b"MANAGE NUTRIENTS AND MAXIMIZE CROP YIELDS WITH SOIL SAMPLINGTo get customers off to the right start, make sure theyre starting with the right soil.Ally RodenSOIL SAMPLING ANDanalysis are crucial todata to convert that soil test result to a usable ferti-determine the chemical and physical condi- lizer recommendation at the end of the day?tions of the soil, gearing farmers with the infor- In addition to location, when a sample is taken mation necessary to make the correct decisionscan make all the difference in whether a sample will going forward for their crops. come out accurate or not. The best time to take a Sampling can take the guesswork out of build- sample is post-harvest, according to Renwick.ing a plan with a producer and creates a strongWe like to time all of our soil sampling post-starting point, believes Anita Renwick, agronomistharvest later in the season, she says. On average, and owner of A1 Agronomy. When preparing forit is wise to go ahead as soon as the combine is out next season, there are important questions thatof the field. The later that you get into the fall, soil arise. Thats where soil sampling comes in.temperatures keep dropping.While nutrient management is essential to pos- Samples collected right after the combine hasJohn Breker.sess a full scope of the field, it is a balancing actcome out, and before fall tillage, offers farmers the that requires educated planning. best full picture results for planting the upcoming You want to apply enough of a particular nutri- year for two reasons, explains Breker.ent to maximize crop yield. For example, nitrogen.One, it gives you a really good chance to see You want to make sure that you apply enoughhow much nitrogen was left over from that crop. nitrogen to maximize that crop yield and preventIt gives you a good reflection of how you did for any nutrient deficiencies that might be a limitingnitrogen management following that crop, he factor, but at the same time, you don't want tosays. But the second part, and this is always the apply excess nutrients because it's an extra costmost important part, is getting that data ready for that you didn't need to incur, explains John Breker,planting for next year. The other part about getting soil scientist at AGVISE Laboratories. You alsosamples collected sooner is you have the data on don't want to leave extra nitrogen vulnerable inhand so you can make decisions with it. You never the environment to potential losses, whether it beknow what's going to happen with weather.nitrate leaching, or denitrification, that could haveAnita Renwick.undue environmental consequences. It's Never Too Late to LearnA farms location is a massive component inThe complex nature of sampling may put off some what a growers nutrient management plan willfarmers, yet it is never too late for growers who end up looking like. Soil areas can contain excessarent familiar with sampling to learn. The best salts, pH levels that are too high or low, unfavorablething a grower can do to begin sampling is toWHERE nutrients levels and more as nutrient availabilityidentify what is going wrong in their field. ON THE WEBvaries in different areas of the world. Is the issue soil salinity? Do you have a soilWant to watch the full conversation Depending on where you are, different regionserosion issue? Do you have drainage problems?to hear why its so important to give have different soil testing methods, and they areDepending on what the problem is, you will have toseed the best start in healthy soil? geared to tease out the aspects of that particularfocus on that particular issue, says Breker. Visit this site for the full discussion: nutrient availability, shares Breker. WheneverA multitude of resources are available for grow- seedworld.com/manage-nutrients-you're looking at a lab and trying to find the righters, including specialists in the soil testing indus- and-maximize-crop-yields-with-soil test methods, the important questions to asktry and university extensions. Sampling requiressoil-sampling.are: Is that method suitable for your local soils? Hasspecialized equipment to gather the ideal two-foot that soil test method been calibrated for the cropssample, so connecting with a retail agronomists or that you're growing? Do you have local calibrationcrop consultant is a great first step.SW88/ SEEDWORLD.COMDECEMBER 2022"