The Durham Museum, in Omaha, NE, will be hosting an exhibition later this fall on the secrets of soil.  Did you know that more has been discovered about the dark side of the moon than has been discovered about soil?

The exhibition runs from October 2-December 26.  More information can be found at:

 http://durhammuseum.org/experience/exhibits/future/exhibit-details.aspx?ID=185

You have likely seen several articles about the need for continued increases in food production to meet a growing population.  Dr. Harold Reetz, formerly with the International Plant Nutrition Institute, recently wrote a very good article about the need for new champions to help raise the yield bar.  Please read more here: http://www.fluidjournal.org/article1.php

I have an enormous respect for the farmers & others who have been seen as stretching the yield barrier.  I grew up surrounded by farm magazine articles about fantastic corn yields by Herman Warsaw and Francis Childs.  Recently Kip Cullers has been doing the same with soybeans.  We definitely need to continue striving for more production, but we also need to verify that we grow food that is healthy & nutritious.  Many farmers, agronomists, & consultants are working together to help in this effort, recognizing that there is more to a successful outcome than just the "Big 3" nutrients.

Glen Howell is a contributing writer of Yield Starts Here, a blog for farmers, focusing on increasing yield and profitability by focusing on the soil. Glen is an agronomist & sales representative at Calcium Products. Find additional articles by Glen and other writers at http://blog.calciumproducts.com/

Glyphosate & crop nutrient interactions have been a topic of conversation during many of my recent visits with agronomists & dealers.  Some articles that discuss this in more detail:

http://blog.calciumproducts.com/posts/losing-the-glyphosate-resistant-pigweed-battle-we-can-help-you-get-back-in-the-fight.cfm

http://blog.calciumproducts.com/posts/controling-3-major-yield-robbers-in-2010.cfm

http://blog.calciumproducts.com/posts/glyphosate-induced-micronutrient-deficiency.cfm

I also found this article by Dr. Don Huber a very good summary of what is going on: http://www.fluidjournal.org/1gsdgfs-S10/S10-A4.pdf

As the summer weather continues to challenge us with excessive rainfall, many producers are now considering what their options may be for planting a summer forage for next winter's feed needs.  Dr. Stephen Barnhart, ISU Extension, has some excellent tips & recommendations in this article: http://www.extension.iastate.edu/CropNews/2010/0629barnhart.htm. 

One issue that Dr. Barnhart does not address is the need to monitor soil nutrients.  Some or all of the nutrients that were applied during this growing season may have been lost.  The only way to know for sure is testing of both the soil & tissue.  Make sure to include these tools as you consider what your next steps once things start drying up.  SuperCal SO4 is an effective tool in helping the soil & microbes begin to recover.

Be sure to check out this link to past stories:

http://blog.calciumproducts.com/posts/resources-on-flooding.cfm

We are asked all the time about earth worms. Most of us don’t think of them until it is time to go fishing, but earth worms may be the most important livestock on your farm. Jerry Brunetti,  world renowned consultant calls them the "chicken-cow"of the soil. They have a gizzard to grind soil and plant particles, but they don’t eat the ground soil. They regurgitate the this mess into their tunnels where this mucousy concoction is fed on by bacteria and fungus. It is this microbiological smorgasbord that the worm actually eats!

25 earthworms per square foot of soil equal 1 million earthworms per acre. Studies in England have shown that in healthy soil forty tons of castings per acre pass through earthworms bodies daily. A new USA study indicates 1½ million worms per acre which move 20 tons of earth each year. Studies by the National Soil Tilth Lab have shown that with good food sources and favorable conditions, a field might have over 100 worms per square yard.

• 7 times the available phosphorous
• 6 times the available nitrogen
• 11 times the available potassium
• 3 time the available magnesium
• 2 times the available carbon
• 1.5 times the available calcium
• Worm casts can contain 40% more humus

When the soil gets very cold, very hot, very wet or very dry, it's hard on an earthworm. A typical behavior is to tunnel deeper into the soil, to where conditions aren't so extreme. Some species, especially during hot, dry periods, roll themselves into balls and excrete mucous around themselves, creating a kind of cocoon. In such a state their body functions slow down drastically. They go into a kind of suspended animation, just waiting for soil conditions to improve.

• Earthworms don't have eyes, but they do have light-sensitive cells scattered in their outer skin. These cells don't enable earthworms to see images, or forms, but they do give their skin the capacity to detect light and changes in light intensity. The worm's skin cells are also sensitive to touch and chemicals
• Earthworms have simple brains which specialize in directing body movement in response to light, and not much else. To show how simple the brain is, if an earthworm's brain is removed, changes in its general behavior are hardly noticeable
• Earthworms, as the drawing above shows, possess five hearts. The calciferous glands shown between the hearts manage excess calcium in the worm's diet, a problem you may have if you eat a lot of dirt.
• Earthworms have no lungs. Their "breathing" consists of oxygen from the air passively diffusing through the skin into the body. One problem with having such permeable skin is that earthworms dry out easily.

Yield Starts Here is a blog for farmers, focusing on increasing yield and profitability by focusing on the soil. It is managed by Craig Dick, a Blogronomist and Sales and Marketing Manager at Calcium Products. Find other articles by Craig and guest writers at http://blog.calciumproducts.com/ .  

I stumbled onto an article today, Mat of microbes the size of Greece discovered on seafloor.

Here are some of the things I found interesting.

• microbes, which constitute 50 to 90 percent of the oceans' total biomass,
• A single liter of seawater, once thought to contain about 100,000 microbes, can actually hold more than one billion microorganisms
• Despite their small individual size, microbes play a big role in the oceans and the planet overall. Microbes help to turn atmospheric carbon dioxide into usable carbon, completing about 95 percent of all respiration in the Earth's oceans. Even those deep in the seafloor, such as the deep sea  burrowers, "help oxygenate sediments and interact with microbes to cycle nutrients and carbon on the ocean floor," Arbizu said.

Makes you wonder what is going on in your soil. Many of us have experience feed and caring for cattle and pigs, but whens the last time you feed or take care to manage your soil microbes?

Have you ever thought of them at all?

At the end of every month I read through my notes from the previous weeks just to make sure I didn't forget something. I found some interesting notes I took at a conference where the speaker was talking about microbes, here are some facts he threw out:

• More microbes on earth than stars in the sky
• More microbes on your skin than cells in your body
• In an acre of soil you can have 2000# of microbes
• Only 2-5% of microbes have been identified. (best guess)

So if microbes are such a big part of our lives, from the skin we live in to the soil that grows our crops, why as agronomists do we ignore them? Is it because no body taught us about them (they only know about 2% of what is out there)? Because we agronomist don't sell them?

Why as farmers are you not learning more about how these creatures can work for you to improve your soil and bottom line? Why would you not learn how feeding the microbes with the right fertilizer will make your crops grow better and your farm more profitable?

We don't have all the answers yet, but our products do help this process. We will be working to bring such information, stay tuned!

At the end of every month I read through my notes from the previous weeks just to make sure I didn't forget something. I found some interesting notes I took at a conference where the speaker was talking about microbes, here are some facts he threw out:

• More microbes on earth than stars in the sky
• More microbes on your skin than cells in your body
• In an acre of soil you can have 2000# of microbes
• Only 2-5% of microbes have been identified. (best guess)

So if microbes are such a big part of our lives, from the skin we live in to the soil that grows our crops, why as agronomists do we ignore them? Is it because no body taught us about them (they only know about 2% of what is out there)? Because we agronomist don't sell them?

Why as farmers are you not learning more about how these creatures can work for you to improve your soil and bottom line? Why would you not learn how feeding the microbes with the right fertilizer will make your crops grow better and your farm more profitable?

We don't have all the answers yet, but our products do help this process. We will be working to bring such information, stay tuned!

BRT Ag and Turf, a Calcium Products dealer is having an educational meeting December 16-18th.

This is a three day event in Williamsburg, IA and includes Larry Acker, Dr. Dan Skow, Bob Streit, Dr. Michael McNeill, Dr. Arden Andersen, and Dr. Don Huber.

We are especially excited to have Dr. Huber in Iowa. Dr. Huber is Professor Emeritus of Plant Pathology at Purdue University. His research has shown how herbicides tie up micronutrients and what you can do to minimize yield loss and disease.

For more information click on these links or go to BRT website.

Registration and Information

Speaker Biographies

12-17-09 UPDATE: Just spoke to Howard, the corn on this plot avg 214 bu. at 16 moisture! Way to go Howard!

On Monday I attended the Verity Farms Field Day. Howard is doing is really doing some tremendous things to and for his soil. The field that the following video was taken in is Corn on Alfalfa ground. Notice all the earth worm casting, worms, and worm holes. It has been a long time since I have seen a shovel able to be put into the soil its full depth. 

Fertilizer Applications:
 

What's really stunning is these results were acheived with so little applied fertilizer, no fungicide. Notice how green and blemish free the stalk is. There was absolutly no stalk rots to be found any where in this field! Expected yield is 200+ bushels.

We were very excited to be a part of the field day and see the dramatic changes that Howard's program and SuperCal 98G have achieved.  Please contact us or Verity Farms to find out how to return your soil to the soft fertile sponge it was ment to be!

*Pretty exciting that Howard will net close to $400 per acre this year ($3 corn*200 - $200 inputs).

Last year Alberto Ferracuti, a coffee grower from El Salvador contacted me. He was having trouble getting good yields. I explained that I had no experience with coffee or soil from his region. He said that the people with experience in coffee had not helped him and wanted me to look at his soil samples.

After faxing me his soil tests we made recommendations. Due to the high cost of freight Alberto was unfortunately not able to use or products. He did follow our recommendations and he has called me twice this year to inform me of the dramatic improvements. Here is the last email I received from him.

Thanks for the note and call Alberto, helping farmers grow better yields and better quality is what it is all about!

For Randy S. better late than never!

Back in college when I was an intern for the no longer American Cyanamid, I attended a field day about white grubs. As part of my internship, I was also charged with writing a paper about what I learned. Long story short, I never wrote the paper, I felt like I didn’t really get any answers other than use seed treatments.

A couple of days latter my uncle called me, he had some pretty severe stand loss. After scouting it was determined that in one area of the field he had 2-3 white grub larvae per sq ft. In addition to root feeding, raccoons had managed to dig up the remaining corn in search of the grubs.

So ten years later I am writing about white grubs.

At the field day I attended we looked at white grub damage with thresholds in the 4-5 per sq foot range. The field was on a side hill, with a grassy tree filled creek at the bottom. This was very similar to the field my uncle had problems with.

What do we know about the white grub?
White grubs are the larvae of scarab beetles, otherwise known as June Bugs.

White grubs feed on fibrous-rooted plants, such as corn and grass. 

Larval infestations are greatly influenced by soil type or texture. Infestations by white grub are reported to be more common in light, sandy soils that are well-drained than in poorly drained, heavy clay soils.

White Grub normally takes three years to complete its life cycle in most areas.
The June beetles fly from willow and poplar tress to grassy areas to lay their eggs. The eggs hatch and over winter. In the second year the most damage is done.

Preventative insecticides are not recommended, and shelter belt removal is foolish. Planting tolerant crops and tillage (exposes grubs to birds) might be an option.

What have I learned after 10 years of thinking about a project I never completed and no one missed? Pproper fertility is actually key to white grub management. In soils that have low calcium and soil with an imbalance of soluble salts, grasses like foxtail can predominate, regardless of herbicides use.

Soil with proper pH and proper calcium insure herbicides control foxtails, and reduces weed vigor, making a poor environment for the June beetle to lay eggs. Sounds too simple I know, but in most cases the simplest solution is usually the best.

Visit http://www.ag.ndsu.nodak.edu/aginfo/entomology/entupdates/whitegrub/whitgrub.htm for more info on white grubs.

Could soil help us in fighting infection?

Historical anecdotes of the red soils from the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan tell of people using the soils to treat skin infections and diaper rash. A multinational group of researchers suggest the healing power may be due to antibiotic-producing bacteria they have found living in the soil. This discovery may ultimately lead to new antibiotic treatments against harmful pathogens such as Staphylococcus aureus. The researchers report their findings in the May 2008 issue of the journal Applied and Environmental Microbiology. Link: http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/05/090518222202.htm

A reasons why soil quality, while hard to measure, is of huge importance.

Scientists at the USDA-ARS in Orono, Maine have discovered that dairy cows producing USDA-certified organic milk also produce different manure than cows fed in a commerical operation.  The results showed that conventional and organic dairy manures from commercial dairy farms differed in concentrations of plant nutrients, including phosphorus, metals and minerals.

"The researchers found that the two types of manure had at least 17 different chemical forms of phosphorus that varied in concentrations. The organic dairy manure had higher levels of phosphorus, calcium, potassium, manganese, zinc and magnesium.

Organic dairy manure also contained more types of phosphorus found in association with calcium and magnesium. Such forms are comparatively slow to dissolve and would thus gradually release the nutrients. Slow-release fertilizers generally increase the likelihood that they eventually will be taken up by crops, rather than being washed out of fields into nearby surface or groundwater sources.

Because of this, slow-release fertilizers often can be applied at comparatively low rates. Manure produced by cows in organic production systems may show similar characteristics compared to manure from conventional systems."

 Read more here-http://www.ars.usda.gov/IS/pr/2009/090422.htm

A great 3 min video I found posted on Farming Secrets Blog discussing soils and weeds and how to find out what conditions are making weeds a problem.

Wonder why you need 1 lb on Nitrogen per bushel of corn and your neighbor needs 0.5 lbs per bushel?

From Science Daily http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/05/090511122416.htm 

"Contrary to the prevailing view, cereal crops derive the majority of their nitrogen from the soil, not fertilizer. Soils differ considerably in microbial activities that determine nitrogen-supplying power, and these differences must be taken into account if nitrogen fertilizers are to be used efficiently. "

Having proper pH and high levels of available calcium are two of the basic steps to increasing the biological activity of your soil.

Have questions about increasing biological activity, give us a call we can help you increase nutrient availability!

800-255-8196

When I was an agronomist in retail sales, one of my biggest challenges was soybean aphid control and management. 

It seemed like the season started earlier every year, and it did not end until the end of the growing season.  One of my observations was that some fields seemed to be a magnet for infestation, while nearby fields remained nearly free of aphids.  I was unable to figure out why.  Now, researchers at Penn State have identified that the choice of bacteria used to inoculate soybeans , may  provide protection against aphids.

Read more about what they have found here:   www.cornandsoybeandigest.com/e-digest/0429-natural-nitrogen-fixing-bacteria/?smte=wl

I found this article quite interesting.  This is an example of how little we understand about the complex relationships found between plants, bacteria, and the soil.  It also illustrates the importance of soil health and management.

I like to read some of the different postings on various discussion boards regarding agriculture.  One of my favorite sites recently referred to an article that I found quite interesting.  Here is the link:

http://www.lesspub.com/cgi-bin/site.pl?332&ceNews_newsID=6043

This article discusses the role that calcium, when bound to a protein, has by prompting plants to make salicylic acid when it is threatened by infection or other danger.  Salicylic acid (SA), let’s see, it has been a while since chemistry class.  Oh yeah, it is related chemically to aspirin!  According to the director of the study, B.W. Poovaiah, it has been known that plants make SA for quite a while (> than 100 years), but the role of calcium in telling a plant to make SA has been unknown up to now.

Wow!  This is good stuff!  I mean one of the biggest reasons that I chose agronomy over animal science was a remark that I remember from freshmen orientation.  Animals give very specific, unmistakable indications when they are not feeling well or under stress.  Plants, well let’s just say that they are often more subtle about it.  But this article helps us understand that they too are not passive about putting together a defense plan to ward off infection.

The downside?  Plants that have high levels of SA will be very resistant to infection, but have slower growth.  Plants with too little SA will grow very rapidly, but are susceptible to infection.  Makes sense, many things in life & nature follow the rule that some is good but too much or too little causes problems.
 
Another great reason to make sure that you don’t neglect calcium nutrition when finalizing your crop plans for 2009.  SuperCal 98G & SO4 are both great sources of calcium, that’s why they are called Super!  Why not try some today & give your crop a head start (but not a headache).

Balancing Soil Nutrient Levels in Agriculture

Soil tests provide some great information to producers and consultants.  They ususally include such things as pH, buffer pH, and CEC along with nutrient levels like Phosphorus (P) and Potassium (K).  Some agronomists and producers look at the pH and then ignore everything else except for the recommendations based on yield.  This might not be the best strategy for long term soil health.

There are some people who advocate looking at the relative proportions of the cations (Hydrogen, Calcium, Potassium, Sodium, Magnesium) in the soil and trying to achieve a balanced level of fertility.  This would be equivalent to achieving a balanced livestock ration or human diet. 

A Virginia website which talks more about cation balancing can be found here:  www.vabf.org/soilre1.php . I think the author makes two very important points in the conclusion:

1) A foliar or tissue test will show what the plant is actually using.  This may be different than what a soil test indicates.

2) There is no substitute for the knowledge that a farmer has about the land he is managing. 

Not satisfied with you soybean yields.

Take a day to listen to Kip Cullers and other talk about what it takes to grow high yielding soybeans.

International Ag Labs is sponsoring the Soybean Summit - Pushing the Yields on Soybeans, January 19th, 2009 in Fairmont, Minnesota.

You can bet that I will be there!

A great article from National Science Foundation on the importance of Calcium.

"Our findings should help scientists understand how plant ecosystems respond to soil calcium depletion and to design appropriate strategies to protect the environment," said Zhen-Ming Pei, a Duke University biologist who led the study, which is published in the March 9, issue of the journal Science."

To grow, a plant needs a reliable supply of calcium, which enters the plant dissolved in water the roots take in from surrounding soil. As the water circulates through a plant, dissolved calcium gets shuttled where it is needed to give the plant's cells their structural rigidity. But calcium supplies coming into the plant cycle up and down over the course of the day, dropping to a minimum at night.

"Calcium is a key regulator of vital physiological functions in both plants and animals," said Maryanna Henkart, director of NSF's Division of Molecular and Cellular Biosciences. "The discovery of the relationship between calcium in soil, in plant cells, and cellular mechanisms sheds new light on the role of this important mineral in plant growth and development."

Plants use molecular sensors and flows of chemical messengers to detect and regulate the storage and distribution of vital nutrients such as water and calcium. To track the calcium sensors in the laboratory plant Arabidopsis, Pei and his coworkers used molecules originally found in jellyfish that emit light in the presence of calcium. To deduce the calcium sensor's role, the researchers also introduced an altered version of the sensor protein that abolishes the sensor's effects.

According to Pei, the sensors try to detect how much calcium there is and coordinate that level with growth and development. "If the sensors detect there is not enough calcium, they may tell the plant to hold off on growing, at least until it gets more calcium."

Although acid rain robs soil of much of its calcium, enough is still left for plants to live on, Pei added. But he suspects that sensors may misinterpret "less" as "too little" in those plants and unnecessarily signal for growth shutdowns.

"Some soils have lost as much as 75 percent of their calcium during the past century," Pei said. "One way to respond is to add new calcium to the soil. But we can't do that everywhere that it's needed, and it is also expensive. Perhaps a plant's calcium sensors could instead be tricked into interpreting "less" as "still enough" and keep building new cell walls."

Read the full version here: -NSF-

From: http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/10/081017150732.htm

When Under Attack, Plants Can Signal Microbial Friends For Help

The finding quashes the misperception that plants are “sitting ducks”--at the mercy of passing pathogens--and sheds new light on a sophisticated signaling system inside plants that rivals the nervous system in humans and animals.

and

From: http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2004/10/041005075521.htm

How Roots Control Plant Shoots: Biologists Discover Gene That Helps Roots Limit Leaf Growth

University of Utah biologists discovered a gene that allows a plant's roots to tell the leaves to stop growing, presumably when water is scarce, soil is too compacted or other conditions are bad.

I found these two article very interesting, but what does that mean to a corn and soybean farmer? To grow higher yielding crops we really must focus more on the soil. These means much more than just N-P and K, it means making sure that the 20 nutirents for growth are available, that you do not have a hard pan, that the soil drains properly, has a good soil density so that benificial bacteria and biology can thrive to help you crops grow better.

We've been helping farmers develop better soil quality for over 10 years, SuperCal 98G and SuperCal SO4 is a good start... once you've taken proper soil samples. Contact one of our dealers or give us a call, now is the perfect time to get started making better soil!

Last week Morris Marsolek, consultant to Calcium Products, Jim Milam, Turf Sales with Calcium Products, and I spent a day in Los Angeles. While it was not really a vacation, the weather was a nice break from tornados, hail and down pours.

The reason for my trip was to meet the owners of Wallace Laboratories. Calcium Products has long relied on the expertise of Dr. Arthur Wallace and Dr. Garn Wallace.

Many agronomists and researchers in the Midwest may not have heard of the Wallaces, however west of the Rockies they are well known.

The Wallaces have over 70 years of combined experience in plant physiology, soil science, ecology and plant nutrition with over 600 publications. They have authored special issues in Soil Science, Journal of Plant Nutrition, Communications in Soil Science and Plant Analysis.

These articles cover, revegetation of disturbed lands, plant analysis to assess mineral needs of plants, determination of normal and abnormal nutrient concentrations, chelated micronutrients in plant nutrition, iron nutrition, excess trace elements in soil and plants, multiple action factors on plant growth and improvement of the physical properties of soil.

In addition to numerous publications and laboratory services, Dr. Garn Wallace also offers consulting. When we at Calcium Products have a question that we can not find the answer to, 9 times out of 10 Dr. Garn Wallace will be able answer it.

Thanks again for letting us visit, and keep up the good work!

Arthur Wallace, Ph. D., Professor Emeritus, UCLA, Department of Agricultural Sciences (Soil Science and Plant Nutrition). Dr. A Wallace organized the first Iron Symposia, which is still held every year at a different location around the world. He has written many paper about he benefits of gypsum and PAM.

Garn A. Wallace, pH. D. earned his doctorate degree from UCLA in the Department of Biochemistry. He worked as a research biochemist in the Laboratory of Biomedical and Environmental sciences before forming Wallace Laboratories with Arthur Wallace. Garn has over 100 publications in the fields of plant nutrition, soil science, microbiology, plant physiology, ecology, soil conditioners, mineral excesses, water relationship in plants, mineral toxicities etc.

Wallace Labs is located at 365 Coral Circle, El Segundo, CA 90245, (310) 615-0116.

http://www.wlabs.com/default.cfm

Many of the books written by Drs. Wallace are available on their website.

"It is an old saying that "any fool can farm," and this was almost the truth when farming consisted chiefly in reducing the fertility of new, rich land secured at practically no cost from a generous Government. But to restore depleted soils to high productive power in economic systems is no fool's job, for it requires mental as well as muscular energy; and no apologies should be expected from those who necessarily make use of technical terms in the discussion of this technical subject, notwithstanding the common foolish advice that farmers should be given a sort of "parrot" instruction in almost baby language instead of established facts and principles in definite and permanent scientific terms. The farmer should be as familiar with the names of the ten essential elements of plant food as he is with the names of his ten nearest neighbors. Safe and permanent systems of soil improvement and preservation may come with intelligence--never with ignorance--on the part of the landowners."

 "The Story of the Soil," by Cyril G. Hopkins, Professor of Soils and Crops, University of Illinois, 1910.

How well do you know the soil? If you're a professional farmer, agronomist, or consultant you should know it very well.

Just as you would expect your doctor to know the human body, or your tractor mechanic to understand electrical and hydraulic principles, you as a farmer, should know the soil.

Not knowing the soil and applying the same fertilizers as your neighbors is like taking the same medication your doctor prescribes your neighbor. Not very wise and potentially detrimental.

Planting is nearing and we'll soon be done with spraying. How will you spend your spare time this summer, watching baseball, or fishing? Will you decide that now is the time to really understand plant nutrition and what happens in the soil that creates your lively hood.

Where to start? Try these links.

http://books.google.com/books
Many free books available to read online

http://www.gutenberg.org/wiki/Main_Page
A number of free books to read online

I will be posting a list of books I am planning on reading this summer on a future blog.

Have a great Memorial Day Weekend!

In article from Science Daily, the growth of root hair is key to a plant pushing its roots further into the soil and not popping out of the soil.

“This ability is governed by a self-reinforcing cycle. A protein at the tip of root hairs called RHD2 produces free radicals that stimulate the uptake of calcium from the soil. Calcium then stimulates the activity of RHD2, producing more free radicals and further uptake of calcium. When an obstacle blocks the hair's path, the cycle is broken and growth starts in another location and direction.”

Have hard soil and/or low calcium soil, plan on a poor root system. Even the best genetics cannot over come hard or low calcium soil.

We talk a lot about soil quality and soil biology. When we hear soil biology, earthworms and rhizobium are the first things that come to mind. There are many other soil life forms that deserve our attention. I will present information on the most beneficially ones over the next few months. As fertilizer prices continue to raise, it will be important to not only feed the crop, but also feed the organisms that enable the plant to access those high priced inputs.

I present Azotobacter

Azotobacter is a bacterium that can fix atmospheric nitrogen into the soil without the aid of a legume. It is a great source of nitrogen to meet the needs of crops, has the capability rejuvenate the soil, and provides nutrients for other microbiology to max out nitrogen fixation. Its main fuel is carbon (organic matter), but it also requires calcium, and micronutrients for nitrogen fixation.

Besides N fixation Azotobacter improves seed germination, produces plant growth promoting hormones, and fungicidal substances. Azotobacter is the heaviest breathing organism and requires a large amount of organic carbon for its growth. It thrives in alkaline soils and is less effective in soils with poor organic matter content, low pH and high salts.

Azotobacter produces Thiamin, Riboflavin, B12, B1, Biotin, Gibberellins, and Cytocinins. Azotobacter produces substances that are required for Rhizobium bacteria, and Mycorrhize growth. Rhizobium is primarily responsible for nitrogen fixation in legumes. Plants growing in the presence of Mycorrhize have improved nutrient and water uptake, disease resistance and superior growth.

Azotobacter also has a symbiotic relationship with Phosphobacteria. Phosphobacteria as it’s name implies transfers phosphate from insoluble soil particles directly to the plant in soluble from. Azotobacter and Phosphobacteria fix phosphate more efficiently together than alone. Phosphobacteria alone increased potato yields by 6%, while together with Azotobacter increased yields 33%.

Ensure that your not missing out on free nitrogen, keep your pH at 6.5 or higher, supply the necessary carbon and calcium that this extremely beneficial bacteria needs with SuperCal 98G pelletized lime.