Nutrient Management

Nitrogen Management

How much nitrogen does carinata require?

80 lbs N per acre is recommended as a two-way split (20 lbs N/ac preplant, 60 lbs N/ac at bolting) on heavy textured soils or a three-way split application (20 lbs N/ac preplant, 40 lbs N/ac at bolting, and 20 lbs N/ac at flowering) on light to medium textured soils.

When do I apply nitrogen?

Nitrogen fertilizer should be timed with maximum N uptake during key growth stages. While a single at plant application of N might reduce the cost of production by saving an application cost, it could lead to N loss through leaching before the crop can take up significant amounts of N, especially on sandy soils. Nitrogen can be split applied depending on soil type: two-way (20 lbs N/ac preplant, 60 lbs N/ac at bolting) on heavy textured soils or a three-way split application (20 lbs N/ac preplant, 40 lbs N/ac at bolting, and 20 lbs N/ac at flowering) on light to medium textured soils.

Can I wait to apply nitrogen until I see a good stand, or will I lose yield?

Adequate nitrogen nutrition is critical to plant health and high carinata yields. Nitrogen is required to kickstart carinata shoot and root growth. Emerging seedlings can benefit from nitrogen in the soil N pool, especially in soils with a high organic matter content. But on low organic matter soils a 20 lb N per acre pre-plant or at-plant is recommended.

Are there limits to how much nitrogen I can use on carinata?

Synthetic nitrogen application to carinata is capped at 80 lbs per acre due to sustainability certification requirements.

Other Nutrients

How much Sulfur (S) does carinata require?

25 lb S per acre.

How much Potassium (K) does carinata require?

80 lb K2O per acre.

How much Phosphorus (P) does carinata require?

40 lb P2O5 per acre.

How much Boron (B) does carinata require?

1 lb B per acre.

Is a soil test recommended before planting carinata?

Yes, you should test your soil before planting carinta and use the data to determine fertilizer rates.

Can I mix carinata seed and fertilizer and spread together?

No. Carinata is sensitive to seed-placed fertilizer and is therefore not recommended.

Can I broadcast fertilizer over carinata?

Pre-plant or at-plant fertilizer should be incorporated to minimize N loss. Applications at bolting or early flowering can be broadcasted.

Will broadcasting fertilizer hurt the crop?

Broadcasted fertilizers may cause some injury to leaves such as burning the leaves, causing brown spots and sometimes holes in the leaves. This will have very little effect on carinata seed yield.

Can I use slow-release fertilizer?

Slow-release nitrogen fertilizer does not have an advantage over other fertilizer sources. But it may enhance the sustainability of production by reducing greenhouse gas emissions. Its use, however, may be limited by the economics.

Poultry Litter

Can poultry litter replace mineral fertilizer in carinata?

No. Poultry litter should only be used to supplement mineral fertilizer. The rate of decomposition and mineralization of poultry litter is not optimized with carinata growth stages and uptake of nutrients. A sound nutrient management plan is required if using poultry litter to prevent imbalances and environmental losses.

How can I used poultry litter to manage nitrogen needs of carinata?

Poultry litter can be used to replace some, but not all of synthetic nitrogen application. Poultry litter cannot be used to replace early season nitrogen application.

What effect does poultry litter have on carinata yields?

Application of 2 to 4 tons of poultry litter has been shown to significantly increase carinata seed yield over fields where poultry litter is not used. The use of poultry litter in carinata production will depend on economics of aquiring and applying the litter.

Can I broadcast poultry litter over carinata?

No. All poultry litter should be incorporated before planting carinata in the fall. This reduces losses through ammonia volatilization and runoff.

How much nitrogen and other nutrients are supplied by 1 ton of poultry litter?

Poultry litter is very rich in plant nutrients: total N ranging from 26 to 30 lbs/ton; P2O5 from 40 to 60 lbs/ton; K2O from 50 to 75 lbs/ton and significant quantities of micronutrients depending on the bedding material and management of the poultry litter.

Are all nutrients available in first year of poultry litter use?

50% of applied nitrogen will be available within one year after application with 10 and 3% being available within 2 and 3 years, respectively, after application. 80% P and 90% K are available in the first year after application.

How do I beneift from using poultry litter?

Poultry litter is a source of macro and micronutrients and can be used as a source of supplemental nitrogen, phosphorus, sulfur, and potassium. Poultry litter builds long-term total soil carbon and particulate organic matter resulting in improved soil structure.

Can I use plant tissue analysis to determine if carinata needs specific nutrients?

Yes. Plant tissue analysis is an important aspect of a sound nutrient management program providing a check on the uptake of nutrient application. Tissue analysis can be done at any commercial lab to determine the total elemental content of the whole plant or parts of plants, typically leaves, and used to diagnose and correct nutrient deficiencies.

How can I identify the various nutrient deficiency symptoms?

A comprehensive nutrient deficiency identification key can be found at the North Carolina State Extension Brassica carinata portal.

Can I apply nutrients through a pivot?

Yes. Applying nutrients through a pivot (fertigation) can allow for efficient splitting of nitrogen application on sandy soils, if needed.

Additional Resources

Carinata Production Manual
Journal Articles, Factsheets, & Helpful Websites
Nuseed Carinata Contract Production
Contact the SPARC Team