Title

Fertilizing Winter Rye

(SF1462, Reviewed December 2023)
File
Publication File:
Summary

North Dakota is one of the nation’s top producers of rye.

About half of the rye produced is used for seed, mainly for cover crops, and the other half is harvested as grain. About half of the grain is used for livestock feed and the other half is used for human consumption.

Rye previously was grouped with wheat in fertility recommendations, but rye has unique nutrient requirements that separate it from other grains. Nitrogen requirements are not as high, even though yield may be comparable to wheat. Because economic return for rye is not as high as for wheat, other nutrient recommendations are more modest. A significant amount of rye is grown organically, so suggestions for fertilizing in an organic system also are included.

Lead Author
Lead Author:
D.W. Franzen, NDSU Extension Soil Specialist
Availability
Availability:
Web only
Publication Sections

Table of Contents

Conventional production with synthetic fertilizers

Nitrogen

Yields of rye within the state vary widely. If a grower has a history of rye production, choosing the relative productivity of a field or part of a field is relatively simple.

  • Low productivity – 40 bu/acre or less
  • Medium productivity – 41-60 bu/acre
  • High productivity – more than
    60 bu/acre

N rate based on historic productivity of soils

Low 50 lb N/acre
Medium 100 lb N/acre
High 150 lb N/acre

Adjustments to N

  • Subtract the soil test nitrate-N to 2 feet in depth
  • Subtract previous crop N credits provided in Table 1.
  • Subtract 40 lb N/acre if in the Langdon region (see Figure 1).

Phosphorus

  • Low productivity – apply 25 lb P2O5/acre at seeding with the seed up to a soil test of 15 parts per million (ppm)
  • Medium and high productivity – apply 40 lb P2O5 at seeding with the seed up to a soil test of 15 ppm.

Potassium

  • All productive ranges – apply 50 lb/acre 0-0-60 (30 lb/acre K2O) if soil test K is less than 100 ppm. Do not exceed rates of N + K2O with the seed provided in Table 2.

Other nutrients

On sandy soils (loamy sand, sandy loams), especially those with low organic matter (less than 2 percent), sulfur may be a problem in some springs if snowmelt and/or fall or early spring rainfall has been normal to above normal. If these conditions are present, adding 5 to 10 pounds of S/acre as a soluble sulfate source would be advisable. If using ammonium thiosulfate as a source of S, do not broadcast apply but use stream bars instead.

No reports of micronutrient deficiency in rye in North Dakota have been received, so no other nutrients are recommended for general use.

Table 1. Previous crop N credits.

Previous cropCredit
Soybean40 lb N/acre
Edible bean40 lb N/acre
Pea and lentil40 lb N/acre
Chickpea40 lb N/acre
Sweet clover that was harvested40 lb N/acre
Alfalfa that was harvested
and unharvested sweet clover:
>5 plants/sq. ft.150 lb N/acre
34 plants/sq. ft.100 lb N/acre
12 plants/sq. ft.50 lb N/acre
12 plants/sq. ft.50 lb N/acre
<1 plant /sq. ft.0 lb N/A
Sugar beet 
Yellow leaves0 lb N/acre
Yellow/green leaves30 lb N/acre
Dark green leaves80 lb N/acre

Second-year N Credits

Half of credit given for the first year for sweet clover and alfalfa, none for other crops.

Figure 1
Figure 1. Agri-climatology zones for North Dakota to aid in N recommendations.


 

Organic production

The two most important amendments and cultural practices that have been shown to be effective in providing nutrients to small grains, including rye, are manure application and the use of green manures prior to seeding.

Table 2. Maximum N + K2O fertilizer rates with small-grain seed at planting based on row spacing, planter opener type and seedbed utilization (Deibert, 1986). SU = seedbed utilization.

  Row spacing, inches
  6 7.5 10 12
Planter opener typeSeed spreadSUlb N+K2O/ acre SUlb N+K2O/ acre SUlb N+K2O/ acre SUlb N+K2O/ acre
 inches           
Double-disc117%20-30 13%19-28 10%17-23 8%15-20
Hoe233%32-44 27%27-38 20%23-31 17%20-27
 350%44-58 40%37-48 30%30-40 25%26-34
Airseeder466%56-72 53%46-58 40%37-48 33%32-42
 583%68-86 68%56-68 50%44-57 44%38-49
 6100%80-100 80%66-79 60%51-55 50%44-56
 7   94%76-90 70%58-74 58%50-64
 8      80%66-83 67%56-71
 9      90%73-92 75%62-78
 10      100%80-100 83%68-86
 11         92%74-93
 12         100%80-100

Fresh manure application provides higher N content relative to P, but it also has a higher weed-seed risk. Composted manures provide lower N content relative to P, but if the manure has been composted correctly, the viable weed seed concentration in the manure will be low.

Manure is desirable whenever possible in a rotation because it is the only practical way to increase the nonmobile nutrients in the soil that are taken away at harvest. Rotations may make some nutrients more available, such as P after buckwheat, but they do not increase the amount of nutrients in soil, with the exception of N from the legume-nitrogen relationship. Manures differ in their nutrient content (Table 3).

Table 3. Approximate plant nutrient value of selected types of manure (Wiederholt, 2004).

Form of manureNP2O5K2O
 ——— lb nutrient/ton ———
Beef – solid dirt lot – cows251822
Dairy – solid dirt lot – cows1179
Swine – solid, finishing13139
Sheep – solid201327
Poultry – turkey – solid556340
 ——— lb/1,000 gal ———
Dairy – liquid – anaerobic storage221420
Swine – liquid – finishing271915
Source: “Determining Crop Available Nutrients from Manure.” G97-1335A. University of Nebraska Cooperative Extension


 

Fresh manure also needs to be incorporated within a few hours of application to avoid loss of nitrogen as ammonia gas. The longer the manure sits undisturbed in the field, the less nitrogen will be available for crops later. Composted manure, however, can remain on the field undisturbed for much longer because much of its nitrogen already has been lost in the composting process. Sampling manure and having it tested for N, P and K content is suggested to better address crop nutrient needs.

Cover crops may provide N to a following rye crop if they are not N deficient themselves. Green-growing vegetation, regardless of whether they are legumes, most often contain at least 4 percent N. When this vegetation is incorporated into the soil, about one-third of the N often is released back into the soil during initial decomposition and can be used by plants.

Legumes are a preferred cover crop if given enough time to develop because they can add N to the cropping system through the activity of their symbiotic soil bacteria. Inoculation of legume seed is important before seeding for nitrogen fixation to occur.

Other organic amendments

Avoid the use of biological stimulators and low rates of organic-based materials such as fish/seaweed extracts or enzymes. A good rotation already supports a wealth of biological activators and microbes in the soil. Substantive research into the field activity of these products at commercial rates shows them to be largely ineffective.

References

R. Wiederholt. 2004. Manure application planning guide. NDSU Ext. Pub. AE-1187 (revised, 2004).

For more information on this and other topics, see www.ndsu.edu/extension

Extension

County commissions, North Dakota State University and U.S. Department of Agriculture cooperating. NDSU does not discriminate in its programs and activities on the basis of age, color, gender expression/identity, genetic information, marital status, national origin, participation in lawful off-campus activity, physical or mental disability, pregnancy, public assistance status, race, religion, sex, sexual orientation, spousal relationship to current employee, or veteran status, as applicable. Direct inquiries to Vice Provost for Title IX/ADA Coordinator, Old Main 201, NDSU Main Campus, 701-231-7708, ndsu.eoaa@ndsu.edu. This publication will be made available in alternative formats for people with disabilities upon request, 701-231-7881. 500-12-09; 200-7-15; web-12-23