Corn and soybean harvest continues to move along in Illinois, and as the 2013 crops come off, thoughts turn to fall fertilization.

As corn harvest is concluding, many farmers are turning their thoughts to preparing for next year’s crop. One thought is on how to best apply nitrogen (N) fertilizers to maximize N use efficiency and corn yields. Nitrogen fertilizers can be applied at many times throughout the year including: fall, spring, preplant, at planting, sidedress, or through fertigation. When deciding when and how to apply N fertilizers, consider the 4Rs of nutrient management

There is still time this fall to apply herbicides for control of winter annuals and marestail.

Applying herbicides in the fall may help farmers save time in dealing with winter annual weeds next spring during planting time, says Aaron Hager, University of Illinois Extension weed specialist.

If you have been no tilling for some time here are some considerations that may improve your no till system.

Farmers should wait until soil temperatures drop to the appropriate temperature before applying fall nitrogen, a University of Illinois agronomist says.

Multiple years of OSU research on fall and spring no-till herbicide treatments have consistently shown that the value and effectiveness of residual herbicides for soybeans is maximized when they are applied in the spring, not the fall.