Watch Mother Nature for Crop Nitrogen Needs This Spring

The fertilizer markets have skyrocketed in the last few months, tracking the corn market and reflecting supply and availability logjams around the world. It puts a premium on making sure you have an adequate supply of nitrogen in your soils and are ready to take the right steps to build supplies if you have deficits. Last year saw largely dry weather at key times in the crop season, meaning there generally wasn’t a ton of nitrogen runoff in many areas and many farmers were able to get ahead with fall anhydrous ammonia applications after harvest. But that could change; if 2021 shapes up like 2018 or 2019, there could be pockets where untimely rainfall returns, causing the need to potentially apply additional fertilizer if you see signs of deficiencies as your corn crop matures. And if you’ve changed your nitrogen source — employing poultry litter, for example — make sure you’re providing adequate crop nutrition. See more ideas on how to optimize your crop nutrition.