What is a "robust" fertilizer plan? Is that when you fertilize to that spot in the chart where the additional yield return is "no freakin chance no matter how much it rains" ?So, am I the only one having trouble trying to justify a robust fertility program on wheat this year when I look at fertilizer prices compared to commodity prices?
Has been largely wheat/fallow. I'm adding peas to the rotation now, looking for a wheat/pea/wheat/oilseed? rotation as a thought. Barley is hard to move here, as are oats.What's your rotation?
I guess what I am thinking with robust is targetting a fairly good yield for my area, say 40 bushels per acre, but I need to do a little soil building as I am really deficient in P & K as well for a variety of reasons. But even just looking at the cost of N it is hard to justify at these prices.
I am leaning toward continuous or at least 3 out of 4 years, even though we are dry. With land costs and weed issues, spending $30 or more on chemical for fallow isn't paying any bills. Even a break even crop is gaining me that amount as long as I don't have to give up too much the following year. That is one reason I am looking at pulses, because I may be able to eventually cut down on the N in the following year.Yeah the options really are limited. We have a half section of dryland and we're struggling to know what to do with it. Adding peas or lentils would be good. They don't require major inputs and fix their own nitrogen which helps with soil building. Our oilseed options are limited because of isolation issues with our irrigated fields where we grow seed canola.
Would you try continuous cropping, or stick with fallow? For us fallow has given us good yields, but weed control in the fallow years is becoming a real problem. Even using glyphosate with a variety of other chemicals four times a year is not good for resistance.
If you look what $$$ are spend on the farm I would say fertilizer gives me my best returns .
If in survival mode I would buy inputs in March put down bare minimum and top up when gut feeling permitted.
Unfortunately I see farmers keep spending on toys and buy stuff on auctions what has zero net revenue........