Winter wheat in the spring.Winter wheat in the spring.
Sarnia

Johnson: Winter Wheat Needs Nitrogen Boost

Peter Johnson says this would be a good spring for wheat growers to apply nitrogen as soon as possible.

The former OMAFRA wheat specialist says there's a lot of wheat looking like late-planted wheat this spring.

He blames it on a cool, wet October.

Johnson says research has shown that nitrogen applications can boost yields in late-planted wheat by 5 to 7 bushels an acre.

His recommendation - apply 30 pounds of nitrogen as soon as the fields become un-frozen.

He says keeping it to 30 pounds will mean growers will lose less of the fertilizer when the weather gets wet and warms up.

Johnson also recommends wheat growers plant single-cut red clover on late planted wheat fields this year.

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Former OMAFRA wheat specialist Peter Johnson says the key is to wait until the field is no longer frozen.

[audio mp3="http://blackburnnews.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/04/JOHNSON-Nitro-1.mp3"][/audio]

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Johnson recommends farmers put on 30 pounds of nitrogen as soon as the fields thaw to give those plants a spring boost.

[audio mp3="http://blackburnnews.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/04/JOHNSON-Nitro-2.mp3"][/audio]

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Johnson is pretty specific on what kind of clover growers should be planting.

[audio mp3="http://blackburnnews.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/04/JOHNSON-Nitro-3.mp3"][/audio]

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