Many are well into fall fieldwork and some will be wrapping up harvest and moving on to that soon. If you’re thinking about doing a fall application of anhydrous, know that it comes with some risk.
“And that risk is losing some of that nitrogen before next summer,” says Purdue Extension Corn Specialist Bob Nielsen. “Even if you’re using inhibitor, we estimate that maybe upwards of 15% of the nitrogen that goes out in the fall is gone by next summer when the crop begins to take it up.”
Nielsen says that he just doesn’t recommend a fall application of anhydrous but understands why farmers might consider it.
“Fall anhydrous is often less expensive, the risk of compaction, as we have this year, is often less in the fall than it is in our usually wet springs, and the availability of labor and time is often greater in the fall. Especially this year with a somewhat early, if not a normal, harvest. I understand those logistical compromises that go through people’s heads as they as they think about fall anhydrous, but again, we just have to remind ourselves that it is not a very efficient way of applying nitrogen. And we’re not really strongly in favor of fall anhydrous as a rule of thumb.”
Nielsen joins Purdue Extension Soybean Specialist Shaun Casteel to discuss this and much more about soil fertility in the Purdue Crop Chat Podcast, found at hoosieragtoday.com and on iTunes.