Every year farmers want to achieve high yields for their crops in the hope that it translates into greater profit at the end of the season. But yield isn’t the only factor in profitability. Farmers also have to consider input costs to ensure a positive rate of return, especially in a tight economic environment.
So what should farmers prioritize with their inputs?
Dr. Fred Below, who heads up the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign (UIUC) Crop Physiology Lab, and his team of student researchers have been exploring ways farmers can achieve those high yields as part of their national yield contest challenge. They’re testing the latest crop hybrids as well as what those crops need to unlock their full potential.
“We noticed high yield starts with crop nutrition, with fertility. That sets the potential for crop yield,” said Below. “And we have to look at ways to fertilize better than we used to if we’re going to achieve that high yield potential.”
The UIUC research team has collaborated with Mosaic for several years to explore enhancing crop health and support the natural biology in plants and soil, ultimately maximizing the yield potential of every field. They’ve focused on how to manage the four Rs — the right source, rate, time and place. But beyond that, they see significant potential in microbiology at the soil level.
“The idea of soil biology is fascinating. We’re developing an understanding of which microbes are in the soils and how they work. Then you can take those and formulate products,” said Below. “We’re seeing that pairing biological products with fertility helps get more synergy out of the system. It’s helping make our nutrient use efficiency higher, and therefore we’re getting more yield out of the same level of inputs.”
Dr. Connor Sible, a postdoctoral research associate at UIUC Crop Sciences who assists Dr. Below in guiding the student research team, agrees.
“We’re seeing yield responses because of the usage of biologicals now, but you have to know how you position and use the biological,” said Sible. “Unfortunately, I think a lot of them are sold as replacements, and then I think that the result can be disappointing. We would caution growers that they’re clearly not a replacement for other good management practices. They are an addition that makes a good system better. So that comes down to knowing what you need done and making sure that biological fits that criteria.”
While enhancing a crop fertility program with a biological is an added cost that can be tempting to pass on in a tough market, it can pay off quickly for farmers in added yield.
“There’s a versatility in how you could use a biological — seed treatment, in-furrow, foliar. The good news is, usually farmers are going with an application pass that they’re already measuring. So it doesn’t take many bushels to pay.”
“Even with low commodity prices, you still need a high yield to pay the bills,” said Below. “Obviously, if commodity prices were high, I’d tell growers it’s their civic duty to try something new on their farm. But when prices are low, they’ve got to think about it more. They have to make a choice. However you look at it, they’re the benefactor of that knowledge. Anybody that has a high yield will tell you they learned as much from their mistakes as they did their successes.”
So what advice does the UIUC team have for farmers who may be frustrated with their
season and the current economic environment?
“A lot of decisions in farming are year-round, so if you have a plan, don’t give up on that plan or that crop because you can still get a high yield out of it,” said Below. “When I talk to growers in these types of markets, they can shut down when they still have a lot of season left.”
“Prices go up and down, and it’s hard to look beyond the one-year books,” said Sible. “But try to think in a three- to five-year system where that comes to play. There’s definitely value in continuing to stick to the plan.”
In the meantime, the UIUC Crop Sciences team will continue their research so farmers and the agricultural industry can learn how to get more out of each crop.
“We want to know why a factor acts to impact crop yield. I think that’s one of the exciting things, right? You get young, ambitious, excited minds in and they look at things with different perspectives,” said Sible.