Early Nitrogen for tillering

Renaultman

Member
Arable Farmer
Location
Darlington
It's been a while since I have come out of a winter with wheat that needs thickening. Normally my high seed rates mean the opposite. Some of the late drilled stuff on contract land is s bit thin though. Normally we would roll, allow it to recover then N then BWS or vice versa. Obviously rolling is currently out of the question at the moment and although we have no pre em on its probably going to be to early for BWS yet. N has been suggested as crop seems to be going backwards a bit but looking at it plant colour is still really good and land had stubble digestate or manure so even though it will be hungry after good yields I don't fancy applying N that the plant can't use.
With apologies to those who would love to be in my situation what are your thoughts please?
 

Brisel

Member
Arable Farmer
Location
Midlands
Nitrogen doesn’t make a plant grow, but will help it when conditions suit actual growth. Warmth and sunlight will do that since I doubt it’s short of water! Ask again when all the snowdrops are flowering and apply it when the daffodils are flowering. There will be enough N in the soil to get it started when conditions improve, left over from what you applied in the autumn.

This kind of post always comes up every year on the first decent day in Jan/early Feb! No offence meant.
 
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Renaultman

Member
Arable Farmer
Location
Darlington
Nitrogen doesn’t make a plant grow. Warmth and sunlight will do that since I doubt it’s short of water. Ask again when all the snowdrops are flowering and apply it when the daffodils are flowering. There will be enough N in the soil to get it started when conditions improve, left over from what you applied in the autumn.

This kind of post always comes up every year on the first decent day in Jan/early Feb! No offence meant.
Non taken as I said, just backing up my thoughts.
 

bankrupt

Member
Location
EX17/20
This kind of post always comes up every year.

I always do a few 20mx20m trial plots with 40kg N as soon as we get past the 16th Jan NVZ limitation.

Sometimes get an extra ton/acre, sometimes nothing, and sometimes it lodges more and we get a ton/acre less.

Generally more successful in WB than in WW.

WW best left another month or so.
 
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As soon as it is dry enough to travel have another look. If still thin would consider a dab of N. Rolling later would help a lot. As the soil warms I guess a lot of N from your digestate will be released so go steady with big dollops of N.

BWS and PGR when crop is recovered and weather is warmer.
 

Gong Farmer

Member
BASIS
Location
S E Glos
Rolling also damages the main stem so reducing apical dominance, allowing otherwise weak tillers to come good.
As Brisel said, N doesn't make tillers but it feeds them when they need it, so are not aborted. Just make sure the crop has sufficient N when it starts to move again.
 
Thinner later crops best with a little and often for spring nitrogen

the soil will have very little residual n it it after this winter
the warm weather since Christmas has greened up my oat cover crops which are only 1/3 the size they were this time last year (plenty of available overwintered n last year )

for notill wheat we will be on as early as we can travel without destroying tram lines crops will be short of n early on
 
It's been a while since I have come out of a winter with wheat that needs thickening. Normally my high seed rates mean the opposite. Some of the late drilled stuff on contract land is s bit thin though. Normally we would roll, allow it to recover then N then BWS or vice versa. Obviously rolling is currently out of the question at the moment and although we have no pre em on its probably going to be to early for BWS yet. N has been suggested as crop seems to be going backwards a bit but looking at it plant colour is still really good and land had stubble digestate or manure so even though it will be hungry after good yields I don't fancy applying N that the plant can't use.
With apologies to those who would love to be in my situation what are your thoughts please?
Go on holiday for a month! ??☀️
 

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