USING INSURANCE TO ENHANCE NITROGEN FERTILIZER APPLICATION TIMING TO REDUCE NITROGEN LOSSES

Nitrogen applied before planting is more vulnerable to loss to the environment than nitrogen applied during the growing season, but the growing season application can increase the risk of lower yields caused by adverse weather that prohibits farmers to complete N application. An expected utility framework is used to illustrate the potential economic benefit of insurance for a farmer to reduce this risk of cost. An expected-value variance analysis is used to illustrate the potential benefit of insurance to Iowa corn growers who apply N fertilizer only during the growing season.