Final version of NuGIS released by IPNI
November 2, 2011 β Norcross, Georgia, USA β NuGIS (Nutrient Use Geographic Information System) is a web-based nutrient balance model that predicts partial nutrient balance and nutrient removal to use ratios for the U.S. at county, state, and watershed scales. Harvest removals of N, P and K are estimated from USDA-NASS crop production data and the latest crop removal coefficients. Fertilizer use and recoverable manure nutrients are estimated from AAPFCO fertilizer sales data and Agricultural Census information for the five Census years from 1987 through 2007 with annual estimates since 2007 available in the near future. Balance estimates and the component data layers can be viewed via an interactive graphical interface or exported in tabular form.
NuGIS can be accessed by logging in at >http://nugis.ipni.net/login/<.
A preliminary version of NuGIS was made publically available in July of 2010 for review and evaluation. The final version has several important changes from the earlier version. They include:
- Use of data-based removal coefficients for corn, soybean, and wheat generated through an on-going national project coordinated by the University of Missouri. Removal coefficients will be updated periodically to have greater spatial sensitivity and to include additional crops as this database grows.
- The estimate of cropped area in the preliminary NuGIS was the sum of the acreages for the 21 crops used to estimate nutrient removal. The final version uses the USDA Total Cropland Estimates and Cropland Data Layer for the cropped area estimate. This change greatly improved the cropland estimates for regions with significant specialty crop production.
- Nutrient removal by commercial forestry was dropped.
- Nutrient removal by crops, other than the 21 monitored through routine USDA-NASS reports, was estimated using the average removal per acre for the 21 crops.
- Fertilizer use was estimated at the county level by smoothing county sales data utilizing kriging techniques to reduce the impact of cross-border sales.
- The process of migrating county estimates to HUC estimates was improved by using the Cropland Data Layer rather than the geographic centers.
Comments and suggestions for improving this model or the web tool are welcomed and can be submitted to: >nugis@ipni.net<.
Programming and GIS development provided by PAQ Interactive.
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For further information, please visit the IPNI website: >www.ipni.net<
Contact Dr. Terry Roberts at IPNI: tel. 1.770.447.0335; e-mail: info@ipni.net Or contact Gavin Sulewski, IPNI Editor, tel.1.770.825.8080; e-mail: gsulewski@ipni.net