Regular soil testing is a critical component of good crop production. It allows you to monitor soil fertility levels, identify potential for nutrient deficiencies, and make fertilizer decisions based on the best possible information. Perhaps you had samples taken this fall and sent off, and have received the soil test report back (see Figure 1 […]
There’s a right time for everything. Every year, the Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs (OMAFRA) receives calls about winter spreading. Long, cold winters that come after a wet fall and/or late harvest tend to make winter spreading more common. However, spreading on frozen or snow covered ground, on saturated soil or before […]
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 […]
Innovations in Manure Application Equipment Wouldn’t it be nice if liquid manure application could wait until after corn planting was completed, with little risk of compaction or damage to corn plants? It may be the dog-days of summer, but kicking tires at an equipment demonstration and field day is a good way to evaluate how […]
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 […]
“Carbon to nitrogen ratio imbalance” is a term used to describe a type of nitrogen deficiency. A field recently had pulp and paper biosolids applied. The newly planted crop looked great, until the seedlings ran out of seed reserves and started utilizing soil nutrients. The crop then turned a neon shade of yellow. What happened? […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
Greg Stewart, Peter Johnson and Ian McDonald, OMAF & MRA Background In 2014 the OMAF & MRA field crops team once again surveyed a range of corn fields to determine the impact that this springs weather has had on the level of residual soil nitrate. This year April was cool with less growth than […]
Protecting water from manure nutrients would be a lot easier if the weather would cooperate. Most produers know that applying manure on snow or on frozen ground is a bad idea. Nutrients don’t end up where they are needed and more money is spent on compensating with commercial fertilizer. From an evironmental perspective, however, the risk is high […]
Potash levels are falling in some Ontario fields according to soil and tissue samples. K depletion is often a result of not fully accounting for K removal during forage years of the rotation. 3 years of alfalfa can remove more than 900 lb K2O /ac (Table 1). That’s 1500 lb/ac of muriate of potash (0-0-60). […]
Co-Authored by Ian McDonald Background: In 2013 a range of corn fields were sampled to determine what impact the weather has had on the level of residual soil nitrate. This year April was cool and relatively wet while the first half of May came in warm and dry followed by conditions since mid-May that have been […]
The fertilizer value of liquid hog manure is significant and can provide all the required P205 and K20 and most of the nitrogen required by a corn crop. The table below shows the average available nutrients on a per thousand imperial gallons per acre basis. The availability is based on spring applied and incorporated within […]
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 […]