Issue 15 September/ October 1998	First Production Management Step for 1999
Library Home E-Mail Back Prairie Grains is the official publication of the Minnesota Association of Wheat Growers, North Dakota Grain Growers Association, South Dakota Wheat, Inc., and the Minnesota Barley Growers Association.	Soil testing this fall is one of the first management tools producers have for a productive growing season in 1999, and fall fertilization marks the first commitment and cash expenditure for next year's crop. A few tips to keep in mind from the Minnesota Extension Service: Wheat requires 2.5 pounds of nitrogen per bushel, barley 1.75 pounds, corn 1.25 pounds and sunflower 5 pounds per hundredweight. Soil testing will identify how much nitrogen a field has, and experience tells what an average yield for that field should be. Which nitrogen source to use, anhydrous ammonia or urea, becomes a matter of cost and convenience. Fall application risk of nitrogen loss is reduced by delaying applications until the soil cools to 50 degrees or less. Soil temperatures generally drop to that range the first week in October. Tillage operations following harvest can increase the amount of nitrate-N measured. The increase will depend, to some extent, on soil temperature and the organic matter content of the soil. Volunteer small grain and weed growth will absorb nitrate-N and measured amounts can be reduced. Soil testing for phosphorus, potassium, micro nutrients, pH and organic matter can take place any time after harvest as these nutrients are not mobile in the soil and are not subject to bacterial conversion as nitrogen is. n
Copyright Prairie Grains Magazine September/October 1998