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

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

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

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

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

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

There has been much talk this winter of Dr. Don Huber’s work on glyphosate induced micronutrient deficiency of crops. His work is even featured in this month’s issue of No-Till Magazine (Are We Shooting Ourselves In The Foot With A Silver Bullet?).

What is all the talk about and what does a farmer and an agronomist need to know? 

Calcium Products is a member of Practical Farmers of Iowa, as such I get email updates, I must say I was kind of astounded to see this one (below).

We have known for years that SuperCal SO4 and SuperCal 98G can help reduce the amount of nitrogen it takes to grow a crop, I just didn't know that reducing applied N in addition to saving the farmer money would help his soils be more profitable long term, increase nutrient holding capacity and reduce erosion and runoff.

I know, we have all thought that we need nitrogen to grow a bumper crop, what if you could grow 200+ corn with almost no nitrogen? We know people that can! WIll every farmer be able to go to a no nitrogen program over night? Likely not, but soil improvement, maintenance and management should be to priority for anyone involved in eating. Yes I said eating, if you like food you need a farmer and he needs good quality soil to grow our food!

I will be doing future blogs on the importance on soil carbon. Here are some links to previous articles;

Farm Journal now reports what we have been saying for years:

"Adding calcium causes clay particles to “flocculate”—that is, particles are held together but also held apart. The flocculation process also requires organic matter and pectin, which is secreted by microbes found around plant roots, especially grasses. "
 

See the whole article here http://www.agweb.com/FarmJournal/current/Article.aspx?id=155709

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/ .

Paul Helland, one our good friends at FC, in Rake Iowa sent us some interesting information. First off, Paul and his staff are tireless when it comes to putting in demonstration plots, walking fields and observing crop growth.

It's this observation of the crops that lead Paul to wonder why some ears in a row were stubby and some were not. Paul took samples of the ears and sent them to the lab.

In every almost every case, the large ears contain higher quantities of nutrients. Calcium is 3x higher, sulfur is 20% higher!

One may think that such small difference in the nutrients don't make much difference, however those small things add up. Just take a look at the picture!

Since these ears are from the same row there is no yield data, but I think it is safe to say the large ears would yield out 2 to 3 times that of the small poor ears. One other thing to think about, the higher mineral concentration of the larger ears makes it a better feed source, whether for animals or ethanol plants. The grain from the large ears will also store better, avoiding piles of rotting grain.

Thanks for the pictures and lab work Paul!

I found this link on using BioChar to build soils and reduce CO2 emissions. Whether you agree or disagree with climate change, having high levels of soil carbon (not just organic matter, they are different) will make you soils more productive and increase your nutrient holding capacity. This was an interesting read, even though it is a little long.

http://www.miller-mccune.com/science_environment/the-dirt-on-climate-change-1651?article_page=2

Our new product TRIO has a small amount of leonardite (a naturally occurring carbon source). This product will help keep calcium in the root zone in soils that have low carbon levels, such as sandy soils.

If you have had experience using carbon in your fertilizer program or want to know more about TRIO, I'd love to hear from you.

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/ .

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

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

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

Fertilizer Applications:
 

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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!

Could soil help us in fighting infection?

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Think your getting a good deal from free product?

Think there might be a reason someone would pay you to use a product?

Wonder what else you get for "free" in power plant gypsum (coal ash, fly ash)?

This is a great article discussing the problems with power plant gypsum.

http://www.sciam.com/article.cfm?id=coal-ash-in-soil

SuperCal SO4 95% pure, has no Arsenic, and is currently under organic review.

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!"

This summer I posted a blog stating that I would post a list of the books I had intended to read this summer. While I am a little late here it is;

Books bought but unread;

• Roots Demystified, Robert Bourik
• Building Soils for Better Crops, Fred Magdoff and Harold van Es
• More Food From Soil Science, The Natural Chemistry of Lime,  V. A. Tiedjens
• From The Soil Up, Donald L. Schriefer

Books bought and worthy of your attention;

How Soils Work, Paul Syltie, PH. D.  This book is a very basic introduction into the workings of the soil. I read about 2/3rds of it the first time I picked it up. It’s a quick read and much of this is a refresher for me. This is a great book for anyone who has not taken a university soils course

Weeds and Why They Grow, review here

Soil Fertility & Animal Health by William A. Albrecht, Ph.D.  , I have read a few chapters of this book. I have been told by many well known consultants that this is “the” book to read on soils. However, Dr. Albrecht was a great scientist and as such his papers read like a science journal. You have to want to read this one, and be ready for some work. While I have to force myself to pick up this book and read a chapter from time to time, I always pick up extremely useful information.

Last night I started Bread From Stones, by Julius Hensel.  This book was originally written in 1893 in German, and has since been translated to English. It is a quick read, though a little tough as grammar and names for elements are a little different today than over 100 years ago.

Hensel goes into detail the dangers of over applying nitrogen to fields, the dangers of ammonia to animals and how to raise high quality meat, dairy and eggs, and backs it up with chemistry that still holds truth today, even if we’ve forgotten that basic chemistry principles.
The benefits of fine ground stones where known as far back as Roman times, and Hensel expands “ …every little particle may be rendered accessible to the water and the air, and can, therefore be used as plant food. Thence it follows that one single load of the very finest stone-meal will do as much as twenty loads of coarser products, so that by reducing to the finest dust the cost for freight and carriage…would amount to one-twentieth.”

We have known the benefits of finely ground stone dusts (meals) for decades. Many consultants still say it takes tons of lime to change tons of soil, if this were true; wouldn’t it take a tone of MAP to raise your phosphorus levels? The reason it doesn’t is because MAP is fine particles in prills, very reactive in the soil… kind of like SuperCal SO4 and SuperCal 98G!

Last week was the Iowa Power Farming Show in Des Moines, Iowa. It is one of the largest shows in the Midwest. For the second year we sponsored the buses that gave people free rides from the free parking area a number of blocks from the exposition area. We had many great comments of appreciation for sponsoring the free parking and rides.

We also talked to farmers from central Illinois and Michigan that we using our products. They have found that its worth the drive for SuperCal 98G and SuperCal SO4, the highest quality lime and gypsum anywhere.

And this picture caught my eye.

What does rims and calcium chloride have to do with soils and crops? Well Phil Globig with Rim Guard discovered years ago that the calcium chloride used to add ballast to tires is highly corrosive. Phil’s company developed a better product that doesn’t ruin your rims.

So what happens when you apply 0-0-60 (KCl, muriate of potash) to your soil? Ever wonder what the Cl in KCl stands for? It is chloride. When you apply KCl to high pH soil you create calcium chloride. Wonder why that high priced seed corn keeps falling over? It’s tough to grow roots in soil that can rust tire rims.

We just can't tell you all the great benefits of gypsum, so we get really excited when someone else presents information on gypsum.

One person who has done some great research is L. Darrell Norton of the National Soil Erosion Research Laboratory.

Darrell conducted a two-year demonstrating successful results in reducing runoff volumes in agricultural applications. Addition of Gypsum to the soil not only improved infiltration, but also reduced run-off concentrations of Phosphorous and Atrazine. The study concluded that use of the gypsum amendment during application of fertilizer and herbicide treatments is a practical management approach in making agriculture more sustainable with respect to surface water quality. The findings were presented at the 9th Biennial Conference on Stormwater Research and Watershed Management.

Balancing Soil Nutrient Levels in Agriculture

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

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

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

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

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

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!

Some harvesting is taking place and with that comes grain storage. How do you make sure that your grain stays in good condition when storing it on farm? Dry it with costly natural gas or propane, run the fans until Christmas, fumigate, pray???

I found this great article from Greg Patterson on Calcium Nutrition in Plants. If there are other crops calcium can improve the quality and longevity of storage why should grain be any different.

A number of our customers have mentioned that grain storage problems have all but disappeared once they started using our products. This is something we will be doing research on in the future.

While I have not run the numbers, but if your spending lots of money on drying costs and fumigation, you likely have low plant available calcium. Why not fix you soil, reduce your drying and storage costs and avoid a crop loss due to spoilage.

At the end of my in my blog titled I am not a farmer, but I play one on TV, I told you I would post I list of books I planned to read this summer. Very shortly after that blog I ordered a number of books. I have only read 3; two were booklets (less than 50 pages).

The third is "Weeds and Why They Grow", by Jay L. McCamon. I finally decided to finish this one when out at Husker Harvest Days 2 weeks ago, some colleagues and I were walking through the corn plots and noticed an abundance of black nightshade. I told my colleagues that that indicated a fertility imbalance. None really took me seriously.

It’s tough for many to accept that weeds grow because of certain soil conditions. Weeds are not the problem; they are the symptoms of problems. The origin of the word “weed” is “weod” meaning “little herb” If herbs are intended for healing, then weeds are also for healing of the soil.

I have personal experience with this. I am conducting a test plot on the field surrounding my house. The main weeds are foxtail, dandelion, and curly dock. The soil samples came back showing low organic matter, and low calcium. Infield observations were hard pan 6-8” little water infiltration, and poor soil structure.

What does Weeds and Why They Grow say, foxtail, dandelion, and curly dock are all weeds that grow in low calcium soils. Foxtail and curly dock like low humus, curly dock also likes hard soils, and foxtail likes poor drainage.

Many weeds act as collectors of minerals. When they die and decay the minerals from the plant are added back to the soil in a form available to plants. The roots systems of many weeds can penetrate deep into the subsoil to loosen it. They also bring up minerals and make it possible for the root systems of less vigorous plants to follow.

Fredrick Clements, an eminent botanist stated, “ Each plant is an indicator”. The purpose of weeds is to correct soil problems. The common dandelion seems to thrive on bringing calcium back to the soil surface to become available as the plant decays. Broad leaf weeds like a soil environment in which the available potash exceeds the available phosphate. If the potash continues to increase relative to the phosphate, a point may be reached where herbicides cannot control the broadleaf weeds.

Calcium is the element that causes the soil particles to move apart for aeration and drainage. Magnesium makes the particles stick together. One soil consultant has determined that is some soils the excess magnesium is held as trimagnesium ortho phosphate, Mg3(PO4)2-22H2O. Notice that the last part of the formula is twenty-two molecules of water. Is it any wonder that soils high in magnesium tend to dry and crack when water is tied up in a compound instead of available to plants? Note two that phosphate is tied to the magnesium.

What about that field at Husker Harvest Days? Well without a soil test it is hard to know for sure but according to “Weeds and Why They Grow”, Black Nightshade likes low calcium, low phosphates, very high potash, very high magnesium, low humus levels, low soil porosity, anaerobic soils, hard sticky soils, and high levels of aluminum.

To find out about other weeds check out this great reference book. As I finish the other 7 books I will comment on the ones that are worthy.

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 Bean Stalk.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Where to start? Try these links.

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

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

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

Have a great Memorial Day Weekend!

The current cost of fertilizer, corn, and land has many livestock owners wondering how to stay profitable. Unfortunately there are not quick solutions. This article on nutrient cycling in pastures should help. I have condensed it for quicker reading. 

Appropriate pasture management can enhance the nutrient cycle, increase productivity, and reduce costs. Two practical indicators of soil health are the number of earthworms and the percentage of organic matter in the soil.

Paddock design and stocking density can also affect the efficiency of nutrient cycling in a pasture system. Supplementation of natural fertility, based on soil tests, balances the soil's mineral composition, resulting in better plant and animal growth and increased soil health.

When nutrients cycle efficiently in a pasture system, they move through various soil organisms and pasture plants, then through the grazing animals, and back to the soil again as manure and urine.

With good management, nutrients can cycle quickly with minimal losses to air and water. Less fertilizer will be required, and this means increased profitability for the entire farm.

Good-quality soils produce good-quality pastures. Good-quality soils don't erode, since water flows quickly into the ground and is stored there. Good-quality pastures are springy underfoot, with deep green forage that covers the soil and a moderate amount of dead residue under the canopy. They produce nutritious forage with balanced mineral levels. Livestock find these forages palatable and thrive on them.

Producers create this kind of soil through good management. Using smart grazing strategies, testing soils regularly and applying fertilizers, lime, and organic amendments as needed.

Organic matter is critical for storing water and nutrients in the soil. It holds nutrients in plant-available forms that don't easily wash away. It creates an open soil structure into which water, dissolved minerals, and oxygen can move, ready for plants to use. It provides further nutrient storage in the soil and can disable certain plant toxins.

Trees, many broadleaf weeds, and forages such as alfalfa have taproots that go deep into the soil horizon where some grass roots cannot reach. The nutrients from these deeper soil levels are used by the plant, but become available at the soil surface once the tree leaves fall or the weeds die, decompose, and release their nutrients.

The roots constitute at least half the weight of a grass plant. Many native warm-season perennial grasses have root systems that reach six feet or more into the soil horizon. They occupy a huge underground area and form a network that holds the soil in place. Every year 20-50% of this mass, as well as all of the top growth in temperate climates, dies and becomes organic matter.

Grazing Livestock Affect Pasture Nutrient Cycles
Livestock feeding on pasture use a small proportion of the minerals they ingest in forages to build bones, meat, and hide. The rest is excreted in dung and urine. In general, urine contains most of the nitrogen (N) and potassium (K) wastes, and dung contains most of the phosphorus (P) the animals don't use.

Value Of NPK In Manure And Urine

When N and K are present at higher levels in the feed, they are excreted in manure. Phosphorus and some other minerals cycle through animals primarily in manure. It can take from six months to two years for manure to break down and for the phosphorus to cycle back into the plants. The speed of the cycle is affected by various biological agents as well as by mechanical means.

Grazing behavior has a big impact on nutrient distribution. In smaller paddocks, with high stock density, urine and dung are more evenly distributed than in large ones. Livestock are less selective in their grazing habits and space themselves more evenly within the area allotted for a grazing period. They will graze closer to dung piles and exhibit less avoidance of urine spots so that more forage is used for animal production.

In large areas, cattle act as a herd and go to water together. When water is available nearby, however, animals drink individually and return to graze in other areas. If they must travel in a lane to the water, manure will concentrate in these non-productive areas en route.

When there is not enough room at the water tank for all to water at once, those waiting will manure that area, concentrating nutrients where they are less likely to contribute to plant and animal productivity.

Good management helps distribute nutrients that will feed your pastures. Locating water, minerals, shade, and fly-control devices in different parts of the paddock also discourages nutrient concentration. It is even more beneficial if these high-use areas can be relocated for each grazing cycle or placed in areas that would not otherwise attract livestock use.

Supplemental feed, likewise, should be placed either where nutrients are needed or under the fence. The location should vary with each feeding.

Good management determines how effective the water cycle will be in pastures. If rainwater can enter the soil easily, runoff losses are less. Maximum infiltration of rainfall keeps groundwater tables charged up, wells running year round, and drought damage to a minimum.

Soil surface conditions that foster high rainwater intake are abundant ground cover (by living plants and surface litter) and good soil aggregation. The best-aggregated soils are those that have been in well-managed perennial grass. Though aggregation can be maintained under crops, the perennial activity of grass provides both aggregate-forming processes and aggregate-stabilizing humus.

Lime is a particularly important amendment in pasture management. While it has always been considered necessary for adjusting pH, there is growing evidence that the amount of calcium has important consequences for plant production and animal health.

High fertilization coupled with frequent harvesting of hay speeds organic matter decomposition and releases minerals faster than plants growing on the site can absorb them. As a result, nutrients are leached deeper into the soil, out of the reach of plant roots, or they are lost to run off.

The use of some commercial fertilizer is always an option to be exercised when necessary. However, continuing to look for ways to use natural systems to produce nutritious forage and healthy animals, while lessening one's dependence on purchased, non-renewable resources, is worthwhile.

SuperCal 98G is finely ground limestone pelletized for easier handling and mixing with other dry fertilizers.

SuperCal SO4 is finely ground pelletized gypsum, allowing you to fertilize with calcium and not raise pH.

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.

From Science Daily

Treatment of mice with a 'friendly'  soil bacteria altered their behavior in a way similar to effects from antidepressant drugs, reports research published in the latest issue of Neuroscience.

This leaves us wondering if we shouldn't all be spending more time playing in the dirt.

When the team looked closely at the brains of mice, they found that treatment with M. vaccae activated a group of neurons that produce the brain chemical serotonin. The lack of serotonin in the brain is thought to cause depression in people, thus M. vaccae's effects on the behavior of mice may be due to increasing the release of serotonin in parts of the brain that regulate mood.

Go ahead, play in the dirt, your mom won't mind!

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.

If you missed it Dan Davidson with DNT blogged about gypsum last week. Dan reports that a study from the USDA ARS that gypsum can indeed curb run off.Check out the research here.

While gypsum does not solve all problems and can’t work create miracles, many will find that it is useful in their fertility program.

Click here to see if you should expect a response to gypsum.

Also a couple of weeks ago in the Iowa Farmer Today, there was an article by Catherine Kling, professor of Environmental Research Economics, the gist of the article was that there needs to be more government subsidizing of conservation practices to solve all the run off in Iowa. I wrote Ms. Kling suggesting that for lees than their budget we could treat every acre in Iowa with SuperCal SO4. There has been a wealth of research in addition to that by the ARS

• The solute concentration from gypsum makes soil aggregates more stable.
• Gypsum prevents crusting and aids water infiltration. (shainberg et al. 1989)
• In a study by ARS gypsum has shown benefits in reducing P run-off.
• L. Darrell Norton is at the USDA-ARS National Soil Erosion Research Laboratory, has also done research showing the benefits of gypsum in reducing N and P run-off.

In addition we are exploring a new product that can be handled and spread like dry fertilizer. One pound of active ingredient (AI) can effectively flocculate up to 10 tons of soil under ideal conditions. This can be done very cost effectively.

• The Denver Water Board sponsored a study of sediment run-off, 10 pounds per acre of AI showed a 95% reduction in sediment run-off.
• Colorado State University sponsored a study with AI, and showed a 80% reduction in sediment run-off.
• In a study conducted by Wallace & Wallace dry-broadcasted AI reduced erosion by 75%-100%. 
• Using the combination of gypsum/AI can simultaneously improve crop yields 10-25% or more while reducing runoff, effectively making the cost of application free.

We could treat all the cropland acres in Iowa (27m) for approximately $20-$30/a, or $650 million, the cost being provided by the landowner, and recouped it in higher yields. As expected I have not recieved a response in almost a month.

Last week the Des Moines Register reported farm run off from Iowa is damaging the Gulf of Mexico. The question is now are you going to take action or wait for government mandates, taxes, and restrictions on fertilizer use.

You can work now to increase yields, increase organic matter and water infiltration and holding capacity, or continue to watch you soil erode, taking with it valuable nutrients and assuring more regulation.

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.

For many farmers this year holds more uncertainty than any in recent history. Extreme volatility in the markets, outrageous fuel and fertilizer prices, shortages of inputs, sky-high rent, and impending drought from speakers like Elwynn Taylor, why even put seed in the ground? While it is easy to focus on the negatives, don’t forget to stay positive, have a detailed plan in place, and stick to it for success.

One major components of any yearly plan is your fertility management plan. During droughty periods, or even when plenty of water is available, full yield potential is not realized if soil fertility is poor. With high input prices and talk of drought it can be tempting to cut corners, and pull back on fertilizer. The best way to lower risk is working to make sure your soil nutrients are in balanced in the proper amount and placement is timed for optimum uptake.

Having your soil nutrients in the optimum amounts (not sufficient) will;

• Increase water infiltration
• Stimulate root growth deeper and fuller to access water and nutrients
• Increase grain filling and yield

The starting point for any proper fertility management program is a Full Soil Analysis. (Grid sampling is a great way to apply lime, P, K, S, Zn, but if that is all your testing for you’re missing at least 11 other key components of yield. You might even find that one of the micros will boost your yield for less than additional units of N, P, and K. The cost of doing a full soil analysis on every grid could be the best money you spend this year, but I know that cost scares people. At a minimum pull a full analysis on a portion of grids so at least you have a baseline.) Having a full analysis run is one of the best ways to make sure that your supplying your crop the right nutrients in the right amounts.

With N, P, and K ranging from $500-$800 per ton, can you afford to apply more than is needed for proper fertilization?

Here are three examples of things you can adjust in your fertility management that you can only figure out by doing a full analysis.(Courtesy of Midwest Labs)

• If P1:P2 ratio is greater than 1:2, you may see; a greater response to starter as the ratio increases, increasing response to the use of sulfur and zinc, when the P2 is over 50 ppm, one can expect greater response to Zn.
• CEC, Cation Exchange Capacity measures the soil’s ability to hold nutrients. A good rule of thumb is for each point of CEC your soil will hold 10 lbs of N. So if you have a CEC of 5 your soil should hold 50 lbs of Nitrogen at one shot, if you have a CEC of 25, your soil should hold 250 lbs of N at one time. This is just a general guideline, but if you don’t know your CEC how do you know if the N you applied will be available to your crop.
• Soluble Salts, this is a must every time you sample. While extremely low amounts do not have a direct impact on plant health, the amount of water that infiltrates into you soil has a big direct impact. Soils with 0-.04 mmohs/cm are subject to dispersion and sealing. This means that any rain or irrigation water that falls on the soil does not go into the soil where it can be used by your crop, but ponds, and evaporates. Ponding is also a sign of de-nitrification. If you have a reading greater than 1 mmohs/cm, this can affect plant health, and can increase sealing and ponding.

If you have never had a complete analysis of your farms, what are you waiting for? Grain prices are at record highs, so are inputs, your only option is to raise more crop, more efficiently. One last point, while seed genetics are the best they have ever been, how can you begin to place varieties if you don’t know your fertility levels. How much better would that high-priced seed perform if you gave it the opportunity by having optimum fertility?
 

Soil amendments can be tricky; this is more due to the fact that soils and fertility contain so many variables. The best starting point is to have a complete soil analysis taken, and if your an irrigator a complete water analysis will also be helpful. Knowing only the pH or phosphorus and potassium levels is not enough to determine proper fertilization.

Once you have your completed soil analysis back, here is a list of items that can give you an idea if SuperCal SO4 will increase your yields.

1. When the soil pH is over 8.2 and maybe even if it is less.
2. When the subsoil pH is lower that 5.
3. When the soil particles disperse when water is added.
4. When water puddles on it.
5. When there is water logging in the soil.
6. When the soil crusts after irrigation or rain.
7. When there is excessive cracking of the soil after irrigation or rain.
8. When the soils contain clays that swell and contract.
9. When the soil contains clay that is very dusty when dry.
10. When intense rain falls on soil that is not acid and where nearly all solutes may be leached from the soil.
11. When no-till is used.
12. When organics (manure, composts, etc.) are simultaneously applied to the soil with gypsum.
13. When crops require the development of fruits or seeds.
14. When sulfur is deficient.
15. When exchangeable sodium percentage (ESP) is over 3 and defiantly if it is over 9.
16. When irrigation water contains substantial amounts of bicarbonate.
17. When irrigation water contains less than 200 parts per million of salts in solution (<0.3 mmho/cm).

Some of these problems can be corrected with as little as 100 pounds per acre, while others may take a few hundred pounds per acre. If your farm has one or more of the above conditions SuperCal SO4 deserves to be part of your regular fertility program.

Taken as an excerpt from Soil Conditioner and Amendment Technologies Volume I. This book and others on soil management can be found here.

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

It is true that NPK is used in greater percentages than calcium, but calcium is used more by weight and volume than any other nutrient. Calcium is rarely considered as a nutrient at all, only as a soil buffer to adjust pH.

Calcium should be considered the most important nutrient, and more than simply just a tool to move the pH scale. It plays a major role in the physiology of the plant, strengthening its physical structure, increasing nutrient uptake and protecting from disease. The importance of calcium in the soil, includes; the reduction of soil compaction, increased water infiltration, and helping to provide a better environment for the proliferation of beneficial bacteria. Some research even suggests that calcium plays a role in weed populations. To associate calcium only as a buffer of pH is agronomicly ignorant.

Calcium Benefits
Calcium neutralizes soil acidity
Improves soil structure and quality
Prevents soil crusting
Reduces soil salinity
Reduces erosion and phosphorous loss
Improves water penetration
Promotes root development
Calcium stimulates growth of "soil life", including nitrogen-fixing bacteria.
Every plant needs calcium to grow
Calcium helps create a healthy environment for your plants
Only nitrogen and potassium are required in larger amounts by plants
Once fixed, calcium is not mobile in the plant
It is an important constituent of cell walls and can only be supplied in the xylem sap
If the plant runs out of a supply of calcium, it cannot remobilize calcium from older tissues
If transpiration is reduced, the calcium supply to growing tissues will become inadequate
Calcium is found in many minerals in soil, but is relatively insoluble.
A common misconception is that if the pH is high, adequate calcium is present
High levels of other cations such as magnesium, iron, sodium, and potassium can increase pH
Plant available calcium determines the uptake of all other nutrients into the plant
It is the carrier of all other nutrients to the plant
As calcium content in the plant drops so can the protein, mineral and energy levels of the plant
Calcium is not considered a mobile nutrient, but can leach with excess nitrogen
Over fertilization of nitrogen and potassium will reduce calcium availability
High potassium levels reduces the uptake of calcium
You will usually find an increase in all mineral levels in a plant following the correction of low calcium
Calcium plays a critical metabolic role in carbohydrate removal.
Calcium neutralizes cell acids
Study after study shows calcium at the optimum level will decrease disease in most plants
Yield, quality, taste, shelf life and disease resistance are all functions of good calcium uptake

SuperCal SO4 and SuperCal 98G are great sources of calcium. Our pelletized processing makes it easy to add calcium to your dry fertilizer program. See your local dealer or give us a call to see how easy it can be to reduce input costs, and increase yields.

In a past blog I mentioned having poor OM (organic matter) can short your corn crop the number one nutrient needed for growth.

That nutrient is carbon, more specifically Carbon Dioxide. You may have noticed that CO2 has been getting a lot of press lately, but did you know; the atmosphere contains 400 ppm or 0.04% carbon dioxide, this present-day atmosphere concentration is just above "suffocation" level for green plants.

On a hot windless july day when your corn is in full tassel, it uses more CO2 than is available in the atmosphere. Where then can your crop get enough CO2 to continue respiration? It comes from having a quality soil that is high in OM and humus. As the OM breaks down, CO2 is released to be used by the plant for growth, making more OM in the form of increased plant growth and oxygen.

Here is a great article on CO2, and why high quality soils are essential for increased yield.

Quick points;

For comparison I sent soil samples from the garden and field to International Ag Labs. International Ag Labs does a great job helping their clients develop better soils, not just increase NP&K levels.

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

This week I have shown pictures of the difference between a quality soil and poor soil.

Since my last update on Wednesday we received an additional half in of rain through Thursday. This brings the 7 day total to close to 3 inches. The really neat thing is that the top 1/2 inch of the quality soil in the garden area is already dry! We have had one day of light wind and sun. The field/poor soil is still sopping wet. (Note I will also be taking soil samples so we can compare them that way.)

So with more rain in the forcast for early next week if you had quality soil you would be back in the field harvesting while your neighbor watches.

You can start improving you soil, plant sooner and harvest quicker or watch your corn and beans shell and lodge. As a bonus for having quality soil it compacts less when you do have to operate in less than optimal conditions and will stick to your boots and equipment less making it a little more tollerable to be working.

Thanks for reading, have a great weekend, and I hope everyone gets back into the field really soon!

Calcium Products, lower inputs costs, higher yields, harvesting before your neighbors

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

We talk a lot about having good soil quality. What does that mean exactly for the farmer. When it rains excessively for a couple of days, you'll be in your field a day or two before your neighbors. Roots will penetrate deeper with less energy required, which means more energy goes to grain development. Deeper roots mean more access to moisture and better standablity.

The following are some pictures showing the difference between a quality soil and a poor soil.

click on the pictures for a close up

 This is a picture of my garden and a neighboring field. This has been a garden for two years. The field is a corn soybean rotation. It was field cultivated this spring, then planted to seed corn.

 This is a shovel in the end rows. I stepped on the shovel with one foot, placing all my weight (260#) on it. It only penetrated 3-4". This is pretty compacted, with poor water infiltration. Note corn roots generally cannot penetrate more than 300 psi. My estimate is that the shovel had over 350 psi on it.

 This picture shows the hole I dug in the end rows. It became impossible to dig after 14". I had to use the shovel as a pick to chip away the soil.

 This picture shows the tillage line about 4" down. You can see the soil is saturated to that point, after that it is moist, but not wet.

 Just for comparison I stepped on the shovel 150 yards out into the field. It did not go in much farther than on the end rows. Also you can see excessive ponding of water signifying poor structure, poor infiltration, and compaction.

 This picture shows the shovel in the garden. It slid in all the way very easily with about half my weight applied.

 This is the hole dug into the garden. It dug easily to a depth of 21". Note no saturation of soil.
In the field the shovel only penetrated 4", in the garden the shovel easily penetrated 12". If the shovel cannot penetrate the ground roots will not be able to either. The volume of soil available for plants in the garden is 3x the amount in the field. Why not find a way to farm more of the ground you have, by farming it deeper.

 This picture shows that the tillage line is approximately the same as in the field. Having proper structure allows the water to percolate through the soil

 This picture shows the poor soil structure. There are no aggregates visible and water is standing. Excessive ponding leads to denitrifcation.

 This picture shows that even after 2.5" of rain there is still structure. The soil aggregates do not breakdown. This allows the soil poor space to fill with water or air not fine soil particles.
      
 This is a side by side photo of the three areas. This right photo shows the end rows, lots of ponding and compaction. The middle photo shows some improvement in the field. The left photo is the garden, which has little compaction, and great infiltration.

We hope this helps give you and idea of what to look for when assessing you soil. Improving soil structure will allow your fertilizers to work more efficiently with less volatilization, detrification, and erosion. High quality soils reduce compaction allowing expensive genetics to work better. Lastly having a high quality, deep soil allows more soil volume for crop production, in other words it's like getting free ground to farm!

SuperCal 98G pelletized lime and SuperCal SO4 pelletized gypsum are the first steps in developing quality soil.

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

Dan Davidson with DTN does a great job with is blog. If you haven’t checked it out I recommend it. His article “Mainstream or Sideline Agronomy” got me thinking.

Mainstream agronomy has become popular agronomy. Popular agronomy has us thinking that if we use the latest and greatest, then we too can achieve top yields. While many of these products do a great job, most have forgot about the basics, and are failing to reach top yields.

As the saying goes what’s old is new again. Many top growers are returning to the basics. Since no one has the patent on improving soil organic matter and bulk density, they do not get much promotion. Many sideline agronomic practices are really the basics that everyone has forgotten.

I was speaking with a farmer at a farm show; he said that he was not getting the yield his neighbors did. He was not sure why. I asked if he had done soil samples, he said yes, but they were not back. I started to explain that when working to improve fertility, there were no silver bullets, his reply was, I would be happy with a plain old lead bullet.

This is a pretty typical of most people, give me something that works fast, is cheap and solves my problem. The successful farmers know that true solutions are never easy, seldom cheap, but actually solve the problem!

In the quest to apply quick fixes, and new technology, many have forgot the basics. The top growers sited in Dan’s article have not. They start with the soil; they don’t treat it like dirt. They understand that having the right amount of air in the soil has a big impact on yield. They understand the difference between adequate levels and the right levels of pH, and nutrients. Through their own hard work (i.e. understanding the basics), and on farm testing they know what works on their soils.

Top growers know that SuperCal 98G pelletized lime and SuperCal SO4 pelletized gypsum are basic steps in improving and maintaining soil quality. Top growers demand SO4 and 98G, they demand the best. They know that taking care of basics is where the yield is made.

Calcium Products, lower input costs, higher yields, not popular - effective

Were not going to talk about the handy and tasty vegitable spray. We want you to introduce you to PAM, a.k.a polyacrylamides. While increasing soil quality and organic matter to combat soil erosion is the ultimate goal, PAM is a product that can help today. There have been many acres of marginal ground broken in the last year, some soil is highly erodeable, some is of poor quality. SuperCal 98G and SuperCal SO4 will help improve the soil structure over time, PAM can help reduce erosion and increase infiltration the moment it’s applied. 

PAM is an environmentally friendly, water-soluble substance that  binds soil into particles that are too large to be carried away by typical runoff. PAM binds particles of silt and clay together, making them more resistant to erosion.

In the U.S., PAM’s are used extensively in potable water treatment, for dewatering of sewerage sludges, washing and pealing of fruits and vegetables, clarification of sugar juice and liquor, in adhesives and paper in contact with food, as thickeners and suspending agents in animal feeds, in cosmetics. No significant negative impacts have been documented for aquatic, or crop species when PAM is applied at recommended concentrations and rates.

PAM has proven to

• Reduce sediment runoff soil loss 80% - 98%
• Increases water infiltration up to 60%
• Lowers concentration of nitrogen, phosphorus & pesticides in runoff water
• Reduces hardening and crusting of soils
• Aids in plant growth on high-grade slopes
• No bioaccumulation in crops
• Cost effective and time saving

Conservation practices that require additional field operations usually occur during busy periods in the farming schedule are also avoided. Furthermore, conservation practices that reduce sediment loss such as; sediment ponds, vegetative filter strips or buried-pipe waste water systems, still lose most of the clay-sized solids, the soil component most critical to sustained soil fertility. These solids also are most linked to pesticide, and nutrient loss in run-off waters.

Halting erosion prevents exposure of soil not treated with herbicides, thus reducing potential late-season weed problems. Applied pesticide and fertilizer inputs are better retained on the field. Uniform water infiltration from upper to lower field ends, has shown to improve potato yield and grade, and reduces the risk of nitrate leaching.

Many farmers, who have viewed traditional conservation practices as cumbersome, intrusive, or ineffectual, and expensive, adopt PAM as an attractive inexpensive alternative. The typical $15 to $35/acre per crop is partially or entirely returned by savings in erosion-related field operations, improved infiltration, water conservation, or crop responses.

We hope this short introduction to PAM gives you some ideas to help your marginal, and highly productive irrigated ground be more productive. This article was condensed from polymersinc.com. Read the entire article here.

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

This week’s issue of Iowa Farmer Today features a guest opinion column by Kendall Lamkey. The focus of the article is the decreasing quality of Iowa soil. We argree with most of the article; the soil is our number one resource, soil gets treated like dirt, Iowa soil is being depleted rapidly, and organic matter does not get enough focus.

He is also right on track that the degradation of the soil is linked to human health, plant production, and water quality. I am not sure that we necessarily need new approaches to preserve and maintain the soil. We need to do a better job of marketing the basics of fertility and soil management.

Soil management is not easy, sexy, or exciting. There is no instant gratification like with tillage (which generally degrades the soil). There is no sense of accomplishment like watching the corn emerge through the soil. Understanding cations and anions takes more time than 0.7 x yield goal. Soil management is hard, that’s why most people ignore it.

Calcium Products is committed to helping you improve your soils. We have been doing it for over ten years. SuperCal 98G and SuperCal SO4 are key components to improving your soil. We have developed these products to make the old hard and difficult process of amending the soil easy and efficient. Keep checking back, we’ll continue to bring you information and ideas to improve your soil, yields, and bottom line.

I as I drove across Iowa last week I couldn’t help but notice that there was a lot of silage being chopped. In some areas the corn was extremely good with yield estimates in the 220 range, while others areas yields were estimated at 70 bushels.

This fall will you treat the fields chopped for silage like the fields where just the grain was harvested? Will you adjust fertilizer rates in the sections of the fields that were chopped?

When 200-bushel corn is chopped for silage the following nutrients are removed.

Phosphate 120#       Potash 260#     Calcium 42#     Sulfur 32#

When 200-bushel corn is harvested for grain the following nutrients are removed.

Phosphate 70#         Potash 52#       Calcium 4#      Sulfur 14#

Chopping generally requires that the extra nutrients removed be replaced with increased fertilizer rates. Removing the stover removes 10x as much Ca, 5x as much K, 2x as much S, and 2x as much P. In addition to the nutrients lost, removal of up to 6 tons of stover can lead to a decrease of organic matter since it is not returned to the soil.

Please do not misunderstand; I am not against chopping corn for silage, there are many great benefits to it as a feed source. I am against poor soil. Soil that is low in nutrients such as calcium, sulfur, phosphate, and potash grow poor crops.

Low organic matter is the main cause for many other problems; compaction, poor structure, poor nutrient holding capacity, poor water holding capacity, erosion, crusting, diseases and carbon dioxide release. Crop residues are about 40% carbon. Residue turns into organic matter that releases CO₂ throughout the growing season.

Having poor OM can short your corn crop the number one nutrient needed for growth (we’ll get into this more this winter).

The bottom line is SuperCal 98G is the best source for lime, and a great source of carbon dioxide. 100 pounds of 98G will supply all the calcium removed by chopping and supply some carbon that is removed as stover. SuperCal SO4 is a great source of soluble calcium and sulfur. 100 pounds of SO4 will supply half the calcium removed and all the sulfur. Whether you have high pH or low we can help you grow high yielding corn.

Calcium Product, lower input costs, higher yields, more silage

With harvest fast approaching stalk quality is a hot topic. This time of year the only thing one can do to minimize loss from disease is harvest early. However it is time to take steps to reduce or prevent rots and disease for next year.

Now is the time to soil sample and plan lime applications.

Low pH may also be the cause of many stalk and stand problems. Having proper pH can reduce the amount and severity of diseases, while increasing the availability of nutrients already present in the soil.  According to Plant Pathology, by George Nicholas Agrios, calcium reduces the severity of rhizoctonia, sclerotium (white mold), fusarium, and nematodes. The Plant Pathologist's Pocketbook states, calcium generally enhances resistance against disease, including post-harvest diseases.

Soil pH, calcium level, nitrogen form, and the availability of nutrients plays a major role in disease management. Adequate crop nutrition makes plants more tolerant of or resistant to disease. A direct correlation between adequate calcium levels, and pH, and decreasing levels of Fusarium occurrence has been established for a number of crops, including tomatoes, cotton, melons, and several ornamentals.

Too much phosphate can also be critical. Increasing phosphorus rates above the level needed to grow the crop can increase the severity of Fusarium wilt in certain crops. Avoid applying excessive levels of nitrogen. High N:K ratios have increased severity of many diseases. Work to maintain an adequate level of calcium and potassium in the soil

Don’t forget about fall-seeded crops.
In a study conducted by Washington State University, the incidence of Cephalosporium stripe decreased significantly when soil pH was raised from 5.1 to 6.0. Grain-yield and test weight increased significantly with increasing soil pH in three out of four years.
If you’re planning on sowing wheat, don’t forget to lime. SuperCal 98G can be used as a seed carrier to reduce lime costs, and increase yields.

Calcium Prodcuts, lower input costs, higher yields, less disease

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.

The facts of farming

Soil quality is the same kind of “problem”. Almost every thing you do to farm the land destroys the quality of your soil. Applying nitrogen causes acidity, decreases organic matter and can reduce beneficial soil bacteria. Tilling the soil does all the above plus causes compaction. Planting only one type of crop increases diseases and insects. Spraying herbicides/insecticides can reduce beneficial bacteria and insects and increase soil diseases such as fusarium.

You can avoid the facts, do nothing and grow a poor crop, reducing soil quality. This approach will lead to decreased yield over time, and/or increased inputs. We think its better to make a few simple, inexpensive changes that make the facts easier to deal with. Small steps that will maintain and/or improve your soil quality, leading to better yield and reduced inputs over time.

The problem with liming is, the soil never stays limed

Having low pH can radically change the amount and types of weeds growing in your fields and changes the way herbicides work. Having a neutral pH allows the herbicides your using to work better, reduces the amount and vigor of weeds. That means you can use the lower rates on the label and have great control, the lower rates means there is less impact to beneficial bacteria. That results in a healthier plant with better yield, a lower herbicide bill, and happier customers.

Over-applying ag lime causes the soil to become alkaline. Akaline soils suffer similar problems. Increase diseases, changes in the weed spectrum and reduces herbicide efficacy. Keeping soil pH neutral is the best strategy. SuperCal 98G allows you to do that with yearly or bi-yearly maintenance, for roughly the same cost as an application of gyphosate.

Like health care costs, crop inputs have risen sharply in the past few years. Not only has the cost of inputs raised, the number of inputs has continued to increase. With today’s high yield goals and high dollar investment to raise a crop every input is considered to raise a better crop.

What does it take for today’s producer to reach their yield goals; an N stabilizer, side dressing, foliar feeding, seed treatment, stacked hybrids, herbicide, fungicide, insecticide, stock chopping, and/or heavy tillage to remove crop residue, dirt work to fill in gullies. I realize not everyone has these problems, or does all these steps every year, but if you’re doing more than 3-4 of these every year there may be another cause of your problems.

The symptoms are one or more of the following; poor nitrogen utilization and leaching, seedling diseases, soil crusting, excessive weed pressure and hard to eradicate weeds, white mold and other foliar disease, nematodes and other insects, poor organic matter, residue that does not breakdown, and erosion.

Diagnosis -- POOR SOIL QUALITY

Many of today’s newest agricultural inputs are great tools, but are relied on as a solution. They are only treatments for a pre-existing condition. Improving your soil is the curative. If your soil quality is already great, why not implement preventive steps to keep it that way. It is much easier to keep you soil in optimal condition than to improve it.

SuperCal SO4 & 98G are key components for many of our customers fertility programs. Helping them improve their soil, leading to increase yields, and reduced costs. We can show how to do the same, as well as other tools and techniques for soil improvement. Look for future posts on soil quality improvement in the future.

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

pH defines the relative acidity of alkalinity of a substance. The scale ranges from 0 being acid to 14 being alkaline. A pH value of 7.0 is neutral.

Acids are substances that release hydrogen ions (H+). The more H+ held in the soil, the greater it's acidity. Basic ions such as calcium (C++) make soils more alkaline.

Soil pH simply measures H+ activity and is expressed in logarithmic terms. This simply means that each unit change on the scale is a tenfold change in the acidity or alkalinity. A soil with a pH of 6 is ten-times more acid than a soil with a pH of 7. A soil that has a pH of 5 is 100 times more acidic than a soil with a pH of 7. A soil with a pH of 4 is 1000 times more acidic than a soil with a 7 pH.

How nitrogen fertilizers affect soil acidity

The nitrification process converts ammonium to nitrate. This process releases H+ ions. Nitrate furthers increases acidity by leaching calcium, magnesium (N never takes Mg), and potassium with it. As these alkaline ions are removed more hydrogen can be replaced in the soil.

How lime reduces soil acidity

One Ca++ ion from lime replaces two H+ ions on the soil exchange site. This process creates water (H₂0) and carbon dioxide (CO₂). As the H+ concentration is lowered soil acidity decreases.

There are other factors that affect soil acidity. Excessive rainfall can leach basic ions. Nitrogen fixation of legumes, crop removal, and organic matter decomposition also increase acidity. As the alkaline ions (Ca++, Mg++, K+) are removed they will need to be replaced or H+ will steadily increase, lowering pH.

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.

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-Onwrenches 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’sdollar 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.