• Don Flaten and Clay Sawka discussed the long term manure and crop management field laboratory.  They’ve set up a bunch of plots so that they can use field scale equipment in replicated trials.  The plots we looked at involved different proportions of manure and commercial fertilizer to meet crop needs.  It was pretty obvious that the formula that we’re using to calculate available N from solid manure is wrong, so hopefully they can come up with a better formula for us in the next few years.]
• Janelle Hamblin and Siobhan Stewart discussed greenhouse gasses.  Putting a cover on liquid manure storages, then flaring off the methane to convert it to carbon dioxide is a huge help.  For cropping systems, the initial research is that growing perennial legumes  puts out a lot less greenhouse gas than annuals, but this research is still just getting started.
• Katherine Buckley and Van Coulter discussed composting.  One easy way to tell if your manure is at the right moisture level for composting is the squeeze test.  Take a handful of manure, squeeze it, then open your hand.  If moisture runs out, it’s too wet.  If it falls apart, it’s too dry.
• Martin Entz discussed compost on organic systems.  The primary use of compost is as a supply of P.  If manure is composted, it can be used in organic systems, regardless of the source but be sure to check with your certifying agency!
• Mitchell Timmerman and Marla Riekman had a field demonstration showing some of the challenges in solid manure application.  The biggest challenge is simply the variability of spreading, so field measurements during spreading are the bet way of calculating the actual rates.   Ideally you would weigh every load and measure the distance covered (at a constant speed and rate of application).
• John Heard and Clay Sawka had a demonstration of ramp calibration strips in manured and non-manured crops.  It was surprisingly easy to pick out the point at which the crop’s N needs were met.
• There was a talk on tile drainage in clay soils, but I only got the names of two of the presenters: Curtis Cavers and Chris Unrau.  Unfortunately, this project is still in its infancy, so even with a wet year like this one it was hard to say too much about the actual results.  It’s definitely something to keep an eye on, especially if we get a lot more wet years.
• Finally Mitchell Timmerman and Trevor Fraser gave us a hands-on demo of several methods of rapidly testing manure in the field.  They emphasized that these methods can only complement and not replace lab tests.

It was a very informative day and I’m looking forward to seeing the results from these projects.

• John Heard had his nutrient deficiency planters out again. One of them was a trick question – herbicide drift rather than a nutrient deficiency.
• The forage identification quiz was tough. I was lucky to be in a group that knew what they were doing. The forage identification chart seemed to require that you know the forage first, then use the chart to confirm.
• There was a herbicide forensics plot that had a number of different rows of crops seeded, then sprayed and you were supposed to identify the chemical by the the of damage done and the crops that were damaged. It was really neat.
• As always, John Gavloski had plenty of fascinating insect facts. Apparently pollination by honeybees increased sunflower seed yield by over 200%!
• Bent Reid tried to encourage those whose spring seeding was delayed by reminding us that a 3 day delay in seeding soybeans only delays harvest by 1 day.
• Martin Entz and Iris Vaisman encouraged farmers and consultants to look at organic crops for farm profitability. This year’s twist was a look at grazing of green manure crops. Putting sheep onto the green manure significantly reduced the cost of nitrogen for next year’s crop.
• One of the interesting facts I learned was that seeding rate does not affect alfalfa stands much beyond the first year. Once you have your minimum stand, and extra seed is wasted.

Learning lots at the Crop Diagnostic School

One of the things that I appreciate about the Crop Diagnostic School is how intensely practical it is. Almost all of the plots reflect things I’ve seen in the fields. One issue they’re planning to cover this year is when to reseed drowned-out fields, so I’m looking forward to seeing what they have to say about that.

The way the current map is reading, if you’re in Manitoba you should seriously be considering spraying for Sclerotinia.  Be sure to scout your fields for Sclerotinia as the window for fungicide application can close amazingly quickly.

The MAFRI article, Impact Of Flooding On Soil Fertility In The Red River Valley Of Manitoba, emphasizes the variety of factors that can play a role in nitrogen losses. The focus seems to be spring flooding on fall-applied fields.

The Mississippi article, How does nitrogen loss occur during wet, saturated conditions?, provides a formula for developing a rule of thumb estimate. One key point is that as the soil temperatures come up to about 18 degrees you can expect nitrogen losses to double from what they would be in a 5 degree soil.

If you’re really worried about whether a field has enough nitrogen left on it to support the crop, the best way to know is to soil sample it. In most cases, this wouldn’t be economically viable, but if you’re reseeding a field or willing to float some nitrogen on, it might be worth it.

Wet field June 1, 2010 - it hasn't gotten any drier.

MAFRI has put out some information on Factors Affecting Plant Survival From Flooded Soils. After 36 hours you will start to see plants dying due to flooding and wet soil conditions will kill most annual crops after 3 to 7 days.

Here’s hoping we get a a few days of cool, dry weather, followed by some warm dry weather. The key word is DRY!