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How To Apply Fertilizer When Crop Prices Are Low

 

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Margins look to be tight for the remainder of 2024 and into 2025.  Farmers are resilient and know when prices are what they are - we have to control the input costs.  Here are a few tips for fertilizer placement - based on science - to help you make good decisions through tight times.

Placement Matters

Roots can’t move very far - so keep the fertilizer close to the Roots. 

Liqui-Grows strategy is to band fertilizer close to the row. P, K, Mn, Zn, Cu, and Fe are all taken up into the plant primarily by Diffusion or Root interception, which means roots need to be within about 1/4" of those nutrients. Banding close to the root zone allows plants to find the band quickly and get what it needs without "searching" the whole soil volume to find a few nutrients. Another benefit to banding is by concentrating the nutrients there is a reduced chance of physical or chemical tie up in the soil.  Although fertilizer prices aren’t “crazy high”, farm economics look bearish right now and one thing you can do is to keep the fertilizer close to the row and allow your mind to be at ease knowing you aren’t wasting what you paid for.  

Banding is also a way to trick the plant into thinking there is plenty of nutrients available.  So even if the field soil test levels are slightly low - the plants have enough nutrients right around the root zone to grow good yields.

Banding Liqui-Grow’s suspension fertilizer is also a way to get a balanced nutrition meal to your crop.  Each drop of suspension liquid fertilizer has the exact same nutrient quality. To learn more about banded nutrition check out this Liqui-Grow LEAD Video.

Corn Roots

Spoonfeed the Crop - Feed as you grow.

Side Dress, Y-Drop

In years where margins are tight - spoon feeding the crop allows you to utilize the nutrients when the crop needs it. Corn takes up approximately 35% of its total nitrogen by V12 and 60% by R1, leaving the plant to uptake another 40% after R1. Providing upfront nitrogen and the rest closer to when the crop needs it will result in more of your dollars being utilized by the crop. In-Furrow Starter and Sidedress applications provide a “hand-off” of nutrients as the corn roots grow and by concentrating them once again allows less tie up and better access for roots.  

Utilizing Foliar Feeding

Foliar feeding involves applying nutrients and biologicals directly to the leaves, ensuring that plants receive essential nutrients during critical growth stages, especially when soil conditions are not ideal. Just remember foliar applications of nutrients require good coverage and should be used primarily to add a little extra during periods of critical growth not as part of a rescue treatment or making up for soil deficiencies. Micro-nutrients that are not required in high amounts fit well into a foliar feed especially if soil conditions such as pH don’t allow those nutrients to be in an available form for uptake. Your Liqui-Grow sales applicator can help you decide when a foliar application may be necessary.

ExactStrip

Exact placement in the root zone.

Banding is a great improvement from traditional spinner spun dry fertilizer.  For farmers who have RTK technology built into their farm operations we offer ExactStrip placement to replace the old striptill methods.  Our replicated research shows an additional 3.5 bu/A over our traditional 15” dribble bands, which are easy bushels if you have the technology that allows us to zero in your fertilizer with your corn rows. Liqui-Grow’s ExactStrip Placement allows for:

  • faster application then traditional striptilling, 
  • less labor because we do the work and 
  • accurate placement for crop utilization in the spring of 2025.  

Need a new series to binge watch before Fall Harvest Begins? 

Here are 3 videos to watch on Liquid Fertilizer

Liqui-Grow: The Liquid Fertilizer Advantage Over Dry Fertilizers

Liquid Vs Dry Fertilizer: In Field Comparison

https://youtu.be/8MX7qH9ud4I?si=iHi2NQH7GNYt_pAE

Questions? Give us a shout! 

Text us at 564-220-2508 or email questions@liqui-grow.com.