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Volume 40, Number 14 | SEPTEMBER 2, 2014 $4.25 PRACTICAL PRODUCTION TIPS FOR THE PRAIRIE FARMER www.grainews.ca SPLITTING THE DIFFERENCE Splitting your nitrogen application can decrease your risk. Find out if it’s the right fertilizer solution for your farm PHOTO: COURTESY OF PRACTICAL PRECISION INC. Some farmers using split nitrogen applications use GreenSeeker technology. The GreenSeeker system lets farmers apply nitrogen in-crop at variable rates during the growing season. BY ANGELA LOVELL ability and crop growth, resulting A poor start to spring is anoth- have been shown to increase yield THE WESTERN EXPERIENCE in some yield reduction versus er situation where split nitrogen in winter wheat in Ontario by s a split nitrogen application When you compare split nitrogen non-coated urea, most commonly might also be useful. If a farmer seven to eight bushels per acre. worthwhile on the Prairies? application to banding an equiva- at sites where yield potential and cuts back on fertilizer due to poor All research indicates that the That’s a question researchers lent amount of fertilizer at seed- nitrogen demands were large. conditions in the spring, but the most important factor in whether have been trying to answer ing, there is little yield advantage, “Across a wide range of eco- season then improves to the point split nitrogen applications improve Ifor the past 30 years. The higher says Cynthia Grant with Agriculture regions and growing conditions, where he expects a significantly or decrease yield is weather. “Split fertilizer prices rise, the more farm- and Agri-Food Canada’s Brandon the use of CRU or split applica- higher yield potential than he first nitrogen applications have the ers want an answer. Is there value Research Centre. “Normally, our tions do not appear to provide a believed would be possible, adding potential to work very well but in hedging your bets — applying soils are dry enough and our season consistent improvement in crop extra nitrogen in-crop might help the weather plays a big role,” says part of your nitrogen at seeding short enough that losses between yield, nitrogen concentration in boost yields. Johnson. “The challenge with then waiting to see what yield fertilizer application and crop the grain, total nitrogen accumu- split nitrogen application is if a potential the season brings before uptake are not enough to make lation at harvest, or nitrogen use IN THE EAST producer relies too much on the you add the rest? Or, is it better to split applications significantly bet- efficiency as compared to recom- second application. For example gamble on having all the nitrogen ter,” she adds. mended applications of non-coat- The potential advantage of if 120 pounds nitrogen total is the the crop needs ready and waiting Dr Grant led multi-year research ed urea banded at the time of being able to add nitrogen in-crop target and 30 pounds of nitrogen in case the weather keeps you off across various sites in Western seeding,” says Dr. Grant. to take advantage of improving goes on up front, then most of the the fields when that in-crop appli- Canada into crop yield with con- There are exceptions where split weather conditions and increased nitrogen goes on in the second cation needs to be made? trolled release urea (CRU) and split applications may have benefits: yield potential is certainly support- application. If it starts to rain right There has been plenty of application of nitrogen as com- • Under wetter than normal ed by some of the research being when I want to put my second research done in both Eastern and pared to non-coated urea (NCU) conditions combined with warm done in Eastern Canada. Although application on and I am delayed Western Canada and consequent- just at seeding. The results showed weather which can lead to greater when results are averaged over a a couple of weeks, or if it doesn’t ly there are differing opinions on that urea applied as an in-soil band nitrogen losses in the spring; number of years there is no con- rain for two to three weeks after I the value of splitting nitrogen just at the time of seeding was gener- • When a high level of leaching sistent yield increase due to split apply the second shot — in both as there are different cropping sys- ally as or more effective in increas- has occurred due to lots of precipi- nitrogen application, says Peter those scenarios I reduce my yield tems and conditions on either side ing yield than use of a CRU, split tation on light textured soils; or, Johnson of the Ontario Ministry because I starve my crop for nitro- of the country. application of urea or a blended • In variable rate situations of Agriculture and Food. Johnson gen in that two or three week time The general consensus, howev- application of urea plus CRU. based on nitrogen sufficiency using has conducted the research in con- frame when the crop has high er, is that there is no significant The studies also found that systems like the GreenSeeker that junction with Dr. David Hooker, demand and I need the nitrogen yield advantage from split nitro- delays in release of the urea from allow farmers to apply nitrogen University of Guelph and found to be there.” gen applications over applying it the CRU occasionally appeared to rates to specific spots where defi- that, under certain weather condi- at seeding in most cases. limit early season nitrogen avail- ciencies are identified. tions, split nitrogen applications » CONTINUED ON PAGE 4 Publications Mail Agreement Number 40069240 In This Issue Wheat & Chaff .................. 2 Features ............................ 5 Crop Advisor’s Casebook 6 Columns ........................... 20 Cattleman’s Corner .......... 30 Machinery & Shop ............ 33 Floating fall fertilizer AGCO’s tractor lineup FarmLife ............................ 44 DANELL VAN STAVEREN PAGE 14 SCOTT GARVEY PAGE 36 2 / grainews.ca SEPTEMBER 2, 2014 Wheat & Chaff STAMPEDE BY JERRY PALEN had to track him down. This kind this is because my husband is of story will be gold at Christmas too busy in the spring — not LEEANN for years to come. because I have any yardwork MINOGUE skills. While the grass on our BEANS IN A POD front lawn was growing high enough for a duck to build a I took a look at the soybeans at nest, my husband was seeding, e got a late start a local field day last week. We’re spraying and working with roof- — the crops just new at growing soybeans, but ing contractors. I can’t exactly weren’t ready — even I could see that most of the explain why I didn’t have time but harvest is final- pods in the plot were filling with for the lawnmower, but in my Wly underway. We’ve already got four soybeans; ours mainly have defence, there were farm shows, most of the winter wheat in the three. I emailed Shawn Rempel, and a seven-year old who need- bin (with a slightly disappointing production manager for Quarry ed chauffeuring to soccer and yield and a little fusarium), and Seed, to find out why. school events. Yardwork didn’t we’ve made a good-sized dent in Shawn replied right away. “This make the top of the list. the canola swathing. is somewhat variety dependent. For I started to daydream about With local help hard to find example our TH 33003R2Y puts on moving to a yard-free condo in (darn high-paying oilfield jobs) and a lot of four-bean pods compared to the city. But I’d never get my the Temporary Foreign Workers other varieties. As the plots are all husband to leave the farm, and Program under attack, we created trimmed up and have a lot of space hiring help is much cheaper than our own Relative Workers Program in between the reps, they receive a getting a divorce lawyer. The two to get us through the harvest sea- lot of heat, which can exaggerate young women I found to come son. We’ve flown in a retired uncle the podding that you see.” out one day a week are doing an from Ontario and a young nephew We don’t need to worry too excellent job. Our yard has never from Vancouver to help us get the much. “Consistent three-bean looked better. job done. pods are always the best to achieve I was a little embarrassed to We’re not sure the accommoda- yield,” Shawn said. admit this. But when I finally tions and food we’re providing told a friend, she told me about would pass a detailed government CONTRACTING OUT a nearby farm family who has inspection, but the help are earn- contracted out the cooking. Every “I don’t think it’s stuck too bad, But it just keeps sinking.” ing their pay so far. Here are some I’m not sure I’m allowed to evening, one of the harvest crew reasons you might want to try this tell anyone this, so here’s hoping heads to town and picks up meals at home: my neighbours and relatives aren’t prepared by a caterer. Then he • Recently retired uncles are reading Grainews. delivers meals to everyone in the CONTACT US really conscientious. Maybe this This summer, I’ve done some- field. This operation has three only applies to my Uncle Bob, but thing that may cause me to lose combines, so there can be up to a he’s already spent more time plan- status as an “official farm wife.” dozen people to feed on a sunny Write, Email or Fax ning how to lay out the corners I don’t know exactly how this harvest day.

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