The purpose of applying Residuce is to speed up residue decomposition to cycle nutrients and leave the soil in better condition to grow the next crop. The performance of Residuce WS, being a microbial product, is dependent on many factors.
Two important factors are soil moisture and temperature. Most microbes flourish the best when soil moisture is between 40 and 80 percent saturation and temperature between 50 and 80 degrees Fahrenheit.
Temperature
Although difficult for many farms to apply during or immediately following harvest, the ideal soil temperature means that you should strive to apply Residuce as soon as possible after harvest to take advantage of as many days as possible with warm soil temperatures before growing the next crop.
Microbial activity doesn't stop when soil temperatures get below 50 degrees, it just slows down. When asked how late you can apply Residuce, we say that we want it applied on unfrozen soil at least 2-3 days before winter sets in. This gives the microbes a chance to get established and be ready to go when the soil warms up.
Moisture
The ideal moisture needed for best results means that it could be advantageous to wait for moisture before applying Residuce. Leaving microbes exposed in hot, dry conditions is a harsh environment for them. Incorporating them with rain or irrigation or tillage puts them in a more suitable environment. Even minimum tillage such as vertical tillage or a rolling tine aerator that puts at least some soil in contact with the residue is helpful.
Other Recommendations to Maximize Effectiveness
- Sizing Residue - Exposing as much surface area of residue to the soil as possible can significantly speed up the process of decomposition.
- Application Method - Spray with large droplet or Streamer nozzles to keep microbes more concentrated and hydrated.
- C:N Ratios - Add Nitrogen and/or Sulfur for mature residue high in carbon content to narrow Carbon to Nitrogen ratios; it is especially important to narrow this ratio in small grains such as Wheat stubble. It is advisable to add some form of Sulfur to enable more microbial activity.
- Food Sources - Pairing Residuce with a good food source is critical and will speed up multiplication of microorganisms.
What Food Sources?
Good food sources include carbon products, such as sugars, amino acids and humic acids, and combinations of these. These help to ramp up microbe populations so that residue decomposition is sped up considerably, leading to better and quicker nutrient cycling and humus formation in the soil.
AgriEnergy offers the following liquid food source packages to be applied at 1-4 gallons per acre with 2 to 3 gallons being ideal for most applications:
- Humi-Sul - a blend of nitrogen, sulfur, humic acid and sugars
- PremCAL - a blend of calcium nitrate, humic acid and sugars that is ideal for "flash flocculation" to improve soil tilth
- Micro CAL O - a blend of hydrolized nitrogen, calcium, sulfur and humic acid suitable for organic production
Consult your AgriEnergy representative to see what Residuce applications best suit your needs. It is a great start to a good crop next year!
