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Safeguard wheat profitability with nitrogen reference strips
The high cost of nitrogen means that wheat producers should strongly consider playing it safe with nitrogen reference strips, according to Oklahoma State University's Division of Agricultural Sciences and Natural Resources. "Now more than ever, getting your nitrogen rate wrong will cost you," said Brian Arnall, OSU Cooperative Extension precision agriculture and nutrient management specialist. "Profit margins are such that few if any producers can afford to over apply nutrients in an attempt to achieve maximum yield, even during years when input costs are not sky high." A pre-plant soil test and knowledge of a field's historical performance often is enough for experienced farmers to produce near-optimum yields. However, use of an N-Rich or N-Ramp Calibration reference strip in every field allows producers to get an extra boost of nitrogen-use efficiency, thereby potentially increasing profits. The N-Rich strip is an area in the field that has received enough fertilizer so that no matter what the environmental conditions may be, nitrogen will not be a limiting factor during the growing season. The remainder of the field receives the standard pre-plant rate, and is often referred to as the "Farmers Practice." The N-Ramp Calibration strip has multiple nitrogen rates placed in sequence for a high to a low rate. In essence, the ramp is a series of small nitrogen studies that can be easily placed in any field. "An N-Rich strip is used in conjunction with the GreenSeeker hand-held sensor to determine a plant's midseason nitrogen needs," Arnall said. "A producer can use the N-Ramp strip to make a visual determination of the best rate, plus enhance what they see with GreenSeeker sensor readings to really nail it down." Reference strips give a producer the capability of measuring the crop's nitrogen needs at topdress. "The amount of nitrogen needed to reach maximum yields changes from one year to the next, so having a reference strip is an easy way to gauge the current demand," Arnall said. The best time to apply reference strips is when wheat is sown. However, they can also be applied up to a month after seed is in the ground. Arnall said producers should put out one or two reference strips in every area they plan to treat individually, whether the area is a field or zone. "Make sure the strips are at least a couple hundred feet long and in a section that is representative of the field," he said. "The nitrogen rate in the strip should be applied at a rate 25 percent greater than the yield goal recommended rate. Use the longstanding guide of 2 pounds of nitrogen per bushel of wheat to determine this." Also, producers should take soil samples to determine field needs relative to phosphorus, potassium and pH. "There are management areas where a producer should resist the temptation to cut corners, and having sufficient information to maximize his or her crop is one of those," Arnall said. Additional information on proper use of N-Rich and N-Ramp Calibration strips are available through the division's Nitrogen Use Efficiency Web site at http://www.nue.okstate.edu on the Internet. 9/22/08 Date: 9/12/08 Advertisement
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