Volume 19 Issue 5 September 2009

OFFICIAL PUBLICATION OF CROP QUEST AGRONOMIC SERVICES, INC.

FITTING SOIL SAMPLING TO FARM KEY TO PRODUCTIVITY AND PROFIT

The recent spikes in fertilizer costs have convinced many farmers to take a closer look at crop selection, fertilizer sources, and the need for more accurate and timely soil sampling to maximize the value of their inputs. Crop Quest agronomists are ideally situated to provide accurate, meaningful and cost-effective advice on soil testing strategies. In addition to a network of Crop Quest agronomists from whom vast experience can be drawn, they have access to the latest high tech and precision application and soil monitoring capabilities. Crop Quest Precision Ag Specialist Nathan Woydziak says there are two basic strategies grid sampling and zone sampling for soil testing, both used extensively and successfully throughout the Midwest. In addition to these methods which have been around since the mid-1990s, Crop Quest agronomists are using the Greenseeker and Veris equipment to get an even better idea of soil fertility. Combined with GPS technology, Greenseeker and Veris have provided big dollar savings to a handful of growers using these high tech sampling strategies, Woydziak says. The Veris system uses GPS and the Nathan Woydziak technology of soil electrical conductivity (EC) to identify areas of contrasting soil properties. When the Veris Sensor Cart is pulled through the field, it acquires measurements, geo-referencing them using GPS. The data collected by the Sensor Cart is then displayed on an instrument panel, along with its coordinates. The result is a map that identifies the contrasting soil conductivity. Greenseeker technology utilizes applicator-mounted optical sensors that emit and analyze reflected light to determine crop vigor. Sensor readings can be geo-referenced to create vigor maps (NDVI) or may Crop Quest agronomists still do lots of soil be used to varisampling by taking a composite (multiple samples) able-rate on approximately 40 acres as suggested by the land apply any input grant university system. Generally, this is a less accuin real time. rate method of sampling than zone or grid samples, Crop Quest but it is also less expensive. Due to the savings in owns both cost, it is the most widely used soil sampling method Greenseeker requested by Crop Quest customers. It is a much better option than not soil testing at all.

and Veris units, which are available to company agronomists to use with their growers. The use of Veris, Greenseeker, plus highly efficient RTK-equipped GPS systems that provide repeatable accuracy of less than an inch, is likely to increase the amount of variable rate application, which is already widely used in the Midwest. In most cases Woydziak says farmers use variable rate application of fertilizers, if they have taken advantage of grid sampling. Most of the growers I work with own their own variable rate rigs, but there are also custom applicators that use some of the more high tech inputs to do variable rate application, according to Woydziak. In addition to the high tech equipment coming online, Crop Quest agronomists continue to tweak grid and zone sampling techniques to provide growers a more accurate picture of soil fertility. Grid sampling uses a systematic approach that divides the field into squares or rectangles of equal size (usually referred to as grid cells). Soil samples are collected from within each of these cells. The location of each grid cell is usually geo-referenced using global positioning system technology. Some of the soil and production criteria that favor the use of grid sampling include: A measure of non-mobile nutrients is the primary concern; with no movement, distribution will be affected less by topography and other fixed properties. The soil test levels in the field range from very high to very low with substantial acres in both the very high and very low categories; management practices used in the past will override natural variability. There is a history of manure use.

Small fields have been merged into large fields; differences in past management may have larger influences on soil test levels than natural variability. The field history is not known.

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Crop Quest Perspectives 1

Zone sampling uses a more subjective and intuitive approach to divide any field into smaller units. Soil samples collected at random from within each zone are mixed together and analyzed to provide an average sample value for each unit. Criteria that favor the use of zone sampling include: Cost of sampling and analysis is a major concern; zones may be larger than grid cells thereby lowering sampling costs. A measure of mobile nutrients is the primary concern. Relatively low rates of fertilizer have been applied in recent years. There is no history of manure application.

Fitting Soil Sampling To Farm ... Continued from Page 1

The history of the field is known and can be used to divide the field into smaller units; a more accurate judgment can be made when all available information is used.
Crop Quest Agronomist Farrell Allison in Greensburg, KS, says both methods work fine, depending on the situation. I do quite a bit of grid sampling in my areas. There is enough variability in fertility in most of the fields I work to make it pay off, he says. Its not unusual to sample a field in which one area is two parts per million (PPM) phosphorus and in another area of the field, the soil is 40-plus ppm. By grid sampling, Ive been able to bring low fertility areas up and not fertilizing in other areas of the field, increasing overall production and decreasing fertilizer costs, Allison says. For example, Allison cites one grower in particular who was having some production problems with his wheat. They did some sampling and found he needed only to top dress his wheat in the spring. He had been putting around 30 lbs. to 40 lbs. phoshorus per acre on this land every year. We saved him a lot of money, with phosphorus now at $1.00 per unit thats $30 per acre saved primarily from timely soil testing,

Allison says. On the other end of the spectrum, not having enough fertilizer applied can cost you in low yields, he adds. Zone sampling, Allison says, gives you less information, but sometimes in fields with long histories of good fertility you dont need as much information. There are plenty of situations in which zone sampling works just fine, he stresses. The other thing weve done is layered yield maps over soil types and grid samples. That gives you a more detailed look at the soil and gives a grower some alternatives on what crop to plant in a particular field and how much fertility is needed for various crops, Allison says. Though there is no precise time to pull soil samples during the offseason, a good practice is to get in the field as soon as the crop is harvested, or about the same time each year. This gives you uniformity of information and allows you to make more precise comparisons as to how things change from one year to the next. I typically go out right after the crop is harvested, especially in these large, irrigated fields that we have here in south central Kansas, Allison notes. Im doing other things at that time of the year, so it makes information gathering more efficient for me. Plus, it takes time to get these reports back to the farmers. Getting soil information early allows growers time to look at fertilizer costs and gives them more options on how they want to spend their Farrell Allison money on the next years crop, he adds. The high cost of fertilizers and the current good prices of grain crops make it critical for growers to maximize their inputs to get maximum value from their crops. Crop Quest agronomists, backed by the Crop Quest network, are dedicated to providing the best soil fertility information possible to make growers management decisions the most profitable.

Crop Quest Expands Into Wisconsin

Crop Quest Agronomist Lee Nolden has recently moved to Prairie Du Sac, Wisconsin to bring Crop Quest Agronomic Services to that area. Nolden, a Wisconsin native with a degree in Agronomy from the University of Wisconsin - Madison, was an independent crop consultant and farmer. When his wife accepted a job position in Kansas, he learned about Crop Quest and joined the Crop Quest team in the Pratt / St. John Division where he has worked the past three years. Nolden was presented the opportunity to buy into his familys farm and return to Wisconsin. He took advantage of the offer while deciding to take Crop Quest with him. Excited to work with Wisconsin producers, Nolden plans to explain the benefits and services offered by Crop Quest. The major crops grown in this area consist of corn, soybeans, alfalfa and some wheat, and I have new ideas and crop base knowledge to apply to any potential customer, Nolden says. His prior field experience in addition to the network of support and knowledge of fellow Crop Quest agronomists will give him an
2 Crop Quest Perspectives

advantage in working with Wisconsin growers. Utilizing the knowledge gained while working with producers in the High Plains, Nolden has extensive experience with row crops, irrigation and technology that he is ready to share and adapt with northern U.S. farmers. Another service feature Nolden will offer producers is help with Nutrient Management Plans (NMP). Since the State of Wisconsin will soon mandate anyone applying manure or commercial fertilizer to have completed NMPs, Nolden will provide assistance with these plans. He has experience working with Nutrient Management Plans in both Kansas and Wisconsin in addition to soil sampling and fertilizer recommendations which has prepared him to provide a complete consulting package for producers. Deciding to stay with Crop Quest due to Employee-Ownership and the network of experienced agronomists working in nine states will allow me to provide outstanding, professional service to farmers in my home area, states Nolden. He also emphasizes that his goal is to work with people, customize plans for individual operations and help Wisconsin farmers be as efficient and profitable as possible. Nolden looks forward to promoting the Crop Quest mission and value-added service in his home state.
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FERTILIZER ADDITIVES! DO THEY WORK?

Over the past few years, fertilizer enhancement products and additives have been promoted as a way of reducing fertilizer cost, especially with the fertilizer price increases we have seen recently. Most of these products claim to improve yield while reducing the cost of applied fertilizer, but all we have to go by is the glossy brochures printed about their products and the testimonials. We also have to weigh the cost of the product versus the fertilizer saved or the yield improved. In the latest Kansas Fertilizer Research 2008 Report of Progress, a couple of studies by Kansas State University looked at some of these additives or fertilizer enhancement products and reported on their results. (I would point out that the testing has been limited and different conditions exist across the High Plains that could show different results with additional studies.) One study involved phosphorus fertilizer enhancement products on corn. The two products studied were AVAIL (a enhancer added to phosphorus fertilizer to reduce fixation by aluminum and calcium) and JumpStart (a seed inoculant that increases availability of native soil phosphorus to plant roots). At the three sites tested, initial preplant soil tests indicated low available phosphorus at all locations, and a phosphorus response would be expected. The results showed a significant response on two of the three locations that had only phosphorus applied. One of the three sites showed JumpStart had a significant increase in yield when no phosphorus was applied, but JumpStart showed no response when phosphorus was applied. The study also showed no response with the use of AVAIL. Even with the limited demonstration testing by By: Ron OHanlon Crop Quest agronomists, we have not President seen a significant response to AVAIL. Member, National Alliance In another study, K-State looked at of Independent Crop Consultants, CPCC-I the use of thiosulfates (e.g. ammonium Certified thiosulfate) with UAN solutions to reduce nitrogen loss and enhance nitrogen use efficiency in no-till corn and sorghum. There are purported claims that thiosulfates prevent ammonia-N volatilization losses by stabilizing UAN solutions especially in high-residue systems like no-till. The results showed that adding thiosulfates did not improve performance of surface-applied UAN. None of these limited studies show that these products are just a bunch of hooey, but they certainly indicate a person should proceed with caution until more research can verify whether they truly do result in the benefits they are purported to have. Testimonials are good when you are trying to sell a product, but it takes valid research to get a better handle on whether that product is worth the investment for your farming system. Visit with your Crop Quest agronomists if you have questions about whether a product would be beneficial for use on your farm.

Seed Treatments
Are A Good Investment

A large majority of the winter wheat season. As the soils cool, or conditions are too wet, there is a chance of crop is planted without the use of any delayed emergence. Both these situations will benefit from protecting seed treatments. But seed treatments the seed from both insects and diseases. Cool, damp conditions encourcan be a valuable tool to insure a good age root rots and pythium. If you are planting in continuous wheat Dwight Koops consistent stand, and maintain plant health, fields, there are more pathogens present. It is more necessary to protect especially early in the life the seed and young plants Some More Popular Seed Treatments of the crop. Anytime you can get a crop off to a from disease in continuous good start, you help maintain the yield potential of wheat. Seed Treatment Insecticide Or Fungicide that crop. Apron Fungicide Will it pay to invest the

Why should I use a seed treatment?

Seed treatments are either fungicides, insectiCruiser 5FS cides, or a combination of the two. It is important Cruiser Maxx to identify the need to use them. Applying an Dividend insecticide to the seed will protect the young plant from pests such as wireworm, grubs, and maggots. Gaucho XT Some of the seed insecticides are systemic, and Raxil MD can protect the plants from aphids and other pests. Raxil MD-W If you can control early aphid problems, you can reduce the incidences of Barley Yellow Dwarf Mosaic. It is also possible to suppress Hessian fly infestations with some insecticides. If your concern is diseases, especially seed-borne diseases like loose smut, common bunt, or scab, a fungicide seed treatment can be very valuable. Most seed fungicides are systemic. They can also control early season rust and mildew problems.

Charter

Fungicide Insecticide Fungicide & Insecticide

Are there certain situations that require a seed treatment more than others?
Whether you are planting early or late, there are reasons to use a seed treatment. Insect activity is still quite high early in the planting

Whenever a producer decides to spend money on Fungicide a crop, they would like to get a return. The cost of these Fungicide & Insecticide seed treatments should be a Fungicide couple bushel or less. There Fungicide & Insecticide is no guarantee, but anytime you can protect yield potential early in the season, and attain more consistent stands and better early vigor, you will most likely see a return on your investment. Most seed treatments require a little extra equipment and time to apply them. Plan ahead so you dont disrupt the time you need to spend on your tractor getting the crop planted. If you have problems with soil-borne or seed-borne diseases such as loose smut, bunt, or scab, seed treatments are almost essential. Evaluate your situation, and I encourage you to visit with your Crop Quest Agronomist to see which seed treatment is best for your operation.
Crop Quest Perspectives 3

time and money into treating the seed?

BENEFITS AND APPLICATIONS OF GREENSEEKER TECHNOLOGY

Crop Quest has been very active in testing and using GreenSeeker technology in the southern areas of Oklahoma and is now moving the use of this technology into Kansas. Oklahoma State University has been using and adapting this technology in wheat and other crops for over 10 years now, and Kansas State University is adapting it to the cropping systems seen in Kansas. This year, Crop Quest has been working with some dryland grain sorghum producers in South Central Kansas using this technology in addition to some of the calculations and work done by the Agronomy Department at KSU. The idea behind the GreenSeeker technology is to use an NDVI reading (which the GreenSeeker unit gives), at a specific growth stage of the crop, so that the grower has a better idea of how much nitrogen to sidedress the crop with in order to achieve the maximum economic yield. By putting nitrogen- rich strips in the field (10 ft. to 20 ft. wide strips in the field where 125% of total nitrogen needs are put down), the GreenSeeker unit reads differences between these strips and the rest of the field to determine optimum nitrogen rates to sidedress with. Some of the growers that Crop Quest have worked with this year have had the opportunity to save as much as 60 units of nitrogen per acre on their dryland sorghum. At an approximate price of $.40 per unit of nitrogen, that translates into a $24 per acre savings on the sorghum crop. GreenSeeker use has successfully shown high yields and lower nitrogen cost when used to select top dress nitrogen rates for wheat production. On farming operations in the four-state area of Oklahoma, Arkansas, Texas and Louisiana, GreenSeeker was widely used by Crop Quest Agronomists, as directed by Oklahoma State University recommendations, to select the most economical nitrogen rate for wheat in 2009. In general, GreenSeeker selected rates were 35 lbs. to 40 lbs. of nitrogen lower than that generally used by crop producers in the four-state area. This is a farming area where one generally expects to see yields in the 60 bu. to 90 bu. range every year. Most growers have used 90 lbs. to 120 lbs. of total nitrogen in wheat production to reach those yield levels. At these nitrogen rates, growers often see significant to excessive lodging in the wheat crop. In the 2009 wheat crop, Crop Agronomists Tim Sharp and Joel Baskett began the process to utilize GreenSeeker by applying two to four nitrogenrich strips with 150 lbs. of nitrogen in 10 foot strips across the entire field. These strips were put out in the early vegetative stage of wheat growth. The farmers had applied 30 lbs. of nitrogen at wheat planting. In early jointing, Sharp and Baskett evaluated the N-Rich strips with the GreenSeeker sensor by driving a 4-wheeler with a sensor mounted on the front of the 4-wheeler at the correct height above the crop. Each of the strips was sensed and geocoded with SiteMate field GPS software along with a pass over the grower standard non-N-Rich strip. The geocoded computer file was then used to calculate the average NDVI for each strip. This data along with the planting date and sensing date were entered into the Oklahoma State University Nitrogen Use Efficiency web site to obtain the nitrogen recommendation for the wheat fields. The nitrogen recommendations were then applied by the growers to each producers wheat fields. Large scale test trials were conducted on one farming operation with yield monitors on their combines. One control farm was managed the old way and the remaining fields were managed with GreenSeeker recommendations. When the wheat was harvested, the check farm had been applied with 110 lbs. of nitrogen and had a yield average of 65 bu. per acre. The GreenSeeker fields had respective yields of 70, 66, 58, 70, 79, 55, and a water damaged 33acre field. These were resulting from respective nitrogen rates of 60, 60, 50, 75, 101, 80 and 75 lbs. per acre. Upon visual inspection, the fields with the GreenSeeker rate recommendations exhibited little lodging while check fields with the higher standard nitrogen rates were exhibiting significant lodging. The use of GreenSeeker by Crop Quest agronomists resulted in significant cash savings to the growers involved. Nitrogen use rates were reduced by 39 lbs. for a savings of $11.70 at $.30 per pound of nitrogen. Wheat yields were equal to or better than the check farm where 110 lbs. of nitrogen was used. The GreenSeeker can be used to make variable rate application maps or make a single recommendation for the field. It can also be used in irrigated crops. Research has been done in irrigated corn, sorghum and wheat. We feel that there has been enough research done to show that there is indeed an opportunity to make more efficient nitrogen applications. The job now is to see how the technology can fit growers and their situation, Sharp says.

Crop Quest is an employee-owned company dedicated to providing the highest quality agricultural services for each customer. The quest of our network of professionals is to practice integrity and innovation to ensure our services are economically and environmentally sound.

Mission Statement

Crop Quest Agronomic Services, Inc. Main Office: Phone 620.225.2233 Fax 620.225.3199 Internet: www.cropquest.com cqoffice@cropquest.com

Employee-Owned & Customer Driven

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Crop Quest Board of Directors

President: Director: Director: Director: Director: Director: Ron OHanlon Jim Gleason Dwight Koops Cort Minor Chris McInteer Rob Benyshek