Crop nutrition on the mind

Environmental factors have been negatively and positively impacting crops this season.

The good news is that we have had a really nice summer from a weather standpoint and growers hope the crops continue to fill out.

“We’ve got great nutrition when we talk about nitrogen, potassium and phosphate release in the soil, but where we are really minimized and have been since we started planting, is sulfur and boron,” explained Ed Corrigan, an agronomist for Brandt Consolidated.

According to Corrigan, sulfur and boron are mobile in the soil but not necessarily in plants. Boron can help plants stand better and move nitrogen into pods which equals yield. Corrigan notes we are almost at maximum growth on soybeans.

“Right now, I’ve got beans in my research farm that run from shoulder high to the top of my head.”

As of last week, this area was running about 20 percent earlier on heat units. Corrigan feels we could be looking at 15-17 percent moisture corn by the first of September. Maturity could still be slowed due to tremendous amounts of nitrogen in corn stalks.