|
 |
|
IOWA FARMERS URGED TO WAIT ON ANHYDROUS APPLICATION
Oct. 17, 2012
BrownfieldAgNews reports:
The Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship is reminding farmers to wait until soil temperatures remain below 50 degrees Fahrenheit before applying anhydrous ammonia fertilizer this fall.
Officials say that waiting can help reduce nitrogen loss and better protects the environment.
Historically, according to Extension climatologist Elwynn Taylor, soil temperatures at a four inch depth cool below 50 degrees in the northern third of the state during the first week of November. In central and southern Iowa, soil temperatures cool below 50 degrees during the second and third weeks of November.
Officials are also urging farmers to pay special attention when applying anhydrous ammonia to very dry soil. Dry soil can hold ammonia, but if it is cloddy and does not seal properly, the ammonia can be lost at injection or seep through the large pores between clods after application.
|
|
|
|
|
