November 5, 2014
Microbial processes in the soil slow down as temperatures cool. Therefore, sampling late in the fall will provide a close representation of nutrient levels at seeding next spring. Fall soil tests give growers time to process samples and get results and recommendations. That information can be used to develop a fertilizer program for this fall or next spring…
November 5, 2014
A risk with fall application of nitrogen fertilizer is that denitrification and leaching will remove a large percentage of the applied fertilizer before seeding starts in the spring. This is a legitimate risk, as losses compared to a time-of-seeding application can be 30-40% in moist and warm conditions. To reduce this risk…
October 8, 2014
The key strategy of fall fertilization is to store nitrogen over the winter in the ammonium form – which is held on clay and organic matter – and is referred……
October 8, 2014
Take fall samples when soil temperatures drop below 10°C, or cooler. Because microbial processes in the soil slow down as temperatures cool, sampling late in the fall will provide a close representation of nutrient levels at seeding next spring. The cooler the better when sampling, but you want to make sure you can still get the probe down 24”. Submit…
July 23, 2014
Sulphur and nitrogen deficiencies are showing up in some canola crops. The crop may not have received enough fertilizer to begin with, especially if this year’s rates did not compensate for high yields and high removal last year. Excess moisture may have added to nutrient losses. Flowering is not an ideal time to top dress, and applications any time after…
July 3, 2014
Two potential top dress situations are showing up in canola fields across the Prairies this week: 1. Excess moisture and poor nutrient availability. 2. Crop runs out of nutrients…
June 18, 2014
Excess moisture can reduce soil nitrogen levels through leaching and denitrification. A top dress could address this. But excess moisture and other weather factors that set back the crop may also reduce overall yield potential, which means the crop may not take up as much nutrient anyway…
May 27, 2014
Top dressing fertilizer usually occurs after emergence, often as a response to increased yield potential or as a remedy for noticeable deficiency symptoms. However, growers are looking at top dressing this year as a logistical aid in getting the crop seeded faster. Here are some agronomy messages to help in your decision making…
April 3, 2014
This figure show the yield response of hybrid canola to applied and soil nitrogen. The blue line is what matters when assessing the return on investment and your risk assessment with regard to nitrogen. Here’s how to read the figure…
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