Nutrient Value of Wheat Straw

Due to the decreased wheat acreage this year, some producers may be approached about baling straw. This often leads to the question what is the nutrient value of the straw being removed and should removal lead to increased fertilizer applications in subsequent years?

From a pure fertilizer value, wheat straw contains very little in the way of phosphorus (P2O5) but moderate amounts of nitrogen (N) and potassium (K2O). The actual amounts of N, P2O5, and K2O contained in a ton of wheat straw are 11, 3, and 15 pounds, respectively. A sixty bushel per acre wheat crop will produce 2.7 tons of straw per acre removing 30 pounds of N, 9 pounds of P2O5, and 41 pounds of K2O. Thus straw does have some fertilizer value especially with regard to potassium and may require some additional fertilizer input in subsequent years, but soil testing should be conducted to validate the need for additional nutrients.

Wheat straw residue also contains organic matter that when returned to the soil does have value, but it is difficult to put a dollar value on it. Continued removal of the above ground biomass may have negative repercussions in the long-run in the form of decreased organic matter, especially if some organic residue is not returned to the soil.

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