When to apply fertilisers to plants - Soil Essentials: Managing Your Farm's Primary Asset - page 95

Recommended fertiliser application times for cereals
(Source: Soil Sense M-01)

Cereal crops
Fertiliser Dryland,

low rainfall

Dryland,
high rainfall

Irrigated

Nitrogen (soil
low in N)

(1) Predrill urea or sow
with N/P blends
(2) Before first node, or
if crop yellowing

(1) Predrill urea or sow
with N/P blends
(2) Before flowering or if
crop yellowing

(1) At sowing with N/P
blends
(2) Up until flowering, or
if crop yellowing

Nitrogen (soil
high in N)

(1) No N needed
(2) If crop yellowing
apply as soon as
possible

(1) No N needed
(2) After first node, or if
crop is waterlogged
(3) Before flowering

Up until flowering, or if
crop yellowing

Phosphorus (1) At sowing

(2) Before first node

(1) At sowing
(2) Before first node

(1) At sowing
(2) Before first node

Potassium (1) At sowing

(2) Before first node

(1) At sowing
(2) Before first node

(1) At sowing
(2) Before first node

Calcium (lime) Prior to sowing Prior to sowing Prior to sowing

Trace elements (1) At sowing

(2) If deficiency signs
appear

(1) At sowing
(2) If deficiency signs
appear

(1) At sowing
(2) If deficiency signs
appear