Every year after harvest, farmers get the opportunity to start again. The foundation of a healthy, productive crop begins the day the previous crop comes off the field. Are you preparing to capture more water, nutrients and soil health this fall?
Why Residue Management?
Soil is comprised of 4 elements: Minerals, Air, Water, and Organic Matter. Nutrients are found in soil solution (water), bound to the soil colloids as well as locked in last year's residue.
Organic Matter is comprised of dead plant material (weeds and cover crops), microbial matter and decomposed crop residues. Organic Matter can contribute nutrients to the system, however residue cannot. It must decompose through the aid of soil microbial activity to release inorganic nutrients into the soil solution for your next crop.
Residuce WS - Accelerating Decomposition
Residuce WS is a biological inoculant containing a diverse blend of beneficial microbes specifically selected for their ability to decompose crop residue. When applied properly, these microbes multiply rapidly and begin breaking down the cellulose, hemicellulose, and lignin in crop residue.
The key benefits of proper residue management include:
- Faster nutrient cycling from previous crop residues
- Improved soil organic matter over time
- Better soil structure and tilth for planting
- Reduced disease pressure from decomposed residue
- More uniform seedbeds for the next crop
Ideal Application Conditions
Moisture and temperature play critical roles in microbial activity. Microbes exposed in hot, dry conditions face a harsh environment. Incorporating them with rain, 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.
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
- Food Sources - Pairing Residuce with a good food source is critical and will speed up multiplication of microorganisms
Food Source Options
AgriEnergy offers the following liquid food source packages to be applied at 1-4 gallons per acre:
- Humi-Sul - a blend of nitrogen, sulfur, humic acid and sugars
- PremCAL - a blend of calcium nitrate, humic acid and sugars 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!
