Juliet Marshall March 3, 2011 Fertilizer Strategies: SULFUR AND NITROGEN FOR PROTEIN BUILDING
Direct Seeding in Eastern Idaho Inadequate amounts and poor timeliness of rainfall events 2
1991 1993 1995 1997 1999 2001 2003 2005 2007 2009 6 4 2 0 2 4 6 20 Year Annual Precipitation, Aberdeen, Deviation from Average of 8.75 inches/year Inches of Precipitation / year
Inches 21 20 19 18 17 16 15 14 13 12 11 10 9 8 Grace, ID, Annual 20 yr Precipitation annual precipitation 2 per. Mov. Avg. (annual precipitation) average 1989 1990 1991 1992 1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009
Soil N 1 ft 2 ft DON T FORGET (S) SULFATES!!! 3 ft In wet years (2009 at some locations), loss of nitrogen with leaching results in lower protein. Roots won t follow N they follow moisture.
Direct Seeding in Eastern Idaho Inadequate amounts and poor timeliness of rainfall events Lack of production options Lack of market options Yield declines: years of continuous grain, nematode, disease and insect buildup, and drought stress Input costs rising 6
OBSTACLES IN TARGETING PROTEIN Accurately predicting yield goal Fertilizer placement / Equipment Variety selection Marketing options Protein versus yield! Inversely related.
Reminders Check seed weight for optimum seeding rates, and seed according to # of plants per acre. Some varieties have smaller seed, and seeding at high rates will result in lodging under irrigation or excessive early vegetative growth and subsequent rapid depletion of soil moisture under dryland conditions.
Nutrient Requirements for Dryland Grain Production Nitrogen Phosphorus Sulfur Micronutrients? Maybe Cl
Importance of Fertility to the Crop Meeting the nutrient requirements for yield Meeting fertility needed for quality Balanced diet means healthy plants; healthy plants means stress tolerance Consider phosphorus fertilizer with nitrogen at planting for for optimum root growth, Sulfur for wheat protein quality 10
Importance of Fertility (N) to the Crop Meeting the nutrient N requirements for yield Meeting N fertility needed for quality (protein building! N and S is an essential component of amino acids and protein) Not enough N = reduced yields and quality = LOSS $$$ Too much N = late maturity, lodging, disease susceptibility, yield reductions, potential loss with leaching or high rainfall events = LOSS $$$ 11
Estimating Nitrogen Availability and Application Needs 1) Level of residual inorganic soil N 2) Mineralizable N 3) Previous crop residues 4) Realistic yield estimates 12
Estimating Nitrogen Availability 1) Level of residual inorganic soil N 2) Mineralizable N 3) Previous crop residues 4) Realistic yield estimates 13
Estimating Nitrogen Availability Level of residual inorganic soil N SOIL TEST! Sample 1 2 weeks prior to planting Sample TWO depths for N 0 12 and 12 24 Sample at least 20 areas representative of field Send to reputable lab 14
Estimating Nitrogen Availability Level of residual inorganic soil N Nitrate N NO3 Ammonium N NH4 + Plants will take up both sources of inorganic nitrogen 15
Estimating Nitrogen Availability Level of residual inorganic soil N Multiply ppm by 3.6 to get lbs N per acre 16
Estimating Nitrogen Availability 1) Level of residual inorganic soil N 2) Mineralizable N 3) Previous crop residues 4) Realistic yield estimates 17
Estimating Nitrogen Availability Release Mineralizable of nitrogen N from organic matter Usually of minimal importance in low organic matter soils Is difficult to estimate 45 lb N per acre often used can be 30 60 lbs 18
Estimated Nitrogen Contribution to Crop from Soil Organic Matter Decomposition Based on Percent Organic Matter in the Surface 0 12. Soil Organic Matter Content N Contribution % lb/a < 0.05 10 0.5 1.0 15 1.0 1.5 20 1.5 2.0 25 > 2.0 30 19
Estimating Nitrogen Availability 1) Level of residual inorganic soil N 2) Mineralizable N 3) Previous crop Crop residues Residues Grain straw has very low amounts of N additional 4) Realistic N needed yield to facilitate estimates tissue decomposition Balance OM source with residue demand 20
Estimating Nitrogen Availability 1) Level of residual inorganic soil N 2) Mineralizable N 1) What can you reasonably expect based on 3) your Previous soil, crop environmental residues conditions, and management practices? 4) Realistic yield estimates 2) Variety yield potential, water management, pest control, lodging control 3) Use expected yield to estimate crop demand 7 year average, minus the highest and lowest 21
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Estimating Dryland Barley Crop Needs Realistic estimation of average (achievable) yield is CRITICAL Assess soil moisture reserves Separate low yielding areas (25 60 bu/a) from higher yielding areas (>60 bu/a) Balance N for yield with N for plumpness Plump, not protein, often limits malt quality on dryland 23
Estimating Dryland Barley Crop Needs Nitrogen demand for Dryland barley: 1.2 times yield potential when EY < 60 bu 1.2 to 1.4 times yield potential when EY > 60 bu Recommendation: Dryland barley should be fertilized at planting for season long need. Fertilize with nitrogen at the lower rates unless you can expect good moisture. 24
Estimating Dryland Barley Crop Needs Nitrogen demand for Dryland barley: 1.2 times yield potential when EY < 60 bu 1.2 to 1.4 times yield potential when EY > 60 bu Conservative N rates are important to maximize the odds of producing malting grade dryland barley. 25
Estimating Wheat N Needs Requirements are different for soft wheats versus hard wheats, irrigated versus dryland, hard whites versus hard reds 26
Estimating Dryland Wheat Crop Needs Always Accurately Predict Yield, and assess soil moisture. For EY > 60 bu / A; 2.5 2.7 lbs of N needed per bushel of hard red winter wheat 3.2 3.3 lbs of N needed per bushel of hard red spring wheat Topdressing hard white and hard red to meet protein goals not feasible under dryland conditions MAYBE foliars could be used to boost protein, especially in good years where preplant fertilization was underestimated. 27
Estimating Dryland Wheat Crop Needs Always Accurately Predict Yield, and assess soil moisture. For EY > 60 bu / A; 2.5 2.7 lbs of N needed per bushel of hard red winter wheat 3.2 3.3 lbs of N needed per bushel of hard red spring wheat Recommendation: Dryland wheat should be fertilized at planting for season long need. 20% of total N as ESN would increase chance of targeting N for protein. 28
Without soil test: When EY = or < 60 bu/a N Fertilizer to Apply Yield Winter Wheat Spring Wheat bu/a lb/a lb/a 20 0 0 25 10 15 30 20 30 35 35 45 40 50 60 45 65 75 50 80 90 55 95 105 60 110 120
Suggestions Leaf testing for total N content
Suggestions Leaf testing for total N content
Nitrogen Demand from Crop: Crop N required per bushel Dryland barley <60 bu/a 1.0 1.2 Dryland barley > 60 bu/a 1.2 1.4 Dryland wheat soft white 2.7 Dryland wheat hard red 3.0 3.3 Dryland wheat hard white 2.7 3.3
Suggestions Fertilizer Placement BANDING: OPTIMUM placement will be banding below and to the side of seed bed. Banding fertilizer should increase efficiency of use and uptake by the plant, may reduce total N requirement. Use the cheapest source of nitrogen. Equipment availability obviously determines method of fertilizer application.
Suggestions Fertilizer Placement IN FURROW: Use the cheapest source if 20 lbs N / A or less is needed to meet fertilizer needs for expected yield. If additional N is needed to meet yield goals, coated urea ( ESN ) fertilizers substantially increase seed safety. However. For malt barley, delayed N release = high protein!
Suggestions Starter fertilizers critical in establishing strong seedling growth consider N, P and S Adequate N and P applied preplant stimulates tiller development. Tiller development is linked with root growth and the development of adventitious roots.
Suggestions Starter fertilizers critical in establishing strong seedling growth consider N, P and S Salt effects start becoming damaging above 20 lbs of N/A when applied with seed Slow release (coated) fertilizers are an alternative if all fertilizer needs to be preplant and in furrow (wheat) Split applications possible additional N can be applied with herbicides at tillering if there are unexpectedly high spring rains
Suggestions Sulfur fertilization recommended: 10 20 lbs SO4/A or apply 1 lb per acre of S for every 10 lbs of N for optimum protein quality 10 20 lbs KCL prevents physiological leaf spot, especially with durum wheat following a root crop (20 lbs KCL if soil tests indicate levels are low, i.e. less than 40 lb/a in the top two feet)
Questions???