As the spring planting season gets underway, agronomists and farmers are asking about the best ways to protect spring-applied nitrogen. How much nitrogen might I lose if I cannot incorporate it? Does vertical tillage incorporate fertilizer enough? We have compiled some resources to help answer those questions. There are three ways to lose nitrogen fertilizer: […]
This article originally appeared in the AGVISE Laboratories Spring 2024 Newsletter. Each spring, we get questions about what form of phosphate fertilizer is better. The debate over orthophosphate and polyphosphate has raged for decades. Just when we think we have put the issue to bed, it comes up again! These questions originate from the simple […]
This article is shared annually to help answer frequently asked questions about nitrogen fertilizer applications and nitrogen losses in the fall. October is here, and many people are preparing for fall nitrogen fertilizer applications. Before you hit the field, we want to share these important reminders about fall nitrogen application timing and placement to help […]
This article originally appeared in the AGVISE Laboratories Spring 2025 Newsletter. Cool and wet soil conditions can limit root growth and phosphorus uptake during the early growing growing season. This is why starter phosphorus placed with or near the seed can be so effective in enhancing early plant growth and development. In small grains, starter […]
This article originally appeared in the AGVISE Laboratories Spring 2023 Newsletter If you thought high fertilizer prices would resolve after one or two years, it is looking like those prices are becoming the new norm. At such prices, every fertilizer dollar you spend must be spent to guarantee the best bang for each buck. This […]
Spring planting is clipping along in some parts of the region, while other parts are still waiting to hit the field, as excessive rainfall and cold temperatures have delayed spring field work and planting. Who would have thought last fall that this is what spring 2022 would look like, after the worst region-wide drought in […]
This article originally appeared in the AGVISE Laboratories Winter 2022 Newsletter Broadcast or band? For phosphorus and potassium, these are big fertilizer questions. In recent months, high fertilizer prices have prompted farmers and agronomists to consider other strategies to reduce fertilizer costs without jeopardizing crop yield. Among the most common and effective options is placing […]
As the corn crop begins to emerge, it is time to prepare for sidedress nitrogen applications. Sidedress nitrogen for corn can be applied any time after planting, but the target application window is generally between growth stages V4 and V8 before rapid plant nitrogen uptake occurs. Split nitrogen applications have become a standard practice in […]
Starter fertilizer placed with or near the seed is essential for vigorous early season growth in grass crops such as corn and wheat. We plant these crops early because we know vigorous early season growth is important to achieving high crop yields. Early planting also means cold soils, and starter fertilizer is necessary to get […]
When profits are squeezed, more farmers are asking about optimal starter fertilizer rates and how low starter fertilizer rates can be. These questions are the result of wanting to keep fertilizer costs down, to plant as many acres per day as possible, and to take advantage of more efficient, lower rates of banded phosphorus fertilizer […]