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Soggy start to spring leads to nitrogen worries

The agronomy education lead with Beck’s Hybrids says the soggy start to April in some areas is leading to nutrient concerns.

Matt Montgomery says many farmers have applied their nitrogen needs for the season.

“What did we do in the nitrogen stabilizer space? And because of cost pressure, which is completely understandable, some people pulled back from that.”  He says, “That does create some concerns about how much of that you’re going to maintain.”

He tells Brownfield heavily saturated soils and warm temperatures can lead to denitrification.   

“If we have any inklings that there might be a risk of nitrogen loss, you’ll probably see people put on 20 to 30 pounds just to round stuff off to be safe,” he says.

Montgomery says it’s still early to make that determination, but farmers using nitrogen stabilizers have less concerns about nutrient loss in a wet spring.

AUDIO: Matt Montgomery – Beck’s Hybrids