Most producers would prefer to spread manure on their fields in spring and summer when the crops are going to get the most use out of it. Although the Department of Environmental Protection discourages winter manure application, there are circumstances when manure has to be applied in the winter, such as when wet fall weather kept field conditions unsuitable and the lack of a large enough storage structure to hold the manure until spring.

Fertilizers are so well known to improve yield potential. Since WWII, farmers have applied commercial and/or organic products to grow crops.

There is widespread concern about potential sulfur (S) deficiencies in corn and soybeans in the North Central region. Sulfur is relatively immobile within the plant, so symptoms usually appear in the new growth. Atmospheric deposition used to supply a considerable amount of plant available S (about 8 to 15 pounds per acre annually), but with the implementation of the Clean Air Act, this amount has significantly decreased.

Once harvest comes to an end, some growers will shift their focus to strip-tillage. Fabian Fernandez, University of Illinois Extension specialist in plant nutrition and soil fertility, offers a few thoughts on applying nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium with strip-till this season.

Poultry litter can provide a significant and important supply of nutrients for crop production in areas where a supply of litter is available. Arkansas, Missouri and Oklahoma rank among the largest producers of poultry in the U.S.

Novozymes and Monsanto Co. today announce a long-term strategic alliance to transform research and commercialization of sustainable microbial products that will provide a new platform of solutions for growers around the world. The BioAg Alliance will allow the companies to leverage employees, technologies and commercial assets in the companies agricultural biologicals portfolios.

Nebraska strip-tiller Jerry Baysinger discusses the benefits of pelletized lime application in enhancing pH and phosphorus levels on strip-tilled fields. Baysinger is nearing the end of a 10-year study on the effects of pelletized lime application and grid sampling a test field each fall to evaluate soil nutrients.

A record number of voluntary conservation practices adopted by Chesapeake Bay farmers since 2006 have significantly reduced the amount of nitrogen, sediment and phosphorus leaving cultivated croplands, according to a new report released.

FBSciences Inc. announces the key active ingredient in their technology platform has been granted U.S. EPA registration for use as a Plant Growth Regulator (PGR). Complex Polymeric Polyhydroxy Acids (CPPA) is a broad-spectrum PGR for use on field and greenhouse crops.

Mike Starkey reviews what he's learned from onfarm trials and the changes he's made to his fertility-management practices throughout the years. This No-Till Farmer webinar is being made possible with support from Agro-Culture Liquid Fertilizers. [To view any of our webinar replays, you must be logged in with a free user account.]