Agricultural News
Deal With Wheat Nutrient Needs Now- So Says Dr. Brian Arnall of OSU
Tue, 17 Jan 2012 19:40:56 CST
With the calendar now saying January, it's time to really take a hard look at top dressing your winter wheat crop, according to Dr. Brian Arnall of Oklahoma State University. As we go through the limited growth winter season, we need to prepare for the high nutrient demands of the 2012 crop when it breaks dormancy.
Arnall says that if you soil tested back in late summer before rains came and started to break down your crop residue from this last growing season- the higher nitrogen levels you saw on your fields then may be all but gone now if you got fall rains which allowed your winter wheat to take off and get established. He says the problem is that crop residue- once it starts breaking down- can absorb a lot of available nitrogen, which drops fertility levels for the wheat you are trying to grow.
Arnall says that you need to "look at the market- look at fertilizer prices and consider adding nitrogen to help you produce more bushels at harvest time." If you see any hints of deficiency- you need to get moving quickly with your top dress application to make sure you meet the needs of the plant as it comes out of winter and begins to grow quickly.
We also talked with Brian Arnall about the value of N-Rich strips and how widespread their use has become across the state. They offer a real warning system of nutrient shortfalls, which can be addressed if you respond quickly.
To hear our full conversation with Brian Arnall on campus at Oklahoma State University, click on the LISTEN BAR below.
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