivative works from the AFFIRM application.
• In no event will Agriculture and Irrigation be liable to you for any claims, costs, losses or damages, including without limitation, lost profits or lost data arising out of the use or inability to use AFFIRM or any data or any advice supplied therein.

Disclaimer

The intent of AFFIRM is not to reproduce fertilizer recommendations and target yield predictions made by various private laboratories. Rather, AFFIRM generates recommendations from procedures outlined in the Soil Test Recommendations for Alberta, the soil test calibration research conducted by Alberta researchers, the yield response equations developed by Agriculture and Irrigation and, when necessary, soil and fertilizer research from western Canada. Soil test laboratories have various mechanisms for developing fertilizer recommendations that may include research from Alberta. Agriculture and Irrigation, having no control over individual information being entered, makes no representations or warranties, expressed or implied, as to the predicted yield responses to fertilizer use generated by this system and assumes no responsibility or liability for use of the program.

Contact

Connect with the AFFIRM team:
Email: [email protected]