Growers eat and breathe their work. They know everything about the weather, soil conditions, and crop economics.
Of course, there’s always more to learn. Whether someone’s been farming for 5 years or 30 years, there’s always room for improvement…and higher profits.
What should growers learn to avoid? We talked to our AgroLiquid agronomists to define the top three spending mistakes, related to crop nutrition, growers can make.
- Ignoring micronutrient needs
Growers understand the importance of addressing nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium needs for their crops.
“I’ve seen growers try to reduce expenses in their crop nutrition program by not addressing the micronutrient needs of their crops,” said John Leif, AgroLiquid agronomist. “Although those nutrients are needed in small amounts, they are vitally important in providing a complete and balanced crop nutrition program.”
Micronutrients are important elements required by plants – but they only need small amounts. Boron, copper, iron, manganese, molybdenum, and zinc are nutrients that are needed to complete the life cycle of a plant.
Micronutrients play a role in plant processes, and each has a specific function. Since plants require micronutrients in small amounts, it can also be easy to miss a deficiency, but a deficit of any micronutrients can lead to reduced yield – and profits.
- Not amending the soil
“Growers may be spending money on fertilizer when they really need to amend the soil,” said Abe Isaak, AgroLiquid agronomist. “This is often the underlying issue they face.”
Of course, amending the soil often takes more money than the crop they are growing can economically afford, so it is a delicate balance. But amending the soil can save money in the long-term. For example, if the soil magnesium is high, the grower will need to apply more nitrogen to get the desired result of the nitrogen.
Low calcium can create poor water penetration. With low calcium available to the crop, disease can become a problem, and the cell walls of the plant are weak. Amending the soil is a not necessarily a quick fix, but it may be the long-term solution needed for a soil situation.
- Repeating old patterns
It’s easy to do what you’ve always done…or what your farm has historically done.
“The biggest crop nutrition mistake I’ve seen growers make is to continue to do the same thing they have always done,” said Stephanie Zelinko, AgroLiquid agronomist. “Many times they have over or under-applied nutrients which is not the best way to utilize fertilizer dollars.”
Especially in these economically challenging times, growers need to be more aware of how they spend money and make sure they’re putting them toward the nutrients that are going to give them the best return on fertilizer investment.
“In many cases, this isn’t always going to be pushing nutrition levels to get top yield – but instead focusing on having a sustainable return for that acre,” she said.
Avoiding these mistakes can help with the bottom line. Since every farm is different, working with agronomists can also help with recommendations for getting the most out of your spending. With an informed approach, growers can have better yields with fewer mistakes along the way.
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Want to learn more about balancing your soils? Check out our Back 2 Basics video series. These videos take an in-depth look at the nutrients that may make a difference in your crop.