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Control what you can now for season long crop and soil health
If there is anything to learn from recent weather patterns – from drought, wildfires, above-average temperatures or stretches of rain – it’s this: Prepare your chances for success this growing season with informed crop nutrition and soil health decisions.
Sherry Koch, Senior Technical Sales Manager, and Brennen Boll, location manager for a retail partner who sells Mosaic products, recently sat down at their local grill to talk about how growers can plan for a strong year based on what you can control.
Determine soil health
Start your planning for a successful 2024 growing season by understanding what is – and is not – in your soil. You can’t make proper adjustments if you don’t know your soil’s current state.
Following strong 2023 yields in many areas, replacing what was lost should be a minimum. Consider that 80% of the P and 30–40% of the K taken up by corn and soybeans are removed in the grain.
Use your most recent soil test as your guide for your current soil health: “It’s our best gauge to see what’s actually in there, and then what we need to apply,” Koch explains.
Understand your options
Once you have an idea of what your soil may need, work with your retail and agronomy teams to determine what your crops need based on current soil health.
“We’re all working together to make this the best and most efficient use of your fertilizer, and a great 2024,” Boll notes.
Consider the entire return on investment, not simply the up-front cost. Many factors go into supporting a healthy yield.
Plan for the crop results you want this year
The timeframe to prepare soil and plant can be short in some areas. For example, a 2009 to 2011 study looking at the optimal time to plant corn found that growers optimized yield during only a 10-day window, and planting before that time can result in yields as low as 82% of the maximum.
Boll’s advice to ensure you can apply the right fertilizer and nutrients at the right time? Plan ahead and create an open line of communication between yourself and your retail and agronomy partners.
Additional Insights
• Sherry Koch speaks with Mosaic’s R&D team about innovations and technologies
• Mastering Early Season Fertility