Farming

On average — and at current fertilizer prices — there is $125 worth of N,P& K in each acre of corn stalks post harvest. Are you getting that fertility buck back for your next crop? As fertilizer prices skyrocket, it’s more important than ever to harvest nutrients already in your fields for your next harvest. Not to mention the importance of proper residue management — too much residue prevents solid seed-to-soil contact come next planting. Biological products such as Extract maximize nutrient release from residue while also breaking down that residue. Brian Cornelious and Steve Sexton from Agricen join XtremeAg farmer Kelly Garrett to discuss the results they’re seeing.

Limiting crop stress is Kelly Garrett’s priority heading into 2022. The theory being — if we have ample fertility, let’s make a healthier plant to utilize that fertility. Stress on crops comes from three areas: cold, drought, and salt. Combine those stressors over a growing season and the bushels lost to stress add up. So, what can you do to reduce crop stress? Kelly plans to apply AccomplishMax — Agricen’s newest in-furrow product for corn, soybeans, cotton, and wheat.

Marrone Bio is a 15 year old Agricultural company you’ve probably never heard of if you’re in the business of producing row crops. That’s because Marrone Bio’s roots are in products for horticulture and specialty crops. But that’s changing as the company is bringing innovative, abiotic stress reduction products to the marketplace. XtremeAg farmer Chad Henderson is trialing two Marrone products this year on 500 acres of corn and soybeans. Emergen (applied in-furrow) and Pacesetter (applied as a foliar at time of fungicide application), have one job: to reduce plant stress. Or, as Chad says, “they keep my crops from having a bad day.” And based on what he’s seeing on his farm, you’ll want to do the same.

Kelly Garrett applies anhydrous in the fall and swears by it. Why? Economics, yield bump, and time management. But despite the increased yield, cost savings, and time management, there is the issue of soil biology. Anhydrous can be damaging to our precious soil’s biological mix. So that’s why Mr. Garrett is experimenting with AgXplore’s NZoneGL — a nitrogen utilization product that protects soil biology.

Your grandfather probably applied boron to his crops but your father very likely didn’t. Why? Because boron was standard chemistry back in the old days, then boron became uncool as agriculture moved away from micro nutrients. But boron is back and proper application of this micro nutrient can make you money with a minimal investment. Wendall Boehlje with U.S. Borax joins yield record setter Chad Henderson to explain boron’s contribution to your yield.

Kelly talks with Netafim's Tim Wolf about how his entire perspective on soil health, nutrients, fertility and biologicals has changed over the last 5 years since first installing drip irrigation on his farm. More than just water, Kelly has used the system to alter PH and improve the soil environment dramatically. The results show in the higher yields he has attained since installing his systems.

Lee Lubbers of Lubbers Farms in Gregory, South Dakota was a no-till pioneer. In fact, he and his brother attempted to purchase no-till planting equipment back when it was so unpopular, the John Deere dealer refused to order it in for them! The farmers began no-tilling in the 1980s out of necessity — lack of labor, lack of money, lack of equipment. They also looked at it as a way to better utilize their farm land resource — leaving land fallow for a season to gain moisture was common at the time, and they needed a crop every year. Today Lubbers’ entire 17,000 acre operation is no-till. How do they do it, what are the benefits and pitfalls, and what do you need to know to succeed while avoiding tillage? Find out in this episode!

Matt Miles, Chad Henderson and Kevin Matthews pay a visit to Lee Lubbers farm in Gregory, South Dakota to take a look at his dry land corn and talk about field management practices, soil, product trials, and a whole lot more. The next best thing to being in the field with these 4 top growers is watching it on video.

Lee Lubbers takes you into some of his better corn ground to talk about what he looks for when he takes corn grown on ground with a high base saturation of K into wheat or beans the following season.