What you'll learn in this video:
- Traditional soil sampling processes haven't changed since the mid-1900's, but your farm has.
- Radicle Agronomics is changing the game of soil analysis with a fully automated lab.
- The 5-year average of studying broadcast vs. banding fertilizer shows an $88/A gain by reallocating some Phosphorus and Nitrogen application to planter and side dress passes.
The Status of Soil Fertility
Brad Joern, Research Agronomist, addresses common challenges like sampling errors, limitations on application equipment, poor recommendations, and outdated soil sample analysis methods.
How can you get better soil fertility data for your farm? If you want to get into the precision fertility business, Brad suggests two things. One is a repeatable lab, and the other is a justification for having different soil test target levels.
Lab Repeatability Study
To test lab repeatability, Brad and fellow researchers conducted a study by collecting soil from various fields, homogenizing it, vacuum sealing it, and freezing it. Every three weeks, they sent three soil samples to three different commercial labs, repeating this process six times. This gave each lab 18 opportunities to test the same soil.
Brad then took the lowest and highest result from each lab to calculate the cost difference of fertilizer that would have been applied based on those values. In this case, Phosphorus was measured.
If the lab gave the same result every time, the difference would be zero. But, as you can see in the charts below, that isn't the case.
The results showed significant variability across labs, leading to dramatic fluctuations in potential fertilizer costs. Radicle Lab, a fully automated soil sampling system, is changing the game with consistency and repeatability in soil analysis.
Variable Target Soil Test Levels
Precision Planting is conducting extensive Crop Response Trials to answer the question, “At a given soil test level, how much fertilizer do I need to apply to maximize yields?” It may vary per nutrient, soil type, and more.
Moist areas of the field could get by with a lower soil test level, say 15ppm, for example. A drier area of the field could take a higher concentration of phosphorus, perhaps 25ppm. This customized approach is what precision soil fertility is all about.
The research team is on the hunt for the critical soil test value and invites you to participate. Fill out this form if you are interested.
Radicle Agronomics®
Adam Viccari, Product Engineer, introduces the Radicle Agronomics® suite as a solution to fertility management data collection. From field, to lab, to the Radicle App, you can have accurate and detailed data at your fingertips.
Radicle Agronomics® by Precision Planting is a suite of powerful nutrient management tools that deliver unprecedented speed, precision, and clarity to the outdated world of soil testing.
Make the Most of Your Fertilizer Dollar
In looking at fertilizer trial data from the Precision Technology Institute and Precision Planting research and development team, Cory Muhlbauer, Research Agronomist, offers suggestions for reallocating fertilizer to make big improvements to the soil without a big cost to you.
Take ownership of your fertilizer dollar with the following steps:
- Build a strategic sampling plan.
- Pursue more accurate results.
- Get your fertilizer strategy on the right line.
- Maximize your crops fertilizer use efficiency.
Banding vs. Broadcast Fertilizer Application
Timing and placement of fertilizer is key to improving ROI on your farm. Precision Planting conducted a 5-year study of Nitrogen and Phosphorus placement in 3 fields with various soil types. The overall result proved that banding fertilizer rather than strictly broadcast applying it had a yield advantage.
*Each ppm equals a 5 lb/A change. At $0.70 per pound, that translates to a $3.50/A cost difference per ppm.
