News

Recent precipitation causes nutrient loss concern

An agronomist says the warm winter combined with recent precipitation has some farmers wondering what is going on with the nutrients in the soil.

Matt Montgomery covers parts of Illinois and Missouri for Burrus Seed.  When it comes to nitrogen he says farmers are probably okay.  “I do think we dodged some bullets for nitrogen loss during the winter, even though it was a warm winter,” he says.  “I am not real convinced that we’ve had enough rainfall to cause nutrient loss.  Remember we had some places that were fairly dry.  Until recently we didn’t see this spike in rainfall and this high moisture level.”

While nitrogen is key for a successful corn crop, he says other nutrients like phosphorus and potassium (P and K) need to be taken care of in maintenance applications for growers to maximize yield potential.

Montgomery tells Brownfield farmers should also monitor the pH level of the soil.  “I cannot over emphasize – if nothing else one of the best things a grower can do is monitor their pH through soil testing to make sure it is in that 6.3 range,” he says.  “That really sets up most of your other micronutrients and secondary nutrients.”

By maintaining proper pH levels – he says the most plant-available nutrient materials remain in the soil.

AUDIO: Matt Montgomery, Burrus Seed