Applying winter manure to wheat requires attention to timing and method

During the overwintering period of wheat, adding winter manure can not only supplement the deficiencies of base fertilizer and seedling fertilizer, but also maintain and stabilize the soil temperature around the wheat roots. Through the slow decomposition of fertilizer in winter and absorption by the roots, it lays the foundation for vigorous growth in spring.

Winter manure should mainly consist of organic fertilizers rich in organic matter and warm in nature, such as soil and miscellaneous manure, compost, barnyard manure, river mud, aged wall soil, human and livestock manure and urine, and other organic fertilizers with stable and long-lasting effects, with an appropriate amount of chemical fertilizer added. Winter manure is generally applied from mid-to-late December to mid-January of the following year, and within the suitable fertilization period, the earlier it is applied, the better.

The application of winter manure to wheat should be tailored to the seedlings and carried out by category. For weak seedling fields sown relatively late, with poor soil fertility and insufficient base fertilizer, winter manure should be applied in sufficient amounts, mainly with quick-acting fertilizers, applying 2000 kg of decomposed pig and cattle pen manure per mu or 20-25 kg of ammonium bicarbonate, or after rain or snow, applying 10 kg of urea per mu to promote tillering. For phosphorus- and potassium-deficient wheat fields where the lower leaves of the wheat seedlings turn yellow, the leaf tips turn red, the tips of old leaves lose green or even necrose, and the stems are thin and weak, apply an additional 25 kg of superphosphate, 5-6 kg of potassium chloride, or 100-150 kg of plant ash per mu. Plant ash can absorb heat and keep warm, which can prevent wheat from freezing. For wheat fields with sufficient base fertilizer, good soil fertility, early sowing, and vigorous growth, the amount of winter manure should be controlled, mainly with organic fertilizers such as river mud, with little or no chemical fertilizer applied, and measures such as compaction should be taken to control excessive growth and promote sturdiness, control the top and promote the bottom, and improve the overwintering environment of wheat. For strong seedling wheat fields with early sowing, sufficient base fertilizer, and good soil moisture, an appropriate amount of winter manure can be applied, mainly organic fertilizer, combined with compaction, applying 1250 kg of human and livestock manure and urine per mu to supplement the nutrients needed for wheat seedling growth.