Prep jobs for March

Seeding in March is way outside our sphere of experience, so even if the fields could be seeded, waiting until late April or May is still recommended. We still have lots of winter left for a potential cold and snowy snap — as demonstrated this week in many regions.

Here are a few things you could do now:

Make final rotation and seed decisions and pick up seed, if possible. Check the thousand seed weight of seed lots in hand. This can help with seeding rate decisions and also with decisions on where to put heavier or lighter seed lots.

Set fertilizer rates for each field based on soil tests, yield potential, nutrient removal from last year’s crop and economics. Once rates are set, finalize application methods (dry, liquid or anhydrous ammonia) and line up supply.

Think critically about fertilizer product choices. Remember, fertilizer products just have to prove safety to be registered. Proof of efficacy and quality are longer required for registration. See more on the rules here.

Assess the risk for herbicide residue in the soil, given the soil moisture situation. A dry fall creates a higher-risk situation for herbicide carryover damage in the spring.

Further reading:

How much fertilizer does canola need?