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Tips for top dressing wheat in late winter, early springBy D. Bruce Bosley CSU Extension Agent, cropping systems Colorado The best thing about having a snowy winter is that wheat looks better in late winter and early spring and it has a better yield potential than after dry winters. The better conditions justify applying a late winter application of nitrogen fertilizer, especially if not all the crop's fertilizer was applied last year. Studies have shown that late winter/spring applied top-dress fertilizer N is more efficient and improves yield over an all fall applied fertilizer strategy. Wheat producers should evaluate their pre-planting soil tests and fall nitrogen applications in determining how much nitrogen to top-dress on their wheat. Nitrogen should be applied on the basis of one and three-quarter pounds for each bushel of expected wheat yield. Nebraska Extension has developed wheat and corn fertilizer Excel worksheets that help farmers calculate optimum fertilizer applications based on the cost of fertilizer and expected crop sale prices. When yields and price expectations are good, as they are this year, the fertilizer rate per bushel of yield goal is one and three-quarter pounds of nitrogen. When crop prices drop and fertilizer prices remain high under Nebraska's program calculations the amount of fertilizer needed drops even when yield expectations remain the same. Their worksheet calculates fertilizer applications in order to optimize net crop income. Apply nitrogen before the wheat begins jointing to enhance the yield potential. An application made after jointing has started normally enhances grain protein but is too late to influence the yield potential of the wheat crop. One place to not cut back this year is soil sampling for all spring and summer seeded crops. Because of increased fertilizer cost, the relative cost of accurate fertilizer recommendations based on soil tests is actually less than in previous years. Since fertilizer costs and grain value have both increased, it is still profitable to apply recommended rates of fertilizer, even though the up-front investment is higher. It is more important than ever that the proper fertilizer rate be used. Applying too much--or too little--fertilizer can result in substantial economic loss. Over the last two years the cost of soil sampling has not increased much, if any. Another advantage to having a snowy winter is that Russian wheat aphid tends to do very poorly under long term snow. However, weeds and some other insect pests may overwinter better. For this reason, spend a little time scouting your fields. Check subsoil moisture for a better guesstimate of any enhanced wheat yield potential. Check for weeds, insects, and other potential problems. Early spring is the best time of the year to eliminate weed competition on wheat with an application of herbicides. Using the right herbicides can keep fields clean through harvest and into the late summer, saving moisture for next season's crops. Please contact me, Bruce Bosley, about this or other cropping systems or natural resources topics at 970-522-3200, extension 285 in Sterling or 970-542-3540 in Fort Morgan. 3/24/08 Date: 3/19/08
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