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seen wild wheat prices, and this is a good way to incorporate those changing values,” said Franzen. He worked with
colleagues who have incorporated similar recommendation systems for corn, but spring wheat required adding the unique factor of protein.
Gone from the new recommendations is the farmer’s estimated yield projection. “In the past we’ve asked people to predict their yield,
and I hate that because you can’t do it,” he stated. In the new recommendations, productivity is divided into three ranges; low, medium and high. “Don’t think of what you’re going to grow in the future. Think
totally of what you’ve done in the past and use that as your basis and don’t try to predict your yield at all,” advised Franzen. “Think of what the potential has been, and what you have actually achieved, and base
your productivity levels on that. I think that’s a hugely better system.” The high productivity recommendations are for 60 bushels or more, but Franzen says the recommendations will support those farmers who are
able to raise 80, 90 or even 100 bushel wheat under the right environmental conditions.
NDSU’s new canola and barley recommendations make distinctions between east and west, so Franzen did the same thing for wheat, and
even added a third area; Langdon. “I thought I’d analyze everything in the east, minus Langdon. Something was weird up there, and it wasn’t the people,” said Franzen. “Very early in my career, and ever since,
whenever you go up to the Landgon area, even before the flax flowers it falls down, the spring wheat falls down, the durum fell over when they were growing that in the 90’s. Usually, when a crop falls down prior to
flowering, that’s an indication your nitrogen rate is too high, but they were using reasonable nitrogen rates.” After analyzing the data, Franzen decided to carve an area out up there, analyze the data, and it
supported his hunch that the Langdon area needed its own fertilizer recommendations.
To utilize the new recommendations, use your Google search for “Dave Franzen NDSU” to access his home page. There you will find his
North Dakota Spring Wheat and Durum Nitrogen Calculator. The calculator is not designed for winter wheat. To use the calculator, you must know the location of the farm, the general productivity of the soils, the
price you contract for wheat, the cost per pound of N, the soil test nitrate-N to a depth of 2-feet, and the previous crop. The recommendation given to you recommends is the average optimal rate, but can be adjusted
up or down 30 lb N/acre depending on wheat variety protein traits, special soil conditions such as susceptibility to spring denitrification, application techniques that may not be most efficient or historical
experiences from the field or part of a field that may influence N uptake and efficiency.
The new recommendations are certainly a change from past practice, but a change designed to bring farmers the maximum economic return
from their wheat and durum fields.
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