Wet conditions prevented normal fall fertilizer application in parts of Western Canada last fall, leaving growers looking at options for delivering nitrogen to this year’s crop.
As Don Flaten, soil scientist at the University of Manitoba, explains in this episode of Canola School, there’s no one-size-fits-all approach. Growers will have to consider their limiting factors and evaluate which options are most timely and effective.
The list includes pre-plant broadcast or banding, placement in the seedrow, side-banding or mid-row banding at seeding, surface application right after seeding, and split applications during the growing season.
“There are so many options, and different options are going to suit different people,” he notes.
And it’s not only about timing and placement. In many of these wet soil-related scenarios, there’s a case to be made to use nitrogen products that reduce the risk of volatilization, says Flaten. “This is the perfect year for considering some of those extra efficient type products.”
Flaten and Kelvin Heppner discussed spring nitrogen strategies at the Canola Community Summit held at Kelburn Farm just south of Winnipeg:
Flaten and Manitoba Agriculture’s John Heard have published a fact sheet outlining the pros and cons to different nitrogen application approaches. Read it here.
Related: Canola School: Moving to Multiple N Applications for Canola
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