We often hear that someone has a low salt fertilizer that is liquid. Many people associate salt with table salt. However, we know fertilizers do not contain sodium chloride. So what is a liquid fertilizer low in salt and what implications does that have? Defining Salt Let’s start by defining salt. A salt is a...Read More
Winter Fertilizer Application During my winter travels with Ward Laboratories, I frequently observe dry fertilizer application on frozen ground. This is generally an ill-advised practice. In Nebraska, the “Bomb Cyclone” event of March 2019 is a well-documented example of why we advise to avoid amendment application on frozen or snow-covered ground. In this event, large...Read More
Ward Laboratories has been performing stalk nitrate testing since 1990. This test can be utilized to evaluate the efficiency of your in-season nitrogen program for corn and sorghum. A stalk nitrate analysis is to be used only for agronomic management. When evaluating nitrogen use efficiency, we specifically check a lower portion of the stalk for...Read More
Irrigation water analysis might not be top of mind when thinking about crop fertility, but it is a critical piece. Consider that the minerals in the water end up on the field. This can mean less fertilizer is needed. Conversely, it can mean there is a need for additional applications on dry land. So, let’s...Read More
When we make fertilizer recommendations for upcoming crops, it’s good to consider nitrogen credits from past crops. Leguminous species like soybean, alfalfa, and clover may provide a nitrogen credit for the next season’s crop. However, there are a few misconceptions about where the nitrogen credit comes from. Soybean Nitrogen Credits For this example, we’ll talk...Read More
Profitability vs. productivity can be a tough concept because those of us involved in production agriculture want to produce more. We want to be more productive, raise higher yielding crops, and achieve and exceed our yield goals. But at what expense does that additional productivity come? First, a trip down memory lane… I earned my...Read More
