The sugarbeet fertilizer guidelines for Minnesota were recently updated for the first time since 2015. Here are a few things to know about the new guidelines.
Nitrogen
Nitrogen guidelines are the same as those promoted by Minnesota’s sugarbeet cooperatives. There currently is a project underway that is funded by the Sugar Beet Research and Education Board of Minnesota and North Dakota looking at rate and sources of urea applied in fall and spring, which was discussed in a blog post last year. At this time, we do not have any overwhelming evidence that any changes need to be made to the N guidelines for sugarbeet, but we are in the process of compiling recent and historical N rate research so I can evaluate the response to N in the various growing regions as more data is collected.
Secondary and Micronutrients
The only changes that were made to the sugarbeet fertilizer guidelines are the inclusion of information on sulfur, boron, and manganese application. The majority of our recent research has not shown the need for sulfur and boron in the bulk of regions where sugarbeet is grown. This does not mean that deficiencies may not be present in some fields. Sulfur and boron are more likely to be deficient in sandy soils lower in organic matter. In the case of boron, dry soil will typically result in a greater chance for boron supply from the soil to be low. It is not uncommon to encounter low boron in plant tissue when plants are moisture-stressed, which can make it difficult to determine whether the problem can be corrected with a fertilizer application or if the deficiency will persist as long as the soil remains dry. Over-application of boron can be detrimental to crops, so avoiding application of boron is best to reduce the potential risk of a reduction in root yield.
Source: umn.edu
Photo Credit: GettyImages-klosfoto
Categories: Minnesota, Crops, Sugar Beets