Spring is planting time in the farming world, and as warmer weather approaches, crop farmers are placing their seed orders, repairing machinery and dusting out tractor cabs to prepare for the planting season. Ozarks Farm & Neighbor offers crop farmers a few helpful tips to get ready for this busy time of year.
Ready
In the Ozarks, corn and soybeans are generally planted just after the last frost date for this area. According to the University of Missouri Climate Center, the last frost for Southwest Missouri occurs between the 10th and 20th day of April, although some corn growers start planting as early as the end of March.
Soybeans are generally planted between the 15th and 20th of April, according to the University of Missouri Extension Crop Resource Guide. While growers are waiting for this last frost date to pass, this is the perfect time to decide which varieties of corn and soybeans to plant, order seeds, grease up your machinery, etc. Growers should also obtain a soil test before the planting date hits.
“Plants are nutrient transfer agents,” said Dr. Grant Woods, Wildlife Biologist and avid soybean plot researcher from Reed Springs, Mo. “Do a quality soil test annually.”
Set
Once you have determined what you are planting and what your soil needs are, now is the time to fire up the tractor and get your seedbed fertilized and ready. Jill Scheidt, agronomy specialist with MU Extension, recommends creating a fertility plan.
“Once soil tests are obtained a fertility management plan should be put in place to economically improve fertility status for optimum yields,” she said. “Lower fertility fields should be targeted first for fertilizer applications as a greater yield response will be seen from adding nutrients.”
Liming fields should also be worked into your plan.
“Lime is not a fertilizer, but a soil conditioner that allows nutrients to become available to the plant for uptake,” Jill said. Lime can take up to nine months to fully break down, so it should be applied at least six months ahead of when you really want your crops to absorb nutrients. Scheidt recommends splitting your application of nitrogen, if needed, between spring and fall.
“Split applications of nitrogen in the fall and spring help make the growing season more uniform by increasing productivity during less productive times of the season,” Scheidt said.
Plant
Once the last frost date has passed, you are ready to plant.
After your seeds are in the ground, you might choose to apply starter fertilizer – according to MU Extension, starter fertilizer should contain both phosphorus and nitrogen.
There is no ideal ratio of these two nutrients in a starter, but the amount of phosphorus should be equal to or greater than the amount of nitrogen. The best place to locate a starter fertilizer band is 2 inches to the side of the seed placement and at least at seeding depth to 2 inches below seeding depth.
As your plants begin to develop, be sure to watch for nutrient deficiencies, and contact your local extension office to assist you with a plan should any deficiencies develop.
