Nitrogen Fertilizer: Does It Help Build Soil Organic Matter?

Co-written by Dr. Laura Van Eerd, Associate Professor, Nitrogen Fertility and Cover Crops, University of Guelph Ridgetown Campus Soil organic matter (OM) is the single most important soil health property that you have influence over through your management. Soil OM is all living, dead or long dead (and decomposed) material. Higher soil organic matter translates […]

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2016 Ontario Soil N Survey

Co-Authored with Ian McDonald, OMAFRA and Ken Janovicek, University of Guelph OMAFRA Field Crop Unit staff have traditionally conducted a Pre Sidedress Nitrogen Test (PSNT) survey across Ontario at the beginning of June each year to examine the natural soil nitrate available. In the past, 80-100 samples would be collected from fields across the province […]

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2015 Ontario Soil N Survey

Co-author Ken Janovicek, University of Guelph. Background The OMAFRA field crop unit in collaboration with farm cooperators, agribusiness and SGS-AgriFood Labs conducted the annual survey of soil nitrate nitrogen levels across the province from June 3rd to June 5th, sampling over 130 fields. The samples were collected after heavy rainfall events during the weekend of May 30-31, where […]

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Investigating Yield and Economic Performance of a “Build and Maintain” Fertility Approach versus a “Sufficiency” Approach in Corn: Interim Report

Current P and K recommendations in Ontario guide crop producers to apply a rate of fertilizer that will provide the greatest potential of an economic response during the year of application. Increases in crop yields over time have resulted in higher nutrient removal rates which have decreased the “equilibrium” soil test values where average crop […]

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Interpreting a Detailed Manure Analysis

Analyzing organic amendments, such as manure, compost, digestate and biosolids, has always been recommended for macro-nutrients, but there is more to manure than just N-P-K. Significant micro-nutrients, organic matter and other elements are also present, and can reveal additional cost savings or management precautions. An analysis does not give a lot of detail about the […]

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Toolbars for manure injection

Manure Injection – New technology = More Options The goal:  To increase the opportunities for injecting manure into a variety of growing crops with nutrient placement as similar to commercial fertilizer placement as possible. Traditional manure injection combined manure application with primary or secondary tillage gives the benefit of full disturbance of the soil profile […]

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