Best Practices for Topdressing Wheat with Nitrogen
By Dave Mengel, Soil Fertility Specialist; Dorivar Ruiz Diaz, Nutrient Management Specialist; Romulo Lollato, Wheat and Forages Specialist; Ray Asebedo, Precision Agriculturist Now is a good time to start planning for nitrogen (N) topdressing of the winter wheat crop.
Application Method
Most topdressing is applied in a dribble band on 15- to 18-inch centers, which can minimize immobilization and provide a more consistent crop response in high-residue situations, especially when liquid UAN is used. If no herbicides are applied with the N, producers can get some benefit from applying the N in a dribble band on 15- to 18-inch centers, which can minimize immobilization and provide a little more consistent crop response.
Source
UAN solution and dry urea are the most common sources of nitrogen used for topdressing wheat, and numerous K-State trials have shown that both are equally effective. In no-till situations, applying dry urea may have a slight advantage because some of it will fall to the soil surface and be less affected by immobilization than broadcast liquid UAN, which tends to get hung up on surface rhizobia.
Rate
Producers should have started the season with an N recommendation in hand, ideally based on a profile N soil test done before the crop was planted and before any N was applied. It’s not too late to use the profile N soil test if taken in late winter/very early spring before the wheat greens up. While it won’t be as accurate as when sampled in the fall, it can still point out fields or a problem area.
When should I fertilize my wheat?
The best time to apply nitrogen is around mid-March, just before the wheat begins to grow rapidly; applications made earlier risk loss during rainy periods; the amount of nitrogen applied during this time should be enough to bring the total amount of nitrogen applied in February and March to the 60-90 lb/ac range.
When should you top dress winter wheat?
To identify areas of high nitrate availability, samples can be taken in late winter or very early spring before the wheat greens up, but results may not be as accurate as when samples are taken in the fall. The most important factor for topdress applications is timing. Have enough N in the root zone prior to jointing.
What month is wheat planted in?
Winter wheat is typically planted in the Northern Hemisphere from September to November and harvested in the summer or early autumn of the following year; however, in some places (e.g. Chile), a winter wheat crop can fully ‘complete’ in a year before harvest. Winter wheat yields more than spring wheat.
What is the best fertilizer for wheat?
u201cThe use of starter fertilizer u2013 both phosphorus and nitrogen u2013 can be an effective method for meeting part or even all of wheat’s phosphorus needs. Wheat plants typically show a significant increase in fall tillers and better root development when starter fertilizer u2013 both phosphorus and nitrogen u2013 is used.
What are the growth stages of wheat?
Wheat growth can be divided into several stages: germination/emergence, tillering, stem elongation, boot, heading/flowering, and grain-fill/ripening. Several different systems have been developed to identify wheat growth stages; the Feekes scale and the Zadoks scale are the two most popular.
How many pounds of fertilizer do you need per acre for wheat?
Nitrogen fertilizer applications for crops like wheat, sorghum, and sunflowers should be at least 50 pounds of actual nitrogen per acre, with no need to apply more than 100 pounds nitrogen per acre in a single application.
What is the best fertilizer for winter wheat?
Nitrogen fertilizers should be applied at rates based on expected crop yields minus credits for residual soil nitrates and nitrogen mineralized from organic matter, manure, and previous legume crops. Phosphate fertilizers should be applied at rates based on soil test results.
What do you top dress wheat with?
UAN solution and dry urea are the most common sources of nitrogen used for topdressing wheat, and numerous K-State trials have shown that both are equally effective.
How much nitrogen do I put in winter wheat?
Wheat requires 2 to 2.5 pounds of nitrogen (N) per bushel (bu) of grain, or 1 pound per acre if grazed, or each 3 pound-per-acre animal gain if grazed.
What is the best time to plant wheat?
Sow in late summer or early fall for an overwintered crop; spring wheat can be planted while the soil is still cool. Broadcast seed about 3 inches (7 cm) apart and one-half inch (1 cm) deep into cultivated soil.
Is it illegal to grow wheat at home?
Commercial wheat operations, which rely heavily on commercial pesticides and fertilizers for production, are often very traumatic to otherwise fertile land, making it illegal to grow wheat at home.
What is the best row spacing for wheat?
Wide row yield losses will have the greatest impact on profitability on farms where wheat accounts for a large percentage of total annual crop area and yield expectations are often high; in these cases, 25 cm rows are recommended; however, if a spacing wider than 25 cm is required, 37.5 cm should be preferred over 50 cm.
When should I fertilize winter wheat?
Spring nitrogen fertilization of winter wheat is best done in March, but split timing may provide additional yield benefits, especially with soil types and weather conditions that favor N loss.
How can we increase wheat production?
Grain numbers per unit area and individual grain weight are two key yield components in wheat; high yields are obtained by achieving the correct leaf and shoot numbers, maintaining a green leaf canopy, and increasing grain numbers/ear and grain size.
How much urea per acre is wheat?
When using the leaf color chart (LCC) for need-based nitrogen application to paddy, apply 30 kg urea per acre to medium soils at transplanting and 25 kg urea per acre at last puddling. Phosphorus application should be omitted where paddy follows wheat that has received the recommended dose of phosphorus.