Fertility

Anybody can grow a bumper crop with the high rates of fertilizer that most soil tests and advisors recommend. If yields are good then it must be working right? Wrong.

In our research program we have often found the most profitable rate of fertilizer is well below the recommended rate from a soil test database. We have also worked with fields that require more fertilizer than what would be expected with traditional ways of thinking. 

What's the best way to learn how to apply fertilizer profitably? A soil test recommendation database is calibrated by field trials. Research conducted in field trials or the growth chamber by universities and other scientists is also widely recognized as a trusted source of knowledge. So why rely completely on soil test recommendations and knowledge conducted on field trials somewhere else? The perfect database of knowledge for each farmer is in the fields on their farms.

Implementing an Extensive On-farm Fertility Trial Program

Once you think about it, it makes sense to find out what is going on in your field. CropPro has demonstrated to it's clients the value of performing annual fertility trials. A wealth of data is accumulated by testing fertilizer programs on a large diversity of crops, between management systems, rates applied, weed populations, weather conditions, etc. Learning what is going on vastly improves the predictive ability required to make profitable fertilizer recommendations.

CropPro is set up to manage a large quantity of field trials. Equipped with dribble-band nozzles as shown on the right, we primarily use liquid fertilizers for the bulk of our private work. Sometimes trials are also contracted back to the client in order to test seed-placed rates, anhydrous ammonia, etc. Regardless of how it's done, the important thing is putting the plan in place annually to test what we need to learn. Complete the plan and put together the results. Learn how to refine and do it again next year.

We like to test fertilizer responses. It's how we gain confidence in what we recommend.