Sidedress season is here, and many producers, agronomists, and consultants will be making decisions about putting additional nitrogen on their corn. If you ask five different people how much nitrogen you need, likely you would get five different answers. This is because of the many factors that come into play when calculating nitrogen uptake and availability. With today’s technology we can really fine-tune our recommendations and follow up on our predictions through soil nitrate testing. Not having the accurate nitrogen rate in a field can cost a producer two ways: through missed yield opportunity from underapplying, or through overspending on nitrogen when overapplying.
The biggest factors in determining corn nitrogen needs are yield potential, soil fertility, application timing, and weather. We can manage three of these factors with yield data, grid sampling, and application equipment; but when it comes to weather we obviously take what comes our way. By choosing to sidedress a portion of our nitrogen mid-season, we can more accurately apply the right rates of nitrogen based on remaining soil nitrogen and crop health. A producer can also minimize nitrogen loss significantly by a split application.
At WS AG Center we have the technology to help our customers make the most economical fertilizer recommendations for their crops. We know that our success is based on the success of our customers. Call our Agronomists to let us help you fine tune the needs of your crops through data management, soil testing, aerial imagery, plant tissue analysis, and precision application—all of which are helping producers save money and increase yield.
Andrew Tucker