[nuck_dynasty]

Seeded my lentils and only ended up putting down 1.5 lbs of innoculant instead of the 4 I was looking to.

My understanding of innoculant is that it allows the plant to fix nitrogen, so to mitigate the lower innoculant rate, I should be able to spray on liquid N when the plant is up to correct this?

 

[SouthernSK]

You want to be careful when you put the n down. I would keep checking the lentils especially when they are 2-3 in high to see if they are forming nodules. If you have nodules you should be fine. There is a lot of rhizobium in the soil if you have grown any pulses in the past. I would not apply the N on the lentils until you confirm they are not making nodules and their own nitrogen. You maybe fine with the low inoculate rate.

 

[brazil08]

I have done this on peas and even have seeded peas on ground that had a very high N soil sample - no innoculant. Seems to work. Gauging the size of nodules on plants and amount of N put back into soil is a bit like believing in your phos bank in soil, but sure have good wheat crops with protein the following year.

 

[mauryj]

You can also spray envita on works for all crops www.azotic-na.com

 

[dookiller]

Tissue test with a refractometer off Amazon for $25. Check the sugars in your plant and compare to a chart. If levels are below optimum send an actual tissue sample away for analysis so you know all of the things your crop is lacking. Why just throw some N at it when doing a pass with your sprayer and actually give it everything it requires.

 

[farmboy5]

Tissue test with a refractometer off Amazon for $25. Check the sugars in your plant and compare to a chart. If levels are below optimum send an actual tissue sample away for analysis so you know all of the things your crop is lacking. Why just throw some N at it when doing a pass with your sprayer and actually give it everything it requires.

Dookiller, can you give some more info about using a refractometer for field crops and what type to get?

 

[dookiller]

Its also known as a brix meter. Squirt a couple drops of plant juice on the lense. Look into it in some light and there is a scale from 0 - 30. 0 is plain old water reading. The plants sugars and dissolved solids in the scope gives you a scale reading. The higher the dissolved solids the healthier your plants are. There is a chart you can download for plants health. Finding anything cereal or canola rated is not easy. It is more used in garden produce. Brix meters were originally used for checking beer brewing. Now they can check your battery acid content and check your plants lol. Mine is an ATI you can buy on amazon for like $25. Simple technology. As you use it you must compare your reading every week at approx the same time of day and temperature. Even hay is less nutritious if not cut during the warm part of the day believe it or not, or cutting it under stress. Try it on vegetables from the store to see how nutritious the food you are eating is. A composted garden with vegetables compared is remarkably different
Google Image Result for https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/522f74d8e4b0b503a9bec003/1612503931878-UVU9FW031SYUX57J5962/BrixRefractiveIndNologo.jpg

 

[goalieguy847]

And brix levels are alwaus highest... in the am or is it right before dark..

Cant recall

Very cool stuff tho

 

[NVW]

And brix levels are alwaus highest... in the am or is it right before dark..

Cant recall

Very cool stuff tho

I was always told the morning, that's when sugars are the highest. Seems cows have a sweet tooth as well.