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Increasing fertilizer cost requires most efficient useIncreasing fertilizer cost, particularly phosphorus, makes good management more critical, said a University of Nebraska-Lincoln specialist. Soil testing can help producers apply only the amount of expensive nutrients that are necessary, said Bob Klein, cropping systems specialist at UNL's West Central Research and Extension Center. Klein recommended a deep soil sample, starting with seven to eight inches of topsoil. That is the basis for a realistic phosphorus recommendation. That recommendation is also influenced by the amount of organic matter, as well as soil pH. Producers can use either broadcast or seed furrow application of phosphorus, Klein said. "Seed furrow application is the most efficient." Many farmers lack the equipment to do this, but some have had success with mixing 1152 phosphorus fertilizer with the wheat seed. "If you have a fertilizer dealer who can do this, that's a pretty good method," Klein said. "This is critical if you're planting late." When planting more than a week or ten days after the recommended seeding date, its very important to put the phosphorus right down with the seed. This seems to make up a lot for planting late, Klein said. In most of Nebraska's wheat-producing area, water is the limiting factor in wheat production. Sometimes when planting late, the crop uses less water in the fall so it will actually yield more because there is more soil moisture available in the spring, if the phosphorus is applied this way. Further sampling from 8 to 18 inches and from 18 to 36 inches provides information about nitrogen availability. Soil nitrogen, coupled with estimated yield, wheat and fertilizer prices determine the recommended amount of additional nitrogen a producer can apply to get the best yield at the best cost of production. For nitrogen, several application methods are available. The least expensive continues to be anhydrous ammonia. It has to be injected into the soil to prevent loss. Producers use a lot of liquids, including urea and ammonium nitrate, as well as dry urea. They need to be careful in applying these products because, under some weather conditions, the fertilizer can be lost to volatilization. For more information about soil sampling and the most economical fertilizer applications, go to cropwatch.unl.edu and click on "Soil Fertility" in the left menu bar. 9/1/08 Date: 8/26/08 Advertisement
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