Sara Schafer, AgWeb Crops Online Editor
During the next few weeks, you should be making your wheat nitrogen application plan, says Missy Bauer, Farm Journal Associate Field Agronomist.
Bauer says the big question right now is if you should apply N with a split-shot or a single application.
“You should let the tillering of the plant tell you what to do,” Bauer says.
Bauer says between now and the beginning of March, a healthy wheat plant will have three or four tillers. If lower, a split shot of N should be considered, she says. By giving the plant a healthy dose of N, more tillers can be created.
With a split-shot application, Bauer says, you’re not really putting on more N, just dividing when you apply it.
“You should start getting your tiller and stand counts now,” Bauer says.
With the late planting dates many farmers saw this year, she says, tillering has a good chance to be lower than normal.
You can e-mail Sara Schafer at sschafer@farmjournal.com.
