Wisconsin Commercial Nitrogen Optimization Pilot Grant Program

Grants from Wisconsin DATCP to agricultural producers developing innovative commercial-nitrogen optimization practices, carried out with a University of Wisconsin monitoring partner.

• The agricultural producer must be an individual farmer or a group of farmers.

• The project design must run for at least two years; longer-term projects get priority.

• The producer must collaborate with the Universities of Wisconsin (UW) and allow DATCP and UW project staff access to the trial site for the whole project.

• The project cannot currently be funded through other state or federal programs.

• A producer may be the grant applicant for one grant project per cycle.

• To site a project on land you don't own, you need the landowner's permission.

• The applicant can be a producer, an independent crop consultant, a nonprofit, a county conservation department, or another organization or individual working with farmers, but not a UW employee.

Award. The maximum award depends on the project option, per producer:

• Nitrogen Response Trial: up to $40,000

• Zero-Synthetic Nitrogen Test Strip: up to $6,000

• Reduced Nitrogen Rate: up to $6,000

• Custom Nitrogen Research: up to $10,000

Several producers can join one application; for example, a Nitrogen Response Trial with two producers may apply for up to $80,000. Applicants don't need to budget for UW's monitoring and research support, which DATCP funds separately.

Fine print. Awards are for a two-year project unless the contract says otherwise. Nitrogen Response Trials and Zero-Synthetic Nitrogen Test Strips must include a zero lb-N/acre treatment. Funding is not final until all parties sign the contract, and DATCP may hold payments until all required reports, data and surveys are submitted.

Cycle 5 (award years 2027-2028) is open, in two steps.

1. Intent to Apply, due December 18, 2026. This is mandatory. Send the Intent to Apply form, outlining your project basics, to Monica Schauer or Megan Blauwet at UW. Any later change to the pre-approved design must be approved by UW's NOPP Research Director before you submit the final application.

2. Final application, due January 15, 2027. Submit Part 1 (narrative) and Part 2 (budget and work plan) electronically to DATCPNOPP@wisconsin.gov.

The RFP, Intent to Apply form and application parts are on DATCP's NOPP Application and Grantee Information page.