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Join the University of Minnesota Extension Crops team in addressing all your crop-related questions this growing season, from soil fertility, agronomics, pest management and more. We will tackle issues as they arise to help you make better crop management decisions this season.
Transcripts are auto-transcribed. If you need more accurate transcripts of an episode for ADA purposes, please contact Anthony Hanson - hans4022@umn.edu.
I'm Ryan Miller, crop extension Educator. Earlier this morning, we recorded in an episode of
the Strategic Farming Field Notes program.
Strategic Farming Field Notes is a weekly program addressing current crop production topics.
A live webinar is hosted at 08:00 A.M. on Wednesdays, throughout the cropping season.
During the live webinar, participants can join in the discussion and get questions answered.
An audio recording of the live program is released following the webinar via podcast platforms.
Thanks and remember to tune in weekly for discussion on current cropping and crop management topics.
Anthony Hanson: Oh, good morning, everyone, and welcome to field notes. This is a program with strategic farming. And we're going to have today is again another webinar that we have every Wednesday looking at different issues that pop up in the State in terms of, you know, our weekly updates that we have for University Minnesota extension and crop conditions.
Anthony Hanson: Alright. These sessions are brought to you by with generous support. with the Minnesota Soy Research Promotion Council and the Minnesota Corn Research and Promotion Council, and this is also provided by University Minnesota extension with that generous support.
Anthony Hanson: So everybody could join us today. The session today is going to be covered more about moisture issues that we're dealing with, whether it's too wet in some areas, especially earlier this spring, but then also too dry in a lot of areas. We just recently had some showers come through just last night some areas here in central West Central Minnesota. So there's some updates to have there on the moisture side of things. But then, also the time year. We are looking at
Anthony Hanson: side, dressing for nitrogen, and more of a nutrient management side of things. My name is Anthony Hansen. I'm an Ipm extension educator based out of Morris, Minnesota.
Anthony Hanson: Today, we're gonna have 2 folks on first is Dr. Fasu Sharma. she is an irrigation specialist base out of the Department of Soil, water, and climate, and then also Dr. Faden Fernandez, who's more of the nutrient management side of things out of that department as well.
Anthony Hanson: So about soon, Fabian, it's great to have you here, and I think, Vasu, we will start off with you here. Now, how are things looking for moisture across the State. And now we'll kind of go a little bit into first. You know, areas where it's maybe been too wet so far in the spring. And how are those areas looking?
Vasudha Sharma: Yeah, thanks for having me, Anthony. as you said, there are 2 things going on 2 wet areas, southern, mostly southern part, and then too dry. In the Central Minnesota, where we
Vasudha Sharma: usually have irrigation availability. Well, with very heavy rains in the Southern Minnesota, I think. early in the season we had some issues with the nitrate leaching, and Fabian would be maybe touching on that. But since we do not irrigate, and the soils are heavy soils. I would say there would be some moisture still available in the soil, maybe more block most of it that roots can take up later in the season. So
Vasudha Sharma: it allows. I mean, more water sometimes restrict root growth because there is too much water and can impact a yield. But since it was really early in the season, there could be some stand issues. But now, at this point, with good moisture in the soil that would actually make roots grow deeper if there is a
Vasudha Sharma: what in the deeper profile
Vasudha Sharma: talking about the areas where we have to luren. I was comparing data sets and beckers signed from last year, and this year, and just for the month of May and first week of June, we are 3 inches less than last year. The last year was the dry year. So it's really really dry. And I was out in the field a couple of days ago, and I wasn't starting a sensor. It looks like top 10 inches are really dry, but there is lots of moisture down there, so
Vasudha Sharma: it in one way. It's not a very bad thing. I would say it. It lets our root grow deeper in the soil to get that water. So at this point. Proc, can also tolerate lots of stress.
Vasudha Sharma: So we don't need that much water. But for the stress was really, if the stress is really early, there could be some Standish. But at this point, when a corn is around the 5, if we don't have that moisture and maybe top 6 7 inches and have lots of moisture down there. It would actually help roads grow deeper. So at Becker and West, for both sides of West Port is in Pope
Vasudha Sharma: for county, where we have another research side and both sides. I haven't irrigated yet. So Colin Soybean, our first Soybean irrigation is today.
Anthony Hanson: So that was one of my questions for us who is especially if you all say 10 inches down. That's when you're starting to find Poister for some of these, you know, just recently emerged crops. all tolerant are they to that drive conditions? Can they kind of
Anthony Hanson: move themselves along? even with pretty minimal moisture versus. What do you really want to be looking to irrigate, if you can? In that case I've definitely seen Pivot start up in West Central Minnesota about the last week. People concerned about that. But when is the best timing to be dealing with that?
Vasudha Sharma: Yeah. So we were also concerned about when our crop was not in March, so we actually pulled around 3 tenths for emergence and in West Port site in West Central But after that, once you have good stand. Your crop at this stage very early stage is you won't have that much loss if if your prop is slightly stressed, and it allows your roots to go deeper if you're top
Vasudha Sharma: profiling off or 6 inches is is really dry. So I would recommend in terms of irrigation. If you have a good stand, and your crop is in v. 3, v. 4. State, your roots will go deeper very quickly if there's moisture down there. So people usually think about, you know, when they irrigate. Just look at the top 6 inches, which is not, I mean.
Vasudha Sharma: So you you you need to go dig a little bit deeper. So so I was. The senses in that case, would help help a lot, because I have so much to senses all over my study. So I am very confident that there is moisture down there that my my crop can take up.
Anthony Hanson: Yeah, that's good to know. So I think you mentioned 3 tents you're putting on is that kind of what we're looking at for. Crop needs right now, if you do have to irrigate in that case, just for at least the crop stage is looking at right now. Yeah, it depends on it depends on crop to crop. And you know the crop growth stage as well as your irrigation system. So the capacity of the system also needs to be taken into consideration at this point.
Vasudha Sharma: when I said 3 tents that was very big at the beginning of the season, when we were just there was no water, and we were really anxious like, Oh, our crop is not emerging. So we just for for safety purpose, we just put 3 tents. But at this point, as we are moving forward because we are not
Vasudha Sharma: so in sands smaller irrigation and frequent litigations are mostly recommended, but not that small that you just vet your top 6 inches, and the water doesn't go down. So around 7 tenth of an inch is is usually recommended up to one inch when prop water demands are really high, which is close to tasling, like at Vt. In corn.
Anthony Hanson: And that's something to where we look at, you know, especially corn. And so I mean in this case. I know Central Minnesota, I mean, there's definitely not irrigation going on for alfalfa as well. That's whenever more water intensive crops to some degree. Have you heard anything on what folks have been dealing with on the off felt the side of things, or they just have your needs, or just the hot drive conditions here.
Vasudha Sharma: Yeah, I think I I I personally, I don't have any research for working with Alpha Alpha. But the conditions are same all over for all crops. It's really dry.
Vasudha Sharma: and growers are educating. But I don't have any direct data from Alpha, but I can talk about Gordon. So I've been that in beckers, especially both of my studies, where I have. Excuse me, corn, and so I mean the top 10 inches, 12 inches is dry but deeper. There. There is lots of moisture, so we can, you know.
Vasudha Sharma: Wait, maybe couple of weeks, and if you don't get delegation I rain, we? We need to irrigate it. We can't be too late, because then our crop will be really stressed, and we will have some yield losses. But this is the time when we can actually think about if we need irrigation or not, and how how much and where our water is in the soil profile.
Anthony Hanson: And that's a good follow up to in terms of folks that don't have irrigation. You get to other parts of the State, you know. We talked about South Central, where you got heavier ground. It's wetter, and you know they're probably sitting pretty well. But others, if you don't have the the option to irrigate.
Anthony Hanson: When are we getting to the point when we're getting pretty concerned here?
Vasudha Sharma: Yeah, around until for corn early around v, 13. And you know, we 13 to silking is is very
Vasudha Sharma: water critical period. So if you are at, you know, from emergence to we say
Vasudha Sharma: 10, you are okay with with less water. But as
Vasudha Sharma: you are close to your silking and the reproductive low stages, that's when water is really critical, and if you don't get those rains and it it's really dry, there could be some loss.
Anthony Hanson: So I think we can somewhat transition between both of us who and baby in this kind of question, potentially for both of you. help out on the nutrient side of things with you kind of mentioned a little bit poor, and areas is too wet, maybe a little bit of leaching there. but when it's this dry I'm thinking, more just
Anthony Hanson: erosion issues. I've seen some folks that were out late planting. You could just see soil fully off in the air pretty much. But kind of what nutrient issues are looking at in the combination of our water issues right now.
Fabian G Fernandez: Yeah, you know, I think Vasil headed on very well there with, you have those kind of they kind of in this state. You know some places where there's too much water in other places it's not enough water.
Fabian G Fernandez: The good thing is vas who says that it plans early in the development space. They don't need a lot of water, and they also don't need a lot of nutrient. And when we talk about it specifically well any of the nutrients but
Fabian G Fernandez: nitrogen. That is kind of the one that we normally focus a lot on. the plants need water to take up nitrogen. And so right now, because there is not that much need for nitrogen. If there is a little bit of lack of water, that's not a huge program because there is enough nitrogen to supply they need. So they probably the water that is there.
Fabian G Fernandez: But, but, like Basil mentioned, you know, once the plants start to to grow and they start to take up more water. They also need more nutrients. So they nitrogen is a big one. At that point, we definitely need to have water
Fabian G Fernandez: in the sandy soils. The benefit of being actually dry is is huge because we have looked at when we lose most of our nitrogen. And it's typically in the first part of the spring, when there is no crop or the grub is really small, we have access water
Fabian G Fernandez: the sandy. So then we have a capacity to keep nitrogen in the so what it moves very quickly. And so the fact that it's dry. It means that the the nitrogen that has been mineralized or Internet, you know, we have applied
Fabian G Fernandez: has not been lost. And that's that's a really great possible thing of these prior conditions.
Fabian G Fernandez: for the heavier soils in South Central. So with Minnesota, where we have had a lot more rain, and some of the southeast parts of the State as well. The increasing thing is that
Fabian G Fernandez: we lose nitrogen once. Nitrogen is a great form. and so if you apply nitrogen. In this spring we have a relatively cool screen. So there was not a lot of biological activity happening early on.
Fabian G Fernandez: And so quite a bit of that nitrogen. I suspect that would be in the morning form early on in the season. Now, of course, it is warm
Fabian G Fernandez: most of that night, and probably give me to be nitrate.
Fabian G Fernandez: so I would not be too concerned about Nigerian losses, substantial nitrogen losses. There were some losses in those really heavy rains where we had, you know, 6 7 inches of rain over a 10 day period
Fabian G Fernandez: but because that rain came so fast also, I don't think a lot of that water moved through the profile. I think most of that water quite a bit of that water I can kind of
Fabian G Fernandez: either ponded in the lower air in the field, or, or, you know, was washed out on the surface. And so it was not as much leaching. I don't think that's maybe we didn't. You think
Fabian G Fernandez: And so the big issue, I think, is, is kind of 2, 4. One is nitrogen lost in low lane areas of the field where Water pond it. That's typically what you will see most of the United Nations
Fabian G Fernandez: and then the other will be places where folks apply nit in the fall. because that n you have more time to notify.
Fabian G Fernandez: We had a kind of a warmer fall, and the the winter was an extremely cool.
Fabian G Fernandez: likely this spring wasn't too warm, either, so it wasn't. It wasn't cool, but it wasn't high either. So the the min early session is slow down a little bit, but those will be the 2 situations where I feel the biggest concern will be the fall application timing. And then those areas where you have pounding water.
Anthony Hanson: It's saving this kind of the different situations you describe reminded me out here, Westminster. So we have definitely some areas where you could see flooding like that earlier in the spring, but now, obviously to dry in a lot of areas. So Some folks are kind of seeing both ends that a little bit
Anthony Hanson: So this is kind of something for both you to This question is being more directed towards Fossu. But you can look at nitrogen credits for irrigation. Do you want to explain a little bit You know how that works? And you had an article about that recently. Actually.
Vasudha Sharma: yeah. So we fabulous. I worked on that article, I think, 3 years ago. And I thought, this is very tiny. So we published that article? and yeah, so irrigation water that you found from, you know, usually irrigation water is ground water in in Minnesota, actually 93% of it, and when we use that water it is sometimes nitrogen in it.
Vasudha Sharma: and if you don't credit that nitrogen, I mean it is saving of money. So that's why we put that in our, because also some economics of it. So if you have some nitrate in the water, and you test that, you can actually get that credit when you apply your own nitrogen fertilizer night version. So yeah, that's that's what that that that article is talking about.
Anthony Hanson: Yeah, that's something to to see about.
Anthony Hanson: nutrients, but especially on our night. Shouldn't side of things. This is the time of year where I've seen plenty of folks out there with an hydrist tanks already. kind of this last week, but you know some folks might be still out there working on that a bit, too. So we're hoping this is timely for people. So fate in, I think over to you. wetness applying nitrogen pay in terms of side dressing versus top dressing. what should goers be looking out for with this kind of the overall economics of it right now?
Fabian G Fernandez: Yeah. So
Fabian G Fernandez: I I always mentioned that the split applications or top grace, split applications depending on what? What? And the plan you you have in in place?
Fabian G Fernandez: the main reason we do. Those are for
Fabian G Fernandez: one is, if you plan it that way, so that you apply baby united in early on. And now you need to supplement the the nitrogen, or we lost a lot of 90, and then you have to go back and apply some additional nitrogen.
Fabian G Fernandez: But regardless of what the plan is the the reason we do this in season. Applications of nitrogen is to minimize the risk of nitrogen locks from every spring.
Fabian G Fernandez: Now, as the crop, it starts to grow quickly and it's drying up
Fabian G Fernandez: The potential for nitrogen loss is really low, and it gets lower as the season progresses, because
Fabian G Fernandez: any rain that we get is going to be you, that what it's going to be used either to replace the water that is lacking in the soil. Excuse me
Fabian G Fernandez: or will be taken up by the crop with the nitrogen in it. So
Fabian G Fernandez: This really sense it really is not much sense in as being a spoon feeding corn. to all this season. Some people talk about, you know, giving it a little shot of nitrogen at different times throughout this season. But in reality, if you apply nitrogen and it's not lost.
Fabian G Fernandez: we're going to be there for the crop, we'll use it. And so the best time I've done years of research. Now, looking at these questions of When is the best time to apply nitrogen, and everything points out to around the before to V, 8 development stage, which is right now.
Fabian G Fernandez: yeah, for most crops. He's the best time to apply nitrogen. If you wait later into this season you gain very little or nothing, and in actuality the some extent you get a little dryer. And so you actually run the risk of applying nitrogen that will not be available for the crop, because it would just say, they, on this whole service.
Fabian G Fernandez: will they be lost through volatilization.
Fabian G Fernandez: but ultimately not making it to the route and so waiting longer. It doesn't really pay. It's typically that before to be a timing is is the ideal time, plus. It's easier. logistically, you don't need high clearance equipment or things like that to to do the application.
Anthony Hanson: So we can have a couple of questions set up. Come in here. on the nutrient side of things. One is just in season nitrogen testing. They're wondering if basically pre testing especially in a corn sliding rotation preset pre-side dress. Nitrate test is what they're asking about. is that something that's, you know, definitely a good idea to be looking at there. Is it helpful in the corn soybean situation? Rotation?
Fabian G Fernandez: Yeah, we're actually doing a a large project right now, looking at that tool as a as a tool to you know how much, and I need to apply. And
Fabian G Fernandez: I would say it. It is a useful tool. It's not a perfect tool. But in in situations where you had you, you suspect that there is quite a bit of residual nitrogen.
Fabian G Fernandez: That's what I would use it. just to see if you have adequate amount of nitrogen. If it. This is, you know, around 25 parts per 1 million nitrate nitrogen. The first food that will tell you that you have adequate amounts of N that you don't need to apply anymore.
Fabian G Fernandez: And so, as a diagnostic tool can be really useful. But again, I would not do it in every acre. I would just only do it in areas where you suspect that there is quite a bit of nitrogen, either because you apply nitrogen early, or there was quite a bit of procedural nitrogen. That's what I would use it.
Fabian G Fernandez: but I would use that information also, looking at the rest of the the picture in your farm. as I mentioned, there were areas that I had heavy rains that they so got across the that they probably may not be looking very good.
Fabian G Fernandez: and so, you know, in some situations you may have very shallow roots. They prop may not look very good. and The first thing that we think when we see a pale crop is well, it needs more nitrogen when in reality the condition of the crop is very important, you know you. You cannot solve a a poor crop by adding more nitrogen. if if something else is the living impact. So keep that in mind as you look at those Psmd values.
Anthony Hanson: Right? Another question, a couple of them extra asking more about sulfur and either losses. We've had this spring. kind of just a little background on that particular nutrient. But also someone else is asking about ammonium sulfate, and kind of when's the best time or situations to be looking at that particular fertilizer set up?
Fabian G Fernandez: Yeah. So I'm on himself. A. It's a great nitrogen source. The the good thing about it, I I'm going to say, is that if you applied on the soil surface it doesn't globalize like you really would. So that's a benefit plus you. You had some sulfur with it.
Fabian G Fernandez: The one thing that I would cost you watching folks about is lead, burn it's one of the fertilizers that will create most more leads burned than than some of the others. And so, if you are doing a broadcast application. Do it as early as possible. The big of the plan. The the more chance that you have for for that provider to get into the world of the plan and create assembly damage.
Fabian G Fernandez: but it is definitely a good source and in terms of
Fabian G Fernandez: So for loss, it's the same story as nitrate. So if you have potential for nitrate what you will have the same for for sulfur now, most soils that have, you know a adequate amount of organic model, which will be the case this year for the areas where we got a lot of rain, you know, heavier soils with dark color, you have quite a bit of organic matter. And so, even though you might have potentially lost some of that software
Fabian G Fernandez: mineralization just like with nitrogen The same thing happens with sulfur. You will get the mineralized over, and and the crops will will have what they need.
Anthony Hanson: That's that's another. Follow up. I had no, as someone who. I'm not a soil scientist. I'm more kind of the the past management side. So mineralization is always kind of interesting one for me to hear about. But I'm not as familiar with it, and I think that applies to some growers out there, too. So do you want to scrap a little bit? Just kind of what goes on with neuralization? And sometimes we'll talk about where we have good mineralization some years. and how that's affecting our nutrient profile.
Fabian G Fernandez: Yeah. So I mean, early station is of huge importance to our agriculture. So we have the yeah fortunate
Fabian G Fernandez: situation of high organic matter in much of this State. And so there is a lot of Nigerian. So for in in that organic matter, and
Fabian G Fernandez: the easiest way to explain it is that good cold weather conditions are good weather conditions for minerals, so warm, moist soil are the best conditions for mineralization to take place.
Fabian G Fernandez: And we've we've done a number of studies looking at that portion of mineralization. How much of the nitrogen that is taken out by the crop is from the fertilizer versus the
Fabian G Fernandez: The sole organic matter to that process of minerals and
Fabian G Fernandez: fertilizers help they crop early on. But the majority of Niger in the crop ends up taking. It's actually coming through that process of mineralization. So it's it's that continuous supply of negative that comes from the soil.
Fabian G Fernandez: If you look at the the so profile of nitrogen. So for files throughout the growing season, you will notice that
Fabian G Fernandez: around v. 8 or so. The concentrations of nitrogen in this. So are pretty low. You know, they plan basically took it all up.
Fabian G Fernandez: And the remaining 19 that will be taken out is mostly being supplied by the solo in that process of manualization. So it's really important.
Anthony Hanson: All right, I have 2 more questions. Then I think we'll have to wrap up pretty soon. So first question is more on biological. So I'll give this to Fabian. In that case they're asking, do they actually add belly to a new tree of management program? especially. Ask about high price micronutrients kind of mixed in with biological, too. I know we hear a lot about that sometimes. And yeah, any advice you want to give in that topic.
Fabian G Fernandez: you know, I don't wanna sound negative. But the the data that that we see, you know, we are scientists. So we we are looking at data to make these statements, the data that I've seen doesn't convince me that it does provide much value. I mean, there are situations where, where potentially, you could get a benefit from biological, but by a large.
Fabian G Fernandez: Again, it's the so that we have in Minnesota. We're resilient, very good soils. They have a lot of nutrients in them, a lot of biological activity. And so we have not really seen
Fabian G Fernandez: my job of any benefit with most of these biological products that are out there.
Fabian G Fernandez: I would rather use that money into applying, for instance, nitrogen or phosphorus, and whatever it may be needed in your farm then using that for for biological. So you know. Sorry, not you. You have a, you know, prayer picture. But that's that's basically what we are seeing is that they don't really go by a lot of value in most situations.
Anthony Hanson: Yeah, and that's our job, as scientists sometimes say, that you know this thing, you know, may not pencil out sometimes in terms of costs. And what benefits are there? one thing about the micronutrients thing, too, is
Fabian G Fernandez: sometimes folks worry quite a bit about micronutrients, and I would say, if you have a micronutrient issue, he will be crystal clear that you have my communication. The plan will show it to you. And so if you don't see those
Fabian G Fernandez: the efficiency symptoms. it's that you are okay. Yeah, you don't have any issues with Microsoft.
Anthony Hanson: Yeah, that's a good point. things that are actually worth worrying about being proactive on versus others, where you'll find out if you have something to, you know, be concerned about and take action on. bless you, I think I'm gonna give you the last question here, and
Anthony Hanson: this is dealing a little bit more with this. You know how our water tables looking. We've had, you know, basically 3 years now, where we're looking at at least some, you know, either very dry conditions
Anthony Hanson: very heavy drought especially irrigation country, but then also just across the rest of the State, too. I'm sure it does vary across the State. But are there some areas where we're starting to kind of worry about that quite a bit more.
Vasudha Sharma: Looking at the water table, I I have not heard any news that water table is declined very fast because we have those snows in the winter and it gets replenished. But there are some groundwater management areas designated by, I think, department of natural resources, where there has been issues of groundwater, depletion and stream stream level, not just from last 3 years, but last few years actually have increased it little bit more
Vasudha Sharma: than previous years. But those those areas definitely have. And there's many areas in this state where we do see, and not just because of last last 3 years. But overall heavy groundwater definition and water table decline.
Vasudha Sharma: Yeah, I think that's been surprising. Just seeing You know, you're in West Central Minnesota, too. We're and almost would expect to see water table levels. But we're but yeah, it's surprising how resilient they could be sometimes. Yeah, they do go down in in the growing season, because that's when most of the irrigation and most of the ground water uses happening. And we have seen that in 2,021, and when we do, when irrigators are running, and then your well level goes very down
Vasudha Sharma: but not. But but that gets replenished really quickly, mostly in sands, because they are very, you know. Course, textured soil and percolation is very fast. So yeah.
Anthony Hanson: yeah, thank you again, Masu and Fabian. So I guess if I think we had no, there weren't any additional questions coming in. So just a reminder to folks to that for the next sessions we will be able to have you submit questions at the end of the survey here that we will have you book through, so you can have that for the next session here. I think with that
Anthony Hanson: I think we can wrap up here again. So again, thank you. Everyone for attending this session of field Note strategic farming.
Anthony Hanson: So again, thank you for our sponsors today, the Minnesota Soybean Research and Promotion Council, along with the Minnesota Corn Research and Promotion Council.
Anthony Hanson: With that. Thanks. Everyone have a great day, and thanks again to Dr. Fabian Fernandez and Dr. Vasu Sharma for attending day, giving us a little bit of an update what's going on with the soil moisture issues and then nutrient management.