Morning Ag Clips logo
  • Subscribe ❯
  • PORTAL ❯
  • LOGIN ❯
  • By Keyword
  • By topic
  • By state
  • Home
  • Events
  • Jobs
  • Store
  • Advertise
  • Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer
  • Subscribe to our
    daily email
    ❯
  • Portal Registration❯
  • Login❯
  • policy
  • tractors & machinery
  • education
  • conservation
  • webinars
  • business
  • dairy
  • cattle
  • poultry
  • swine
  • corn
  • soybeans
  • organic
  • specialty crops
  • Alabama
  • Alaska
  • Arizona
  • Arkansas
  • California
  • Colorado
  • Connecticut
  • Delaware
  • Florida
  • Georgia
  • Hawaii
  • Idaho
  • Illinois
  • Indiana
  • Iowa
  • Kansas
  • Kentucky
  • Louisiana
  • Maine
  • Maryland
  • Massachusetts
  • Michigan
  • Minnesota
  • Mississippi
  • Missouri
  • Montana
  • Nebraska
  • Nevada
  • New Hampshire
  • New Jersey
  • New Mexico
  • New York
  • North Carolina
  • North Dakota
  • Ohio
  • Oklahoma
  • Oregon
  • Pennsylvania
  • Rhode Island
  • South Carolina
  • South Dakota
  • Tennessee
  • Texas
  • Utah
  • Vermont
  • Virginia
  • Washington
  • West Virginia
  • Wisconsin
  • Wyoming

Morning Ag Clips

  • By Keyword
  • By topic
  • By state
  • policy
  • tractors & machinery
  • education
  • conservation
  • webinars
  • business
  • dairy
  • cattle
  • poultry
  • swine
  • corn
  • soybeans
  • organic
  • specialty crops
  • Home
  • Events
  • Jobs
  • Store
  • Advertise
Home » Alternative nitrogen sources
NITROGEN ... Comments

Alternative nitrogen sources

Remember to take nitrogen credits when you use other nitrogen sources

PUBLISHED ON February 21, 2017

Hairy vetch
Hairy vetch
Hairy vetch is a common cover crop that has the potential to produce a great amount of nitrogen. (DM via Flickr)

EAST LANSING, Mich. — There are simple management practices that farms can implement to optimize nitrogen applications, as well as protect groundwater from nitrogen leaching. One of the easiest practices, though not often done, is to adjust nitrogen rates accurately. When determining nitrogen applications, a grower should consider not only soil tests but also any other residual nitrogen sources.

Legumes are a great source for nitrogen. Alfalfa, clover and soybeans are the most common legumes grown. More growers are using legume cover crops to assist in nitrogen production. Hairy vetch is a common cover crop that has the potential to produce a great amount of nitrogen.

Adjusting nitrogen application in correlation to adding manure is another management practice that could have great benefit to the farm both economically and environmentally. To determine the nitrogen value of manure, the best method is to have a sample analyzed. There are book values that can give the approximate nutrient value for manure, but every farm is different so the best strategy is to get a sample from your farm.

Cover crop usage is growing exponentially. Many farms are looking at cover crops as another fertilizer source. The challenge for using cover crops as a nutrient source is in the amount of credit to take, as well timing of the nitrogen release. Nitrogen availability may not correlate with the time the crop needs it. If a farm wants to use cover crops as a nutrient source, cover crop should be considered during the planning process.

There are some book values that can be found on how much nitrogen credit can be calculated, but the best practice is still to use soil samples followed by Pre-sidedress Nitrogen Tests (PSNT) when applicable. Later in the growing season, a petiole sample or a stalk nitrate sample should be taken to further determine if the farm has an efficient and effective nitrogen plan. Michigan State University Extension educators can assist you in planning for nitrogen management.

If you would like to learn more about cover crops, the Midwest Cover Crops Council (MCCC) is holding its annual business meeting followed by a one day conference this year in Michigan. The MCCC conference will be held on March 15, 2017 at the Crowne Plaza, 5700 28th Street SE., in Grand Rapids. The MCCC business meeting will precede the conference on March 14. Event details are available on the MSU Extension website event page. This event is an opportunity for farmers, researchers, educators, agency personnel, NGOs and agribusiness to learn from one another about the latest information in successful cover cropping. The meeting and conference is being hosted by MSU Extension. The theme of this year’s conference is Making Cover Crops Work – Experiences from the Field. In addition to joint sessions on cover crop termination and interseeding of cover crops, three concurrent sessions will feature cover crop use in field crop, vegetable crop and forage and grazing systems. CCA and RUP credits will be offered. Exhibitors providing cover crop and other ag related services will be present. Register online.

The Midwest Cover Crop Council’s goal is to facilitate widespread adoption of cover crops throughout the Midwest, to improve ecological, economic and social sustainability. States and provinces represented in the MCCC are: Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota, Ohio, Ontario, South Dakota and Wisconsin.

This article was published by Michigan State University Extension. For more information, visit http://www.msue.msu.edu. To have a digest of information delivered straight to your email inbox, visit http://www.msue.msu.edu/newsletters. To contact an expert in your area, visit http://expert.msue.msu.edu, or call 888-MSUE4MI (888-678-3464).

— Christina Curell, Michigan State University Extension

For more news from Michigan, click here.

Click Here to find out more about your favorite topics

research

Spread the word

Browse More Clips

cherry

Source Michigan cherries all year

5 reasons to raise backyard chickens

Primary Sidebar

MORE

MICHIGAN CLIPS

Strong first quarter meat/poultry exports
May 19, 2022
U.S. potato exports show continued signs of recovery
May 19, 2022
Rupp Seeds doubles down on vegetables, divests grain and forage business
May 19, 2022
MPPA Annual Meeting, National Pork Producers Delegate Body election on June 15
May 19, 2022
New market program rewards farmers for regenerative agriculture
May 18, 2022
  • Trending
  • Latest

YOU MIGHT ALSO LIKE...

UW names Glenda Gillaspy CALS dean
May 20, 2022
Rotational grazing of livestock provides a perfect opportunity to make cover crops and other forages a financially viable part of a farm in the long-term. If you’d like to learn more, join the Land Stewardship Project and the Sustainable Farming Association of Minnesota Jan. 19 for a “Bringing Livestock Back” workshop, from 9:30 a.m. to 4 p.m., at Sacred Heart Catholic Church in Glenwood, Minn. (Courtesy of The Land Stewardship Project)
USDA seeks feedback from producers
May 20, 2022
Infographic explains integration of Livestock + Crops
May 19, 2022
dry beans
NDSU Extension reviews dry bean plant establishment research
May 19, 2022
MPPA Annual Meeting, National Pork Producers Delegate Body election on June 15
May 19, 2022

Footer

MORNING AG CLIPS

  • Sponsors
  • About Us
  • Advertise with Us
  • Privacy Statement
  • Terms of Service
  • Customer & Technical Support

CONNECT WITH US

  • Like Us on Facebook
  • Instagram
  • LinkedIn
  • Twitter
  • YouTube

TRACK YOUR TRADE

  • Markets & Economy
  • Cattle Updates
  • Dairy News
  • Policy & Politics
  • Corn Alerts

QUICK LINKS

  • Account
  • Portal Membership
  • Invite Your Friends
  • Subscribe to RSS
  • WeatherTrends
  • Just Me, Kate

© 2022 Morning Ag Clips, LLC. All Rights Reserved.