Tips for Fall Nutrient and Lime Applications

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The fall season is a common time for application of fertilizer and manure. Here are a few tips to consider as you plan those applications.

  • Use current soil sample test results to guide need for phosphorus and potassium applications.
  • Monitor soil pH and consider lime applications in the fall to give time for soil pH correction before next years’ crop.
  • Avoid surface phosphorus applications immediately before heavy rainfall events.
  • Incorporate phosphorus fertilizer and manure to lessen surface runoff. However, avoid tillage if erosion is a concern, especially in low residue situations. Or, subsurface band fertilizers if using tillage systems such as strip till.
  • Inject manure to avoid nitrogen volatilization losses, reduce odors, and place phosphorus away from the soil surface.
  • Wait until soil temperatures are below 50○F and trending colder before making fall anhydrous ammonia applications.
  • If possible, wait for cold soil temperatures (see above) before applying manure that has high ammonium-N content, like liquid swine manure.
  • While fall is a nice time to make fertilizer applications, spring or sidedress is preferable for applying nitrogen.
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    Late Season Warmth and Dryness

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    Much of the Cornbelt experienced conditions warmer and drier than average in recent weeks. Temperatures for the first 25 days of September have been above average in the western two-thirds of the region with the departures becoming stronger moving from east to west. Meanwhile, much of Ohio and Indiana as well as parts of Illinois and Wisconsin have been close to average. After planting delays this spring and the cooler than average conditions that prevailed through mid-August, this late season warmth gave corn an opportunity to at least partially catch up in its development. In addition, it has served as an aid in drydown in those fields that have already reached maturity.

    Based on the September 24, 2013, US Drought Monitor, the US Department of Agriculture estimates that 54 percent of the US corn production is in some stage of drought. At this late stage of the growing season, additional precipitation will have little impacts on yields. In fact, any significant precipitation at this point is more likely to be a hindrance as the harvest continues.

    map-btd-2

    corn-drought

    Click to enlarge. Map courtesy of the US Department of Agriculture

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      Cover crop seeding into standing crops or after harvest?

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      Cover crops have gained in popularity in the Corn Belt over the last few years, and now is the time of year they are being seeded.  Some producers have already flown on cover crop seed into their standing corn or soybean crops, while others are waiting to drill or seed the cover crops after harvest.  With the delayed crop maturity and later harvest in some areas of the Corn Belt this year, it could be a good year to try seeding by air or with ground-based high clearance equipment, especially if seed is already purchased for species needing several months of moderate temperatures to grow.  Brassicas, legumes, and oats, for example, should be seeded no later than the third week in September for much of the Corn Belt, and flying them on now could still give some benefit to the soil.  Cereal rye is the most hardy of the cover crops grown in the region and can be successfully seeded after harvest throughout the region, and would be a good choice after corn harvest this year, particularly if next year’s crop will be soybeans.  Producers should consult the Cover Crop Selector Tool from the Midwest Cover Crops Council (www.mccc.msu.edu) for recommended seeding dates for their state and county, as well as seeding rates, depths, and other tips.  It is important for producers to do their homework on fitting cover crops into their overall systems, however, including choice of cover crop based on next year’s cash crop and the method and timing of termination in the spring.

      Video: Cover Crops – Fall Seeding … This short video features an aerial seeding
      demonstration at a field day in Iowa on September 11, 2013.  Aerial
      seeding of cover crops has been in full swing for the past two weeks in Iowa
      and will continue as crops mature across the state.

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        Drought issues returning

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        drmon

        The most recent US Drought Monitor map shows drought returning to larger parts of the Corn Belt in the last few weeks. This has been driven by warm temperatures over the last part of August. Dryness has existed across parts of IA, MN and SD over the middle part of the summer. But cool temperatures during that same period had reduced the stress on crops. With the return of warm temperatures in the latter part of August, the dry areas began showing stress quickly.

        Areas of Iowa and Missouri have degraded to D2-Severe Drought with surrounding areas of SD, MN, and IA with D1 – Moderate Drought.

        In some ways the heat in the latter part of August was welcomed in pushing crops along to development. But the extended period of heat without moisture is stressing crops, pushing some to early maturity and browning.

        Large parts of the central part of the corn belt are watching for freezing conditions because of the late development. We will post more about that as information becomes available.

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          July and August Rainfall in Missouri – The Tale of the Haves and the Have-Nots

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          Missouri has experienced some large precipitation disparities this summer, ranging from moderate drought to historic flooding. The disparities have been especially notable in August. Some south central counties have received 15-20 inches of rain this month, whereas 120 miles to the north…not a drop.

          Several counties across northern Missouri have received less than 2-inches of rain since July 1, which is more than 6-inches below normal. Crop stress has emerged in the driest areas, with some firing and leaf curling reported, more notably in upland areas, or in soils with higher clay or sand content. Cool July and August temperatures, in combination with below normal ET rates, have mitigated full drought stress potential but corn yields are declining due to the current high water demand of late planted corn, and during a critical growth stage. Soybean growth has also slowed down in these drier areas.

          Unlike last year, below normal evaporative rates this spring and summer has had less impact on surface water supplies, and they remain mostly adequate despite the extended dry spell across northern Missouri.

          For podcast, please visit:

          <http://www.radiodeege.com/Podcasts/2013/08/19/july-and-august-rainfall-in-missouri-the-tale-of-the-haves-and-the-have-nots/>

          For information on historic flood event across southern Missouri, please visit:

          <http://www.crh.noaa.gov/sgf/scripts/localdata.php?loc=appevents&data=2013/2013aug10/summary.htm&format=noprint|nomenu&type=html>

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            Corn and Soybean Development in Illinois

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            Late planting and weather that continues to be cooler than normal has many wondering if the corn and soybean crops will reach maturity and harvest moisture within a reasonable time this fall. Emerson Nafziger, Principal Investigator on the Sustainable Corn project and Professor in Crop Sciences at the University of Illinois, offers his assessment in The Bulletin.

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              Crop Progress 7-17

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              The latest crop progress data for corn and beans. In the main Corn Belt 16% of the crop has tasseled compared to the 5 year average of 35%. Obviously early season cold temperatures and late planting are still affecting overall development. The most glaring data are from Iowa and Minnesota where only 1% of the crop is tasseling where they should be around 29% and 24% respectively. This has affected markets a little. While there is expected to be ample corn available based on USDA planting reports, the late development of the crop always presents a little concern for a couple reasons.

              1) Delayed tasseling pushes the critical reproductive period of corn later in the summer when higher average temperatures and lesser chances for precipitation increase the chance for stress. With some corn planted in very wet conditions there is even greater concern this year with limited root growth.

              2) Later development pushes chances for an early freeze to damage crops. This is far enough out that we cannot talk about it specifically as to when a freeze might occur. But the delay in development will certainly push maturity closer to the freeze date.

              New climate outlooks will be posted later this week looking at the rest of the growing season.

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                Spring state summary data (temperature and precipitation)

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                NOAA has released the state and regional summary information for the United States.  This information breaks down regions, states and climate divisions within state and ranks the temperature and preciptation information based on the last 119 years.  Just released today were the May and spring rankings.

                The most significant features for the spring were the cold.  Top ten coldest for states from North Dakota down to Missouri, while not quite as cold in the rankings in the eastern corn belt.  Precipitation was top ten wettest for most states in the Upper Midwest with Iowa having the wettest spring on record.

                Go to:

                http://www.ncdc.noaa.gov/temp-and-precip/maps.php?

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                  Precipitation maps show reason for planting delays

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                  After the very serious drought issues throughout the corn belt during the growing season 2012, the opposite issues are impacting much of the corn belt this season with central parts of the corn belt delayed in planting compared to average and slow developing because of wet field.  The following map shows percent of average (normal) precipitation over the last 90 days.   Colors in green to blue and shades of purple are wet – purples more than 150% of average (or more than 1.5 times average precipitation).   Much of Iowa, Illinois and Missouri as well as western Indiana and southern Minnesota and parts of Wisconsin are the wettest area.  Embedded in some of these areas are spots with over 200% of average precipitation (more than double) the 30 year average.

                  90dPNormNWSCR

                  These states are the ones in the main part of the corn belt farthest behind in soybean planting according the USDA NASS reporting today.  Through 2 June the three states below are the most delayed in soybeans.

                  Illinois                   49%

                  Iowa                     44%

                  Missouri               36%

                  Other surrounding states are well ahead with even Indiana at 76%.

                  The drier areas surrounding (yellow to red) indicate drier than average conditions over the 90 days leading to better ability to do field work and plant (and where planting progress is more advanced).

                  Similar deviations show up at nearly all time frames from 30 days back to the beginning of the calendar year.  Harry Hillaker, Iowa State Climatologist has reported this being the wettest spring on record (March to May) at 16.65”.

                  If there is any consolation, it could be worse.  If this spring had happened after a particularly wet fall where soil moisture profiles had been completely refilled, conditions (and flooding) would have been more problematic.  Because of the dryness last year there was ample storage in the soil moisture profile and in surface water bodies in much of the area.

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