Fertilizers in no-till operations

Fertilizer usage and placement in no-till operations is different than the methods used in conventional tillage. Some of the key nutrients to monitor in both tillage operations include nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium.

Below are graphs showing the amount of the nutrient the plant uses, in relation to which part of the plant the nutrient is going to and when during the growing stages the plant is using the nutrient. This example, from Jerry Wilhm’s presentation on Fertilizer Application Options for No-Till and Strip-Till at the National No-Tillage Conference looks at corn and the nutrients that are shown include nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium.

Source: Fertilizer Application Options for No-Till and Strip-Till

Source: Fertilizer Application Options for No-Till and Strip-Till

Source: Fertilizer Application Options for No-Till and Strip-Till

Knowing when a plant will utilize nutrients and which part of the plant will use the nutrients can help you determine when it will be most beneficial to apply fertilizers.

Why are fertilizers used differently with no-till?

Since the soil is less mobile in no-till farming, the placement of fertilizers requires more analysis to determine how and where to apply fertilizer. The limited mobility also influences the way fertilizer is applied in no-till operations.

Soil testing is a key practice to help with fertilizer analysis in your fields

From the Purdue University publication 12 Do’s for Successful No-till Corn Following Soybeans, [link to article] it is recommended that alternative sampling methods for P and K are needed to address the stratification of fertilizer. Take a sample for the upper four inches and a sample for the lower four inches of the old plow layer. Average the samples and compare the result with the recommended amount for the full eight inches to determine your fertilizer needs. If the lower soil sample shows low levels of the nutrients, it may be necessary to use a deeper fertility placement technique or minimal tillage.

The Purdue publication also makes a recommendation when testing the soil pH level. Since the use of nitrogen can lower the soil pH, it is important to test the top two inch layer of soil and make the necessary adjustments to correct any problems.

Proper testing and management is important to prepare for any weather conditions the growing season may bring. In drought years, the plants will grow longer roots in an effort to use the nutrients that are deeper in the soils.

Depending on how some of your test results make out, you may need to consider a different type of application to best utilize your fertilizers. For instance, a broadcast application is best for even top layer distribution; however, if your soil is in need of more intense nutrient development, you may need to consider more intense applications.

Look out for this year's weeds and insects

Problems resulting from last year’s drought are far from over, and farmers will need to take necessary precautionary steps to stay on top of weed and insect management.  If you haven’t already started planning your management program for this year, now is the time to start.

One of the hardest challenges you will encounter with weeds is your application timing. Depending on the weather this spring, it may be too windy or rainy to be out in the fields when you want to be. Last year’s drought has caused a variety of concerns related to what we can expect this year.

Source: http://bulletin.ipm.illinois.edu/article.php?id=432

 Palmer Amaranth, a glyphosate resistant broadleaf weed, is expected to be a concern for this season due to its high water efficiency and its competitiveness among other pigweed species, according to Vince Davis, a weed scientist from the University of Wisconsin in the article Weed management concerns germinate post-drought.

According to Dr. Kevin Bradley from the University of Missouri, 18 states are currently dealing with glyphosate resistance in Palmer Amaranth.

Davis suggests using an early preplant application as part of your weed management plan to overcome weed problems in your fields.

Recalling last spring, Davis points out that weeds were able to get a jump start on growth with the early spring weather. This was paired with dry, dusty conditions that made spray conditions difficult in many areas. Together, this has created a great situation for weeds to take over.

2013 Field crop insect concerns

Insect problems in the field vary from year to year, and it is necessary to monitor all of your fields for insect pests that can damage your crops.

According to the 2013 Insect Control Recommendations for Field Crops, provided by the University of Tennessee, certain production practices can greatly hurt your crops and should be avoided while others can help your crops.  Destruction of weeds and cover crops by tillage or herbicide three or more weeks before planting will reduce the risk for cutworm infestations.

Some of the more common insecticide resistance problems are related to managing the tobacco budworm in cotton, cutworms which are mostly found in reduced tillage or legume cover crops and bean leaf beetles on soybeans.

As with any pest management plan, early detection is important to keeping the problem from spreading. While some of the insects you find can be detrimental to your crops, others such as lady beetles, brown lacewings, and assassin bugs can be beneficial as well. It is important to implement regular scouting in the fields and to be able to properly identify insects. This will help you develop your pest management plan.

Source: http://www.ianrpubs.unl.edu/epublic/live/ec1579/build/ec1579.pdf

What to look for on your chemical labels

Before heading out to the fields this spring, here is a quick review on how to read chemical labels and some of the things to look out for. Handling and using chemicals properly will help prevent dangerous situations for yourself and the environment.

Understand label contents

All chemical labels will contain a variety of information including the chemical trade name, chemical common name, chemical name and the application rate. The trade name is the name the product is sold under. The common name identifies the active ingredients that are found in the chemical, and the chemical name describes the active ingredients.

Chemical rates can be given in terms of active ingredient per acre. To calculate the active ingredient per acre, look at the example below. The product formulation represents the amount in pounds of active ingredient per gallon of chemical. Multiply the product formulation by the amount of product per acre to find the amount of active ingredient per acre.

The product formulation is calculated a little differently depending on whether you are using liquid or dry chemicals. For dry chemicals, divide the pounds per acre of active ingredient by its concentration in the product.

For example, if 2 pounds of active ingredients are needed per acre and the product is a 75 percent powder, you will divide 2 by.75 to get 2.67 pounds. This is the amount of powder needed per acre.

Liquid chemical labels, on the other hand, may give the concentration in the acid equivalent. Divide the pounds per acre of acid equivalent that is needed by the pounds per gallon the product contains.

Chemical purpose and how it works

Some of the terms you should be familiar with when working around chemicals include the active ingredient, other ingredients, mode of action and mechanism of action. Chemical labels will typically contain these types of information that can help you with your plan of action.

Active ingredient dictates the amount of non-acid chemical in the formulation. The active ingredient in an herbicide is the part of the chemical that kills weeds and normally makes up a small portion of the whole chemical.

Other ingredients typically serve some function other than what the active ingredient does. For example, the other ingredients may increase shelf-life or help spread the product more evenly on plant surfaces.

 A chemical’s mode of action describes which plant processes will be affected by the application. Some examples of these processes include absorption, translocation and metabolism.

The mechanism of action, also known as the site of action, refers to the biochemical site within a plant where the herbicide directly interacts.

Chemical safety

It is important to follow safety guidelines when working with chemicals and to use personal protective equipment. This will help protect you from coming in direct contact with harmful chemicals that can be hazardous to your health.

It is important to always read the chemical label before each use and to ensure the chemical is appropriate for your application. Using the right chemical is not enough though, it is equally as important to use the recommended amount of chemical for each application. Working outside of the label and manufacturer recommendations can cause injury to the plants and can be harmful to yourself.

What’s next with chemical labels?

The Environmental Protection Agency is currently pushing for a web-distributed labeling system as part of an initiative to improve pesticide labeling. According to the EPA’s website, the new approach would largely replace the paper-based system and relies on the applicator to contact an official pesticide labeling website or call a toll-free number to obtain proper instructions for the chemical’s use.

Crop insurance deadline approaching

March 15 marks the last day to sign up for most federal crop insurance protection options. Last year’s drought makes for a solid argument as to why crop insurance is an important piece of any grower’s risk management plan. 

Source: http://www.iruhl.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/02/crops_insurance.jpg

 

Without crop insurance, a bad growing season due to weather can wipe out a great deal of an operation’s finances. If disaster strikes, you will be glad for your crop insurance protection. Among the many coverage options growers have to choose from, it is essential to know the differences between them. 

Insurance plans can provide different coverage depending on the option you select, can be based on the following:

•        Actual production history 
•        Actual revenue history 
•        Revenue protection 
•        Revenue protection with harvest price exclusion 
•       Yield protection

The USDA Risk Management Agency’s Actual Production History (APH) coverage is designed to protect growers against natural disasters, and growers select the amount of coverage based on average yield. 

Similar to APH, the Actual Revenue History (ARH) insurance plan is available to protect against losses from low yields and prices and is based on historical production history of that farm. 

Another option, the Revenue Protection Plan, provides coverage for yield losses from natural causes with prices calculated by the change in actual harvest prices compared to projected prices. The other Revenue Protection Plan with Harvest Price Exclusion, is designed to provide the same type of coverage but uses only the projected price and not the harvest price to calculate losses. 

Also, a yield protection plan is available that provides the same type of coverage as the APH plan, but the yield protection plan uses a projected price to calculate insurance coverage. 

To learn about these programs or the many others that are available, check out the USDA Risk Management Agency website.   

Before making the decision for crop insurance, it is important to talk with your insurance agent to find which option is best for your operation. 

According to the AgWeb.com article Farmers Tweak, Up CropInsurance Coverage, there is a clear trend heading into 2013. 

Tim Copeland, the vice president for Great American Insurance Group, said in the article, “We are seeing farmers take more coverage than in previous years.”  Copeland feels that some of the deciding factors for farmers include rising crop values and last year’s drought.