Want to Cut Your Fertilizer Bill?
As crop input prices soar, what if you could reduce your fertilizer bill, simply based on the soil test you use? It’s possible with the Haney test. The Haney test, which was developed by a farmer-turned-PhD-scientist, measures major nutrients, plus it evaluates various soil health indicators, such as soil respiration, to analyze soil biological activity. Depending on the results of a Haney test, you can potentially lower your nitrogen (N) application rate. If a small investment in a Haney test can save you hundreds of dollars in fertilizer, would that be worth it to you? Click here for our recent interview with Lance Gunderson, president and owner of Regen Ag Lab, LLC in Pleasanton, Nebraska, who answers common questions about the Haney test and shows how to put it to work on your farm.
Confused About Carbon?
Pop quiz—what’s the most limiting nutrient in crop production? If you guessed carbon, you’re right. There’s a lot of talk today about reducing and removing carbon to protect the environment. But what about managing carbon effectively on your farm to get more from every acre, animal and gallon of manure? There are 5 things every farmer must understand about carbon to produce healthier crops, provide more nutritious feed for livestock and supply more nutrient-dense food for people. Knowledge by itself isn’t enough, though. Click here to learn about the 5 things and a 3-phase Recipe for Success for carbon management to build healthier soils, cut your fertilizer bill, and boost your crops’ resilience and yield potential, no matter what Mother Nature brings.
Fewer Chemicals, Better Biology, Healthier Soil
Fewer Chemicals, Better Biology, Healthier Soil Iowa Crop, Cattle Farm Benefits from the “Recipe for Success” In farming, one key decision can set a chain of events in motion. This domino effect worked in a good way when Bob Henderson’s sons attended the Iowa Power Farming Show in Des Moines a few years ago and […]
Boost Your Odds of Success with the Recipe for Success
When Nebraska farmer Brian Hoffman built a slatted, monoslope beef barn in 2017, he wanted to prevent manure from building up. He searched online and found a biology-based solution from ProfitProAG that worked well for him. This made Brian wonder–if putting biology back into the system works this well for manure management, what could it do for crop production—especially if you want to reduce synthetic chemical inputs? Now Brian uses a step-by-step system that he believes might just be the future of agriculture. Click here for the full story.
In-Season “Stay Green”
Reeling from fertilizer sticker shock? In some areas, fertilizer prices have skyrocketed more than 300%. Delivery times are anyone’s best guess. What’s your next move? Plant less corn next spring? Cut back on fertilizer to save money? Critical mistakes are easy to make at times like this. Here are 3 things you should never do if you want to control your fertilizer costs in 2022.
At-Plant “Jump Start Yield”
Nitrogen fertilizer prices are shattering records. Supply chain challenges are getting worse. Inflation and shortages are becoming the norm. What’s your next move? Plant less corn next spring? Cut back on fertilizer to save money? It’s time to control the controllables on your farm and get the soil microbes going so you can access the free fertilizer that’s already in your fields. Free fertilizer? Yep, you’ve got it. Click here to learn how to maximize it.
Residue Management “Second Harvest”
With the threat of rising fertilizer prices, it’s essential to maximize the free fertilizer you have in your fields already. Where’s that fertilizer, you ask? It’s locked up in your corn residue. Tough, “super stalks” are often part of raising insect-resistant, high-yielding corn with modern seed genetics. The stalks’ slow decomposition, however, can create big headaches, especially if you plant continuous corn or are a no-tiller.
“I’ve seen stalks lay out there for two and a half years or more,” says Josh Knapke, a 4th generation Ohio farmer who raises corn, soybeans, wheat, hogs and cattle.
Simply slicing up corn residue and tilling it into the soil doesn’t speed up decomposition. Knapke has learned that it’s vital to bring the biology back into the soil to break down crop residue efficiently, boost soil health and unlock nutrients in the residue to nourish next year’s crop. Click here to see how residue management after harvest has become a key tool Knapke and his brother use to build soil health and boost yield potential.
Biologically Treat Manure
Crusting. Sludge. Flies. Odor. Foam. Toxic gasses. What if you didn’t have to fight these challenges with your manure pit? Yes, it’s possible. When natural systems are working properly and biological systems are in balance, manure is quite easy to manage. So why aren’t more people talking about the biology of manure management? Read on for some biology 101 that can help you cut down on solids, improve potassium and phosphorus availability, and make manure more usable.
Utilize Crop Rotation & Cover Crops
It’s no secret that cover crops offer an array of benefits. But maybe you’ve experienced a cover crop failure. Challenges like this tend to arise when cover crops are treated as an afterthought. John Urbanick, a Pennsylvania farmer and ProfitProAG client, knows you’ve got to manage cover crops, much like you manage a cash crop. John and his brother Joe have been growing cover crops for the past decade to improve their soil. Cover crops have also cut their ragweed challenges by 50%. Plus, the cereal rye in their “super scavenger” seed mix pulls in valuable nitrogen from the soil. “We’re trying to grow our own nitrogen,” Urbanick says. Click here to see how the Urbanicks make cover crops work, and learn a simple, 3-step process to help you succeed with cover crops.
Reduce Tillage Cost
Got rain? While there’s plenty of talk about praying for rain and jokes about rain dances this summer, why aren’t more people discussing tillage? How much is tillage really costing you, especially when Mother Nature turns the water off? We contend that intensive tillage is one of your biggest enemies when it comes to water conservation, soil health and productive crops. Don’t overlook 3 practical steps to help you cut tillage costs (and still break down crop residue efficiently), boost your soil’s water-holding capacity, and produce healthier, higher-yielding crops. Click here for all the details.
