BRANDON, Man. – Like icing a cake, farmers are starting to apply nitrogen to heading wheat to increase protein levels and make extra money.
John Harapiak of Western Co-operative Fertilizers Ltd. told a recent zero till workshop here that his company is developing guidelines on how much to apply and when to put it on.
Harapiak said Canadian farmers have the advantage of watching developing wheat crops around the world before deciding to top-dress their crop with nitrogen.
He said if U.S. farmers have a big crop, chances are they’ll have lower protein levels, which will improve the possibility for bigger premium payments in Canada.
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If the growing season is dry, protein levels will likely be up and premiums could decline.
“Whenever there’re indications that protein is going to give you a good premium, it would be good to take steps to boost your protein levels,” Harapiak said.
Research so far shows that dribbling 18 pounds of liquid nitrogen on wheat at the heading stage can boost protein levels by at least one percent, Harapiak said.
Spraying the nitrogen in the hope it will be absorbed by leaves doesn’t appear effective. He said it’s better to dribble coarse droplets through the plant’s canopy to the soil.
Then, rainfall moves the nitrogen into the soil. He noted farmers in low-rainfall regions might have to apply the nitrogen earlier.
“The risk is that if it doesn’t rain, you’re fertilizing next year’s crop,” Harapiak said.
