Spreading fertilizer

I finally got some urea and sul-po-mag spread on the hayfields in central MN. Within 24 hours we had 3 1/2 inches of rain on the fields. Do you guys think I lost alot of the fertilizer due to the rain? It was quite heavy at times.

Thanks, Zach

Nope. Doesn't look too hilly. It soaked it in.

It must be a flat hayfield; as the cart is bigger than the tractor... You should be OK if the soil is silt-loam ?? It will dissolve in..

How did the rain fall over that 24 hr. period? A continuous lite rain for 24 hours? (THAT, - - would of mostly all soaked in on sod here, it's so dry.) Or did you get a 2 1/2 inch gusher all within 1 hour, and a sprinkle after that for 23 hours, and added up to the other inch? Consisting of a lot of run off due to the initial down pore that happened so fast.

Amount of run off is the deciding factor here. Along with, when the run off happened (at the beginning, or end of the 24 hr period).

Did it have a chance to dissolve and soak in before the run off?
It don't take long, or much moisture to soak it into the ground on a slow and easy rain (at the beginning). But an immediate heavy down pore at the beginning, obviously is gonna take some of that opportunity away.

So, I'm thinking most of it probably went into the ground, if it actually had that opportunity. Less of it did, if it didn't.

Bottom line, there really isn't a way to calculate how much washed away in the run off. About the only thing you could do on that, is conduct another soil test, and compare that, to a previous soil test taken before it was spread. I am kind of doubting you did any soil testing, (IF) you just have a yearly rate you put on every year.

You know that some of it had to of atleast made it into the ground. It didn't 100 percent, just all wash away. If it were me, I'd just go with it. And not put any more on. Take my chances so to speak. Not a good year (input costs) to be second guessing things, and re-doing stuff. Especially by just merely guessing.

That rain was the best thing. With the current heat and high humidity that urea would have evaporated and much would have been lost it left lay on top the ground. Tom

If you got an inch in 15 minutes it washed it to the low spots.

If you got a slow rain the first 15-20 minutes it soaked it into the ground and perfect.

Likely some where in between, but it worked out ok I bet.

Paul

Thanks for the input guys. It was a light rain for 20 to 30 minutes before it started to get real heavy. I ended up doing 1 acre grid soil samples this spring with variable rate lime application. The spreader only had a little over 2 ton of fertilizer so it wasn't to bad a load for the tractor. With the rain starting slow it sounds like ill be okay. It was my first time spreading fertilizer and with current prices and the rain I was definetly feeling the stress.

Thanks guys.

Zach

(quoted from post at 13:14:59 05/12/22) Thanks for the input guys. It was a light rain for 20 to 30 minutes before it started to get real heavy. I ended up doing 1 acre grid soil samples this spring with variable rate lime application. The spreader only had a little over 2 ton of fertilizer so it wasn't to bad a load for the tractor. With the rain starting slow it sounds like ill be okay. It was my first time spreading fertilizer and with current prices and the rain I was definetly feeling the stress.

Thanks guys.

Zach

Click to expand...

ow much$$$ per ton?

Urea $.47 lb
SUl-PO-MAG $.39 lb

If you were dry enough to get around the fields and not too hilly, you're likely ok. Spread mine here the other day then chain-harrowed the fields afterward. Hoping that most of it stays put as we're in a mini heat wave here. Hopefully we get some rain on Sunday.

Urea at .47 cents per lb equals $940 per ton
I paid $960 for urea and $930 for potash Monday
Enough to do 20 acres of hay ground was nearly $3500
The rest of my hay and pasture ground gets chicken litter

I knew Jerry and Bert. Always enjoyed stopping there.