Soil Sampling Provides Considerable Savings

There's been an increase in soil testing this fall.

John Heard is a Crop Nutrition Specialist with Manitoba Agriculture and Resource Development.

"They've [farmers] come through a drought that they haven't experienced in decades," he said. "Kind of unfamiliar with what that's going to leave the soil in, what kind of state, what type of nutrient return there's going to be. The key thing is to find out, if I then take the nutrients off in the crop, what's been left in the soil? What can I exploit the next year?"

Heard commented on some of the results.

"The folks, it's there expertise to take soil samples with trucks, two foot samples, they've been quite busy getting over fields, doing analysis, and we're fortunate, we do have a bit of a heads up as to what those results are and when we look at Manitoba, in much of the area that was drought affected, parts of the southeast, Red River Valley, and the Interlake area, over 30 per cent of the samples are coming back with 100 pounds or more of nitrogen. Considerable savings there for the 2022 crop, if we can put those nutrients to good use."

He notes soybeans are now better able to tolerate the high levels of nitrogen, however there is an increased risk of iron chlorosis. Heard adds due to the soil types and dry conditions, it's important to be aware of herbicide carry-over residues. Rotations may need to be altered next year.