. Agri-news. Agriculture. GO GO GO GO GO GO GO & October 3,1994 Advantages—and disadvantages—of fall fertilization On the effectiveness scale, fall fertilization can range from excellent to disastrous says Alberta Agriculture's supervisor of crop nutrition. "Effectiveness depends on soil moisture conditions, environmental conditions, type of nitrogen fertilizer used and the method of application," says Ross McKenzie. "In other words, there are a number of factors you must consider to determine if fall fertilizing is the best option for you," he adds. There are general r
. Agri-news. Agriculture. GO GO GO GO GO GO GO & October 3,1994 Advantages—and disadvantages—of fall fertilization On the effectiveness scale, fall fertilization can range from excellent to disastrous says Alberta Agriculture's supervisor of crop nutrition. "Effectiveness depends on soil moisture conditions, environmental conditions, type of nitrogen fertilizer used and the method of application," says Ross McKenzie. "In other words, there are a number of factors you must consider to determine if fall fertilizing is the best option for you," he adds. There are general rules for application methods and timing. Generally, spring banding is the most effective application method and fall broadcast is the least. Fall banded nitrogen application is as effective as spring banding, if soil isn't saturated for an extended period in the spring. And, fall banded nitrogen may be more effective than spring banded when there are poor seedbed moisture conditions. 'Those rules are based on soil biochemistry and research in Alberta," notes McKenzie. [See related story this issue.] "You also have to consider other things when making this production management decision," he adds. Soil tests, to at least a two foot depth, are recommended before fall fertilizing. This will help you to decide optimum rates of required fertilizer. If you don't have soil test results before you fertilize, apply a conservative rate. This rate, say 75 per cent of the soil test recommendation, is a hedge against such things as high soil test nitrogen levels or low spring soil moisture levels. If conditions are good next spring, additional nitrogen can be added during seeding. Third, McKenzie recommends selecting the right fertilizer formulation for your particular conditions. Generally in low risk conditions, such as in southern Alberta, anhydrous ammonia (82-0-0), urea (46-0-0), ammonium nitrate (34-0-0) or liquid nitrogen (28-0-0) perform equally well when banded.
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