In autumn of 2012, Craig Dick and I began discussing a Calcium Products research agronomist and manager of research & development (R&D). I was thrilled at the idea and gladly accepted the position a few months ago.
 
I completed my Ph.D. at Iowa State University in May 2012 in horticulture, with a research specialization in turfgrass science. I know that may not equate into corn and soybean agronomy at first glance, but one of the purposes of obtaining a Ph.D. is to show you have learned how to subjectively think about problems and use the scientific method via research to answer them. Although my concentration was in the turf world, I have a well-rounded education that can be applied to any area of plant science. I started part-time with CPI in October while finishing my post-doc work at ISU and started full-time January 1. We have been busy exploring new avenues and expanding existing ones for research and development opportunities.
 
On-farm strip trials are one area we are exploring. CPI has been doing these for quite a few years, and the idea is to increase product awareness by putting it into the hands of the farmer through our Prove-It program. Sometimes the dialogue between scientist and farmer gets lost in translation; when a farmer talks to another farmer about what worked it’s very effective. What better way to spread the message of soil health than through our customers? We put the power in your hands to realize how our products can help your bottom line. We are looking to involve as many farmers and co-ops as possible into our Prove-It program, as well as the Iowa Soybean Association’s On-Farm Network, which has been a great cooperative venture we hope to expand in the future.
 
University research is another area we are starting to increase R&D efforts. CPI has been involved with this in the past, however, cooperating with universities is often a tedious process and can involve considerable cost depending on the intensity of the experiment. We have identified key areas in soil science that involve our products in need of up-to-date research and information. It is our goal to help drive the science to answer these questions and increase the available knowledge base in these areas.
 
We are also increasing our in-house research efforts. This is where the ‘D’ of R&D comes in; we are always aiming to improve the physical characteristics of our products to ultimately benefit the end user. We do not simply manufacture a product in the cheapest and easiest way and sell it. On the contrary, we put considerable time, research and money into producing the best product available so we can help growers improve their soils. Beyond the ‘D,’ we are also looking at small-scale trials with different coatings for our pellets to expand into different agricultural and horticultural markets. Further, we are conducting small-scale experiments on different crops with our existing products to determine what benefits we can offer growers beyond the corn/soybean and turf markets.
 
Finally, we are always interested in knowing what problems and/or questions growers have for us. Often, these interactions with growers are what spawn new product ideas and research. So, please do not hesitate to contact anyone in the company if you have an idea for a research project or need a question answered about how any of our products work!

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, the blogronomist and VP of sales and marketing at Calcium Products. Find other articles at blog.calciumproducts.com. 

We are proud to be a major sponsor of the Practical Farmers of Iowa field days this year. Topics range from pesticide drift monitoring to strip-tillate, organic crops, no-till, GMOs, tree crops and more. You'll hear research results and discuss innovative practices while networking with your fellow Iowa farmer. It sounds like you'd meet some pretty amazing folks and taste some delicious food too! Learn more about the field days and how you can attend.

Here's the full lineup:

• MAY 31, AMES
• JUNE 5, BREDA
• JUNE 9, WAUKON
• JUNE 12, SHELBY
• JUNE 13, MAXWELL
• JUNE 14, WAVERLY
• JUNE 20, MANNING
• JUNE 21, OSAGE
• JUNE 21, KNOXVILLE
• JUNE 23, OXFORD
• JUNE 24, SOLON
• JULY 7, MCCALLSBURG
• JULY 15, DECORAH
• JULY 18, LOVILIA
• JULY 20, WAVERLY
• JULY 23, LAKE VIEW
• AUGUST 1, ALTA
• AUGUST 3, ADEL
• AUGUST 4, WAUKON
• AUGUST 7, STANTON
• AUGUST 9, WINFIELD
• AUGUST 17, KEYSTONE
• AUGUST 21, TAYLOR COUNTY
• AUGUST 24, BRANDON
• AUGUST 26, MARSHALLTOWN
• SEPTEMBER 8, SOLON
• SEPTEMBER 13, JEFFERSON
• SEPTEMBER 14, RIVER FALLS, WI
• SEPTEMBER 15, WAPELLO
• SEPTEMBER 16, IOWA FALLS
• SEPTEMBER 18, PAULLINA
• SEPTEMBER 22, POLK & STORY COUNTIES
• SEPTEMBER 26, EMMETSBURG
• OCTOBER 4, MECHANICSVILLE
• OCTOBER 7, KNOXVILLE & LACONA PASTURE WALKS

Hi, my name is Courtney and I'm a city girl that's infiltrating the world of agriculture. Last week I worked the Calcium Products booth at the Iowa Power Farming Show and had a few observations to share.

But first, lest you think I'm kidding about the 'city girl' label, you should know that I've never NOT lived in an urban or suburban area. Even though I went to college here in Iowa and graduated with a few majors they were all in the journalism and design fields. The things I currently grow, or have grown, all fit in a backyard garden plot or a lovely counter or porch pot. Much to the consternation of my farm-raised husband, I call everything from a riding mower to a combine a "tractor." I was hired by Calcium Products to help with marketing and to promote our homeowner line of products. But because we're a small company and we all fill in where needed I've been learning more about ag.

So, without delay, here's a few things I learned at my first farm show:

1.  While most crops flourish the 6.5-6.8 pH range, as home lawns do, alfalfa tends to like a tad higher alkalinity.

2.  Farmers are loyal to the brands they love. I didn't even know there were so many options for logo-branded merchandise! I don't think I saw a single person sans logo or name of an ag-related company. I even saw one strapping lad in John Deere hat, shirt and belt buckle — I get it, you bleed green & gold!

3.  Even if your soil is naturally neutral or alkaline, the regular application of P&K will acidify it. Often a regular low-dose application of our SuperCal 98G lime will help keep things balanced.

4.  Men really are just little boys with toys, they're just bigger. Walking through the large equipment room of the show made me feel about ant-sized. Holy canoli, those are giant tractors! (teasing, teasing!)

5.  Many fields are sulfur-deficient. With cleaner air, our soil isn't pulling sulfur from the environment like it used to so we need to add it (via our SuperCal SO4 is a good way!).

6.  While everyone is loving this extremely warm/dry winter, we're all worrying about the drought. Did you know regular application of gypsum helps your soil be most efficient with the water it has?

7.  Farmers can't get enough pocket-sized notebooks. 

8.  The ag community is extremely welcoming and friendly. So many folks attend shows just to chat and make new friends.

9.  The number one most shocking thing I learned - so many farmers aren't soil testing. They have no idea what nutrients their soil (and therefore their crops) are lacking. They have no idea what their pH range is. This truly blew my mind. I heard so many reasons/excuses/theories I was aghast. One person was applying amendments based on their neighbor's soil tests (from now on I'm going to borrow my neighbor's grocery shopping list. I'm sure it'll be the same thing I need, right?). One guy said he applies ag lime every year even though he hasn't tested in years and had no idea what his pH is. I asked why waste the money since he might not even need it and he said he likes the tax deduction. (Weird, I'd prefer to save money and improve yield!) Several people said they only apply what they apply every year; no changes ever. (If you ate the exact same meal every day, every year, would you get all the nutrients your body needed?) And the story I heard repeatedly that still amazes me - farmers applying based on a soil test from YEARS ago. (If my husband and I applied that same practice to our rental property business, we could just buy 20 faucets this year because that's what we needed in 2006?)

What other things will shock me as I learn more about agriculture?

This week we hosted a soil amendment conference for our dealers and about 75 of them were able to attend. We had a wonderful cast of speakers and we'd love to share the presentations with those of you who weren't able to make it!

Check out this page to download their presentations. We'll have video of each talk coming soon!

 We wanted to pass on some info on a January event that sounds fabulous — "Women Transforming the Landscape" is the 2012 Women, Food & Agriculture Network's annual conference. This year it's Jan. 20-21 in Des Moines and includes a keynote by Debra Eschmeyer, program director of FoodCorps. The conference includes a progressive dinner at some local restaurants and a great local winery.

Definitely sounds like a great event. Check it out or share it with women you know who may be interested!

Gene Zimmerman with Quality Soil Nutrition has sent us some analysis of forages fertilized with SuperCal SO4 pelletized gypsum, SuperCal 98G pelletized lime, and chicken litter.

As you can see SuperCal products added to the RFQ significantly.

The Relative Forage Quality (RFQ) index is an estimate of voluntary intake of available energy when forage is fed as the sole source of energy and protein.

Every point increase in RFQ should translate to $1 per ton increase in sales prices.

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/ 

In many situations in agriculture you have choices, you can choose SuperCal 98G or ag lime for your lime source. When it comes to baling you can use net wrap or twine. 

When you first look at net wrap, the price per roll is much more expensive ($240 per roll) than twine ($35 per roll). Net wrap is 6.8 times more expensive! However if you only considering the price you are missing a big pieces of the pie. One needs to consider the other costs involved.

In an article on Progressive Forgages,  Dr. Kevin Schinners, an agricultural engineer at the University of Wisconsin has compared net wrap to baler twine and has found that wrap has some advantages. These include faster baling, lower baling losses, better bale integrity during handling and transport, better water-shedding ability and lower outdoor storage losses. Let’s put a dollar figure to those advantages, using $120 per ton for alfalfa bales.

According to the Wisconsin research, a baler set up to net wrap can bale 32 percent more bales per hour than one using twine. $120 * 0.32 = $38.40

Wrapping losses were 1 percent of dry matter with net wrap and 2.9 percent with twine. 2.9-1=1.9*$120 = $2.28

Average total dry matter losses for bales stored outside on the ground were 11.3 percent for plastic twine wrapped bales and 7.3 percent for net wrap.  0.113-0.073=.04*$120= $4.80

The total advantages add up to $45.48

With net wrap there are some drawbacks; The wrapping mechanism can increase the initial cost of the baler by 15 to 25 percent. For example, it could add $5,000 to the cost of a new $30,000 round baler. The net wrap material also is more expensive per roll. Depending on the number of wraps and other assumptions, the expense may be approximately doubled from about $0.50 to about $1 per bale, or about $1.25 to $1.75 more per ton of dry hay.

Subtract the cost of the net wrap, $45.48 - $1.75 = $43.73

Asumming a work rate of 10 tons per hour for the average baler http://www1.agric.gov.ab.ca/$department/deptdocs.nsf/all/eng3050#586 and an average working life span of 1200 hours we would expect to bale 12,000 to “pay off” the baler. $5000/12000 = $0.41 per bale

Subtract the cost for the net wraping equipment  $43.73-0.41 = $43.32 per ton

So after taking into consideration all the costs involved when choosing net wrap or twine it seems net wrap is the much more profitable product, by a sum of $43.32 per ton. If you would like to figure the cost yourself, John Deere has a nice calculator, comparing the costs involved, though it’s not as in depth as the above example.

Let’s get back to lime, have you added up all the costs involved when comparing SuperCal 98G to ag lime? With SuperCal 98G you get no drift loss, over 10 million particle per square foot (at a 400# application rate), even coverage, quicker ROI, and a yield advantage.

With ag lime you get drift, poor spreading coverage, and slow ROI.

Head on over to our calculator and compare the costs for yourself! http://www.calciumproducts.com/98g-calculator.cfm

Related Artilces:

http://blog.calciumproducts.com/posts/-isnt-that-renters-lime.cfm

http://blog.calciumproducts.com/posts/but-i-save-5-bucks-on-applicaton.cfm

http://blog.calciumproducts.com/posts/is-the-price-to-high-or-does-it-cost-too-much.cfm

http://blog.calciumproducts.com/posts/liming-key-to-fertilizer-utilization.cfm

http://blog.calciumproducts.com/posts/field-day-update_-verity-farms.cfm

http://blog.calciumproducts.com/posts/the-cost-of-doing-nothing.cfm

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/ .

Gene Zimmerman with Quality Soil Nutrition, Sheldon Wisconsin was kind enough to send us another picture of SuperCal SO4. Gene has been having tremendous success with weed suppression in forages by using SuperCal SO4. See for yourself!

See other testimonials here.

Thanks for the photos Gene!

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/ .

 Gene Zimmerman, Quality Soil Nutrition, Wisconsin

          Grass and Alfalfa Mix sowed on April 15th, SuperCal SO4 was spread at a rate of 300 lbs around the field boarder.

Gene was very happy with the improvements in germination where SuperCal was used.

Go to our testimonial page for more pictures from Gene and to see other testimonials

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/ .

Soil testing is a regular practice for many crop producers.  Some livestock operations regularly check feed samples, but why shouldn't both be done?  I have noticed that many cattle producers have never tested their soils or feed, yet still expect maximum efficiency & productivity from their forages. 

I think this article http://cattletoday.com/archive/2002/May/CT205.shtml is a great read for all cattlemen & women.  If we don't have a good handle on what the soils are able to support, and we don't know what the forages are testing, how can we manage?

When I was growing up, there were many local farms with cattle.  Today most of those operations are no longer present, and many of the current producers continue to practice management techniques that have served them well in the past, but not necessarily today.  Soil & forage testing is every bit as valuable to livestock producers, as it is to row crops.

You might find this tool handy for calculating growing degree days for your location. 

http://www.weather.com/outlook/agriculture/growing-degree-days/

As we approach the midpoint of May, many farmers are preparing to harvest the 1st cutting of this year's hay crop.  I have noticed that a few producers have already begun, and more will get started soon if the weather cooperates!

Dr. Stephen Barnhart, ISU Extension Agronomist, gives some good suggestions on timing the 1st cutting. www.extension.iastate.edu/CropNews/2010/0513barnhart.htm

Matt Digman, University of Wisconsin-Madison, has some tips on making sure your equipment is ready to go.  www.agweb.com/news_printer.aspx?articleID=157317. 

If you harvest haylage, you may find this helpful in improving your forage quality. www.progressiveforage.com/~proforag/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=2797:0409-fg-ensiling-what-to-know-before-you-start-the-pile&catid=89:storage&Itemid=123

Good luck with your hay crop!

From:

CROP NOTES for March 30, 2010

Iowa State University Extension Information for Northeast Iowa
By Brian Lang, ISU Extension Agronomist
911 S. Mill Street, Decorah, IA 52101
563-382-2949
 

Great Time to Setup a Sulfur Fertilizer Strip-Trial
Research trials on sulfur fertilizer for corn in northeast Iowa show positive results about 100% of the time on sands, 70% of the time on silt loam soils, 60% of the time on loam soils, and only 14% of the time on clay loam soils (all of these fields were without any recent manure history).  If you are on a silt loam (Fayette, Downs) or loam soil, how do you know if you will benefit? 

The sulfur soil test is no help in determining sulfur recommendations.  Plant analysis works good for alfalfa, but not corn.  We recommend a simple sulfur fertilizer strip trial to help you see if sulfur fertilizer will pay on your fields.  It’s easy.  Get a spreader with Calcium sulfate (gypsum) set to spread about 100 lbs of product per acre.  That will give you about 16 lbs of sulfur per acre.  Spread on your fields of interest leaving a large gap between spreader passes.  E.g. make a 60-foot spreader pass, skip over 120 feet, make a spreader pass, skip over 120 feet, make a spreader pass.  Now you have 6 strips, 3 with sulfur and 3 without.  Do this on as many fields that you are interested in.
 

Calcium Products Tip: Many dealers carry SuperCal SO4 pelletized gypsum!

Does your soil need a salt shaker?  Probably not, although it can happen through application of manure and/or byproducts that may contain sodium (Na) or excess salt (salinity), and through irrigation water.

Sodium has a dispersive effect on soil clays.  It can cause the clay particles to separate from each other, the particles will clog the soil pores, and cause a thin layer of slowly permeable material near the soil surface.  This effect is more serious in fine-textured soils than in coarse textured.  Soils with a high water table or poor drainage are more susceptible to salt or sodium accumulation.

Salinity can make plants work harder.  They must expend more energy to extract water from the soil.  Excess salinity can retard cell enlargement and division, as well as the production of proteins.  

Visible crop injury symptoms, such as leaf burn, are likely to occur only at high salinity levels.  However, yield losses can occur at lower levels, depending on the crop's sensitivity.  Corn & alfalfa are classified as "moderately sensitive", while soybeans are classified as "moderately tolerant."

Have more questions?  Start with a soil test.  If you or your agronomist suspect this may be involved, then talk with the lab where the samples are going.  I recommend Midwest Labs (www.midwestlabs.com), but most labs will be able to help you with this.  They may have specific guidelines that they recommend following to help you identify what is going on.

While visiting with a dealer last week, I discussed the attributes of different sulfur fertilizer sources.  The final choice between ammonium sulfate and calcium sulfate came down to the cost for a unit (#) of sulfate sulfur.  Here is what my calculations showed (these prices are not suggested to be indicative of every particular situation, but only an example):

Ammonium sulfate (AMS), 21-0-0-24S, was costing $0.75 per unit of sulfur (nitrogen value set to 0).

Calcium sulfate (SO4), 0-0-0-17S-22Ca, was costing $0.59 per unit of sulfur (calcium value set to 0).

If the sulfur requirement for 5 Ton alfalfa removal is 30# (6# sulfur per Ton), the cost for sulfur nutrition from AMS was $22.50 per acre, with the SO4 providing the same 30# of sulfur, but for a cost of $17.70 per acre.  Net difference (savings) to the grower of $4.80 per acre.

Not a huge difference, but still a 20% decrease in cost.  With the economic challenges of livestock production today, every little bit helps.

SuperCal SO4, the right fit, right now. 

Second cutting alfalfa is fast approaching and many are still fighting Yellow Rocket.

In many years the eaiest way to take care of weeds in alfalfa was to wait until first cutting. In the mowing process weed pressure is eleminated. But have you really done any good?

While weeds may not be visiable for the remainder of the year (in most years), you still have not solved anything. The soil conditions have not changed because you cut alfalfa. Also you give up quality of the first cutting, which is costing you money!

Second cutting is near, Yellow Rocket taking over

So this year cutting alfalfa didn't get rid of Yellow Rocket, you might choose to spray your alfalfa with a hherbicide. While this may get rid of the weeds, you will also have a harvest interval, and the possiblity of killing soil biology which will reduce yeilds.

Since spraying will cost $20-$30 per acre why not treat the soil imbalances which is causing the Yellow Rocket outbreak? SuperCal SO4 will reduce magnesium in the soil, making it drain better and reducing the amount of Yellow Rocket germination.

As an added benifite your adding calcium and sulfer, two of the most used nutrients by alafalfa. The increase in quality and tonnage will more than pay for the cost of the product.

Other Alfalfa Blog Articles

Fertilizing Alfalfa

More on Yellow Rockect  

Just arrived back at the hotel after the 1st day of the 2009 Hay Expo.  Had a great time!

Jim & I talked with farmers about why they have problems with high potassium levels in their forages (need more calcium), how to overcome high magnesium soil levels (need more calcium), and ways to reduce the impact of high potash prices combined with low milk prices (need more calcium sulfate). 

All in all, a good day.  Crowd was a little less than I anticipated, but still a good day overall.

If you have the chance, look us up on Thursday.  We're in the Hay Industries Tent, on the north side.

If your into hay and forage production I encourage you to attend the Farm Progress Hay Expo, http://www.hayexpo.com/.

We were in attendance last year and met many top quality hay and forage producers. If you looking to increase production or reduce costs, this is the place to start.

Glen and Jim will be there to answer all you questions about producing high quality forages.

See what this customer has to say about using SuperCal SO4 on pastures

Watch a video on Alfafa that is still producing 6 tons per year after 25 years

Find out how to eleminate yellow rocket from your allfafa

Are you ready for hay season?

1st cutting alfalfa is underway.  Where I live in Northeast Iowa, the farmers have been working at it since Memorial Day.  I thought this would be a good time to review alfalfa's nutrient needs.

In general, alfalfa removes 12.5# Phosphorus (P), 40-50# Potassium (K), 30# Calcium (Ca), 6# Magnesium (Mg), 6# Sulfur (S) and 0.08# Boron (B) per ton of dry matter yield. Plants may remove higher amounts of these nutrients if soil test levels are in the High (H) or Very High (VH) levels.  This is known as luxury consumption.

Growing 5 Ton hay?  Then your crop will remove 62.5# P, 250# K, 150# Ca, 30# Mg, 30# S, 0.4# B.  With today's fertilizer prices, many growers are making sure that all nutrients are at optimum levels.  Sulfur deficiency is being diagnosed much more often than previous years. 

Where does SuperCal SO4 fit in?  With 22% Ca and 17% sulfate sulfur, it helps build and maintain plant structure, while also providing sulfur for use in protein synthesis.  I typically recommend 200# per acre annually.  This will provide 44# Ca and 34# S.  If you are experiencing problems with too much K in your forage, then increasing the amount of calcium available will help.  This has been a recurring problem with dairy cows in many operations.

SuperCal SO4, the right fit, right now.

As I drive down the road the sweet smell in the air reminds me summer is here. To me nothing says summer like fresh cut alfalfa (though I do not miss throwing small squares). This year in alfalfa fields, growming along the edges and in the low lying areas, I have noticed quite a bit of yellow flowers.

This weed is Yellow Rocket (Barbarea vulgaris). A winter annual or biennial with shiny green foliage and bright yellow flowers that may reach as much as 3 feet in height.  Primarily found growing in winter small grains, forages, and pastures. 

The preference of Yellow Rocket is full sun, moist conditions, and a fertile loam or clay-loam soil. Growth is less robust at drier sites with poor soil. A little shade is also tolerated. Most vegetative growth occurs during the cool weather of early to mid-spring.

Yellow Rocket is Also Known As...

 
If you have yellow rocket it’s because your management practices have made a great environment for it. Once we know what kind of conditions it likes we can take steps to select against it.

According to Weeds and Why They Grow, Yellow Rocket (Winter Cress) likes soils very low calcium, low in phosphate, high in potash, very high in magnesium. It likes soils low in humus, soils that are anaerobic, and moist.

To reduce the vigor and eliminate Yellow Rocket in alfalfa, cut the amount of potash applied and increase the amount of SuperCal SO4. Based on the type of environment that Yellow Rocket likes this makes a lot of sense.

Muraite of potash reduces humus, calcium and soil porosity, making it less aerobic and water logged. This makes for a perfect environment for Yellow Rocket. SuperCal SO4 increases soil calcium, porosity, and sulfur levels, exactly what alfalfa needs.

Did we mention that SuperCal SO4 cost a fraction of potash? That SuperCal SO4 increases feed value of alfalfa?

What are you waiting for the countdown is on to growing high quality alfalfa, now if the perfect time to apply SuperCal SO4 and launch yellow rocket out of your fields!

With the Fourth of July coming up, we are heading down to Hebron, Nebraska to spend time with family. We are planning on spending a day with my brother and his wife and four kids. One of the things I have planned is to tell them the story of Jack and the Beanstalk.

You may have heard it, or tell it pretty often. If you plant these “special seeds” all your dreams will come true, herbicide tolerance, insect resistance, disease resistance, better standablity, better roots, all leading to higher yield, and more piece of mind.

Ok so it’s not the popular version you heard as a kid, but sounds pretty similar.

Deep down we all want an easy solution to our problems. It would be really nice to solve all our problems with planting a different variety or brand of seed. We all know this is a fairy tale and can’t possibly come true.

While it is important to plant the proper genetics on your soil, the point to not forget is the soil. If you don’t know your soils pH and fertility levels it will be really had to match the right genetic to it. More over having soil that is properly fertilized will always out perform soil of poor fertility, in conditions of drought and heavy rainfall.

Properly fertilized corn and beans will also have higher sugar content. This is a natural deterrent to insects, as they cannot digest high sugar plants. The sugar ferments and turns to alcohol killing the little buggers. The good news is high sugar corn and beans will make a better feed source for livestock, have a higher test weight, and dry down better with less storage problems.

So when you get done listening to fairy tales thank the seed salesman for the fond memories of childhood, then get out your soil text books and start solving your problems.

Have a great Fourth of July!!

Corn response to sulfur in Iowa is reported to give an increase in yield 82% of the time. Over half the states in the US have reported sulfur deficient soils. The clean air laws and reduced sulfur content of fuels has decreased the amount of sulfur reaching fields… and pastures.

Sulfur is use to build proteins, amino acids and enzymes. Forages grown with adequate sulfur will have a higher protein content and lower nitrate content.

Fertilizing your pasture with SuperCal SO4 has many positive effects on the amount and quality of the grass. This leads to higher intakes, improved gains and higher stocking rates.

Increasing the sulfur content of your forages will result increase meat-, wool- and milk production. The higher production is due increased dry matter, and cellulose digestibility, increased feed intake and improved nitrogen balance.

Dairy cattle performance can be improved as well. Improvements included a higher production of milk solids, milk fat, and milk protein and milk casein. The higher casein content raised cheese yields.

Under conditions of a sulfur deficiency, increased sulfur of beef cattle rations not only improved average daily weight gain, but also decreased feed costs per pound of gain and increased the carcass grading

Don’t let sulfur limit your production, add SuperCal SO4 your fertility program.

Now is the time to start thinking about pasture fertilization. For many cattlemen the cost of fertilizers has them looking for alternatives to high priced N, P and S.

We have had a number of customers comment on the results they have witnessed with SuperCal SO4; higher stocking rate, reduced weeds, better cattle gains, and reduced vet bills. One skeptical customer applied SO4 to only one paddock of his rotational grazing pasture. When he moved the cattle off the SO4 applied section, the next day they busted down the fence to get back to that area. Cattle know where to find the best grass!

In grass legume mixtures SuperCal SO4 has many advantages of Ammonium Sulfate (AMS). First is cost, SO4 is almost half the cost of AMS, it doesn't cause acidity like AMS, and doesn't contain nitrogen. Established grass legume mixtures do not need extra nitrogen. If you fertilizer for the legume it will produce more than enough for the grass. If you fertilizer for the grass it will soon over-take and crowd out the legume.

Finally SO4 will increase water infiltration and holding capacity of your soil. By allowing more water to be held in the soil you can increase stocking rates since there will be more grass.

Forages the high priced fertilizers and find out what other cattleman have, SuperCal SO4 the better choice for pastures and forages.

As reported in past blogs about the importance of soil quality (A Pictorial of High Quality Soil, Improving Water Infiltration, and Quality Soil Update) I promised that I would run soil tests on the field and the garden (I am waiting on tests form another lab). There were some striking differences. The garden had almost double the organic matter, much better pH, and double the calcium content.

One of the main differences is pH, the field has a pH of 5.0 compared to the garden, which had 6.5 pH. 

Fun Facts: 

At a pH of 5.0 the potential yield of corn is reduced by 27%, soybeans by 21% and alfalfa by 91%.

At a pH of 5.0 1/2 of N, 1/3 of P, and 1/2 of K is unavailable for plant uptake.

At a pH of 5.0 nodulation is reduced up to 40%

Click here to view lab report

With the high costs of fertilizer and fuel, wouldn't it make sense to make those inputs work harder for you? Working to improve you soil quality makes high priced fertilizers more available to your plants, resulting in decreased costs. High quality soils allow irrigation water and rainfall to infiltrate into the pore space, making it available to plants. Ponding is the first sign that water is not entering the soil, eventually causing de-nitrification, and evaporating, wasting fuel, fertilizer, and lowering yield.

Adding SuperCal 98G pelletized lime and SuperCal SO4 pelletized gypsum to your fertility program will ensure your soils maintain the proper pH, superior infiltration rates, reduce future input costs, decrease soil erosion, and increase yields.

Calcium Products, lower input costs, higher yields, better soil

This week in the Iowa Farmer Today, Tim Hoskins reported on “Mineral deficiency cropping up in alfalfa fields”. Iowa Farmer Jeff Ryan turned to Brian Lang Iowa State University crop specialist for Northeast Iowa. Mr. Lang worked out that the poor yield was due to a sulfur deficiency.

It is not clear in the story who recommended the solution, but it will be nothing but headaches for Ryan. Ryan applied 100 lbs. of Ammonium Sulfate (AMS), at a cost of $17 per acre.

Wow! $0.70 per pound of sulfur!

Then factor in the unintended costs of AMS. AMS is one of the most acidifying fertilizers on the market. It takes 5-7 lbs of SuperCal 98G, or 15-20 lbs of AgLime to neutralize the acidity caused by AMS. Add $5 to $20 per acre to the fertilizer bill for lime.

Don’t forget the unintended cost of stand reduction from the added nitrogen in alfalfa. There are many reports that show even 20 lbs on N on established alfalfa can reduce stands up to 2/3 rds. Add the cost of spaying weeds in alfalfa...$6-20 per acre? Add the cost of reseeding with today’s fuel prices...$30-50 per acre?

The cost of applying AMS could easily be over $40 per acre, for 100 lbs.

We think the best solution is SuperCal SO4.

Cost of 100 lbs of SO4 $6.50

Per pound of Sulfur, $0.38 (17% sulfur, in sulfate form)

We just saved Mr. Ryan 50% on his fertilizer bill. Still not convinced?

SuperCal SO4 does not have nitrogen in it. No unintended stand loss, no acidifying effects. The 22% calcium actually helps offset uptake of Potassium. Income from premium for low K alfalfa $$$? Income from higher feed value of alfalfa $$$? 

University of Wisconsin studies show as little as 25 lbs per acre of sulfur can increase first and second cutting alfalfa yields by as much as 20%. Our research shows 45% increase in yield when using SuperCal SO4. Including SuperCal SO4 in your alfalfa fertilizer program assures you that your alfalfa has higher protein and feed value, and improves stand density and longevity, creating more tonnage.

Let’s review the choices, do nothing and continue to lose yield, apply AMS and pay $40 for 24 lbs of sulfur and have other problems to solve, Apply 200 lbs of SuperCal SO4 for less than $17 per acre, and create additional income.

Calcium Products, increase yields, reduce costs, higher quality alfalfa!