Category Archives: Soil Amendments

GIVE YOUR SOYBEANS A NEEDED BOOST

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Foliar Opp Beans logo Foliar Opp Corn logo Sugar E-Boost logo 2075-SRN logo Max72-SRN logo

 

It is now one year since the last blog on foliar feeding (check out that blog from last year) and a lot has been going on through out the world. There are some things in short supply, especially in the tech field. Commodity prices have the experts baffled. And it snowed in April! What a year!

There have been a lot of acres planted and we are all hoping for perfect conditions to carry our crops through to harvest for record yields to go along with the good prices. One of best ways to help that crop(s) realize that potential is to foliar feed them. Ok, in times of lower commodity prices it can be harder to justify foliar feeding. However, with these prices, realizing a good ROI is much easier. Using a central Missouri new crop corn bid as of 5/7/21, one bushel of corn will pay 80% of a gallon of Max 72 SRN or 2075 SRN. If you are planning on applying fungicide on your corn, adding one gallon of either of these products has the potential to add another two to five bushels to your yield increase with the fungicide program.

Now look at soybean. Local new crop beans closed as of 5/7/21 at almost $14 per bushel. One bushel increase in yield with FOLIAR OPP for Legumes will almost pay for the two gallon recommended rate for the Foliar Opp, and at the V-4 stage of application, you can apply with a herbicide application. If plans are to apply fungicide at early podding, Foliar Opp can be used with that application, too!

There are more advantages to foliar feeding than just an increase in yield, but we all know that is what we are striving for. Here are a few that lead to the increase in yield:

  1. Plant health – A healthy plant is more productive, has less pests, fewer disease problems, and responed to good growing conditions.
  2. Better root systems – good root systems are able to take up more nutrients from the soil. That fertilizer that has been applied to the your field costs a lot more today, help that plant utilize it.
  3. Stress tolerance – Ok, if you have good plant health, good roots, yes, that plant is going to handle stress better.
  4. Ease of application – when you can piggy-back with your herbicide or fungicide application, you get a better yield, therefore, a better ROI.

The opportunity of high commodity prices (at this time of year) doesn’t come along often. With the potential of today’s corn and bean varieties, there is a very good chance to hit a home run with yield and marketing. The products for foliar feeding that we have to offer, and our expertise in using them, could help you realize your goals for this growing season.

Go to our web site to revisit the blog from last year about foliar feeding. It has the timing for the products and alittle about our other products to make foliar feeding work better. Call or email if you have questions about any of our products.

Web address:    www.soilserviceinc.com

Soil Service, Inc office:   info@soilserviceinc.com or 888-313-2360

John Viertel: jviertel@soilserviceinc.com or 573-680-6951 (voice or text)

Soybean Plot Harvest in Missouri – John Viertel

After a very dry summer, we have been getting some moisture in the form of rain for the last 2-3 weeks. Very welcome, even if it did slow harvest a little.

On October 23, we finally harvested the Soil Health Study Field. We were pleasantly surprised with the results. First, the whole 30-acre field missed averaging 60 bpa by just a few pounds across the scale at the elevator. The other fields of soybeans that we have been combining were only averaging 40-45 bpa.

As I have talked about in previous blogs, this field has been managed, since 2012, to improve soil health. We have been using the SOIL Service Nutrient Recycling Program, cover crops, and either no-till or the Aerway each year. The NRP was applied the previous three years before this year. Last year we had a very good corn crop on this field, under good growing conditions. This year, because of the improved soil health, we had a very good bean yield despite of the extremely dry conditions.

One of things that I did test in this field this year was the use of 3-18-18-1, including 1 pint per acre of Sugar E-Boost as a starter for the beans. I compared it to using only 3-18-18-1. Once again, just like on the corn, there was a 3 bushel per acre yield increase. If you are wondering, at the current local cash price ($7.55) and using the 2×2.5-gallon jug price of 95 cents per acre, that is a $22.70 ROI, just by adding 1 pint per acre of Sugar E-Boost to the starter. Using Sugar E-Boost with any starter program, and or foliar program, is going to be standard for us from now on.

John Viertel, Missouri Sales Manager

 

 

 

Return on Investment using Sugar E-Boost – John Viertel

Here are comparisons that we have compiled from the previous two years using SUGAR E-BOOST when foliar feeding. The ROI is impressive! For a 94 cent per acre investment, you could include SUGAR E-BOOST with your herbicide application. SUGAR E-BOOST provides energy to the plants aiding in making the plant stronger and healthier. This will help the corn and/or soybean plants cope with stress.

Call or email us to get more information, or to order some today!

jviertel@soilserviceinc.com or info@soilserviceinc.com

 

Importance of Micronutrients – Derek Porter

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At a recent conference I attended, one of the presenters made the statement that it doesn’t pay to apply micro nutrients. This isn’t the first time I’ve heard this statement and most likely won’t be the last. Not only are micro nutrients crucial to plant growth, in certain cases a micronutrient deficiency could be the most limiting nutrient. Think of a micro nutrient as a spark plug in an engine. It’s the catalyzing agent that makes plant process’s go. Sense they act as catalyzing agents (or signals that stimulate plant process’s and ultimately growth) they are needed in smaller amounts then major or secondary nutrients. Hence why they don’t get the attention they need. The micronutrients to pay closest attention are zinc, boron, manganese, copper, iron, and molybdenum. At Soil Service we offer all essential micro nutrients to fit your nutrient needs. We also offer our Foliar Opp foliar fertilizer for both corn, soybeans, and alfalfa to provide both major and micro nutrients in season at key growth stages.

Here are 12 key points to remember about micro nutrients and their application: 1. Micronutrients can be more limiting in cooler wetter soils early in the season. 2. Having the proper amounts of major, secondary, and micro nutrients is crucial early on in corn when ear size is being determined. 3. Phosphorus and zinc must be in the proper relationship with each other to optimize uptake and utilization. This is why we recommend 1 quart of EDTA chelated zinc in our starter blends. 4. Boron is important in grain fill and nitrogen movement and utilization. 5. Proper levels of boron and copper help fight rust and fungus diseases. 6. Grain test weight can be greatly influenced by proper micronutrient levels. 7. Molybdenum helps nitrogen fixation in legumes. 8. Manganese helps with germination and emergence of young seedlings. 9. Manganese and boron aids in flower and seed set as well as flower retention in soybeans. 10. Implementing an NPK fertilizer with your micronutrients helps with the intake and movement of micronutrients throughout the plant. Our Foliar Opp contains our 3-18-18-1 starter fertilizer plus micronutrients to fit this need. 11. Our Soil Boost Plus helps with the utilization of foliar applied micronutrients with its intake and translocation agents. This product also has pH lowering esters that provides a solution more curtailed to the plants liking. 12. Always make sure you have plenty of nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium, sulfur, calcium, and magnesium before you focus heavily on micro nutrients.

Rely on our team at Soil Service to help you customize plans for your soil and plant nutrient needs. Our goal here is help you maximize production and most importantly your profitability. As always thank you for your support of our services and products.

 

Derek Porter CCA Illinois Salesman

Soil Health Study Update

Do the larger root systems on the plants on the right of the picture below peak your interest? I decided to go into the Soil Health Study field and dig some plants up last Tuesday. I also went to an adjoining field that has not received the Nutrient Recycling Program, but has had cover crops, to see what our soybean root systems looked like. Pleasant surprise! Not only were the roots more robust, but so were the plants themselves. The stalks were larger and there is an average of ten more pods per plant in the study field. This will translate to more yield this fall.

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Soil tilth was better, too! I dug three plants each field, and was very careful to try and keep the soil intact. The soil in the SOIL HEALTH STUDY FIELD was extremely loose and very tilthy, I couldn’t hold it together to carry out of the field.  It was no problem with the other non-treated field. It’s no wonder that the roots systems are bigger, it’s easier for them to expand in the healthier soil. This soil will also hold more water during the drier stress times of the growing season.

 

 

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DON’T FORGET ABOUT THE SOIL SERVICE, INC. FIELD DAYS AUGUST 17 & 18. We would like to see you all there! Contact me – (573) 680-6951 voice/text or jviertel@soilserviceinc.com for more information    

John Viertel, CCA