Zinc is an extremely important micronutrient that has many roles in plant health and deficiencies are widespread, even if unknown to the grower. Recommendations for zinc levels in soils are dependent on crop, soil type, pH and other nutrient status and can range depending on which institution is offering the recommendation. Generally speaking, below 1ppm on your soil test indicates that you should apply some type of zinc fertilizer. However, growers should pay attention to their soil tests and site-specific factors, because while 1ppm of zinc in one soil type may be sufficient, 4ppm in another soil with zinc antagonists may be a better target.

Deficiency symptoms are generally seen in new growth, early in the life cycle of the plant and result in stunted growth, shortened, sometimes split internodes and discoloration of new leaves—the color of which can vary depending on plant species. Internally, zinc deficiency can result in reduced water uptake, phytohormone (hormones that regulate plant growth) activity and uptake of other nutrients. In corn, zinc deficiency results in a broad band of bleached tissue on either side of the midrib, beginning at the base of the leaf and generally staying in the lower half of the leaf. Severe zinc deficiency may result in new leaves that are nearly white, a phenomenon called ‘white bud.’

Zinc availability is very sensitive to pH, and is therefore reduced by over-liming or by other agents causing high pH. However, rates and acidifying forms of N commonly used in agriculture generally alter the pH enough in the rhizosphere to enhance zinc uptake. Zinc is also well known to interact with P; where zinc is deficient, P uptake is increased in certain plants and vice versa. Zinc deficiency is also more common on cool and wet soils with low organic matter. 

Specifically, we are interested in the interaction of zinc and calcium, a topic on which there exists little information. Feedback from growers indicates that when zinc levels are not sufficient, they don’t see a good response from our products containing calcium. Why this happens, we are not exactly sure, however, we theorize that perhaps the limiting factor is zinc, rather than the calcium, which results in no visible effects from the application. One thing we do know is that alkaline earth cations, specifically calcium, can inhibit zinc uptake. This may have something to do with the fact that a large amount of basic cations in soil generally result in higher pH values, which is known to inhibit zinc uptake. One way to combat this problem is to apply some slightly acidifying N fertilizer that will cause a temporary shift in pH—favorable to zinc uptake—in the rhizosphere to combat the inhibitory effects from calcium. The take-home message is that if calcium-based products are needed in your system, it is prudent to pay attention to your zinc levels and adjust with a zinc fertilizer, or another method to ensure your plants are getting the requisite amount of zinc. 

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. 

While reading the 2012 Annual Farm Progress Reports from Iowa State University’s Northern Research Farm in Kanawha, IA, we discovered another trial investigating sulfur fertilization via gypsum on corn. The impetus for the study was the same as the Iowa Soybean Association’s; sulfur deficiencies are becoming widespread in both corn and alfalfa in Iowa and many other midwestern states. The experiment was performed by Dr. John Sawyer and David Rueber of Iowa State University.

Four rates of sulfur (5, 10, 20, 40 lbs/A) were applied to two different soils—one with low organic matter and a slope, and one with higher OM and less slope—as was a non-treated control (no sulfur) to compare differences throughout 2011 and 2012. These rates were applied to corn in 2011 and soybeans in 2012. The 2011 plots were planted to corn after soybean in 2011 and planted to corn again in 2012 to test residual effects of sulfur application. In 2012, additional plots were planted to soybean from corn the previous year.  

In June 2011, corn leaf greenness was visibly different among plots that had sulfur applied vs. those that did not, as well as having taller plants. By late June, there was still a height difference but the color differences were diminished. Despite visual differences, there was no difference in yield between the treated and non-treated pltos.

This is where it gets interesting… 

In 2012, the plots that had received sulfur in 2011 showed no visible differences from those that did not, unlike the differences in 2011. However, when harvest time came, there was an increase in corn yield for sulfur treated plots as a whole when averaged and compared against the non-treated control plots. So, there’s something happening with the sulfur in the soil from year to year that isn’t being accounted for that has increased corn yield as a residual effect. This is similar to what we saw with the Iowa Soybean Association On-Farm Network trials over the last few years; residual activity from sulfur application making a yield difference a year after we thought it would.

Soybeans did not show any statistically different response to the sulfur application in 2012.

This study will continue in 2013 and we are excited to see the results.

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 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. 

A few weeks ago, we had the pleasure of attending the Iowa Soybean Association’s On-Farm Network (OFN) conference in Ames. One of the highlights of the conference for me was the presentation by Dr. Tracy Blackmer about sulfur.

Sulfur application over the past 30 years was generally considered non-essential due to the high levels found in our atmosphere from power plant emissions high in sulfur, thereby satisfying plant needs. Times and emission standards have changed and, as a result, sulfur levels are much lower in atmosphere and soil than they were in 80s and 90s. Dr. Blackmer observed sulfur deficient corn in recent years and even dug out some old photos during his time at the University of Nebraska that showed sulfur deficiencies—at the time unnoticed, which was very surprising to him. Perhaps we have negated the benefits of sulfur application for far too long!

Gypsum (calcium sulfate) is a great source of sulfur and our gypsum product (SuperCal SO₄) has been included in strip trials—on both corn and beans—within the OFN for the past few years. Some observations from aerial photography have shown strips that received gypsum are much darker green than those that didn’t. Looking further into the data, these same farms showed a corn yield increase from 0.5 to 8.8 bushel from sulfur application, as well as tissue testing that confirmed sulfur deficiency in the untreated strips. There is some thought that the sulfur being present in requisite amounts helps the plant use nitrogen more efficiently.

We look forward to further investigation of the benefits of sulfur application on corn in the upcoming season and beyond! Our thanks to all the cooperators within the OFN.

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. 

Within any given soil, there are two states of acidity that need to be accounted for before liming recommendations can be made. First is the active acidity, which indicates the current pH status of the soil. Active acidity accounts for the H⁺ ions in the soil/water solution that the laboratory measures. What active acidity doesn’t account for, however, is the reserve, or potential acidity. Think of a swimming pool that has a few people in it, those people represent the active acidity. Now, imagine that there are more people outside the pool, just waiting to jump in after some of the others leave. Those folks represent the potential acidity. When we determine how much lime we need to neutralize the acidity in the soil, it is really the potential acidity that needs to be accounted for. To neutralize the active acidity is easy and requires little lime, but the potential acidity can be a major problem to neutralize if it warrants such action.

To understand why reserve acidity can be a problem, we need to introduce another concept in soil science, the cation exchange capacity (CEC). Simply, the concept is exactly what it states: the ability of a soil to ‘hold’ cations (positively charged ions) on negatively charged surfaces—clays and organic matter make up the negatively charged surfaces in soil. Using our swimming pool analogy, let’s say the maximum number of people allowed into the pool at one time is 20, that number represents our cation exchange capacity. The pool can’t safely hold more than that because it has a capacity. A larger pool could hold more people, or, a better built pool could hold more in the same area. These differences represent differences that exist in soils. A soil that has more organic matter and a higher clay content, both of which lend ‘cation exchange sites’ to soil, will have a higher cation exchange capacity. Therefore, a soil with a higher cation exchange capacity has a greater ability to buffer itself from pH change via liming due to the greater number of sites where hydrogen ions can reside and constitute the reserve acidity.

Cation exchange capacity is measured in millequivalents per 100 g of soil (meq/100 g); suffice to say that this is simply a way to quantify the number of available sites within 100 g of soil that can be extrapolated out to an entire soil profile. So in our example earlier, a CEC value of 20 equates to 20 meq/100 g soil.

Now that we understand how acidity and CEC work together, we can try to get down to brass tacks and make some liming recommendations. Another part of this equation is the buffer pH of your soil (see this blog by Craig Dick for a good explanation on buffer pH). The CEC of a soil has a large impact on what the buffer pH of the soil will be; again, a soil with a low CEC doesn’t have as great an ability to maintain acidity—via reserve acidity—as one with a larger CEC does. Once buffer pH and actual soil pH are determined, lime recommendations are made based on their difference.

However, there is another way that lime recommendations can be made and that is dependent on the base saturation of a soil (don’t get confused, all of these soil characteristics and resulting pH, buffering capacity, etc. are all related, these are just different ways to arrive at the same end point). Base saturation is simply the amount of basic (meaning basic in pH, not fundamental) cations that occupy the CEC sites in a soil. Just as H⁺ can attach to cation exchange sites in soil, so do other cations found in soil.

The basic cations are: K⁺, Na⁺, Ca²⁺ and Mg²⁺. Base saturation is measured as the percentage of the total CEC the sum of basic cations occupy; they can also be broken down individually. For example, let’s say our CEC is 5.0 meq/100 g and our total base saturation is 80%. That means 4.0 out of the 5.0 meq/100 g of soil (our CEC sites) are occupied by basic cations. But what about the remaining 1.0 meq/100 g you ask? The amount of meq/100 g remaining after base saturation has been calculated, in this case 1.0 meq/100 g, is the amount of acidity in the soil. If the basic cations add up to 100% base saturation, then there is no acidity in the soil.

After the acidity of the soil has been determined, we can use this number to make a recommendation for lime. The old standard — we’re still trying to figure out exactly where these numbers come from — is that it takes 1000 lbs of CaCO₃ (calcium carbonate/lime) per acre to neutralize 1 meq of acidity. So, in this case, the recommendation would be 1000 lbs lime/acre to neutralize the acidity in that soil. This is a very basic guideline, however, and you should always consult with your lime dealer to figure out your exact needs based on your soil type, starting pH, and lime source.

Speaking of lime source, our calcitic limestone comes out of our quarry at least 95% pure and is ground finer than any other product on the market, increasing the effectiveness of it above published standards. We have seen an average 0.1 unit pH change in a typical Iowa soil per 100 lbs of our SuperCal 98G applied per acre. Due to the ease of application with 98G pelletized lime and the fineness of grind, our product can be applied at a lower rate per acre than ag lime, saving you money in the long run. Give it a try yourself and start down the road to improved yields now!

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. 

When thinking about soil pH, it’s easy to get confused with all of the terminology involved. Simply stated, the acidity or basicity of any solution, e.g. soil and water, is defined by its pH. Technically, pH is the negative logarithm of the ionic concentration of H+ (hydrogen) in the solution. As the hydrogen ion concentration increases, the resulting pH number decreases. The reason logarithms are used is because the concentration of H+ is actually very small, even when the soil is very acidic. For example, when the pH of a soil solution is 4.0, the actual concentration of hydrogen ions is 0.0001 moles per liter (one mole is equal to the number of hydrogen atoms in 1 gram of hydrogen).

The true meaning of the lowercase ‘p’ in pH has been purported to stand for different things throughout history. Some suggest that it stands for “power;” others claim “potential,” or even the Latin term pondus hydrogenii, potential hydrogen. In chemistry circles, the lowercase ‘p’ stands for decimal cologarithim of, and the capital ‘H’ is the chemical symbol for hydrogen.

Hard to wrap your head around, isn’t it? Luckily, you aren’t the only ones and long ago, some scientists decided to take the negative logarithm of numbers like 0.0001 moles per liter and change it to a simple number to understand: 4 on the pH scale. One numerical step in the pH scale represents a 10-fold increase or decrease in acidity. So, pH 5 is 10 times more basic than pH 4 and 100 times more basic than pH 3. Therefore, a pH of 1 is ten trillion times more acidic than a pH of 14.

Now that we have a more thorough understanding of what pH really represents, the following are ways soils can become acidic:

1)     Soil parent material. Soils formed from parent material low in carbonates (both calcium and magnesium) are usually acidic, as are soils formed from sandstone and shale.

2)     Climate. Soils that form under high rainfall are subject to extensive chemical leaching and weathering, which removes essential basic cations (Ca2+, Mg2+, K+, Na+), and allows acidic cations (H+ & Al3+) to occupy the empty cation exchange sites.

3)     High yielding crops. Harvested plant parts take a lot of basic cations with them.

4)     Acidifying fertilizers. Ammoniacal fertilizers can contribute greatly to the acidity of soil. This is due to left over H+ ions after microbes transform ammonia and ammonium into nitrate, which plants prefer for uptake, in the natural process of nitrification. Also, as plants uptake ammonium, which they will, even though they preferentially uptake nitrate, they secrete H+ ions into the soil solution to maintain a balance of chemical charges.

Fertilizers that have the highest potential for acidifying soil are: ammonium sulfate (AMS – 21-0-0) and mono-ammonium phosphate (MAP – 11-52-0), both of which are very commonly used in agriculture.

Another issue with acidic soil conditions, namely below 5.5, is that Al and Mn becomes increasingly available for plant uptake and that uptake can quickly cause toxicity within the plant, while excess Al in the soil solution will inhibit root growth and function, and also restricting uptake of certain nutrients like Ca and Mg, which further compounds problems.

With all the inputs farmers have to balance, one issue often pushed to the back burner is pH. Generally speaking, farmers might decide to apply lime every 3-5 years. What other soil amendment or farm input is treated in such fashion? Why take a reactive approach to managing pH when you can be proactive about the problem and not have to worry about a corrective measure every 3-5 years when yields start to suffer? At Calcium Products, we believe farmers should be more proactive about measuring, monitoring and correcting pH on their farms. With the advent of precision agriculture in every aspect of farming, there is no reason we should exclude lime application and pH correction from that process. Yearly applications of SuperCal 98G at rates much lower than with agricultural limestone should be part of your soil management regimen.

As acidity continues to increase, corrective measures to bring back optimal conditions for crops are harder to achieve. Act now to help the soil help your bottom line!

In the next article, I will take a closer look at how acidity works and what characteristics of soil lead to different levels of acidity, and how the current recommendations for lime-based pH correction work.

I was watching the Super Bowl over the weekend and, of course, the commercials. I was struck by how many commercials had little or nothing to do with the product or service they were selling. Well-known companies with simple, straight-forward products. Yet these companies paid millions for the 30- or 60-second spot. They paid a lot of money to actors, writers, special effects people—some were like mini movies. Why?

Advertisers know people don’t buy a “thing,” they buy a feeling. They buy the feeling that “thing” can do for them or what feeling they would miss if they didn’t buy.

At Calcium Products, we have some great things to talk about, but maybe we spend too much time talking about the “thing.” It’s easy to do—98% calcium carbonate, pellets instead of powder, pounds instead of tons per acre, etc., etc.

However, farmers who buy 98G talk about seeing better, more even crops and can prove it with their yield monitor. After spending thousands of dollars on “precision agriculture,” they feel better knowing what they needed to apply actually ended up where it was needed and not blown into the neighbors’ field. They know this year’s application of 98G helps this year’s nitrogen, potash, phosphate, seed and chemicals work better this year, to pay off this year’s operating note at the bank this year. That may even leave extra money in the bank to remodel the kitchen this year.

I don’t think you will see a Calcium Products advertisement on next year’s Super Bowl broadcast, but if you purchase SuperCal 98G this year, you’ll get that much advertised feeling of elation this year.

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 by Craig and guest writers at blog.calciumproducts.com.

All you need to know about pH correction can be summed up in two words: SOURCE and SURFACE area.

The SOURCE of calcium carbonate material will tell you the potential amount of carbonate for chemical reactions that release the H ion from the cation site on a soil particle. Each limestone deposit has it own recipe of elements—calcium carbonate, magnesium, lead, mercury, etc,. That is why ag limestone from different limestone pits requires different amounts for pH correction per acre.

SuperCal 98G is a superior SOURCE, having +95% calcium carbonate, less than .5% magnesium and no detectable heavy metals. It comes from one of the highest quality deposits in North America.

The second component that makes types of lime different is the SURFACE area of each ton. Imagine a one ton block of limestone, one ton of ag limestone and one ton of SuperCal 98G, all quarried at Gilmore City. There SOURCE would be the same and they all have a very similar amount of carbonate for the chemical reaction to occur. The one ton square block would have one flat side in contact with the soil. That SURFACE area in contact with the soil is the only area where the pH correction reaction could occur. And it would occur for millions of years. That’s a long time to wait to get your money back by having more nutrients available to your growing crop, but you would be able to say it lasts longer than 98G.

Now imagine taking that one ton of ag limestone and spreading it one particle thick over as large an area as it would cover. It would vary in depth as particle size varies from 8 mesh particles to those smaller than 60 mesh. (Remember, too, you bought at least 200lb of water that has no effect on correction.) That ton would cover a substantially larger area than the block of limestone, therefore, a higher percentage would react quicker, though the larger particles will take centuries to dissolve. According to University of Nebraska data, it would take 3+ years to recover the cost of its application with better crops.

Finally, imagine SuperCal 98G after a ¼” rain. If you spread out one layer of particles it would likely cover more than five times the ag limestone covered since over 70% passes through a 200 mesh screen. That is a lot more surface area and a lot more chemical reactions that would occur. In short, you have the same amount of chemical reactions with each product but SuperCal 98G has more of them, quicker.

One more comment about surface area. Since calcium is immobile in the soil, even distribution is critical. Ag limestone is a combination of leftover limestone. It varies in size from 8 mesh down to 60+ mesh. Because the size varies, the fan spreader is a poor application devise since it operates on centrifugal force—larger, heavier particles are thrown farther from the center, lighter smaller ones don’t travel as far. That leads to uneven distribution of uneven particles with unequal capacity to effect pH.

SuperCal 98G has consistent pellet sizes and spreads evenly as this video shows.

Precision farming and ag lime—two things that have no business in the same sentence.

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 by Pete, Craig and guest writers at blog.calciumproducts.com.

You don't have to take my word for it. Check out this piece from 'No-Till Farmer' magazine:

Weeds make themselves scarce when calcium enters the picture

Providing available calcium to your crops makes a big difference. Let us know if we can answer any questions for you!

I’ve heard “Your SuperCal is fast acting, but ag lime lasts longer.” It’s a true statement. In fact, some of the ag lime applied early last century is still in the soil—and it still isn’t changing pH in the soil!

In a lot of ways, it is the wrong observation. Since both products cost money, the real question is: “Whether the INVESTMENT in SuperCal 98G returns more dollars and faster than an INVESTMENT in ag lime, per acre.”

Ag lime is an unorganized collection of calcium carbonate and water unfit for sale as other graded limestone. In other words, leftovers. It has a combination of particles ranging from greater than 8 mesh (or 8 openings in a 1x1” screen.) to smaller than 100 mesh particles. The smaller the particle, the quicker it reacts in the soil. However, particles smaller than 60 mesh blow off-target and larger than 60 mesh are less than 40% reactive. According to Texas A&M particles larger than 20 mesh are virtually useless. Due to these factors, a ton of ag lime could actually have less than 500 pounds of pH correction, or an actual ECCE of less than 25%.

Precise placement of ag lime is also important. On its own, a calcium carbonate particle moves about a ½ inch per year downward; particle effectiveness extends only 1/8 of an inch. Applying ag lime with a fan-spreading box uses centrifugal force from the spinning blades and separates the particles, leading to uneven application. These facts make application of ag lime difficult and placement almost impossible.

In a University of Virginia study comparing uniform and non-uniform application of fertilizer on wheat and corn found that:

“… where fertilizer had been applied in a skewed or non-uniform pattern, yields were reduced by 20% to 25% when comparing high and low fertility soil. On the more fertile soil, yields were not obviously affected by the various spreader patterns since little of no response to fertilizer occurred. A similar response was obtained using corn as the test crop. The results of this research proved conclusively that non–uniform application of fertilizers resulted in less total yield than uniformly applied fertilizers even though the same total rate per acre had been applied in each case. The loss in yield due to lower than recommended rates of application far exceeded the slight increase in yield obtained from excess application over the recommended rate.”

These facts plus University of Nebraska research suggest a farmer can expect to see his pay-back above the cost of applying ag lime begin after four years. 

With ag lime, over a ten-year period, you would likely make one application of tons per acre. Ag lime needs as much as six months before it begins its effectiveness and takes two to three years to see its full effect. You would be paying for and applying tons per acre, of which maybe 25% of that ton of ag lime is available for ph correction. You would have acidic soils that had under-produced yield due to inefficient utilization of N, P and K. While N, P and K are counted each year to get the most crop yield, with ag lime you would be over-applying in an effort to reduce future potential problems.

SuperCal 98G is composed of the smaller, more reactive, high purity calcium carbonate. It is manufactured into pellets similar in size and weight to potash and phosphate. It is designed for application with an air-boom, fan spreader, strip-tilled or seed row placed, like other soil fertilizers.

SuperCal 98G allows your investment in fertilizer to work better and more efficiently the first year. With SuperCal 98, you would apply hundreds of pounds per acre. Your pH stays in the most productive range to utilize your N, P and K. It can be applied when you want it, to keep soils productive.

A ton of ag lime is less of an INVESTMENT than a ton of SuperCal 98G. But you get what you pay for.

Our friends at Midwestern BioAg are hosting a soil seminar on Sept. 5 in Washington, Ia. We're pleased to support the event and I'm excited to be one of the presenters. 

Topics include sulfur, drought-proofing soils, manure, trace minerals and more. Download the invite here.

We'd love to see you there!

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 by Craig and guest writers at blog.calciumproducts.com.      

We were pleased to sponsor and assist with the ISA On-Farm Network's Lime Guide for 2012.

Download your copy of it &/or watch for it in the Aug. 15 issue of Wallaces Farmer.

Of course, if you're looking for lime, you know where to get it — our SuperCal 98G is the best available!

Yield Starts Here is a blog for farmers, focusing on increasing yield and profitability by focusing on the soil. Courtney Tompkins mainly works on Calcium Products' brand for homeowners but also contributes a random and varied selection of info to Yield Starts Here.

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

 We're having a great time at the Triumph of Agriculture Show in Omaha. We even got to mee Miss Rodeo Nebraska herself - Sierra Peterson! (She is pictured here with Nebraska farmer, Derek P.)

The crowd is great, the questions are great and we're having a blast! If you're here at the show, our booth is #1810 and we'd love to meet ya!

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 Calcium Products has a booth at the Nebraska AgriBusiness Expo in Omaha (stop by & see Glen!) and at the Iowa Power Farming Show in Des Moines (stop by & say hi to Craig, Jim, Courtney & Patrick!)

We're getting lots of good questions and enjoying connecting with old friends, great customers and folks with inquiries. What would you tell folks who inquired about using Calcium Products?

Next week Patrick & Glen will be in Des Moines again for the 2012 Agribusiness Conference. Which tradeshows are your favorite to attend?

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!

Humates and humic acids are certianly nothing new, in fact, humates are millions of years old. They are organic matter in an advanced state of decay. Humates have passed through the stages of compost and peat but have not yet become coal.

Here is a great informational sheet describing the benefits of humates: Humic Info Sheet

If you are not currently using humates and/or humic acids you need to consider adding this powerful soil amendment to your fertility program.

If you are in Alberta Canada on December 7th or 8th and would like to learn more about our products, McRae Holdings will be hosting the "Maximixing Yield Potential" meetings.

The meetings are Dec 7th in Stettler, Alberta, Canada and Dec 8th in Lethbridge, AB.

For more details view the invite

I will be speaking on lime and sulfur nutriotion and there are three more speakers as well as the McRae agronomist on hand to answer your questions.

To register or for more informations call 877-677-3411 or email to tbonertz@mcrealdt.com 

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/ .

• Take-All – Barley
• Anthracnose - beans
• Dampening off - canola
• Root rot – cereal grains
• Early blight, late blight, stem canker - potato
• Stripe rust - wheat

 If you've been following this blog then you know we are working with the Iowa Soybean Association's On-Farm Network to place trials of SuperCal SO4 around Iowa to compare using sulfur.

In a follow up to the report from June 15th, Corn Showing Signs of Sulfur Deficincy, this plot along with two others near Waverly, IA are still showing a visual response to SuperCal SO4. The first field is 3-4 leaves ahead of the check, with plants aready tasseling and silking. The check rows are 3-4' shorter, and ears have not started shooting off the stalk yet.

Please enoy these pictures and we'll update you further once ISA has released the final data.

Corn Trial #1 dark green strips SuperCal SO4 

SO4 Treatment on the Left, Check on the right

SO4 treatment on the right, check on the left.

SuperCal SO4 was not applied to the endrows

SuperCal SO4 on the right, check on the left

Check strip corn height 4'-5'

Height of SuperCal SO4 Strips, 8'-9'

 Corn Trial #2 dark green strips SuperCal SO4

 Bean Trial, Middle Field

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/

 A great article from No-Till.com on making sure you get the most out of your glyphosate.

http://www.no-tillfarmer.com/pages/Search.php?type=all&search=glyphosate

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/ .

Why would a Calcium Manufacturer care about silicon? 

We are in the business of growing more and better crops. Anything that can help do that and improve calcium uptake deserves our (and your) attention.

Check out this great article by NTS out of Australia on Silicon. It's a little long by our standards but worth the effort.

A major mineral is missing in many soils and most soil tests do not even monitor its presence. This mineral can increase stress resistance....click for more...

Additional Related Articles from Calcium Products:

Proper Nutrients are Key for Disease Resistance

Silicon The Forgotten Nutrient - Pick up by AgProfessional.com

Boron

Can Calcium Help Defend Soybeans from White Mold?

20 Mineral Elements for Plant Growth

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/ .

spit??  Sounds more than odd, but that is what researchers at Cornell, University of Goettingen, and National University of Colombia discovered.  They were studying the effects from saliva of the Guatemalan potato moth larvae (Tecia solanivora) had on a commercial potato plant.

Their results included that when the larvae infected fewer than 10% of the tubers, the plant produced marketable yields that weighed 2.5 times more than undamaged plants.  Even when up to 20% of the tubers were infected, yields still doubled.  How about when half of the potatoes were infested?  Yields were equal to plants without infection!

This is something you might want to investigate further http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/05/100527131704.htm

Wonder if any of the crops in the Midwest respond in a similar fashion to invasive pests??

Note: This article is intended as a general guide to herbicides and soil pH. It is not a substitute for herbicide labels, nor promotes or discourages the use of any herbicide(s). All herbicides are names are trademarks of their respective manufactures.

Written by Greg Ervin, MS CCA, Regional Sales Representative

Achieving high yields consistently is the ultimate dream of most growers.  As we look ahead to the 2010 crop year, it is important to take time to identify potential yield robbing factors and establish actions for offsetting these negatives as they arise.  With plans in place, growers maximize the highest yield potential under their control.

What are some of the looming yield robbers farmers face in 2010?

The following are three concerns I heard from growers this winter:

Emergence problems associated with residue management.  If last year’s residues are only partially broken down and look to present a problem in consistent seed spacing and depth placement , consider creating a more conducive seed bed . This can be done through the use of light tillage and/or the use of Calcium in the forms of Gypsum (for higher pH soils) or Calcium Carbonate (for lower pH soils).  This added soluble Calcium leaches away soil toxins, leaving a soil structure that does a better job of managing moisture and providing more air to soil micro-life.   It also frees tied-up key nutrients from residues and soils making them more available to plants throughout the growing season.  

Soil micro-life is important to the efficient breakdown of plant residues.  With current herbicide technology involving Glyphosate, much of the beneficial micro-life in soils has been reduced to levels where efficient residue breakdown is not occurring (Huber 2010).  Spring and Fall residue treatment programs aimed at enhancing soil micro-life may be logical steps for growers to implement as means for reducing residues and reclaiming plant available nutrients from residues and soils. 

Gypsum is a good fit when considering residue management.  The soluble Calcium aids in creating improved soil characteristics, while the 17% soluble Sulfur in Gypsum acts as an excellent readily available food source for plants and also for expanding micro-life in the soil, accelerating the breakdown of residues.  Calcium Products, Inc. SuperCal S04 is an excellent source of Gypsum for these applications.

Plant Micronutrient tie-ups associated with herbicide use.  Current herbicide programs involving the use of Glyphosate are creating severe Micronutrient tie-ups in plants and in soils (Huber, 2010).  These tie-ups lead to nutritional deficiencies of plants, starving them to the point of reduced standability, reduced yields and inefficient dry-down of harvested crops. 

With today’s understanding of the compounding effects of Glyphosate on soils and plants, I am advising growers to ensure plants have adequate micronutrients available to build strong plant immune systems to fight-off fusarium energized in soils by Glyphosate (Huber 2010).  The addition of Calcium to soils in the Spring or Fall assists plants in building strong cell walls from readily available plant food nutrients released in soils by soluble Calcium. 

Plant tissue testing is an excellent analytical tool available for insuring adequate nutrient availability throughout the growing season.  Taken ahead of Glyphosate applications, Micronutrient levels can be monitored through plant tissue testing and corrected by adding needed Micronutrients with Glyphosate at herbicide application times. 

Growers should not underestimate the importance of Micronutrients to sustaining plant health in the quest for more consistent higher yielding crops.  Calcium Products, Inc.’s SuperCal 98G Calcium Carbonate Liming product is an efficient and cost effective way of meeting Calcium needs of plants, soils, and correcting lower testing pH areas in farm fields.

Compaction from wet soils.  For many areas of the country, wet Spring and wet Fall seasons have been very common place.  With wet weather at planting and harvest times comes compaction from operating farm equipment over fields in less than ideal conditions. 

Deep ripping of heavy field use areas can be of help along with Spring or Fall broadcast applications of Calcium to address whole field soil structure development and repair.  Calcium may not eliminate all symptoms associated with sever compaction; however overall Calcium helps loosen soils, increases the movement of air and moisture more efficiently through soil profiles, and enhances soil moisture storing capacities.  This, along with providing a more conducive soil environment for the proliferation of soil micro-life, goes a long way in repairing distressed soils and reclaiming yields in field areas affected from compaction.

Give us a call to discuss the advantages and cost effectiveness of including SuperCal products to your lineup of inputs this growing season.   These products are essential to a well-balanced fertility program, aiding you in your quest for consistently higher yields.
 

Written by Greg Ervin, MS CCA, Regional Sales Representative

There have been tests conducted that show SuperCal SO4 reduces the impacts of white mold. There are also well known University of Wisconsin plant pathologists that will attest (off the record) to gypsum's ability to reduce white mold.

Fertilizer and pesticide labeling laws will not allow us to say that SuperCal SO4 reduces white mold, since this would constitute a pesticide claim.

To find out more on White Mold and how calcium (a nutrient found in SuperCal SO4) improves plant health and defends the plant from white mold click here.

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 the Spring 2010 issue of Liquid Does it Better, from Agro-Culture Liquid Fertilizers, Cory Schurman the Agronomy Director for Agro-Culutre wrote a very nice article on balancing your soils for better yeilds.

Why would a liquid company talk about lime, sulfur, gyspum, and calcium? The answer is simple, guys like Cory are working for the farmer to help them raise a better crop. If reccommeding a product he doesn't sell increases yield, than you can bet he is going to let his customers know about it.

You can read Cory's article here and download past articles at http://www.agroliquid.com/newsletters/

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/ .

Good Morning from Des Moines. We are in town for the Iowa Power Farming Show, the 4th largest indoor farm show!

This year in addition to sponsoring the Free Parking and Shuttles, we are holding 3 seminars.

"Yield Pays the Bills…Yield Starts Here!"
A Q&A with industry experts on increasing yields. Imagine higher yields… What does it take to reach them? Is it as simple as high levels of N, P and K? Can you buy high yield from a jug or a bag? We’ve put together a panel of Producers, Soil Experts and Agronomists to answer your questions in an interactive, open forum session. Get ready for innovative, cost effect, real world answers to increasing yields, and learn why high yield starts with the soil!

Tuesday Feb 2nd, Room 6, Hy-Vee Hall,12 pm

Wednesday, Feb 3rd Room 8, Hy-Vee Hall, 11:30 am

Thursday, Feb 4nd, Room 6, Hy-Vee Hall, 12 pm

Who is on our expert panel:

Soil Laboratory Representatives from Midwest Laboratory

Michael McNeil, Independent Crop Consultant, Ag Advisory, Ltd. (Wednesday Only)

Randy Simonson, Research Agronomist, TSM Services, Inc. (Thursday Only)

Bob Yanda, President, MBA of Iowa

Bill Darrington, Farmer, Persia, Iowa

Bring your questions, this group have the experience and will give you the strait answers on soils and fertility!

Welcome to 2010!  The next few months will be busy ones for everybody, including us.  We will be at the Servi-Tech Midwinter Conference this week, followed by the Practical Farmers of Iowa Annual Conference in Marshalltown (http://www.practicalfarmers.org/events/annual-conference.html).

Next week is the National No-Till Conference in Des Moines on January 13-16 (http://www.no-tillfarmer.com/pages/NNTC---National-No-Tillage-Conference-Home-Page.php), & we finish up January at the Nebraska Agri-Business Expo on the 27th & 28th (http://www.na-ba.com/events.htm).

The 1st week of February will find us at the Iowa Power Farming Show (http://www.iowapowershow.com/) in Des Moines (February 2-4), and we will be participating in the Agribusiness Showcase & Conference ( http://www.agribiz.org/) on February 9 & 10.

You can also check out our show calendar here: (http://www.calciumproducts.com/calendar.cfm)

We look forward to seeing you!

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

I learned on Sunday that Dr. Norman Borlaug had died after a long battle with cancer.  http://www.nytimes.com/2009/09/14/business/energy-environment/14borlaug.html

Dr. Borlaug, who was widely credited with saving hundreds of millions of people from starvation, upended conventional wisdom among scientists of his era both by the way he created super strains of wheat that have since spread across much of the developing world, and by proving that the world’s harvests can grow faster than the human population. His breeding techniques are now routinely embraced by the world’s biggest seed companies and by some estimates have created billions of dollars of crop value. He was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 1970.

Growing up as an Iowa farm boy, there were several people that I used as example, including Roswell Garst, Henry Wallace & Norman Borlaug. All were great people, but Dr. Borlaug did it on a huge scale & taught me that perseverance will overcome. 

Our world continues to need all the food we can grow, and to use it all efficiently. Dr. Borlaug taught me that production efficiency and environmental quality go hand in hand. 

Thank you, Dr. Borlaug.

The details are always hardest to manage. It’s getting the small things right that determine whether we are successful or not. While it is important to have  proper soil pH and available calcium. Many farmers overlook the small details; like understanding that micronutrients are the catalysts for big yield gains. Boron is the catalyst that makes calcium, nitrogen, magnesium, phosphourus, carbon, and potassium more available to your crop.

Only a few of Earth's naturally occurring chemical elements make up living matter. Just six of them; carbon, hydrogen, nitrogen, oxygen, phosphorous and sulfur, make up for 99% of all living tissues. Nevertheless, other minerals or trace elements are crucial for all vital functions even if this may be in extremely low dosages. Some of these, such as iron, copper, cobalt, zinc or manganese, are required by all living forms. Boron is one of those crucial elements, proven essential for the structure of plants.

Any soil test you conduct should be a complete soil test such as Midwest Labs S3C test. That test includes, base saturation, including sodium, and a full micronutrient package. In many of the tests we look at, we see more and more test coming back with very low boron readings. Boron has been much overlooked in the past, but many are discovering the benefits of this micronutrient.

Boron Function

Adequate boron nutrition is critical for high yields and quality crops. The main functions of boron relate to cell wall strength and development, cell division, fruit and seed development, sugar transport, and hormone development. Boron affects sugar transport in plants, flower retention, pollen formation, and germination. Boron is needed in protein synthesis and is associated with increased cellular activity that promotes maturity, increases flower set, and fruit yield and quality. Boron also affects nitrogen and carbohydrate metabolism and water and sap flow in the plant.

Photosynthesis transforms sunlight energy into plant energy compounds such as sugars. For photosynthesis to continue, the sugars must be moved away from the site where they are made and stored or used to make other compounds. Boron increases the rate of transport of sugars to actively growing regions and to developing fruit (grain). Boron is essential for providing sugars which are needed for root growth in all plants and also for normal development of root nodules in legumes such as alfalfa, soybeans and peanuts.

Since boron is non-mobile in plants (like calcium), a continuous supply from the soil is required in all plant growing points. In mineral soils, release of boron is usually quite slow. Much of the available soil boron is held rather tightly by soil organic material. As organic matter decomposition occurs, boron is released with a portion being absorbed by plants, some leaching below the root zone area (especially in acid soil), or tied up under alkaline soil conditions.

Boron Deficiency and Excess

Boron deficiencies are found in acid soil, sandy soils, soils with low organic matter, and in regions of high rainfall. Borate ions (soluble boron) are mobile in soil and can be leached from the root zone. Boron availability also decreases on heavy clay and high pH soils. Soils with a high pH (at 7.5 pH boron becomes fixed) or which have just been heavily limed, have a limited amount of boron available for plant growth. Boron deficiencies are more pronounced during drought periods when root activity is restricted.

Plants deficient in boron continue to undergo cell division in growing tips, without cells changing into the proper type of cell. This results in cells that fail to becoming stem, leaves, and flower cells. As boron becomes deficient the vegetative growing point of the affected plant becomes stunted, deformed or altogether stop.

Boron does not often occur in toxic quantities in most arable soils. When toxic levels are reached, excessive boron can cause off color and stunting of plant growth. As boron concentrations in plant tissue increase to toxic levels, older foliage may exhibit leaf edge burning or necrosis. Some plants will also develop black spots on older foliage. High levels of boron can only be removed from soils through the leaching action of water flushing it below the active plant root zone.

Target Boron Levels

Depending on the crop, but for corn, shoot for 20 ppm in the soil. I have talked with many consultants in the past week and 5 ppm should be plenty. Boron can have negative impacts on soil biology when it get to high. Many soils routinely test less than 5 ppm and in many cases under 1 ppm.

For treating boron deficiency during the growing season apply 1-2 lbs of soluble boron. Plant tissue should read 2-75 ppm depending on the crop. More research will need to be conducted to further narrow the range.

Plant needs for boron can be applied as Granubor preplant broadcast to the soil or as Solubor or Solubor DF foliar sprays during the growing season.

Reference and Additional Reading

Boron, The Overlooked Essential Element

Boron is Essential for the Growth of Plants and Animals

US Borax

Midwest Labs Agronomy Handbook 

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!

Iowa State University researcher Yanhai Yin has identified a previously unknown growth pathway in plant cells that regulates plant growth.  He and his team examined signaling mechanisms of a plant hormone called brassinosteroids.  The hormone controls the growth of cells.

The brassinosteroids (BRs) have a major impact on how large the plant grows, says Yin. 

"Previously, we knew that steroids promote growth," said Yin. "In model plants like Arabidopsis (a relative of mustard) and crops such as corn and rice, if you have more steroids, you have more growth, and if you have less steroids, you have less growth and the plant is smaller."

Now Yin knows that the HERK1 (named for Hercules -- the Greek and Roman god who possessed superhuman strength) pathway, induced by BRs, is controlling much of that growth.

Identifying what makes plants bigger could have several effects, including improving biomass or grain yields, and forage yields.

If we can build a bigger plant, the importance of having enough calcium for cell formation will be significant.

Wonder what could happen if increased plant growth is combined with increased quality, such as provided with calcium???

Calcium Products, helping you build your plants.

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

After many months meeting farmers from all over the country at tradeshows, I put together a short list of topics that were raised from many of our friends and future clients. This is not a comprehensive list, but a starting point for anyone looking to quickly and inexpensively increase yields.

1. Soil Test

According to Midwest labs only 1 in 6 farmers are soil testing. You soil is the most important part of your farm. If you don't know what's in it, how do you know what to add? It takes more than a good CSR or knowing you soil type to grow high yields.

2. Understand Soil Life

They have been referred to as the livestock of the soil. I prefer to think of them as free help, if you help them out once in a while. The little creatures that make soil (they literally make soil form organic matter, rocks, and air) will make farming a lot easier for you if you let them.

3. Don't be a More-On

If a little is good a lot is better, right? WRONG, applying more and more N-P-K will not get you to the next yield plateau. Only by knowing what is missing in your soil and adding it in the proper amounts will you gain significant yield.

4. Avoid Compaction

This is probably the biggest yield robber of all-time. Many soils have hard pans 8-12 inches deep. This dramatically limits the amount of soil roots come into contact with, reduces water holding capacity, increase diseases and lodging.

5. Avoid Potassium Chloride (KCl)

Some crops need a little chloride, most do not need the dose that 0-0-60 (muriate of potash provides. In addition to keeping soils wet and killing beneficial soil life, it increases leaching of soluble calcium. Avoid this or risk spending more money on other fertilizers and soil amendments.

6. Keep soil oxygen levels up

Soil by volume need to contain 25% oxygen. This increase nutrient uptake to plants, increases beneficial soil life and reduce diseases like rhizoctonia and fusarium. Soil should be thought of as a living breathing organism, and as such needs oxygen.

7. Keep your soil sulfur high

Keeping good levels of sulfur in your soil ensures greater N uptake and nitrogen efficiency, keeps sodium and magnesium levels in check, builds organic matter, and helps produces higher protein crops.

8. Dig plants and inspect roots 

If you do this periodically you will quickly be able to tell if you have compaction, disease, insects, and low calcium levels. Roots should be bright white, if not you need more calcium. Like eyes are the way to the soul, roots will give a quick indication of how happy your plants are.

9. Leave test strips

I always hear farmers say, “I don’t really know if it worked, it seemed to be better.” With today’s market you cannot afford to have something “seem” to work. If you make a change on your farm you need to be able to measure it and know it worked or didn’t.

10. Adjust your corn head

There are very few properly adjusted corn heads being used in the country today. How can I tell? Too many fields with 3-foot plus stalks still standing in them after harvest. You need your stalks in contact with the soil to be recycled. Set your head to crush stalks and pull them through the head and drop them on the ground.

I know this was quick, we'll come back and elborate on all these thoughout the growing season!

Last year a did a blog on A Pictorial of High Quality Soil. I talked with the farmer soon after that and set up a trial.

We added 400 lbs of SuperCal 98G in one strip. The farmer has a yield monitor and we weighed the strip. It was 20 bushels better than the field average. This was on soybeans.

When looking at the soil analysis it is not hard to predict such a response.

When half of the cationic nutrients are hydrogen, which isn't used for growth, it's no suprise that you would have a dramatic yield increase.

When  I spoke to the farmer recently asking if he was liming this the rest of the field he astutly said "Yes, liming doen't cost, it pays!"

On Monday  I attended a meeting put on by International Ag Labs titled Soybean Summit - Pushing the Yields on Soybeans, in Fairmont, Minnesota.

I number of experienced agronomists spoke on many items. Here are some of the notes I took;

• Drying soil when doing a lab analysis increases sulfur readings
• Greatest soil S loss when K and Na are high
• Stunted plants and uneven crop emergence can be caused by sulfur deficiency
• 2010 should be a bad white mold year for soybeans
• Sencor can worsen white mold
• If your roots are not bright white you do not have enough available calcium
• May take 3 years to improve soils
• P:K ratio of 1:1 for proper growth and to reduce weeds

To Control Insects:

• Control Nitrate levels in the plant
• Keep plant Sugar high
• Keep available calcium high
• Use the right form of phosphate for your soil

For Higher Yields on Beans

1. Break Compaction
2. Get oxygen into the soil
3. Lime or Gypsum and apply manure
4. Meet early needs of the plant
5. Identify diseases and insect problems
6. Foliar Feed

And what you been waiting for my notes from Kip's talk (In my words)

• Crops should ripen with a green stalk, if not your not fertilizing properly
• Accurate planting is key, drills do not do this
• All seed emerging within 48 hour of the first plant
• 2" tall weeds remove 10% of yield that cannot be recovered

There was much more discussed but my key take-away was fertilize properly first, get your soil balanced and working then move on to other things. This was a great meeting for any farmer looking to improve yields. I highly suggest trying to make it to one of International Ag labs next meetings.

If you need to lime your fields why would you choose a product that takes 7 years to pay you back? Times of uncertainty and poor prices call for better efficiency, quicker return on your investment and a sharper pencil. SuperCal 98G is fertilizer grade lime.

Ag lime is at best a 50% effective liming agent. That is on its best day, but what about the drift on application day and uneven spreading? What about the drift after application? What about the water that's in the ag lime when you bought it? How much water did you buy? What about the big boulders that show up in you lime load? In the field you might get 25% effectiveness from a ton of ag lime.

Lime Drifting off the field	Lime applied in small piles around the field

SuperCal 98G is proven to increase yield when applied with potash when lime is needed. Having the proper pH makes phosphorus more available. Having enough calcium in the soil increases root mass and improves plant health.

You're going to spend $5-10 per year on lime anyway, why would you wait until you have a problem to add lime? Maintain proper pH like you maintain proper P and K levels and make more money this year, not 7 years from now.

SuperCal 98G is a fertilizer grade lime, it is 98% pure calcium carbonate, ground extremely fine to make it a 91% effective liming agent. It is pelletized to standard fertilizer grade prills, making blending with all dry fertilizer easy. It's effectiveness means you get results in this cropping year.

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!

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!

The price of fertilizer is continuing to climb. With the price of commodities it will be difficult for may to apply less fertilizer fearing a loss of yield. With proper management and knowledge of your soils you may just be able to apply less fertilizer and increase yields. In this memo from Midwest Labs, for customers with higher magnesium and higher CEC soils some options to increase Potassium availability;

Potassium availability, and/or rate of exchange, can be enhanced by one or more of the following:
1. Optimum potassium soil test levels per C.E.C. range and percent magnesium values.
2. K2O fertilizer applied in bands.
    a. Starter
    b. Surface band
    c. Subsurface band
    d. Combination of (a) + (b) or (a) + (c).
3. Improve soil aeration
4. Adequate exchangeable soil calcium.
    a. Calcium increases potassium adsorption into the plant (2).
    b. Use calcitic lime on acid soils excess in magnesium.
    c. Use gypsum where soil pH is greater than 6.4 on soils with excess magnesium.
    d. Calcium additions can help alleviate soil compaction zones and promotes good soil structure

From: SOIL & FERTILIZER MANAGEMENT CONSIDERATIONS FOR SOILS EXCESS IN MAGNESIUM

See more information from Midwest Labs

With corn silage season coming up this is a good time to talk about nitrate poisoning. Typically associated with drought and rain after dry conditions, there are other factors to that can cause high nitrate in forage crops. High rates of N, low or high levels of molybdenum, low sulfur, and low boron, and events that upset normal plant growth like early frosts.

New pastures are known to be high in nitrate, especially the faster they grow, the more toxic they can become. Hybrid ryegrass is one of the most dangerous. If reseeding pastures this fall make sure to add edible clover which normally do not have high nitrate levels.

Nitrate poisoning has been on the rise in the past decade, this could be due to the reluctance of today's generation to lime pastures (molybdenum levels drop with acid soils), increase use of urea on pastures, and less sulfur naturally being applied due to clean air laws.

Nitrate Toxicity is aggravated by:

• Excess N application in the autumn after a dry period of no growth
• Rain and warmth after a no-grow period
• Fast plant growth
• Stressed plants, from drought, hot wind, frost, and hail
• Low sunshine
• Fast eating by underfed, hungry animals
• Low pasture molybdenum - below 0.5 ppm, 1.6 ppm is optimum
• Molybdenum levels above 4 ppm, especially if pasture sulfur is low
• Low sulfur levels, below 0.25 ppm
• Low calcium and phosphorus levels
• Nitrate is highest in the morning, when rotating cattle wait until mid afternoon

While environment can have an impact on nitrate levels, having the proper soil nutrients in the proper levels is great insurance from nitrate poisoning. As a bonus you'll enjoy better pasture performance, and high gains from your animals.

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!!

Last weeks Iowa Farmer Today as an article in it “Crusted soils, uneven emergence prevail”. Its focus is on using a rotary hoe to alleviate crusted soils. It discusses damage to stand and that there is a cost in fuel and time to hoe a field.

While hoeing maybe your only option at this point in the season, wouldn’t be best to adopt practices that reduce or eliminate crusting. Applying 150 to 300 pounds of SuperCal SO4 will prevent crusting on most soil types.

Think you can’t afford it? For $15 to $30 per acre you can apply SuperCal SO4. What is the cost of hoeing, according to the University of Nebraska’s 2008 Custom farming rates, $12 per acre? What about yield loss due to stand count? What if the field is crusted enough that stand is reduced enough that you have to replant?

200 bushel corn, 10% yield reduction due to stand loss, at $5 corn = $100 per acre lost to crusting.

SuperCal SO4 is not just insurance for crusting and yield loss. SuperCal SO4 provides 17% sulfur. It is the only source of sulfur that does not cause soil acidity, is plant available and will cost you less than other fertilizers. Iowa State reports that 82% of the sites had a statistically significant yield increase to applied S fertilizer, and yield increases averaged 15, 18, and 38 bu/acre.

Use SuperCal SO4, eliminate crusting, increase yields, and sell the rotary hoe.

Many enjoyed a long weekend filled with friends, grilling and lots of food. Ever notice how the first bratwursts tastes way better than the fifth?

I might have over done it on brats, burgers, cookies, and ice cream this weekend!
By Monday afternoon the only thing that sounded good was a couple of Rolaids and a nap.

The same thing happens when you over feed your soil. You don’t get near the yield (enjoyment) from the last 50 pounds of nitrogen as the first 50. In fact adding too much nitrogen requires that you add lime to you soil. Liming your soil works like Rolaids in your belly. It reduces the acidity of the soil, so when you add more food (N), you enjoy higher yields.

With the costs of fertilizer inputs, now is the time to look at a program to lime fields that have proper fertility levels. By keeping you pH neutral you can increase plant available N, P, and K 25%-100% versus letting your soil get acid.

Avoid low available fertilizer, poor root growth, and low yields by keeping your pH neutral with SuperCal 98G

"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!

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.

I stumbled on to this great article on rotational grazing this morning.

What does corn silage and grazing have in common?

What are the benifits to creating a natural herd environment?

How to be on the leading edge of grazing with UHSD.

It's four pages, but a quick read.

We talk about soil quality a lot on this blog. It should be the thing you focus most on. Having a soil that is soft, stable, and has good organic matter makes everything else work better.

It's not the chemical companies fault that there chemicals don't kill foxtail in your fields if the pH is too low or soil calcium levels are low.

It's not the equipment dealers fault their planter balls up with mud if the soil is damp, has little organic matter, or low calcium levels.

It's up to you to take the steps to develep your fields into quality soils. It won't be done by phosporous or potash alone. It startes with a full soil analysis and applying the right fertilizers in the right amount.

When you start to get it right your enjoy farming alot more. It will be easy to beat the county average in yield, you'll be planting and harvesting 2 to 3 days sooner than your neighbors after a rain - without causing compaction. Rain won't pond on your fields, it will be absorbed by the soil waiting in reserve for hot dry days.

  The above picture was taken today, we have had over an inch possibly as much as 3 inches (it's been hard to tell, most of the rain has been comming in sideways).

You can continue to fight the seed, chemical, and equipment companies, or you can make a few simple changes that will have a much bigger reward than a few small product rebates. After all it's no ones fault but yours if your soil is in poor condition.

It is a great time to be involved in agriculture. Grain prices are high and many farmers are replacing badly needed infrastructure and equipment. With the record grain prices, record amount of fertilizer are being applied to fields in an attempt to maximize yield. In addition to the agricultures boom, the US dollar continues to devalue, sending oil to record highs. Since the majority of fertilizer manufacturing requires significant amounts of oil, it has (bad pun warning) added fuel to the fire.

A few stats from the USDA

With many farmers feeling relatively good about the economic forecast, making good money, even with record input prices, why change what your doing. Now is the time to try new things, adjust production practices and push yields. Many of the NCGA’s corn growing champions are hitting the 300 bu mark. On many of their acres they have increased the farm average 20-40 bushels in a couple of years. Yes, there expenses did increase, but those expenses generated more income, not more bills. So if you spend $20 per acre to gain 20 bushels, then at $3 per bushel you have a 3x return on each dollar. At $5 corn it is a 5x return.

What are you doing differently? Are you actively seeking products and services to increase the productivity of the biggest income generator on you farm (soil)? Are you doing the same things you were 3 or 4 years ago, spending 40-50% more and not increasing yields. What will you do when the commodity prices drop and inputs stay high?

Your soil is the foundation for everything that happens on your farm. It is the number one ingredient for high yields. A true farmer thinks of his soil first and works to improve it. If you are just planting seeds, applying a little fertilizer, and harvesting a crop, you are not a farmer, you’re a miner.

Before I get into it, let me say we are not eco-nuts. However you need to understand that proper soil fertility leads to improved yields, healthier crops and livestock, lower input costs, and higher per acre income. Even if lack of moisture is your biggest limiting factor!

What is the cost of not properly maintaining soil quality?

Soil should act as a sponge that holds and gradually release water back to the plant. If it is ponding, running off, or out a drainage tile, it is taking valuable nutrients with it. Having a quality soil that is soft increases infiltration and decreases loss of water and nutrients.

Average cropland erosion removes soil about 10 to a hundred times faster than it forms.

Land degradation and desertification may account for as much as about 30 percent of the world's greenhouse gas releases, according to researcher Rattan Lal of Ohio State University. A quality soil will raise higher yields resulting in more carbon being stored in the soil as organic matter (OM). During the growing season the soil can release CO2 slowly resulting in higher yields and increasing OM. Low quality soils produced lower yields, resulting in decreasing OM, releasing more gasses to the atmosphere.

Currently US farmers are feeding more than 150 people. However at the current world population growth rate they will need to produce more food within the next 50 years than during the last 10,000 years combined! Genetic engineering will help, but if we do not have quality soils left to plant them in, they will not yield their full potential.

The book "The Erosion of Civilization" by David R. Montgomery, sums it up best. farming was the foundation of the great flourishing of Mesopotamia, but it faced two great problems: salinisation from irrigation, and soil erosion. Such erosion was also a problem in Bronze Age and classical Greece. Montgomery quotes Plato on the region around Athens: "The rich, soft soil has all run away leaving the land nothing but skin and bone."

Protect your biggest investment, protect yourself from future government regulation, protect your source of income, take care of your soil first!

This week I attended the 2008 Great Plains Soil Fertility Conference, held biennially in Denver Colorado. This program is put on by the International Plant Nutrition Institute and is attended by over 100 Industry and Academic Agronomy Researchers.

Over 40 research papers are presented in this 2-day program. While the pace of the presentations is quite fast there is ample time to discuss ideas, and new agronomy techniques with many of agricultures best-known researchers.

Jerry Hatfield presented “The Implications of Biofuels Production on Soil Productivity”. While removal of crop residue after harvest is viewed as a major source of cellulosic material, the implications need to be considered. Removal of large amounts of nutrients, decrease in soil organic matter, decrease is soil water holding capacity, leading to severe soil crusting and other environmental impacts.

Mr. Hatfield has authored many papers on soil quality, organic matter and carbon. So many I didn’t even consider counting them. In one of his previous papers on achieving high yields he states,

Understanding what you are doing, why your doing it, and measuring the results is what it takes to achieve high yields.

Dr. Robert Miller gave a great presentation on "Impact of Grid Point Sampling Intensity on Phosphorus and Potassium Uncertainty”. What this means is, if you are grid sampling, are they pulling enough soil cores for the composite to be sure that it is an accurate test of what is actually in the soil. Though his research he found that full tillage, minimal tillage and no-till needed different amounts of cores to be sure of accurate sampling. Full tillage means the soil is more uniformly mixed so 6-8 cores per sample point gives an accurate test, in minimal tillage shoot for 8-12. For no-till the best accuracy will require between 26-40 cores. Since no one has the time to do that many, we have to settle for less accuracy and pull 12-14 cores. This gives a 20% variability in the sample readings.

While not all the presentations are directly related to the crops and climate most of our customer’s farm, I always come away with new and helpful information. You must constantly looking for new information to increase yields, start with the basics, (soil sampling, liming, building nutrient levels) and build on that.

Lots of rain last fall, long periods of snow cover reducing soil freezing, the potential for excessive spring moisture due to melting snow, Elwynn Taylor telling us were in the 19th year. What do they have to do with each other, extra compaction compounded by the threat of drought.

Causes of Compaction:  

Raindrop impact - This is certainly a natural cause of compaction, and we see it as a soil crust (usually less than 1/2 inch thick at the soil surface) that may prevent seedling emergence. Having optimum amounts organic matter and calcium can alleviate crusting.

Tillage operations - Continuous moldboard plowing or disking at the same depth will cause serious tillage pans (compacted layers) just below the depth of tillage in some soils. Corn roots have a penetrating force of 350-400 lbs/sq in. Alfalfa roots can exert up 700 lbs/sq in. Many tillage compaction layers can exceed 750 lbs /sq in of force to penetrate.

Wheel traffic - This is without a doubt the major cause of soil compaction. With increasing farm size, the window of time in which to get these operations done in a timely manner is often limited. The weight of tractors has increased to 20 tons today, from less than 3 tons in the 1940's. This is of special concern because spring planting and fall harvest is often done before the soil is dry enough to support the heavy equipment.

Minimal Crop Rotation - The trend towards a limited crop rotation has had two effects: 1.) Limiting different rooting systems and their beneficial effects on breaking subsoil compaction, and 2.) Increased potential for compaction early in the cropping season, due to more tillage activity and field traffic.

A farmer in Minnesota that has been using SuperCal SO4 and deep tillage for a number of years has reported that his end rows are now higher yielding the middle section. I have recommended that he till half and not use SO4 on that half, use SO4 and not till on the other half. Since SuperCal SO4 “chemically” loosens the soil, and adds soluble calcium and sulfur, I expect higher return on the acres that receive SO4.

A little compaction is good, as it speeds the rate of seed germination because it promotes good contact between the seed and soil. Corn planters have been designed specifically to provide moderate compaction with planter mounted packer wheels that follow seed placement. Too little seed to soil contact can result in rootless corn syndrome.

Soil bulk density is a measure of the weight of the soil per unit volume. The greater the weight of a substance needed to fill up a certain amount of space the greater the density. The more air in a given space the lower the density. Think of a pound of feathers and a pound or rock. They weigh the same but the feathers will take up a lot more space (volume) than the rocks.

While soil bulk density is rarely measured it has a major impact on root growth.

Compacted soils have a very high bulk density reducing root growth. Soil compaction in the surface layer can increase runoff, increasing soil and water losses. SuperCal SO4 provides valuable calcium and sulfur increasing organic matter, and soil oxygen reducing bulk density. This increases water infiltration, and root proliferation, allowing your crop to access more nutrients and water, resulting in a healthier crop, better yields.

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.

In an article in Corn E Digest  OSU Extension Economist Barry Ward says that corn and soybean production costs are expected to increase 24-35%. He follows up with some steps to cut costs.

Mr. Ward why not suggest that farmers make what fertilizer is already in the soil available by liming?

We've discussed this before, here.

At a 5.5 pH, 25% on Nitrogen and Potassium is not available to crops. Over 50% of phosphorus is not plant available.

Seed selection is important, but pH is more important. At a 5.7 pH you lose 17% of your corn’s genetic potential, before it’s planted and it doesn’t matter what hybrid.

Lime price have remained relatively stable compared to other fertilizer products.

Does it really make sense to continue to dump high priced acid and salty fertilizer on you ground when it cost $400-500 per ton? So you bought it a little cheaper in the fall, if 25-50% is not available to your crop, that’s like paying more up front for less.

We know that proper soil sampling, keeping pH above 6.5 (for corn), having proper levels of micro and secondary nutrients (not adequate) will produce higher yields for less than blasting the soil with P and K, even when it was cheap!

We learned at the university that it takes nitrogen, starter, planting the proper hybrid, planting earlier, and increasing population to grow corn. However, most growers don't grow 300 bushel corn, but are doing the above 5 things. So what are the farmers that grow high yield corn doing, they are focusing on their soil.

Soil sample
Not just for P and pH, do a full analysis. While having enough P and the proper pH are some major limiting factors, they are not all of them. Do a full analysis at least every other year. If you're having a field grid sampled, have them pull a couple of extra samples to run a full analysis on.

Budget for soil maintenance
Top producing farmers know that their soil will always perform if they add back what they take every year. Plan on a yearly maintenance program, budgeting money for lime and/or gypsum, P, secondary, and micronutrients. Once you're in a nutrient deficient situation, it takes time and is expensive to correct.

Scout the whole field
Scout the soil, stop scouting only half your crop; know what is happening in the root zone. Most farmers are only concerned with what is happening with their crop above ground. They neglect more than half the plant. Dig next to the row, how are the roots growing, is there a visible hard pan, is moisture making it down into the soil profile, do you have large numbers of earthworms. If you cannot get a shovel in the ground by standing on it, you have compaction and your roots will not be able grow properly.

Proper residue management
Residue management starts with the header attachment on the combine. With corn make sure the header is processing the stalks, and the combine is only processing the ear and husks. Not only will this increase combine efficiency, it will distribute the residue more evenly, resulting in faster decomposition of stalks. Complete and proper decomposition increases organic matter and returns valuable nutrients to the soil.

Figure out what else is missing
For many farmers it is not a lack of N, P, K or pH that is keeping their yields low it is something else. Ignore lack of rainfall, and other things that are out of your control. Think about the things you can change; tillage, micronutrient levels, and organic matter. If your having problems achieving high yields, it is likely due to one or more problems associated with your soil.

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

The sun revolves around the earth

The world is flat

It takes 1.2 lbs of Nitrogen to make one bushel of corn

These are a just a few once held beliefs that come to mind. There are lots of them out there. Why do they persist and why does it take so long for people to let go of them. There is one main reasons; fear of loss.

Fear of loss can mean a number of things, fear of change, loss of yield, loss of a customer, loss of reputation.  There are still people who think the world is flat; they cannot accept change. If a crop consultant recommends a low N rate, and his client has poor yields, he will be blamed for the failure, even if N rate is not the reason. The fear of loss of that customer and being ridiculed keeps the status quos in place.

Western Union passed on the telephone, stating it is an unusable technology. They were so heavily invested in the telegraph system that they refused, or couldn’t see the benefits of the new technology. They had such domination on the communications industry that they could not believe that telephones could work.

What practices are you or your consults so heavily invested in that nothing else could work on your operations? Have you tried different N rates, applying sulfur, or cover crops? Yes, changing what your currently doing could cause some loss in the short term and may even take a little extra work. Don’t forget to consider what may be gained if your new practice works, lower fertilizer input costs, more income, more free time.

In 1899, then Patent Commissioner, Charles H. Duell reportedly announced, "everything that can be invented has been invented." We know that is not true and new and innovative inventions and ideas are developed every day

While liming is not new, the way we think about it is new. Would you expect good gains feeding cattle if you feed them 2 years of feed at once? Exellenct retun on investment by applying 5 years of phosphates at once? Applying SuperCal 98G pelletized lime reduce wild pH swings, is less expensive than ag lime, yields better, and makes all your other inputs work more efficiently.

Have a great Thanksgiving, and thanks for reading.

• An often-overlooked component in a plants ability to manufacture sugars is carbon dioxide (CO2).
• The goal is to build up the carbon reserves in soil in the form of humus, so CO2 is released as gas during the growing phase of the new crop.
• Iowa crop advisor Mike McNeil maintains that CO2 release and amount of nighttime buildup is a quality indicator of soils.
• The greenhouse industry has known this for many years and regularly enhances the CO2 level in greenhouses to several thousand parts per million. The result: significant yield increase.
• Older farmers will remember what happened when they cultivated young corn—it would grow six inches almost overnight after cultivation. Why, soil conductivity was increased and CO2 release was sped up. Combined these two factors caused tremendous crop growth.
• Limestone is calcium carbonate, CaCO3. Not only does it provide calcium, it also provides carbon. Did you know that a 500 lb. application of high calcium limestone provides 190 lbs. of calcium and 60 lbs. of carbon?

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

We at Calcium Products have been promoting quality soil for years. Our latest advertisement in Iowa Farmer Today is focusing explicitly on Soil Quality. Check out our previous posts on soil quality and look for our advertisements this winter in other farming publications.

Our products are key in increasing organic matter, soil flocculation, stabilizing nitrogen, and reducing erosion. In the past we have had to pull information from many, many research papers and websites to bring you  information on improving soil quality.

I have discovered a great website that should aid everyone in improving their soil quality. The site was created by the NRCS National Soil Quality Team, the National Soil Tilth Lab, NCERA-59 Scientists, and the Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Sciences, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.

Calcium is a key ingredient in improving soil structure and reducing fertilizer losses.

Having proper pH will improve nutrient utilization, reduce losses, improve the genetic ability of seed, and improve herbicide efficacy. SuperCal 98G is the best way to lime. It is finely ground high calcitic lime, pelletized to reduce drift and improve precision application.

For high pH, SuperCal SO4 is a high quality gypsum that is also finely ground and pelletized to reduce drift and improve performance. Gypsum has been recognized by the USDA to reduce phosphorus runoff.

Whether you have high pH or low Calcium Products has a product to help you reach your yeild goals while protecting your most important asset, your soil.

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

I just read an article from Corn and Soybean Digest by John Pocock. The main trust of the article is that 250- bushel average corn yield will be the norm by 2025. If that is the average there will be farmers averaging 300 bushels. The story states that to attain those yield goals either more irrigation is needed or a drought tolerant corn will need to be planted.

In order to reach 200 bushels a corn plant needs around 22 inches of water uptake. To reach 300 bushels the plant would need close to 33 inches of water uptake. The problem is that it usually only rains 16-21 inches a year in the corn belt.

I have two thoughts on that, instead of irrigation, increase the water infiltration rate of your soil, and variety won’t matter if you soil has as hard pan 4” down, the best hybrids will fail.

If your soil is a silt loam, it is going to hold about 2” of water per foot. If you topsoil is 5’ deep then the soil could hold 10” of water. In the case of the field in my previous blogs, I could only push a shovel in about 4”. That soil will only hold a little over 1/2” of water! Anything over that 1/2” will sit on the surface and evaporate or runoff.

With all the rain this we have had this fall, your soil profile should be full. However if you have a hardpan, sealed soil surface do to incorrect salt level or over tillage, than most of it ran off to the nearest river or lake. SuperCal SO4 pelletized gypsum, helps open you soil so more water goes into the soil to be available for plant use next spring.

It’s pretty amazing that the technology to reach high yield is already available. We are currently in the planning stages for testing to prove how SuperCal SO4 will increase the water infiltration. We’ll keep you posted!

Calcium Products, lower input costs, higher yields, making new technology work better

In the last blog we showed some pictures showing the difference in poor soil quality and good soil quality and its effect on water infiltration.

After 1 day of sun the ponding decreased, however an additional 0.5” resulted in ponding again, the garden did not pond.

Poor infiltration leads to in-season water stress. Water stress limits the development of young plants and reduces grain fill and development fruiting plants. Water stress also raises leaf temperature, which increases the likelihood of severe spider mite infestations.

Slow water intake reduces irrigation efficiency since a greater portion of the water applied is lost to evaporation. Finally, slow water intake increases the potential for compaction since planting and harvesting are often performed before the soil is sufficiently dry.

Slow water intake can result in prolonged standing water, which reduces the needed oxygen required for proper soil health. Standing water can cause N loss by waterlogging soil bacteria. The bacteria starving for oxygen, will scavenge oxygen from soil nitrate. As a side effect, these scavenging bacteria break down the nitrate molecules, causing de-nitrification.

The Common causes of poor infiltration are:
1. Compaction of surface soil from traffic.
2. High sodium content (Na) causes soil particles to be forced apart chemically (called deflocculation). This can result in surface sealing by reducing pore size.
3. Inadequate salt content of the surface soil is just as big a factor in slow infiltration as high content. Irrigating with low salt water (less than 250ppm) or excessive rainfall, which is very low in salt content eventually, leaches enough salts from the surface soil to reduce its structure. This creates smaller pore spaces, which have higher surface tension, and less permeability.
4. Subsurface soils with distinctly different texture are often overlooked as a water related problem. It does not cause slow infiltration at the soil surface; rather it limits downward movement of water into the lower root zone. Soils of different texture vary greatly in the number and size of air spaces through which water travels. When downward moving water encounters a zone of different soil texture, it must overcome the surface tension created by the different pore size. Saturated soil conditions occur above the layer until sufficient pressure (head) builds up to overcome this.

Suggestions for improving the infiltration rate:
1. After harvest, dig in several locations to test for compacted soils 8-10 inches below the surface. If you can stand on the shovel without it penetrating, consider chiseling the soil after harvest when the soil is dry. Chiseling can correct surface soil compaction from traffic and can markedly improve water infiltration. However depending upon the soil type, some growers find discover chiseling lasts for only two or three irrigations. Soil analysis, amendments and winter cover cropping are need for longer-term management.
2. Soil sample. Include only the first inch from several locations. Sample areas with good and bad intake rates separately. Request a basic salinity analysis including a SAR (sodium adsorption ratio) or ESP (exchangeable sodium percentage). Also ask that the gypsum requirement be calculated. Soils with total salt content (EC) less than about 1.0 mmho/cm often benefit from gypsum application. This raises the beneficial salt content of the surface soil and improves structure. Soils with SAR or ESP values greater than about 7 can also benefit from SuperCal SO4 application by displacing sodium salts with calcium from the gypsum. If you do not understand the results of your soil analysis, let us know we can help you understand it.
3. Sample your main water source. Irrigation water can be either low or high in salts, depending on your location. Continual use of low salt water causes soil to loose structure. Use of high salt water causes the soil surface to seal shut. SuperCal SO4 application on the soil in the spring will restore or remove the salts and improve water intake.
4. Soils not showing compaction of salt problems require investigation at greater depths with a backhoe. Have an individual knowledgeable about soils and roots present to assist you in their evaluation. Soil layering creates resistance to water movement and root development. Such conditions are difficult to impossible to correct. Deep ripping with the intent of modifying subsoils lacking a hardpan will not solve a soil stratification problem. The benefit of deep ripping is usually gone by the next season as the soil reassumes its original structure. Adjustments in irrigation management or investment in a low volume system allowing more precise water application is usually of greatest benefit.
5. Cover cropping often improves poor surface structure. Cover crops can produce many tons of dry matter per planted acre if allowed to grow until almost mature. As it decomposes, it creates humus, which is important to improving soil structure. Great numbers of pores are also created from the decayed roots. This is not a quick fix! Research and grower testing, show three years of regular cover cropping is needed before improvements were noticeable.

Calcium Products, lower input costs, higher yields, better water infiltration

The increase in the demand for fertilizers world-wide has drastically increased the cost of fertilizers. In addition to the cost, availability may be difficult in the coming years. Whether due to cost or availability many growers are looking for alternatives and products to improve yields with less NPK fertilizers. We would like to suggest humates.

Humate Benefits

• Improved Water Retention, and water holding capacity
• Humates can hold up to 20 times their weight in water. 
• Humic substances can enhance the release of fixed K from montmorillonite soils.
• Addition of humic acids can increase P uptake by 25%.
• Humic substances will increase length, and number of lateral roots, seedling growth after germination, nutrient availability and nutrient uptake.
• These substances also affect a wide range of enzymatic processes.

Humates, play a vital role in soil fertility and plant nutrition. Plants grown on soils which contain adequate humates are less subject to stress, are healthier, produce higher yields, and the nutritional quality of feeds are superior. Humic substances are important in soil fertility and plant nutrition because of the part they play in the life cycle on earth. The life-death cycle involves a recycling of the carbon from plants to animals through the soil and air and back into the living plant.

Humates have been “forgotten “ when it was discovered that soluble acidic based N P and K fertilizers could stimulate plant growth. Continued use of these acidic fertilizers has decreased humic substances in the soil. This decrease is the main cause of leaching and erosion. Giving higher priority to soil humus and humates is a must to improve soil condition and yield.

Humic substances are recognized by most soil scientists and agronomists as the most important component of a healthy fertile soil. In addition, by understanding how these carbon containing substances function, professionals will have a solid foundation on which to design truly “complete” fertilizer recommendations.

Humic substances neutralize the soil pH and liberate carbon dioxide. Repeated field studies have provided evidence that the addition of humic substances to soils helps to neutralize the pH of those soils. Both acidic and alkaline soils are neutralized. Once the soil is neutralized, many trace elements formerly bound in the soil are available to plants.

Humic substances also liberate carbon dioxide (CO2) from calcium carbonates present within the soil. The plant may take up the released CO2 or it may form carbonic acids. The carbonic acids act on soil minerals to release plant nutrients. The application of either dry or liquid humic substances to soils dramatically increases fertilizer efficiency.

Humic substances enhance uptake of major plant nutrients. As the level of humic substances in soils become depleted the misleading demand for higher concentrations of N P and K results. Many growers have over the past several years reported increasing demands for soluble acid fertilizers in order to maintain crop yields. 

Increased leaching of nitrate fertilizer into the ground water is  a warning of poor soils and reflects the loss of soil humic substances.

The above article was condensed from:

ORGANIC MATTER, HUMUS, HUMATE, HUMIC ACID, FULVIC ACID AND HUMIN:
THEIR IMPORTANCE IN SOIL FERTILITY AND PLANT HEALTH

Dr. Robert E. Pettit
Emeritus Associate Professor Texas A&M University

Read Dr. Pettit’s entire article by clicking on the title

 Calcium Products, lower input costs, higher yeilds, more information

According to an article in Iowa Farmer Today, the land value in Iowa has increased 16.5 percent over the past year. That’s great news for investors, terrible news for guys trying to expand their operations.

There is an old saying that you should always buy land, they don’t make anymore. There is also another saying; you make your money when you buy, not when you sell. So what should one do, commodities are at an all time high, increasing acres would mean a substantial gain in income. If prices fall, you’re stuck with high land payments, higher input costs, and possibly not enough revenue to cover costs.

We suggest maximizing yield, over high priced land purchases.

Use the increased revenue to find ways to improve your yields

If the nation wide average is only 150 bushels, and top yields are making 300 bushels or more. Why are you not growing 300 bushels corn? You’re already selecting top hybrids, and following established crop protection guidelines.

Take care of your soil first. By taking an in-depth analysis of your soil, applying the needed amendments, and following established tillage guidelines are the first steps in creating better soil on your farm. Remember First Things First.

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

It seems like every week I see more corn blown down. This fall many agronomists and farmers will spend hours finding the right hybrids to avoid lodging next year. Picking the right hybrid for your situation is important, and hybrids with good roots should be used.

How much time will you spend finding ways to improve soil quality and fertility? We think taking care of the soil is even more important than hybrid selection. Soils that have good physical properties will make a strong rooting hybrid perform even better.

SuperCal SO4 increase water and oxygen infiltration in the soil. This creates a friendly environment for beneficial insects and bacteria, which increases rooting, reducing lodging. 

SuperCal SO4 contains 17% sulfur in the sulfate form. Sulfur is key in converting nitrate to ammonium N. Having high amounts of sulfur ensures that expensive nitrogen in fully utilized, resulting in a stronger, better yielding plant.

 DKC 52-40, Winnebago County, IA

Applied 300 lbs, SuperCal SO4	No SuperCal SO4

This customer noticed that the untreated portions of his field had more down corn. A walk of the field showed that stalk quality was much better in the SuperCal SO4 treated area, the ears were bigger and more filled out. In the non-treated area the corn was germinating on the ear!

We will post pictures of the field and will have yield maps available after harvest to see what the yield difference was between SuperCal SO4 and the untreated lodging corn.

Calcium Products, lower input costs, higher yields, better hybrid standablity

There is an old saying, the hardest part about milking cows is, they never stay milked. The thing about that statement is, if you can’t do anything about it, it’s not a problem; it’s a fact of life. So how do you deal with a fact? Ignoring that fact only leads to failure. Your only choice is to recognize the fact and implement processes that make that fact easier to deal with.

Many farmers are bracing for the fall fertilizer season. The cost of dry fertilizers this fall is expected to be at all time highs. For farmers looking to increase production and reach high corn yields while reducing input costs seems impossible.

Soil pH testing is the best place to start when planning a fertility program. Having low pH causes plant nutrients to be tied up. According to research done by Midwest Laboratories, a pH of 6.5 ties up 24% of available phosphorus. If your pH is 6.0, then P tie-up increases to 48%, and 24% of N is not available to your crops.

The cost of not liming soil at a 6.0 pH, 200-bushel corn goal:

$36/a lost in wasted inputs

Yield loss of corn, resulting from low pH, 34 bushels, priced at $3.50 =

$119/a lost in yield reduction due to low pH

The economic loss of farming ground with low pH is astounding. Keeping you soil at neutral pH will pay for itself many times over.

SuperCal 98G can eliminate the yield loss and fertilizer tie-up associated with acid soils. By applying a few hundred pounds as part of a maintenance fertility plan, the high cost of traditional ag lime programs can be eliminated.

The high price of soybeans have you thinking of growing more beans. Low pH creates an even bigger yield loss, 20% with a 5.7 pH. Testing has shown that even 200 pounds can return over 4 bushels on soybeans.

Stop wasting high cost fertilizer, applying SuperCal 98G makes fertilizer work better!

This weekend while talking with some friends, I was asked about pelletized lime. One friend said his agronomist called pel-lime renters lime. He wanted to know why as a landowner he would want to use SuperCal 98G.

Why have renters used 98G? It costs less, you see yield results the first cropping year.

In most cases, 300- 400 pounds of SuperCal 98G, every other year, on a corn-bean rotation will raise soil pH. The cost of 300-400 lbs applied is usually in the $20-$25, or $10-$12.50 per year for liming (could be less depending on pH).

Compare that to applying AgLime waiting 3 years for pH to rise then waiting to re-apply for 2 more years until the pH falls again. You will pay $20-$25 per ton of AgLime, and most people put on 2-3 tons when they apply it. So you pay $40-$75 to put on AgLime, wait 3 years for it to make a small change, then watch it fall for two. This roller coaster is costing you $8-$15 per year.

That does not include the cost of lost yield. In trails, SuperCal 98G has shown 4.5-bushel advantage over AgLime in soybeans. At today’s commodity prices, you could be leaving $40 dollars in the field.

The longevity of AgLime is a misconception. It only seems to “last” longer, because it takes longer to break down in the field. Most AgLime has large particle size lime that takes years to breakdown. You would not buy seed, chemical, or fertilizer that took years to go to work, why would you buy lime that takes years to work?

Discover what renters have known for years, SuperCal 98G works in weeks, not years.

This week I attended an annual meeting for a large retail group. One of the discussions was about the fertilizer situation in the coming year. What was their take?

There will not be adequate amounts for 2008 due to;

Demand world wide is at an all time high

60% of US fertilizer stocks are imported

Freight to the US has tripled in the past few years

Fall needs have been decided in May/June.

With the exception of Urea expect that there will not be enough other products to meet demand.

At Calcium Products we see this trend as well. I attended a meeting last fall and these comments were echoed. I will be attending a number of fertilizer seminars over the next few months and continue to update you.

So what does this mean for the grower?

Customers unwilling to pay higher prices for inorganic fertilizer will need to find alternatives or change crops. If corn pushes above $4 next year, many will increase corn acres, increasing demand for fertilizer. Most dealers have already locked in their fertilizers for 2008, so expect the price of fertilizer to continue higher. Soybean processors will need to pay above $9/bu to offset any increase in corn price.

If changing the cropping system not an option, then the other option is changing inputs.

In trials 80 lbs of N and 200 lbs of SuperCal 98G yielded 173.8 bushels. 160 lbs of N alone yielded 175.6 bushels. With today's nitrogen costs reaching $0.50 per pound the additional cost of N was $40. The average cost of 200 lbs of SuperCal 98G is around $17.

The lower N rate with SuperCal 98G added cost the grower $57 per acre. The high rate N cost the grower $80 per acres. The premium for the additional 2 bushels was $23 dollars!

Urea may be the cheapest form of N available for the 2008 growing season. The prilled nature of SuperCal 98G pelletized lime, allows it to perfectly mix with any dry fertilizer. Less application trips further lowers the cost of inputs.

Give us a call or contact one of our dealers to see how you can lower your costs and increase production.

Hanging in my garage are my great-grandfather's harness he used when he farmed. My wife asked why? Sentimental reasons, I like history, I think they’re kind of cool. They don’t do anything but take up space; I don’t go to nostalgic farm shows and give demonstrations. I certainly would not farm today using them.

There are always improvements in farming. Could you meet today’s productivity with yesterday’s technology? Are you still farming with a John Deere model "720”? Are you waiting to hear grain prices on the news, or do you get real-time quotes on the Internet? Did you plant a triple stack corn or saved seed?

Have you been trying to raise pH and increase yield with AgLime? While applying tons of AgLime looks like your really accomplishing something, unfortunately, like a 720 in a parade, when the dust clears, it costs too much to do, and does not really accomplish much.

SuperCal 98G is the pelletizied lime product to meet today’s ROI and production goals. Why spend 3-5 years for results? Would you wait 3 years for your seed to grow, or your nitrogen to be utilized? If you equipment dealer told you to pay him today and he’d get you that 9660 in 3 years, would you look for a new dealer?

Calcium Products, Increasing yields, reducing costs, for today’s high production goals.

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!

On Wednesday I attended the No-Till on the Plains Whirlwind No-Till Expo. I was very impressed with Bud Davis’s rainfall simulator and soil quality presentation. He demonstrated the importance of great soil quality and how making changes to improve soil quality increases yields.

Last week I attended a University of Nebraska agronomy training. It was a 2-day extensive crop diagnostic training. The staff at UNL does a great job of technically covering topics that are current and promoting sustainable agriculture and reducing the environmental impact of agriculture.

While Bud’s program showed what the upcomming topics could do for them, the guys at UNL failed to show about 200 agronomists that sustainable, environmentally friendly agriculture could be profitable for their clients. The University failed to show the positive economic impact of improving soil quality.

Many techniques to improve soil quality require time, and expense to implement as well as a change in practices. Most people do not like change. Show them that those changes will positively impact their bottom line, while not changing adversely affects it and the level of adoption will increase.

This idea goes for what ever you are selling; whether it’s conservation, feed, seed, or tractors. Don’t assume that your customer will understand that using your product will make their life better. Explain what's in it for them!

Most agronomists are hired to help their clients improve yield for next year (the farmers want), not to improve soil quality for the next generation (the universities want). Do a better job of showing that conservation can improve yields next year and adoption of conservation techniques would increase.

I just read a story about how expensive ice cream has become this summer. The price of a gallon of milk is up 55% the story reports. The price of a small cone has rose from $2.95 to $3.50.

So what does the price of ice cream have to do with soil? I'm getting to that!

The story claims that this is due to the rising price of corn used to feed dairy cows. I don’t doubt that the cost of feed is more expensive, but the cost of fuel, fertilizer, and any other inputs in farming are also up. It’s a vicious cycle, where the farmer rarely wins. It seems impossible to cut costs when the price of finished goods doubles overnight. 

How does one combat increasing input costs, and volatile prices?

Focus on the things you can control.

A study by the Iowa Soybean Association compared the increased profit per acre on many Iowa farms. They found that 50% of their increased profit came from increasing yield. While it is hard to control the price of ice cream it is far easier to manage your crops to increase yields.

It starts with the soil.

It does no good to plant the best Triple Stack seed corn if you do not take care of your soil. According to Midwest Labs, low pH (5.7) will reduce the genetic yield potential of corn by 17%. That’s 34 bushels on 200-bushel farm average! Even if corn were still 2 bucks at least $60 would be lost before planting begins. With today’s prices that’s over $100 dollars in profit lost per acre.

You could spend all that profit applying AgLime and waiting 3-5 years for a return on that money. Another option is to do nothing, cut your losses, and blame poor profitability on falling prices and the rising costs of inputs.

We think spending $15-$25 this fall for SuperCal 98G and increasing yield in the first year is the better way to go. By utilizing SuperCal 98G this fall, you can protect next years profit, and see increased yields in the first year. Check out the data that we’ve been compiling for over ten years.

Give us a call we can help you grow better crops and reduce costs!

How do you decide when to settle for adequate over exceptional?  Many of us do settle for adequate over exceptional, quite a bit of the time actually. The difference between success and failure is knowing when only exceptional will do.

How many of us seek out and buy Snap-On wrenches for the toolboxes on our equipment? Some might, I have lost the box of the tractor or left the tool in the field, so for me a wrench from Bomgaar’s dollar bin is adequate for quick field repairs.

Snap-On is the best in the world, with a lifetime warrantee, last forever, but if there is chance of losing it in the field, I’m not going to sweat losing the dollar wrench.

I have never heard of anyone say happily “I just bought this great stock, it does not perform that well, I’m not making much money on it, but I heard that stocks were great to buy.” When it comes to investments only exceptional performance is good enough.

For many of our end users their biggest investment is their land. Are adequate yields good enough for you, or do you strive to have exceptional yields? If adequate yields are ok then adequate fertility and soil quality is good enough.

If you’re striving for exceptional yields start with developing exceptional soil on your farms. An exceptional farm always brings more at a sale; exceptional farms create an exceptional income, and allow the landowner to adequately survive times of drought, poor price, and high input costs.

SuperCal SO4, and SuperCal 98G are exceptional products. Many of our customers report exceptional transformations in their fields. Over the next few months we’ll bring you their stories. Give us a call, or stop by one of the Calcium Products dealersto find out how to develop exceptional soil on your farms.