[Listen] Jeff Vetch SROC How Much Nitrogen Did We Loose?

Jeff Vetch Scientist at the Southern Research and Outreach Center at Waseca said he has been getting a lot of questions from farmers about how much nitrogen we lost due to the heavy rains in May. It is difficult to know for sure but Jeff said he suspects it may not be as much as you might think. The reason could be because it was so cold in April and early in May before the heavy rains began. Maybe the cold spring weather we complained about actually helped us!

If the ammonia was put on late last fall with a nitrogen stabilizer or early this spring you need soil temperatures above around 50 degrees for soil microbes to convert the nitrogen to the water soluble nitrate form. Because it was so cold Jeff said he suspects much of the nitrogen had not been converted to nitrate nitrogen yet. However, even if you do not typically side dress nitrogen in season there are ways that you can do it this year. Click on the link above and listen to Jeff talk about nitrogen management.