This is a problem that my lab and other labs are trying to tackle directly.
There are a few potential solutions to this problem. One solution is altering the root architecture of a corn plant, through breeding, to better take up that nitrogen. Agronomically, another solution is that our farmers generally apply fertilizer in a single dose, or as a top-up second dose, a side dressing. What we need is better information on how often and how much fertilizer should be applied.
In terms of corn, the peak nitrogen demand is actually not early on. When we apply fertilizer in the spring, it's actually when the plant starts to produce grain. That's the problem we need to bridge. The improved slow-release fertilizers that I referred to are one potentially easy solution, but another is improved machinery, high-boy type machinery, to allow you to spray fertilizers later on.
There's a suite of solutions that need to be addressed. There's not enough money in this area. It's potentially an easy fix, but there's not enough funding in this area. Some of it's just basic agronomy, but basic agronomy's not well funded in this country or in any other country in the world.