Perhaps we should go ahead and just call 2014 the year of variability. Manitoba farmers struggled with a late, wet spring, as did many parts of Saskatchewan. Alberta has largely fared far better, with the pendulum swinging the other way and into too-dry for the Peace region.
Crops can grow their way out of the hangover of a late, tough spring under good conditions, but cool and wet (to extremely wet) conditions are weighing on the 2014 crop. Corn is faring relatively well, but excess moisture and compaction issues are showing up as the crop reaches moves into the V7 stage.
In this Corn School episode for Western Canadian growers, PRIDE Seeds market development agronomist, Dieter Schwarz runs though scouting corn for nitrogen deficiency and making the call on an N application, including what two key pieces of information you need, plus when it may be too late to do the job yourself.
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