Understanding how much nitrogen actually gets taken up by plants is key to improving efficiency—both for profitability and sustainability.
Tag Archives fertilizer application
Rethinking nitrogen efficiency
Tracking nitrogen with stable isotopes offers surprising insights into fertilizer uptake, loss, and management strategies
Maximize your nitrogen efficiency with the right practices
Strategic application can reduce N losses and boost productivity
Speaking at Ag Days, Bryce Geisel digs down into nitrogen loss pathways and how applying the right practices can keep your N fertilizer where it belongs.
Cutting N on oats can pay off, if it’s drier
Potential gain in net revenue must be weighed against opportunity cost
Glacier FarmMedia — It’s possible to make more money from oats by reducing fertilizer rates, according to research done at four sites in Saskatchewan. But like most things in farming, a lot depends on the weather. Less nitrogen equalled more profits in trials done in 2023 because it was a dry growing season. “When you […] Read more
New Dutch Agriculture opener knife prevents seed burn
Wider fertilizer-to-seed spread reduces toxicity risk in dry conditions
With drier growing conditions over many areas of the Prairies in the last couple of seasons, some growers applying high rates of fertilizer have been experiencing incidents of toxicity with seed. That problem has led some to look for different opener knives for their air drills that provide more seed-to-fertilizer separation. “We had customers come […] Read more
Feeling the pinch
Uncertainty across commodity and input markets creates difficult choices for farmers
Farmers are facing a tight squeeze this fall. Commodity prices are low, and the lower input prices that they’re used to this time of year are not materializing. Keystone Agricultural Producers president Jill Verwey says it’s a tough time for growers. “Being able to make a profit this year is going to be pretty slim,” […] Read more
VIDEO: Salford introduces Valmar AB640 air boom applicator
New granular applicator gets a wider 90-foot air boom
Growers now have more choices than ever on how to apply a lot of fertilizer in a short amount of time. In July Salford introduced its newest and largest air boom applicator. With a 90-foot boom, the Valmar AB640 goes well past the brand’s previous flagship model, the 9620, which offers 72 feet of working […] Read more
In Brief: Agco CEO sees good global demand for new equipment
In a webcast earnings report at the beginning of May, Agco CEO Eric Hansotia said the company has seen its net profits fall during the first quarter of 2024. Slower sales are a trend all brands have said they expect to see in 2024. “We focused on reducing production more than the industry decline and […] Read more
Feeding dry fields
Prairie farmers find more than one way to optimize fertilizer efficiency, whether in dry growing seasons or in any growing season
Farmers and crop consultants in Western Canada have slightly different approaches to manage weather-related fertilizer application risks. With variable moisture, do you apply the full amount at seeding and hope for rain — or find another way? Most producers contacted by Grainews opt for some version of split fertilizer application when facing dry growing conditions […] Read more
Nitrogen use in corn re-examined
Research from the U.S. Midwest sparks controversy, but the solution may be easier
Glacier FarmMedia — When it comes to nitrogen use in corn, it’s always been a question of how much to apply. University of Illinois research on the source of N — that is, how much a corn plant gets from fertilizer and how much from soil — has initiated a considerable amount of debate since […] Read more
Early results are in for variable-rate fertilizer economics
Researchers at Olds College are trying to determine the break-even point for producers
A primary argument for variable rate technology (VRT) is that it enables farmers to be more exact in their use of crop inputs. By breaking fields into specific zones where different or variable application rates can be used, producers are no longer tied to flat rate applications and can make targeted decisions on where and […] Read more
Cyber-Savvy Farmer
