Many farmers are trying to conserve every drop of moisture they can during this spring’s seeding.
While pockets of the eastern prairies are extremely wet, weeks of wind and low humidity have parched topsoils across large parts of the western Prairies.
Soil specialist Ken Panchuk with Saskatchewan Agriculture said he has fielded many calls from farmers asking for tips on how to contend with dry topsoil.
“This is the kind of weather we’d like for harvest, strong drying conditions,” he said.
The goal now must be to avoid doing anything that would unnecessarily add to the soil drying.
Read Also
Agriculture ministers agree to AgriStability changes
federal government proposed several months ago to increase the compensation rate from 80 to 90 per cent and double the maximum payment from $3 million to $6 million
Here are his nine tips to protect the seedbed in dry soils:
- Reduce nitrogen placed with seed.
“If the seedbed is drying out quickly, we suggest cutting the rate of nitrogen applied with the seed by 50 percent or more,” he said.
For small seeded crops – canola, flax, canaryseed – apply only phosphate with the seed.
The reason is that the ammonium in the nitrogen fertilizer is a salt that absorbs moisture.
“If you have salt around the seed in the seedbed, it keeps it drier and you almost have to wait for a rain before you’ll get germination,” he said. Too much urea close to the seed can also generate toxic gas that hurts the seed.
- Producers who normally place side-banded fertilizer below the seed should consider placing the fertilizer at the same depth as the seed.
“When you place it to the side and below in very strong drying conditions, that below-placement cracks the soil and allows it to dry out,” Panchuk said.
- Producers will likely still want to give their crops nitrogen but a post-seeding application might be best
Post-seeding fertilization technology includes coulter banders, surface broadcasting and dribble banding with liquids.
- Seeding depth is a fine balance in dry conditions.
“Many of the air seeders today have fixed packers on the shanks so that it allows you to open the furrow a little bit deeper, but still maintain a shallow seeding depth for crops like canola and flax.”
While one goal of seeding is to get the seed into moist soil, going too deep can limit yield potential.
- “On row packing, to firm the soil around the seed is almost a must when soils are dry.”
- Preserve stubble. If possible, use a narrow opener on the seeder. Stubble protects the soil and seedlings from wind and acts as a moisture-conserving mulch.
- Slow down.
“This is my favorite. If you slow down one mile per hour, from six to five mph, you save 15 percent more residue.”
- Don’t burn residue.
“I hope the burning has stopped because the residues are extremely valuable in moisture conservation.”
- Be vigilant against fire. Tinder dry stubble and grass can easily flare with a spark or cigarette butt and with wind create a dangerous situation in little time.
“Know where the water truck is, where the grader is. Get the RM (phone) numbers and if you have an extra tractor with a heavy duty cultivator, make sure they are ready to go, just in case.”
