Often, farmers find themselves pressed for time in the spring and are forced into tight windows of operation. One operation that many farmers need to carefully consider is the spring application of anhydrous ammonia. Although it’s possible to apply anhydrous before planting, there are strategies to reduce the risk of injury. Keep in mind that there are many ways to apply nitrogen to a crop in-season, so planting should always take precedence to nitrogen applications. Even if you have pre-paid for your anhydrous, you can still sidedress anhydrous with great success.

Throughout the month of August I had the privilege to work alongside Beck’s Practical Farm Research (PFR)^® staff, conducting agronomy research tours at Beck’s Field Shows at both our Henderson, KY and Effingham, IL locations as well as Becknology™ Days in Atlanta, IN. Beck’s PFR program embodies the essence of Beck’s values (teamwork, integrity, innovation, adaptability, commitment, and passion) like no other agronomy program with which I have been associated. From the beginning, Beck’s founders have demonstrated a passion for observing and measuring the components of successful crop production from which they adapt and innovate to improve production systems. The PFR program is the natural evolution of this process, and its research data is now something we as Missouri farmers can access and deploy in our corn, soybean, and wheat production systems.

What a year it has been. As we evaluate our crop in August, we have a great opportunity to take a hard look at yield potential and yield loss suffered this year. As you walk corn fields, pull ears and check for pollination problems. If you see some, think back to pollination time. Was it dry, wet, hot or cold? We lost a lot of nitrogen early. Are ears stunted?

Whether you’re applying nitrogen (N) on your corn or wheat crop, knowing which nitrogen stabilizer to consider can be confusing! There are many out there. They protect from different types of loss, and they are specific to fertilizer form. Let’s simplify it!