Summary Soil nitrogen supply (mineralization, loss) can be influenced by weather (soil temperature, moisture) each spring. OMAFRA leads an annual Pre Sidedress Nitrogen Test (PSNT) survey to gauge year-to-year levels across Ontario. PSNT soil samples were collected from 93 sites across Ontario from May 31st to June 2nd, 2021. The average PSNT value was 13 […]
Corn is the perfect crop for receiving the nutrients from manure. Liquid manure applied to meet two-thirds of the nitrogen needs will generally provide a good balance of the macro and micro nutrients needed for a highly productive corn crop. Using commercial starter and nitrogen for the balance of the crop’s needs ensures nutrients […]
AgriSuite is an interactive online collection of management tools and calculators, developed by OMAFRA that you can access from your desktop or mobile device. AgriSuite assists you with key crop fertilization management decisions and how they relate to optimizing crop production and protecting the environment. AgriSuite: The Field Management Calculator helps with nutrient balancing to […]
Phosphorus is an essential element for plant and animal growth and is necessary to maintain profitable crop and livestock production. Balancing your crop’s fertility needs is complex. Let AgriSuite help you make decisions. The Phosphorus Loss Assessment tool for Ontario (PLATO) is new to AgriSuite. The PLATO calculator helps determine the risk of field scale […]
Balancing your crop’s fertility needs is complex. Let AgriSuite help you make decisions. Applying nutrients to economically meet crop needs can be challenging, especially when manure or other organic amendments make up a portion of those nutrients. Since nutrients from organic sources don’t come in pre-determined blends, this calculator takes sample analysis […]
Introducing….to your mobile device or computer, the newest in a series of on-line calculators. The phosphorus loss assessment tool for Ontario, nicknamed PLATO, will help determine the risk of phosphorus (P) loss from nutrient applications at a field scale.PLATO takes both field characteristics, such as erosion risk and soil test level, as well as P […]
Introducing….to your mobile device or computer, the first of several on-line AgriSuite calculators that will help with agronomic and environmental land use decisions. The nutrient management software (commonly known as AgriSuite, which includes NMAN and MSTOR) has been available to Ontario Farmers for many years. Although popular, it is perceived to be mainly a regulatory […]
In much of Europe there have been restrictions to applying manure only during the growing season. There the technology has been perfected over time to meet those needs. Wouldn’t it be fitting to bring the technology to Ontario without the same application restrictions? I asked a few custom applicators what was holding them back from […]
Nutrient deficiencies can seriously impact crop yield. Certain deficiencies are seen every year in Ontario field crops, such as nitrogen deficiency in corn and manganese deficiency in soybeans. Others are brought on or made worse by environmental conditions – for example, potassium deficiency in soybeans and boron deficiency in alfalfa (Figure 1) during dry spells. […]
Summary The Pre Sidedress Nitrogen Test (PSNT) soil samples were collected from 66 different sites across the province between June 17th and 19th, 2019 The average PSNT value was 8.3 ppm, which is below the long-term average of 12 ppm Consider corn stage and yield expectation along with PSNT values when determining nitrogen rate requirements […]
Did you know that OMAFRA has a handbook that’s all about nutrients and soil fertility? It’s called the Soil Fertility Handbook and was first published in 1998. The book covers topics such as soil testing, soil pH and lime and fertilizer application. There’s a chapter on organic nutrient sources, like manure, biosolids and cover crops, […]
Correcting soil pH problems is one of the first steps in good soil management. If you have soil sampled recently and found that pH is low, you should act on it. Soil pH affects the availability of a wide range of nutrients in soil; if it is too low or too high, nutrients are less […]
Before long, the 2018 winter wheat crop will be seeded across the province (Figure 1). Long-term research at the University of Guelph’s Ridgetown campus shows that winter wheat in rotation provides an additional 10 bushels per acre to corn and 5 bushels to soybeans. At current crop prices, that means an extra 107 dollars per […]
A recent news article (Ontario Watershed study shows over application of phosphorus) phosphorus is being over applied by Ontario farmers. The research quoted in the article gives no indication of soil fertility levels, and gives little information on soybeans in the rotation, all of which are essential to nutrient balancing. If growers apply 50 lbs […]
It is National Soil Conservation Week this week, so I thought it would be a good opportunity to look at the impact of erosion on soils in Ontario over the past few months. Throughout the middle of April we’ve had some intense rain events. We had a mild winter this year in southwestern Ontario, with […]