Soil Temperatures Near 50°F

Soil Temperatures Near 50°F

Nebraska soil temperature map -- Oct. 20, 2011

Seven-day average of Nebraska soil temperatures.  For more soil temperature information, including readings and averages from 35 Nebraska sites, see cropwatchsoiltemperature.
 

Soil temperatures ranged from 45.7°F in Gordon to 53.2°F in Lincoln on Thursday, near the 50°F tipping point for fall anyhdrous applications.  The seven-day average for soil temperatures across the state ranged from 49.2°F to 55.9°F.

Gary Zoubek, extension educator, said soil scientists generally recommend that anhydrous ammonia only be applied in the fall if soils are fine-textured and the soil temperature has dropped to 50°F, on average, for a week or longer. Fall application of anhydrous ammonia is not recommended on coarse textured soils where leaching potential is high. If a nitrification inhibitor such as NServe or DCD is used, the recommended minimum temperature is 55°F.

Check daily soil temperature readings and a seven-day average on the CropWatch soil temperature page at cropwatchsoiltemperature.

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