As October comes to an end, Iowa farmers are feeling the pressure to finish harvest and complete fall fieldwork before winter weather arrives. However, Iowa Secretary of Agriculture Mike Naig is reminding producers that the urgency to finish harvest should not translate into rushing fall fertilizer and manure applications.
With November beginning this weekend, many farmers are looking to complete as much fieldwork as possible while conditions allow. But Naig says soil temperatures, rather than the calendar, should determine when those applications take place.
Naig says recent soil temperature readings across Iowa have ranged from the low 50s in northern Iowa to approximately 62 degrees in southern Iowa. With unseasonably warm conditions continuing, he says farmers need to pay close attention to those temperatures before making application decisions.
Naig says warmer soil temperatures, combined with wet conditions, can increase the risk of nutrients moving out of fields before next year’s crops have an opportunity to use them. That creates concerns not only for water quality but also for the effectiveness of the fertilizer farmers are applying.
He says proper nutrient management practices, including the use of nitrification inhibitors, can help reduce those risks. However, he stresses that those practices do not eliminate the need to consider soil temperatures and application timing.
Naig says the financial implications are especially important given the cost of fertilizer. Nutrients applied this fall need to remain available for crops next spring, and applying them under unfavorable conditions can put that investment at risk.
While farmers are understandably eager to complete their fall work before winter arrives, Naig says patience is essential. The goal is not simply to get fertilizer applied before the season ends, but to make sure those nutrients remain in place and provide the intended benefit.
With harvest winding down and November arriving, Naig’s message to Iowa producers is to resist the temptation to let the calendar dictate their decisions. Monitoring soil temperatures and waiting for appropriate conditions can help protect both their fertilizer investment and the environment.
Mother Nature ultimately determines when conditions are right, and a little patience this fall could make a significant difference when planting season arrives next spring.
The post Iowa farmers reminded not to rush fall fertilizer appeared first on Iowa Agribusiness Radio Network.
