The Dakotan: This is Ag Issues with Neil Roberts. Neil Roberts: Welcome to another edition of Ag Issues. Our guest today is NDSU Cropping, system specialist Leo Bartolon from the North Central Research Extension Center. And Leo. It's wet out there and farmers want to get in the field, but not a good combo trying to fight the mud right Yes. Leo Bartolon: After the blizzard and some decent rains we got in the last two weeks, we are very wet out there. So many farmers are wanting to jump into tractors and go to the field to try to make a good crop. But we have some issues with the wet conditions. So if we plant crops under wet conditions, we can face mechanical and biological problems. So mechanical problems is the ability to put equipment to the soil. And otherwise you can even go to the planting sprayer and even apply fertilizer in the standpoint of biological problems. If we enter to the field with the wet soil, we can compact the soil and the plants cannot grow properly. So the nutrient uptake and water uptake will be reduced because of the compaction. Neil Roberts: All right. Good stuff early on. Hey, we'll talk wet conditions some more along with nitrogen when we come back. The Dakotan: You're listening to Ag Issues with Neil Roberts on the Dakotan Network. Neil Roberts: Talking wet conditions today with Leo Bartolon and Leo, how is this affecting nitrogen? Leo Bartolon: Yes. Usually wet conditions are not good news for nitrogen management. However, wet conditions coupled with cooler soil temperatures that is still have in the soil right now. We can reduce the potential nitrogen loss for those who are buying nitrogen ammonia. Be careful with if the furrow behind the planter is closing properly or their seeder. And for those who are using your air, take advantage of the small grains nutrient use efficiency and you can apply the nitrogen within the 30 days after planting. Neil Roberts: All right. Good stuff, Leo. Hey, that brings this report to a close. I'm Neil Roberts. The Dakotan: You're listening to the Dakotan Network. Real, Honest, Local News.
