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©2010. The Mosaic Company. All rights reserved. K-Mag is a registered trademark of The Mosaic Company. KMAG-0060

TUNE IN TO K-MAG.

HIGHER YIELDS.FOR

A

• Ask or K-Mag® in your next ertilizer blend

• Potassium, magnesium and sulur — three nutrients in one

• All nutrients are readily available to the crop

• Visit www.kmag.com to view the new inormational video



The recent accomplishments o North America’s armers are truly

noteworthy. Record harvests have produced more ood, uel, eed

and fber than at any time in our history. Optimism in agriculture

abounds — and with good reason.

But with success comes the challenge to accomplish more. Even

with bin-busting production records in 2008 and 2009, supply

merely kept pace with surging demand. Last November, the U.N.Secretary General reported one billion people are hungry, and by

2050, the world will have two billion more mouths to eed — about

nine billion in total — meaning we’ll have to produce 70 percent

more than we do today just to keep up. Water, land, energy and er-

tilizer are fnite resources, and agriculture must develop sustainable

solutions to provide the critically needed increase in ood supply.

Meeting this challenge will require new technologies, new crop

management strategies and a commitment to innovation. As the

philosopher Ralph Waldo Emerson said, we must not just “go

where the path may lead, [but] go instead where there is no path

and leave a trail.”

It’s with this pioneering spirit and quest or better inormation that

The Mosaic Company brings you the “Balanced Crop Nutrition”

supplement to Successful Farming. Technology continues to evolve

and promises higher levels o crop perormance, but to maximize

this potential, ertility strategies also must move orward. Fertilizer is

the oundation on which all high-yield crop systems must be based.

Inside, you’ll fnd new thinking on building a well-balanced ertility

program, highlights rom the latest research uncovering the nutrient

requirements o today’s new hybrids, real experiences o producers

implementing innovative best management practices, and acts on

the latest advancements in ertilizer.

Mosaic is committed to helping the world grow the ood it needs.

We’re confdent you will fnd inormation in this supplement to help

you grow more as well.

Sincerely,

Richard N. McLellan

Sr. Vice President, Commercial

The Mosaic Company

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Nutrition orNext Generation Seed..........................................2

The Basics o Balanced Fertility

N and K Work Togetheror Higher Yields......................................................4

Brush up on Soil Fertility ...........................13

N, P, K —the Foundation o Production

Rescue Nitrogen ApplicationOten Boosts Corn Yields ................................... 6

Optimizing Potassium Criticalor Top Yields........................................................... 5

Managing P Soil Test Values ............................18

Production Management Profles

Prairie Pothole ProductionChallengesDenny Friest, Garden City, Iowa .....................10

Little Is “Typical” About Approach to Crop ProductionFairholme Farms, Lewisville, Ind. ...................17

An “Edge” That LeavesNothing to ChanceKriss Schroeder, Colby, Kan. ..........................20

Planning Pays

Fertilizer Oers Perormance With Return .... 5 Are You Ready orHigher Yields?..................................Back Cover

Unlocking the Secrets to Higher Yields ...... 8

The Need or MicroNutrients

Magnesium—Oten Forgotten,but Most Essential ................................................21

Changes Creating Need or Sulur.................14

Understanding Zinc Defciency ......................22

The Production Challenge —Meeting Tomorrow’s

Growing Demand ..................................................24

To view these articles online or or

more balanced-nutrition inormation,

visit www.Back-to-Basics.net.

This inormation produced and presented by The Mosaic Company. 1



B A L A N C E D C R O P N U T R I T I O N

Next-Generation Seed Requires

New Approach to Fertility

B Y T O M F R Y

T h e M o s a i c C o m p a n y



The Mosaic Company is working

to bring armers innovative ertilizer

products and inormation to provide

better understanding o balanced crop

nutrition. To this end, the company

surveyed armers, ertilizer dealers and

university soil scientists across Asia,South America and North America,

investigating their needs and wants or

ertilizers and plant nutrition services.

“Overwhelmingly, the results

showed armers wanted to go beyond

existing N, P and K ertilizers to

products that oer balanced nutri-

tion,” says Dean Fairchild, assistant

vice president o Agronomy or The

Mosaic Company. “Their priorities

were products to help manage needs

or nutrients such as sulur, zinc and

also boron,” relates Fairchild. Ater intensive research, Mosaic

scientists and engineers developed

a patented process to manuacture

a ertilizer granule that incorporates

nitrogen, phosphorus, sulur and zinc.

The product is MicroEssentials® SZ,™

and it is a major breakthrough in

dry-ertilizer technology. The unique

chemistry o this phosphorus-based

product delivers a balanced ratio

o essential nutrients or better nutri-

ent uptake by plants. In addition,

by including all nutrients in one

granule, distribution is uniorm, so

every plant receives the correct

amount o each nutrient.

The MicroEssentials amily o prod-

ucts delivers sulur and phosphorus

in the proper ratio or most crops, so

these two nutrients are more available

and easier or plants to use. Nitrogen

is provided in the readily available

ammonium orm to help get young

plants o to an early start. Finally,

MicroEssentials includes sulur in both

the elemental and sulate orms or

season-long availability.Studies show MicroEssentials

ertilizer enhances plant uptake o

phosphorus up to 30 percent and

improves zinc uptake by up to

45 percent as compared to a typical

blend. These improvements in nutrient

utilization mean a better return on the

investment in ertilizer. For more de-

tails, visit www.microessentials.com.

decrease,” Below points out. “As

corn rootworm-resistant hybrids

become increasingly popular and are

planted every year, it will be important

to take these trends into account as

nutrient management plans and ertilizer

recommendations are ormulated.”

With nearly hal o U.S. corn acres

planted to transgenic hybrids costing asmuch as $100 to $140 per acre or seed,

it is important growers apply the nutrition

needed to optimize yields and generate

a good return on these genetics.

Table A.Increased Yield o Rootworm-Resistant Hybrids Removes MoreSoil Nutrients

CRW-RESISTANTvs. NON-RESISTANT

DIFFERENCE %

Yield increase 14 %

N removal 14 %

P removal 24 %

K removal 19 %

S removal 17 %

Zn removal 27 %

Champaign, IL 2008; average o two hybrid pairs

Seed industry leaders Dow

AgroSciences, Monsanto, Pioneer

Hi-Bred and Syngenta have all set

aggressive goals to increase corn

yields. Doubling yields by 2030 is an

admirable and daunting goal that plant

breeding and biotechnology are sure to

play a huge role in achieving. However,

in addition to these new technologies,new management practices also will be

required to optimize yields.

This season, 47 percent o U.S. corn

acres were planted to stacked-trait,

insect-resistant hybrids, but little is

known about the eect o technology

on corn nutrient uptake and the exact

nutrition needed to optimize yields.

That’s why researchers at the University

o Illinois—Urbana-Champaign are

comparing the nutritional needs o

these hybrids to their non-resistant

counterparts. Preliminary researchresults show the nutrient uptake o

resistant hybrids is signifcantly greater

than their non-resistant counterparts.

Intact roots absorb nutrientsmore efciently

“CRW-resistant hybrids change every-

thing,” says Dr. Fred Below, proessor

o Plant Physiology, University o Illinois.

“Because rootworm larval eeding is

suppressed, and thereore the root

system protected rom damage, the

corn plant absorbs nutrients more

efciently and ultimately realizes a

higher yield potential.”

More efcient nutrient uptake

suggests higher levels o nutrients are

needed to achieve that added yield

potential. In the University o Illinois

trials, CRW-resistant hybrids yielded

205 bu /acre, while the non-resistant

hybrids yielded 179 bu /acre, a

14 percent dierence.

“Results o our initial trials show

that the per-acre removal rates o nutrients [N, P, K, S, Zn] are rom 14 to

27 percent greater or hybrids with the

rootworm-resistant gene,” adds Below.

“In act, both the yield and the concen-

tration o nutrients in the grain were

higher or the transgenic hybrids.”

“As we look at these results, we see

very large increases o zinc (Zn) and P

removal, in particular, which means soil

test levels o these nutrients may rapidly

Innovation in FertilizerTechnology




By understanding how nutrients

work together, armers can optimize

production and investment in ertilizer

while minimizing the opportunity or

excess nutrients to negatively impact

the environment. Potassium (K) and

nitrogen (N) are two vital nutrients that

create greater benefts working together

than alone.

Research studies rom the University

o Illinois illustrate how potassium

nutrition and ertilizer N interact tomarkedly increase yields, response to

ertilizer N and N use efciency (Figure

1). It is important to keep in mind that

these same types o P and K interac-

tions will also occur with other nutrients

and non-nutrient crop inputs.

Illinois

Application Rate (lbs N/acre)

0 lb K20/acre

96 lbs K20/acre

144 lbs K20/acre C o r n G r a i n Y i e l d

( b u / a c r e )

200

150

100

50

00 80 120 180 240

Figure 1. Potassium improves yield response toN ertilizer and N efciency.University o Illinois

Adapted rom Better Crops, Vol. 82 (1998, No. 3)

What do these interactionsmean or the uture?

With technology and production

changes, U.S. corn yields have

increased rom about 100 bu /acre in

1985 to approximately 160 bu /acre

in 2009. Many armers are growing

corn yielding more than 200 bu /acre.

But can traditional nutrient recom-

mendations meet the demands o

tomorrow’s high corn yields? Evidence

suggests the levels o inputs and

management necessary or corn yields

in the 150 bu /acre range may not be

enough or modern yield levels o

250+ bu /acre.

A Kansas study combined higher

plant populations and an enhanced er-

tility program to maximize irrigated-corn

Table B.

Higher Nutrient Levels Required or Plant Population ResponseKansas State University

CORN YIELDS BU/ACRE

PLANT POPULATIONTRADITIONAL1

FERTILITYENHANCED2

FERTILITYFERTILITYRESPONSE

28,000 202 225 23

42,000 196 262 66

Population Response – 6 371 230 lbs N /acre, 30 lbs P

2O

5/acre P and K Soil Tests = High

2 230 lbs N /acre, 100 lbs P2O5/acre, 80 lbs K2O /acre and 40 lbs S /acre

Source: Kansas State University

yields (Table B). With traditional

university nutrient recommendations,

the higher plant populations yielded

slightly less than the traditional, lower

populations. However, when the ertility

program included additional P, K and

sulur (S), the higher plant population

yielded 37 bu /acre more than the tradi-

tional, lower plant population. Likewise,

corn response to the enhanced ertilityprogram was only 23 bu /acre at the

lower plant population, but swelled to

66 bu /acre at the higher population!

Balanced and ully adequate ertility

programs will be undamental com-

ponents o optimizing return rom

improved genetics and new tech-

nologies/practices in the uture while

protecting the environment.


Nitrogen and Potassium Work

Together or Higher Yields

B Y D A L E L E I K A M , P h . D .

L e i k a m A g r o M a x

4 This inormation produced and presented by The Mosaic Company.



Survival in today’s competitive

economic environment depends

upon each investment ultimately

providing a positive return. In corn

production, ertility is responsible

or about 40 percent* o the crop’s

yield—and ertilizer is proven toprovide a positive return on invest-

ment (ROI). Use the ormulas below

the table to calculate the return rom

ertilizing your own corn crop.

Fertilizer Oers Perormance That Pays

Few investments oer this level o return

Optimizing Potassium Critical or Top YieldsSoil test trends coupled with environ-

mental actors indicate applying

potassium (K) ertilizer may be more

important than ever or optimum crop

yields. According to studies rom the

International Plant Nutrition Institute(IPNI), soil test K levels continue to de-

crease, and as a result, the percentage

o soils across North America in nega-

tive balance or K continues to rise.

“Research at Ohio State shows

that yields increased as soil test K

increased above critical soil levels,”

explains Dan Froehlich, agronomist

with The Mosaic Company. “A standard

benchmark is that potassium uptake or

a 180-bushel corn yield is 240 pounds

o potassium per acre. The critical level

o potassium in the soil or optimum

perormance is approximately 165 ppm.

“The Ohio State results show yields

increased as K increased to 200 ppm

and 278 ppm. Nitrogen use also was

enhanced as soil K levels increased,”

Froehlich adds.

Agronomic and environmental condi-

tions also play a role in the availabili ty

o nutrients or plant uptake. These

actors make supplemental K even

more important to optimize yields.

“Cool, wet years set up agronomic

challenges or crops that exacerbate

the impact o limited soil nutrients,”

says Steve Phillips, Southeast U.S.

region director with IPNI, a not-or-proft, science-based organization

with a ocus on agronomic education

and research support. “Season-long

excess soil moisture and resulting

compaction rom planting, spraying

and harvest cause poor soil aeration.

“Oxygen is required or root nutri-

ent uptake; damp, compacted soils

are lower in soil oxygen, thus limiting

plants’ ability to uptake K. Continued

wet conditions make the situation more

complex,” Phillips explains.

Insufcient K may lead to reduced

nitrogen uptake, less developed roots,

lower protein content, greater suscep-

tibility to water loss and wilting, as well

as weaker stalks that are more prone

to lodging.

Prolonged cool temperatures plus

wet, compacted soils can cause

irreparable damage to yield potential

since more than 50 percent o the total

K is taken up by corn plants in the frst

50 days. Compaction and wet soils

also may limit K uptake shortly beore

pollination when corn plants remove

more than 15 pounds o K2O per acre

per day.

“Over time, continued removal o Kwithout annual ertilizer application will

lower soil test levels, and yield loss will

occur because K removal is a direct

contributor to crop yield,” says Phillips.

Visit www.Back-to-Basics.net or

more inormation about the importance

o K in a balanced ertility program.

Ohio

Application Rate (lbs N/acre)

C o r n G r a i n Y i e l d ( b

u / a c r e )

250

200

150

100

50

00 80 160 240 320

160 ppm K Soil Test

200 ppm K Soil Test

278 ppm K Soil Test

Figure 2.

Table C.

YEAR

FERTILIZERINVESTMENT/

ACRE($ /acre)

ESTIMATED YIELD

(bu /acre)

FERTILIZERCOST($ /bu)

NEWCROP

PRICES($ /bu)

BUSHELSNEEDED TO

PAY FORFERTILIZER

DOLLARRETURN

PER DOLLARSPENT

2008 $140.27 180 0.78 3.82 36.7 $1.96

2009 $145.63 180 0.81 4.09 35.6 $2.02

2010 (estimated) $ 96.94 180 0.54 4.29 22.6 $3.19

2011 (projected) $113.77 180 0.63 4.04 28.2 $2.56

As o Oct. 1, 2010

Corn—180 bu /acre corn ollowing soybeans; N-P-K = 140–70–55

Fertilizer cost assumptions—N = $0.39 /lb, P2O5 = $0.68 /lb, K2O = $0.40 /lb

Fertilizer cost per bushel = ertilizer cost /yield

Bushels needed to pay or investment in ertilizer = ertilizer cost per acre/new crop price per bushel

*ROI assumes 40 percent o yield comes rom ertilizer (based on university studies)

Dollar return per dollar invested = (0.40 x yield x new crop price)/cost o ertilizer

For updated ino, visitwww.Back-to-Basics.net.




In really wet years, a lot opreplant nitrogen is lost.

Wet weather causes nitrogen losses

somewhere virtually every year. In 2008

and 2009, very wet weather caused

major nitrogen losses in a huge chunko the Corn Belt.

“My rule o thumb is that more than

16 inches o rain rom April through

June – or more than a oot in May and

June – will lead to nitrogen defciency

problems in a substantial number o

cornfelds,” says University o Missouri

agronomist Peter Schar.

According to Schar, last year nearly

all o Missouri, Arkansas, Kentucky,

and Tennessee, plus most o Illinois,

southern Indiana, and eastern Kansas

all had over 16 inches o rain rom Aprilthrough June. In 2008, nearly all o Iowa

and Missouri, plus southern Illinois,

southern Indiana, southern Wisconsin,

eastern Nebraska, eastern Kansas, and

southeastern Minnesota received over

16 inches o rain during those three

crucial months.

“The level o risk depends on nitro-

gen ertilizer management and soil

properties as well as rainall,” says

Schar. “Among preplant applica-

tion strategies, spring application o

anhydrous ammonia has the lowest risk

o nitrogen loss. But any nitrogen-man-

agement strategy can be overwhelmed

by weather.”

Schar developed a Nitrogen

Loss Scoresheet to help growers

identiy felds apt to respond to rescue

nitrogen based on nitrogen source,

date applied, soil type and degree o

wetness. It’s online at http://ppp.mis-

souri.edu/newsletters/ipcm/archives/

v17n10/ipmltr9.htm.

Farmers who went through back-to-

back wet years have been concerned

that the wet all and winter o 2009-10

was setting the stage or another yearo nitrogen (N) losses and yield losses.

“My frm belie ater the last two years

is that every producer and every retail

organization need to have a plan or

making rescue N applications in place

beore the season starts,” says Schar.

“Rescue applications o nitrogen ertil-

izer can be highly proftable when earlier

nitrogen applications have been lost

due to wet weather.”

Schar cites the experience o Wayne

Flanary, a University o Missouri agron-

omy specialist in northwest Missouri.

Flanary applied 180 pounds o N as

anhydrous ammonia in late-November

2008. Nevertheless, corn in a low area

appeared to lack N early in the 2009

growing season. Where Flanary applied

an additional 60 pounds o N as dry

urea in June, the corn yielded 200 bu /

acre. Where he applied an additional


Rescue Nitrogen ApplicationOten Boosts Corn Yields

B Y R I C H F E E

C r o p s a n d S o i l s E d i t o r , S u c c e s s f u l F a r m i n g

Ryan Britt used a high-clearance

applicator to apply rescue nitrogen

or neighbors last year.

Reprinted rom the May– June 2010 issue o Successful Farming magazine. ©2010 Meredith Corporation. All rights reserved.



Figure 3. University o Missouri research agronomist Kelly Nelson developed this chart to show whichsources o nitrogen can be used at dierent growth stages o corn.

Rescue N Application Chart

1 ft. 2 ft. 3 ft. 4 ft.

Between Rows

Broadcast

Ammonium Nitrate, 32% UAN,or Urea + NBPT (Agrotain)

AmmoniumNitrate

Urea

32% UAN

Urea or Urea + NBPT(Agrotain)

120 pounds o N as urea, the corn

yielded 220. Where he didn’t apply any

rescue N, it yielded 170 bu /acre.

Aerial photographs are Schar’s frst

choice or diagnosing N defciency. “You

can get through all your acres much

more quickly and thoroughly based on

aerial photos than by ground-based

inspection,” he says.“At airly early stages (knee high),

aerial photos can help you identiy likely

problem areas but should be ground-

truthed. At later stages (waist high or

taller), aerial photos provide reliable

indicators o which areas are experi-

encing N stress and how severe it is,”

Schar says.

“My research suggests that aerial

photographs can be translated into

yield loss maps that make it easier

to decide how much can be spent

to correct the problem,” says Schar.“Aerial photographs can also be trans-

lated into variable-rate N maps that can

be plugged into a variable-rate appli-

cator. Nitrogen loss is nearly always

patchy, resulting in some areas that

need rescue nitrogen and other areas

that don’t.”

In the absence o aerial images, you

can tell a lot about corn’s N situation

simply by inspecting your felds.

“The appearance o the corn crop

is an excellent diagnostic tool,” says

Schar. “Corn that is light green or

yellow-green is N-defcient nearly 100%

o the time in Missouri. However, corn

growing in waterlogged soil will be

N-defcient even i the N has not been

lost. This makes correct diagnosis more

difcult. Sometimes this yellow corn will

green up when the soil dries out, and

no additional N is needed. By the time

you’ve been able to walk through the

feld or a week, the corn should look

substantially better i the N is still in the

soil. I not, a rescue N application is

called or.”

Several dierent sources o N canbe used or rescue applications. Corn

height and application method must be

considered when determining which N

source to use.

University o Missouri research agrono-

mist Kelly Nelson developed the Rescue

N Application Chart (shown above) based

on research by several agronomists.

Schar says some people are

skeptical about recovering yield once

corn has been substantially stressed

by lack o N.

“My experience and research show

that corn has great capacity to userescue N to produce additional yield

until at least silking,” Nelson says.

“Research by others suggests that

this capacity extends at least a week

and probably usually two weeks past

silking.”

High-clearance applicators, which are

becoming increasingly common, enable

growers to dribble or inject liquid N

between the rows o tall corn.

Ryan Britt o Cliton Hills in north-

central Missouri applied rescue N or

several neighbors last year with the

Hagie applicator shown on the opening

page. Britt arms with his ather, Randy,

and grandather, Wayne.

Concerned about the risk o losing

preplant N, they switched to split appli-

cations o N in 2008. Last year, they

applied 60 pounds o N preplant then

sidedressed in June using N sensors to

adjust the rate on-the-go.

Nitrogen defciency is evident on

lower leaves frst. Yellowing begins

at the tip o the lea and proceeds

down the midrib.

The corn on the let received 40pounds o rescue nitrogen (32%)while the row on the right did not.

The extra N was applied 17 daysbeore this photo was taken onJuly 16, 2005. The preplant ratewas 120 pounds o NH3.

Reprinted rom the May– June 2010 issue o Successful Farming magazine. ©2010 Meredith Corporation. All rights reserved.




Unlocking the Secrets

to Higher Yields

A N I N T E R V I E W W I T H F R E D B E L O W , P h . D .

U n i v e r s i t y o I l l i n o i s a t U r b a n a - C h a m p a i g n



Table E.

Seven Wonderso the Corn Yield World

FACTOR BU/ACRE IMPACT

Weather 70+

Nitrogen 70

Hybrid Selection 50

Previous Crop 25Plant Population 20

Tillage

Growth Regulators 10

Total = 260 bu/A*

*Represents the maximum yield level possiblewhen each o these actors is optimized usingstandard crop management systems today andtypical planting rates o 30,000 to 36,000 plantsper acre.

World demand or ood, eed, fber and

uel is increasing. Dr. Fred Below and

researchers at the University o Illinois—

Urbana-Champaign are assessing new

technologies and designing manage-

ment practices to unlock the secret to

higher yields. Here he shares details o

this eort.You have spent your entire career

looking at corn physiology and factors

that impact yield. What are you focus-

ing on in your current research? There

are many new technologies available to

growers that are changing the ace o

crop production and have the potential

to drive higher crop yields. For example,

today’s genetics are more tolerant o

the stresses o higher plant populations.

Corn rootworm (CRW) protection now

gives us a larger, more intact root system

so the corn plant can absorb nutrients

more efciently. Fungicides protect

plants rom yield-robbing diseases to

maintain plant health longer.

In our research, we’ve seen benefcial

synergies rom combining these manage-

ment tools. To move to the 300-bushel

level and beyond, we have to identiy

the most efcient ways o combining

Table D.

Interaction o Technologies/Practiceson Corn YieldUniversity o Illinois and The Mosaic Company

TRADITIONALPROGRAM*

ENHANCEDPROGRAM**

208 BU /ACRE 274 BU /ACRE

TECHNOLOGY/PRACTICE ADDED TO TRADITIONAL PROGRAM ORREMOVED FROM ENHANCED PROGRAM

YIELD INCREASE ATTRIBUTED TOINDIVIDUAL PRACTICE

BU /ACRE

Additional P, S, Zn (MicroEssentials® SZ™) 7 18

Additional sidedress N 16 24

Higher plant population –15 14

Fungicide application –4 12

Genetics – CRW-resistant (triple-stack) 8 27

* Traditional program — Typical university recommendations without any enhanced inputs** Enhanced program — Typical university recommendations plus all enhanced inputs

these tools. In that eort, our research

is contrasting standard management

practices and planting populations with

a high-yield management approach

that pushes CRW-resistant hybrids

to 45,000 plants per acre, planted in

7½-inch twin rows on a 30-inch center.

It also incorporates 100 pounds o extrasidedress N as a controlled-release

source as well as 100 pounds o P2O5

as MicroEssentials,® even though the

soil test suggested no additional P

was necessary.

As part of your high-management

system, you have ranked seven factors

that impact corn yield, and you refer

to them as the “Seven Wonders.”

Why are they important to success in

high-yield management systems? The

Seven Wonders are weather, nitrogen,

hybrid selection, previous crop, tillage,

plant population and a “catchall” I call

growth regulators that is represented by

the plant-health or perormance aspect

o ungicides.

However, beore we can uncover the

ull potential o the Seven Wonders, there

are base prerequisites that must be

met. They are proper drainage, P and K

levels based on higher yield goals and soil

test values, plus eective weed control.

Your research shows that nitrogen

management has the second-biggest

impact on yield, right behind weather,

but what does your current research

suggest about the importance of man-

aging for P and K levels? There is no

doubt in my mind that to achieve high

yields, you have to meet base ertil-

ity levels in order to get the rest o the

Seven Wonders to reach their greatest

potential. Nitrogen, the Second Wonder,

is a major driver in corn yields, but we

are seeing that a balanced nutrition

approach is critical to helping nitrogenachieve its ull value, particularly toward

the 300-bushel level. We are seeing a

lot more cases impacted by the classic

law o the minimum. I the limiting nutri-

ent is P, K, S or Zn, that one defciency

can prevent the corn rom getting the

ull value o nitrogen applied. This is why

balanced ertility is an important man-

agement component o the high-yield

system I am evaluating.

Dr. Below’s Five Management Factors or a High-Yield Corn System

1 Fertility – 100 lbs o P2O5 as MicroEssentials® SZ™ even though the soil testsuggested no additional P was necessary.

2 Nitrogen – 100 lbs o extra N as a controlled-release source or a total o 280 lbs o nitrogen

3 Hybrid Selection – Triple-stack hybrid, locally adapted or specifcenvironment

4 Population – 45,000 plants/acre planted in 7.5-inch diamond-patterned twin rows

5 Fungicide – Single application o a well-timed ungicide

Photo courtesy o Cargill.




allengesPrairie oses Prod

M A N A G E M E N T P R O F I L E

possibility our soils also need supple-

mental sulur, we’ve been evaluating

MicroEssentials® SZ.™ We’ve seen good

yield response in strip trials.” In his

2009 comparison, the corn receivingMicroEssentials produced 10.9 bu /acre

more than the untreated check and

6.8 bu /acre more than that which

received MAP.

Nitrogen management also is a signif-

cant challenge, according to Friest. “We

monitor our N use very careully. We’ve

seen evidence o signifcant leaching o N

rom all-applied manure, so management

o this resource must be done careully.”

He continues, “We’re not only looking or

economic beneft to our ertility practices,

but also environmental benefts. We needto be good environmental stewards, and

i we can maintain productivity with less

nitrogen, everyone wins.”

Encouraged by a program rom ISA to

cut N use, Friest has decreased N applica-

tion by 25 to 30 percent, or 50 lbs /acre,

and now applies around 150 pounds when

targeting 200-bushel yields on corn

ollowing corn. He preers to apply N in

the spring to reduce the opportunity o

leaching and has seen yield advantages

to sidedressing in June with 50 lbs /acre.

Friest ully expects nutrient manage-

ment to remain high on his list o actors

to evaluate and closely control.

“We have a lot o good tools in our

arsenal. We just need to continue working

to see what fts best,” he concludes.

20/20 AirForce is a trademark o PrecisionPlanting, Inc.

mulch-till compared to moldboard plowing

and no-till.

As one o the original On-Farm Network

participants, he ully utilizes this manage-

ment tool to evaluate the yield beneft o newproducts and crop production practices.

“There are certain requirements partici-

pants must meet, but we can test anything

we’d like as long as there are three

replicated strips across the feld,” Friest

explains. “Through the years, I’ve looked at

hog manure, ungicides, soil insecticides,

tillage, dierent plant populations and

various ertilizers. With all the new traits

available in seed, we are always looking at

new hybrids to see what will work best.”

MOISTURE COMPLICATESNUTRIENT MANAGEMENT

Nutrient management is one o Friest’s

greatest challenges.

“We’ve been working very hard on

nutrient management over the last six

or seven years, and something is always

changing. It is rustrating,” he says.

For example, Friest has seen a

signifcant drop in his normally high P soil

test levels, which he attributes to nutrient

draw-down rom 200 bu /acre corn yields.

He also has ound the use o phytase in

swine eeds has lowered P available rommanure, which is a source o N, P and K

or a portion o his acres.

He explains, “We know hog manure

now will not provide enough P to meet crop

removal rates o P or both corn and the

ollowing soybean crop, so felds receiving

hog manure also receive supplemental P to

provide a base o 120 lbs /acre or our 200

bu /acre yield goal.”

Friest adds, “To meet P needs and the

While most armers are anxiously awaiting

long-promised drought-tolerant corn hybrids,

Denny Friest would welcome moisture-

tolerant hybrids on his north-central Iowa

arm. Too much moisture is oten thebiggest challenge o arming the dense,

poorly drained Clarion-Nicolette-Webster

soils, which are typical o North America’s

vast Prairie Pothole region.

“It’s hard to complain about too much

moisture, but Mother Nature almost always

gives us more than what we’d like to have,”

relates Friest. “Our soil here is heavy, dense

and prone to ponding. I lose ar more yield

to too much moisture than to not enough.

Moisture creates issues rom planting

through the production season.” He has

installed 4-inch tile every 70 eet in severalfelds. Though tiling is not a total solution

to improving crop perormance, it has

decreased yield variability across felds.

TILLAGE IS A “MUST DO”

Friest also has learned getting the crop o

to a good start requires managing all crop

residue using a disk ripper to help soils

warm up and dry out the ollowing spring.

The goal o this mulch-till approach is to

open up the soil but leave 70 percent o the

corn residue on the soil surace. His planter

is equipped with trash whippers to managethe remaining residue and urther warm

the seedbed. A 20/20 AirForce™ system on

the planter is used to optimize seed-to-soil

contact or better germination.

Mulch tillage has proved particularly

essential to maintain yields in corn

ollowing corn. Replicated strip trials

conducted through Friest’s participation

in the Iowa Soybean Association’s On-Farm

Network verifed the advantages o

Denny Friest

Garden City, IowaParticipant, Iowa Soybean Association

On-Farm Network

• Corn• Soybeans• Swine arrow-to-fnish




• The roles o other essential nutrients

such as sulur, magnesium and zinc

in increasing crop yield and quality

• Why new insect-resistant, multi-

trait hybrids may beneft rom a new

approach to ertility

• How to identiy yield-robbing nutrient

defciencies through visual analysis

• How to identiy “hidden defciencies”

not visible to the eye

Visit www.Back-to-Basics.net

Order or bookmarkthese valuable tools

and online resources:

“Efcient Fertilizer Use” manual. This

comprehensive guide to proper ertilizeruses, soil pH, soil sampling and much

more is FREE! Order the CD-ROM, or

access the chapters online.

Legendary billionaire Warren Buett has

inspired legions o ollowers worldwide

to heed his homespun moneymaking

advice: Invest in what you know.

Over a lietime o investments,

including the 40-acre arm he purchased

in the 10th grade, Buet demonstrated

that when investors have an intimate

knowledge about a topic, they naturally

spot more opportunities. The same

is true or armers who gain deeper

knowledge o crop inputs, like ertilizer.

To help armers learn about crop

nutrition to gain confdence in their

ertilizer decisions, The Mosaic

Company developed the ree educa-

tional soil ertility resources ound at

www.Back-to-Basics.net. At this

educational website, armers can learn:• When and why N-P-K applications

alone are not always enough to

optimize yields

B R U S H U P O N S O I L F E R T I L I T Y B A S I C S

Let www.Back-to-Basics.net be Your Guide

Regional agronomic updates. Click

on your region o the interactive map

to receive timely updates on local crop,

soil and weather conditions, along with

nutrient management tips, rom the

expert sta at the IPNI.

Crop nutrient defciency photo library.

Nutrient defciencies in crops reduce

yields, grain/orage quality and profts to

the armer. Browse this image gallery or

help to identiy various nutrient defciency

symptoms or 19 dierent crops.

Ater you visit www.Back-to-Basics.net

to brush up on soil ertility basics, contact

your local ertilizer dealer or help to

ormulate the balanced soil ertility

program needed to optimize your crop

production investment. The more you

know about nutrient needs o yourcrops, and the needs o your soil, the

greater your opportunities to increase

yields and profts.




CROP NUTRIENT UPTAKElb/A

Crop Yield (A) N P205 K20 Mg S

Alala* 8 ton 408 96 392 43 43

10 ton 510 120 490 54 54Barley 120 bu. 166 67 182 17 23

Canola 60 bu. 180 90 150 37 30

Corn 150 bu. 135 57 41 14 12

Stalks 68 24 165 21 11

Total 203 81 206 35 23

200 bu. 180 76 54 18 16

Stalks 90 32 220 46 14

Total 270 108 274 64 30

250 bu. 225 95 68 23 20

Stalks 112 40 275 58 18Total 337 135 343 81 38

Corn Silage 30 ton 291 93 219 60 33

Cotton (lint /seed) 1,500 lbs. 100 44 59 20 17

Stalks 140 28 151 12 19

Total 240 72 210 32 36

Fescue 3.5 ton 130 42 189 13 20

Oats 100 bu. 73 27 18 4 7

Straw 29 15 89 10 10

Total 102 42 107 14 17

Potatoes/Tubers 500 cwt. 160 60 275 15 15

Plants 100 25 150 20 10

Total 260 85 425 35 25

Rice 7,000 lb. 112 60 168 14 12

Ryegrass 5 ton 215 86 215 40 60

Sorghum (grain) 175 bu. 116 68 47 11 11

Soybeans* (grain) 70 bu. 266 59 91 15 13

Stover 77 17 70 15 12

Total 343 76 161 30 25

Sunfower 1.5 ton 151 45 110 21 18

Wheat 80-bu. Grain 120 48 27 12 8

Straw 56 13 96 8 11Total 176 61 123 20 19

©2010. The Mosaic Company. All rights reser ved. MicroEssentials is a registered trademark o The Mosaic Company. MES-0168

* Legumes derive most of the N from symbiotic N fixation.

Source: IPNI and Mosaic

Visit Back-to-Basics.net for information on additional crops.



soil testing to determine ertility needs

o specifc felds and guide ertilizer

and manure application needed or

sustainable crop yields.

Figure 4.

2010 median soil levels and

change rom 2005PHOSPHORUS LEVELS*

SD 13-1

NE 18-4

IA 21-4

MO15-3

IN24-5

MI38-11

MN17-1 WI

23-16

IL24-12

OH 23-2

17

-1

KS 17-4

ON

37-10

KY

POTASSIUM LEVELS**

SD 245-23

NE 320-44

IA 161-11

MO149-1

IN130-14

MI131-18

MN160

+4 WI133+8

IL181+3

OH145-23

99-35

KS 272-22

ON

131

+3KY

*Median Bray P1 equivalent, ppmSoil samples, millions: 2005=2.0; 2010=3.0

**Median ammonium acetate K equivalent, ppmSoil samples, millions: 2005=2.0; 2010=2.8

are indeed alling in most o the Corn Belt.

The two maps show median soil

P and K levels (50 percent o samples

are above and below these levels) or

the Corn Belt states and Ontario. The

lower numbers in the maps are the

changes rom 2005.

Phosphorus declined in all areas, with

Wisconsin and the Northeast showing

the largest drops. Soil P levels in the

Western states were lower initially, sothe 3 or 4 ppm reductions seen rom

the summary are important to note.

Preliminary data indicates the P level

decline or Illinois is large.

Soil K relative changes were smaller

in comparison and less consistent.

Nine o the 13 areas showed reduc-

tions or virtually no change, and our

showed small increases. All three o

the western-most states showed large

drops in soil K because o highly nega-

tive nutrient balances, but their median

levels are still well above critical levels. The northeast states and Ontario also

saw large reductions in soil K.

The takeaway is that crops have been

removing more P and K rom many o

the soils o the Corn Belt than those

soils have been receiving as ertilizer

or manure, and the result is declining

soil ertility. The wide range o soil test

results reinorces the importance o

The status o soil ertility levels is an

indicator o the sustainability o arming.

Every fve years, the sta o IPNI

and cooperating private and public

laboratories across the United States

and Canada summarize soil test levels

or phosphorus (P) and potassium (K)

as well as pH to get an inventory o soil

ertility levels across North America.

With decreased ertilizer use in

2009 and the long-term trend o cropsremoving soil nutrients aster than

they’re being replenished, many are

interested in the 2010 summary.

Tests confirm that soil test

levels for P and K are falling

in most of the Corn Belt.

First, the good news rom this

summary process is that there has

been a substantial increase in use o

soil testing since 2005; soil testing has

grown at an average o about 300,000samples per year over the last fve years.

We estimate that about 5.5 million

samples were collected in North

America or the 2010 crop compared

to about our million or the 2005 crop.

This is one o the highest growth rates in

soil testing ever in North America.

Unortunately, the results o these tests

confrm that soil test levels or P and K

The Direction o Soil Fertilityin the Corn Belt

B Y P A U L E . F I X E N , P h . D .

I n t e r n a t i o n a l P l a n t N u t r i t i o n I n s t i t u t e




- Alala removes approximately

6 pounds S per acre per ton pro-

duced. A 40 bu /acre wheat y ield willremove about 5 pounds S per acre.

• Sulur is mobile in the soil.

Excessive rainall or irrigation water

can move SO4-S through the soil,

particularly when soils are sandy.

Assessing the need or sulur

As more signs o sulur defciency are

seen in crops, a growing number o

producers will wonder i they need to

supplement S. To identiy where supple-

mental S will be benefcial, it’s important

to understand sulur’s role as a plant

nutrient.

Identiying areas with S defciency

oten begins with organic matter

content o the soil. Fields with low

organic matter and long histories o

orage/silage production or continuous

corn systems with no manure additions

would be more likely to exhibit S def-

ciency. Some nutrient defciencies can

be confrmed with a soil test, but with S

as with N, it is difcult to get a reliable

assessment o available S rom soil

chlorophyll production, which makes

the younger leaves o the plant appear

yellow, a symptom sometimes conusedwith N defciency.

Putting S out o balance

What has changed to bring about a

need or supplemental sulur in crop

production?

• Decreased S deposition rom rain/

air (Figure 5). Since the 1970 Clean

Air Act, emissions o sulur dioxide

have decreased dramatically, resulting

in reduced deposition rom rain/air.

• Changing ertilization practices.

A switch away rom ammonium sul-ate as a source o N and decreased

use o single superphosphate, which

contained some S, means we’re

adding less S to soils. Manure use

also has changed.

• Increased crop removal.

An increase in both grain and orage

yields results in more rapid depletion

o S rom soils.

- A 180 bu /acre corn crop removes

about 14 pounds S per acre.

The frst occurrences o sulur (S)

defciency in corn were reported in the

1960s. At the time, sulur defciencywas virtually unheard o. Textbooks

devoted chapters to nitrogen (N), phos-

phorus (P) and potassium (K) and their

roles in crop production. Sulur received

only short paragraphs.

To sustain optimum crop

yields, the S balance in soils

will need to be maintained

through supplemental S.

Today, the situation is quite dierent.Since the late 1980s, university agrono-

mists rom New York to Kansas,

Michigan to Alabama, have been

observing sulur defciency in crops and

advising growers on the importance o

supplemental sulur. With this change,

S has become the ourth “essential”

nutrient. It is a component o numer-

ous protein enzymes that regulate

photosynthesis and nitrogen fxation.

In act, when S is limiting, there is less


Changes Creating Need or Sulur

B Y D E A N F A I R C H I L D




testing because o sulur’s mobility in

the soil and the varying rates o S min-

eralization rom crop residues. Tissue

testing is considered more reliable, and

comparing samples in the same feld/

hybrid between poor and good areas

may be the best strategy.

Visual symptoms also are an indica-

tor, and plants with severe defciencieshave yellow or white streaks along the

lea veins that may stretch the ull length

o the newer, upper leaves. Probably

the most reliable way to know i a

sulur application will result in a positive

response is to apply some in strips to see

i a dierence in yield can be measured.

Choosing a source osupplemental sulur

Several products are available or cor-

recting or preventing a sulur defciency.

When choosing a product, rememberthat sulur orms vary in their availability

or plant growth. Plants can readily take

up sulate (SO4), so this orm is preerred

or corn and small-grain production as it is

immediately available to developing roots,

helping plants get o to a aster start.

Elemental sulur (S) must be oxidized

into SO4 by soil bacteria beore plants

can take it up. This takes time and is

slowed by cool spring temperatures.

Elemental sulur is more o a slow-

release ertilizer and can be used in a

soil maintenance program or by plants

later in the season. Choosing a ertilizer

source containing elemental sulur also

helps ensure S is available to plants all

season long because it is not as mobile

as sulate, which can move out o the

root zone when precipitation is high.

Sources o sulur or plants

There are several ertilizers available

to supply S when it is needed. The

MicroEssentials® amily o products

provides season-long availability o S byproviding both the elemental and sulate

orms. K-Mag® ertilizer is virtually 100

percent water soluble and provides K,

Mg and S that are immediately available

to plants. Your local agronomist, crop

consultant or ertilizer dealer can help

you assess the right product to optimize

yields in your crop production program.

Table F.

Sulur content o some common ertilizers

MATERIAL NAME S CONTENT (%)

Ammonium sulate (21–0–0–24) 24

Ammonium thiosulate (12–0–0–26) 26

K-Mag® (0–0–21.5) 22

MicroEssentials® S15™ (13–33–0–15S) 15 (7.5 sulate; 7.5 elemental)

MicroEssentials SZ™

(12–40–0–10S-1Zn) 10 (5 sulate, 5 elemental )MicroEssentials S10™ (12–40–0–10S) 10 (5 sulate, 5 elemental)

Potassium sulate (0–0–50) 18

Sulur deposited by precipitationin 1986 compared to 2008

Figure 5. When comparing these maps, it is apparent the 3 –12 pounds per acre o S deposited byprecipitation in 2008 is not enough to replenish the amount o S removed by crops.

2008

1986

National Atmospheric DepositionProgram/National Trends Networkhttp://nadp.sws.uluc.edu




:VTLZLLRHUZ^LYZPU[OLZ[HYZ

6[OLYZSVVR[V[OLZLH

>L»YLÄUKPUNV\YZPU[OLZVPS

Science is a world o

pioneers. Especially the

science o soil. With

more than 40% o crop

yields dependent on

the soil’s ertility, we’re

developing the balanced

ertility strategies to drive

yields even higher. This

initiative has made us a

leader in conservation,

environmental steward-

ship and sustainability.

And kept us in tireless

pursuit o the next great

answer to help the world

grow the ood it needs.

4VZHPJ*VJVT

©2010. The Mosaic Company. All rights reserved. Mosaic is a registered trademark o The Mosaic Company. MOSC-0072



roductionLittle Is ” About Approach


Kim Drackett

Randy BalesLewisville, IndianaFairholme Farms Inc.

• Continuous no-till• Corn, soybeans• Swine arrow-to-fnish

we have the data and have used this

approach or so many years, I believe we’ve

dramatically reduced the variability in our soil

test levels across each feld, and as a result,

have reduced the probability that P, K or pHwill be the limiting actors to grain yield.

“For optimum productivity, our goal is to

maintain phosphorus at 25 ppm and potas-

sium at 150 to 200 ppm, depending on

the cation exchange capacity (CEC). When

soil test data indicates nutrient levels need

to be brought up, we work on a our-year

build program or P, K and lime,” Drackett

adds. “Our typical process is to apply

these nutrients at a build rate, plus one

year’s removal or both corn and soybeans.

Application is done every other year, priorto corn.” Ater our years, i things appear

to be going well, they switch to a mainte-

nance program, occasionally pulling a ew

soil samples to confrm their belies.

INVESTING RESOURCES WISELY

PAYS OFF

Drackett and Bales also plant on a

variable-rate basis, with plant population

ranging rom 26,000 to 35,000 plants

per acre. This allows these armers to

invest resources where they will produce

the most bushels. Nitrogen (N) or corn

on 150 high-management acres near the

swine operation is supplied using irriga-

tion water rom the two-stage lagoon

system. And while all other acres typically

receive anhydrous ammonia as a sidedress

application, the ortuitous addition o a real-

time kinetics (RTK)-guidance auto-steering

system in early 2010 allowed application o

anhydrous preplant.

“We’ve experienced several years when

it has been wet in the month o June,

making it hard to get sidedressing done,”

says Bales, who oversees crop planning

and operations. “I we hadn’t been able

to apply N prior to planting, we probablywould have been dripping liquid N between

the rows with highboys.” Because the

arm has the equipment and labor to apply

anhydrous, Bales estimates the ability to

complete timely application plus the savings

on application cost may have paid or their

investment in the RTK-guidance technology.

GETTING BETTER AT

EVERYTHING

Since 1981, Fairholme Farms has worked

with its crop consultants, Purdue University

and the University o Illinois, to completenumerous on-arm trials. This has helped

them achieve a fve-year average yield

o 165 bu /acre on corn and 59 bu /ac on

soybeans. While Drackett and Bales are

always game to try something new, they

like to have proo it works.

With their experience in crop production

and rom what they’ve seen through previ-

ous on-arm research, the duo is convinced

reaching the industry’s 300-bushel yield

goal will require everything coming together.

“We are going to have to get better at

everything,” says Drackett. “We’ll need

more plants per acre, better soil tilth, more

balanced nutrition, and better hybrids and

varieties. On the nutrient side, we will need

to use ertilizer ormulations as well as

technologies that provide nutrition through-

out the entire growing season. Finding what

works is why we’ve been doing on-arm

research so long and why we will continue

to do so.”

Both Kim Drackett and Randy Bales

describe 1,850-acre Fairholme Farms as

“a typical eastern Corn Belt operation,” but

their management approach is, and long

has been, anything but typical.For example, the operation began

2.5-acre grid sampling in the 1950s. At the

time, they variable-rate-applied ertilizer by

simply driving a gear slower with the tractor

and ertilizer spreader in areas that needed

more nutrients.

Drackett then worked with other armers

to orm a local Maximum Economic Yield

group, and together the group enlisted

a local retailer to invest in variable-rate

application equipment. In 1992, the arm’s

frst yield data was collected. In 1997, aterworking with a crop consultant and Purdue

University to complete a statistical evalua-

tion o what size soil test grid captured the

variability in their soils, they switched to

sampling on a 1-acre grid.

VARIABLE-RATE PROGRAM BASED

ON CALCULATED SOIL TEST

Today, the operation soil-samples on

a 1-acre grid every six to eight years.

Fairholme Farms’ zone management–

based variable-rate crop nutrition program

is built using a beginning soil test and

a soil test value calculated between soil

tests by combining the base soil test with

nutrient applications and crop removal

rates rom yield data. While sampling on a

1-acre grid is costly, the expense is spread

over more years, and the resulting nutrient

management process has helped eliminate

variability in soil test levels.

“So much o crop risk management is

reducing variability,” says Drackett. “Since





Managing P Soil Test Values

B Y G Y L E S W . R A N D A L L , P h . D .

U n v e r s i t y o M i n n e s o t a — W a s e c a



P to be available in the soil.

Maintaining high STP values gives

growers the exibility to skip P ertiliza-

tion without sacrifcing yield. Moreover,

the risk o ailing to maximize yield

in exceptional years is reduced bymaintaining STP at high levels. Less-

than-high STP values can easily be yield

limiting, resulting in potential yield being

let in the feld. Finally, high STP gives

extra resource value to the land, provid-

ing better return on investment to both

the landowner and renter.

Visit www.Back-to-Basics.net or

more inormation on soil testing and

managing phosphorus.

Soil testing is the best tool armers have

or determining and managing phos-

phorus (P) levels in their felds. Testing

can confrm increases in soil test phos-

phorus (STP) resulting rom application

o P and also document how much

crop removal has decreased STP.

Unortunately, in the last decade or

two, STP has declined in many areaso the Corn Belt. The steady decline is

generally due to increasing yields, which

remove greater levels o P rom the soil,

coupled with P application rates that

oten have allen below crop nutrient

removal rates (Table G). This trend is

particularly evident or rented land when

the renter chooses to mine P rom the

soil rather than apply ertilizer or manure

P at a rate sufcient to maintain STP at

an optimum level.

Building P soil test valuesSince nutrients removed by the crop

need to be replaced by ertilizer or

manure P to maintain soil test P values,

armers oten ask, “How much phos-

phate will it take to raise my STP value

to the optimum level?” This is a difcult

question to answer as the amount o

P required depends on current and tar-

geted STP levels, subsoil P level, depth

o P2O5 incorporation and crop yields/

nutrient removal during the time rame

in which the STP is to be increased.

A common rule o thumb developed

by University o Illinois researchers

says 18 pounds P2O5 per acre will

increase Bray P1 by 1 ppm. In a 12-year

Minnesota study during the ’70s and

’80s, with corn yields averaging 150

bu /acre, Bray P1 STP was maintained

at 20 ppm with an annual 50-pounds-

P2O5-per-acre rate. STP increased 1

ppm per year when an additional 30

pounds P2O5 per acre were applied

annually. Thus, given the many variables

involved, annual soil testing is an excel-lent way to monitor changes in STP or

each particular situation.

Recent research indicates high soil

test P values may be necessary or

economically successul corn and

soybean production. A three-year study

in Minnesota compared yields o corn

and soybeans grown on low P-testing

soil and very high P-testing soil. A

50-pounds-P2O5-per-acre rate was

Table G.

Calculate P and K Removal rates

To calculate phosphorus (P) and potassium (K) removal rates in corn grain and

soybean seed, multiply yield by estimated P and K removal constants.

CORN

P Removal Rate = corn yield bu. X .35 (P2O5 /bu. removal constant)

K Removal Rate = corn yield bu. X .25 (K2O/bu. removal constant)

SOYBEAN

P Removal Rate = soybean yield bu. X .85 (P2O5 /bu. removal constant)

K Removal Rate = soybean yield bu. X 1.3 (K2O/bu. removal constant)

Source: G. Randall, University o Minnesota

applied or corn each year ollowed by

no additional P or soybeans the next

year. All other inputs were similar across

both STP regimes.

Table H shows the economic penalty

(nearly $120 per acre per year) o low-testing compared to very-high-testing

soils even when P ertilizer is applied.

This illustrates urther that managing

soil phosphorus levels is critical as

armers attempt to maximize the

return on their ertilizer dollar. Knowing

the soil test P status o soils is espe-

cially important on rented or recently

acquired acres. Simply said, high yields

require high P uptake, which requires

Table H.

Soil Test P Impact on Yield, Economic Return

LOW STP7 PPM

VERY HIGHSTP 25 PPM

YIELDDIFFERENCE

ECONOMICBENEFIT PER

ACRE FOR VERYHIGH STP

P2O5 prior to corn 50 lbs /A 50 lbs /A

Corn yield 3-yr avg. 167 bu 193 bu 26 bu$117

($4.50/bu)

Soybean yield 3-yr avg. 39 bu 49 bu 10 bu$97.50

($9.75/bu)

Source: G. Randall, University o Minnesota




ance An “E g ” eaves Nothin


Kriss Schroeder

Colby, Kansas• Corn• Wheat• Sorghum• Sunower• Dryland, no-till, intensive management

rom 0 to 6 inches and also 6 to 24 inches.

In years in which nutrient leaching is sus-

pected, N, Cl and S are evaluated at 24- to

48-inch depths.

NUTRIENT PLAN ADJUSTED,BALANCED EACH YEAR

Using a spreadsheet built ollowing nutri-

ent recommendations rom Kansas State

University, Schroeder develops a balanced

nutrient program or each feld, each

year, adjusting the rates up or down a bit

depending on expectations or the growing

season. He stresses the importance o

ormulating a program every year on every

feld and balancing nutrition or his crops.

“I you’re taking vitamins, you don’t load

up on vitamin C and orget about vitamin

A, calcium and other nutrients,” he says.

“Plants are no dierent. I you load up one

nutrient and another nutrient is limiting,

that will limit your yields. I strive to make

sure nothing I can control limits my yields.”

At planting, granular ertilizer is applied

as a starter with the planter or drill. He uses

MicroEssentials® SZ™ as his source or P,

N, Zn, S and supplements it with additional

K as needed. Liquid nitrogen in the orm

o UAN is streamed on in a band every

15 inches in the all or winter ater thesoil temperature drops below 50 degrees.

I moisture conditions are avorable or a

bumper crop, additional N is occasionally

applied in the spring.

Yields are proo Schroeder has ound the

“edge” he needs or success. His whole-

arm averages or each crop are well above

average or the area.

year, he studies seed and ertilizer test

plots and does his own on-arm testing o

new genetics as well as other crop produc-

tion products.

“On-arm research is the un part oarming. There are a lot o dierences

in soils, and something that might work

200 miles rom here may not work here,”

he explains. “On-arm research is risk

management. Beore you spend thousands

o dollars on something, you’d better know

it works.”

SOIL TESTING EVERY YEAR

Another risk-management tool Schroeder

employs is annual soil testing o every feld.

While he has experimented with 2.5-acregrid sampling, he currently samples every

8 to 10 acres and combines samples rom

like soils within each feld.

“Through the years, the greatest variabil-

ity we’ve seen rom a nutrition standpoint

is due to mineralization o nutrients rom

the previous crop’s residue,” Schroeder

explains. “Some years we have a air

amount o rain and heat. That mineralizes a

lot o nutrients. I the ollowing year is dry,

we may not have as much mineralization,

so we’ll need to apply more ertilizer.” He

estimates this variability can range rom anearly insignifcant amount to the crop’s

ull requirement rom the lowest to highest

years; thereore, he is not confdent in

building a nutrient program based strictly

on estimated crop removal.

Levels o mobile nutrients, nitrogen (N),

chloride (Cl) and sulur (S), also are hard to

predict without annual soil tests because o

leaching. Soil samples typically are pulled

In 1991, when Kriss Schroeder put away

his veterinary license and came home to

arm near Colby, Kan., he knew he’d need

an edge to make a living in the dryland-

cropping region.Schroeder adopted an intensive manage-

ment program that took a 180-degree

approach to traditional summer-allow

wheat production. By switching to continu-

ous no-till, he now raises a crop every year,

on every acre.

“Water is by ar our number one limiting

actor to crop production. By switching to

no-till, I elt I would be able to conserve

enough moisture to grow a crop every

year,” relates Schroeder. “We do this by

keeping as much residue on the surace aspossible and not letting anything grow that

doesn’t produce income.”

With 70 percent o his acres in corn, he

ollows a two- to three-year cycle o the

same crop, rather than rotating yearly. This

enhances weed control and reduces the

risk that can come rom needing to drill

wheat immediately ollowing the combine

in the all.

Residue preservation involves stripper-

headers during wheat harvest and keeping

the header as high as possible during corn,

sorghum and sunower harvest so moreresidue stands longer. Stubble and stalks

are moisture-management assets providing

shade, snow-holding capacity and protec-

tion rom drying winds. Weeds are killed

beore they can steal moisture.

Beyond conserving moisture, the north-

west Kansas armer believes good genetics

and a balanced soil ertility program are the

most important acets o his success. Each




Magnesium—Oten Forgotten, but Most Essential

• Increasing rates o needed K ertil-

izers will put greater stress on Mg

absorption. This places more K ionsin the soil solution to compete with

Mg ions or uptake by plant roots.

• Root uptake difculties brought on

by soil acidity, by soil ooding or

compaction, or by reduced-tillage

practices.

• Greater removal o Mg rom the

feld occurs due to increasing yields

and multiple cropping. (Nutrient

uptake values or individual crops

are presented on page 12.)

Higher crop yield and qualityMagnesium’s contributions to yield

and quality are both crop and site

specifc. Scientists in Minnesota, or

example, pay special attention to the

Mg status o orage crops to help avoid

an Mg shortage in the diet o ruminant

animals. Magnesium’s contributions to

crop quality are seldom visible since

it works behind the scenes regulating

enzyme systems, producing sugars or

helping with other vital crop activities.

University specialists in the Southeast

United States point out that a shortageo Mg is most likely or high-yield crops

growing on acidic, sandy soils o the

Coastal Plain.

Vegetable crops are oten responsive

to ertilizer Mg. For example, Mg

improved the protein content o potatoes

and reduced internal discoloration while

increasing frmness. Color disorders in

tomatoes were reduced by balancing

Mg and K in the ertilization program.

Yield response has been noted or

dierent crops growing on low-testing

soils: 1) Mg increased potato yield rom

6.7 to 8.7 tons per acre in Michigan;

2) 50 lbs/acre o Mg increased tomato

yield rom 16.5 to 20.3 tons/acre; and

3) Mg increased corn grain yield at three

locations on low-Mg coastal plain soils.

To learn more about the role o

magnesium in crop production,

visit www.Back-to-Basics.net.

Without photosynthesis, plant lie would

not exist. And without magnesium (Mg),

there would be no photosynthesis.Plants could not produce our ood, and

hunger would become our number one

concern.

Oten the “orgotten nutrient,” Mg is

the most essential o the 17 nutrients

needed or plant growth. It is a vital

team player working with other nutri-

ents and is essential or top-proft crop

production.

Contributions to plant growth

As the central ion in the chlorophyll

molecule, Mg is essential or photosyn-thesis. It works with phosphorus (P) to

transer energy needed within the plant

or growth, and it works with nitrogen

(N), sulur (S) and potassium (K) to build

quality protein. Seed ormation requires

both Mg and P.

Crop and soil needs or Mgare science based

Soil tests are the most reliable way

to determine Mg availability rom soil

reserves. The soil’s Mg status should

be updated whenever pH, P and Klevels are checked. Remember, crop

response to ertilizer Mg occurs most

oten on acidic, low-exchange-capacity

soils that are low in organic matter and

soil test Mg.

Plant analysis can help to detect a

shortage o Mg. Sample the whole plant

at the seedling stage or corn, small

grains or soybeans. As plants approach

their reproductive stage, specifc leaves

become a better measure o the Mg

status. For many crops, a rule o thumb

is to sample the youngest ully mature

leaves. I possible, collect a soil sample

at the same time and rom the same

area o the plant sample.

Increasing yields will requirehigher Mg levels

• Higher plant populations per acre will

require more nutrients to meet growth

needs.

Time-proven source o Mg

Crop advisors oten address the need

or Mg by incorporating potassium

magnesium sulate (K-Mag® ) into a

balanced ertilization program. Also

known as langbeinite or double sulate

o potash, K-Mag is sourced rom ore

beds deep beneath the earth’s surace.

Langbeinite, an evaporite mineral, isone o the most soluble salts in the

ocean. As a result, K-Mag is virtually

100 percent water soluble and the Mg,

K and S it provides are immediately

available to crops.

B Y N O B L E U N D E R W O O D

I P N I — R e t i r e d A g r i - T e c h S e r v i c e s L L C , P r e s i d e n t





Understanding Zinc Defciency

B Y D A N F R O E H L I C H , P h . D .




lower soil temperature and higher soil

moisture level. These conditions put

stress on a small root system, making

it difcult to uptake required Zn, as

well as P and Mg.

• Low organic matter. Zinc availability

also has been linked to soil organic

matter content. The soil test or Zn

usually increases as the soil organicmatter content increases. So, Zn

defciency symptoms will usually

appear frst on eroded portions o the

landscape where the organic matter

content is low.

• Early crop-planting windows.

Corn and certain vegetables are

being seeded earlier in the spring,

when soils are cool and moist. This

compounds the stress on seed-

lings caused by reduced tillage, and

makes a readily available supply o Zn

and other nutrients even more impor-tant to ensure early plant growth.

• Soils testing low in Zn and high

in P. Soil-test each feld to help

identiy where crops will respond to

Zn. Fields that test low in Zn and high

in soil pH and P need attention frst.

University scientists report that a low

Zn level, teamed with a high soil pH,

can increase crop uptake o P to an

excessive level. A shortage o Zn

severely impairs the plant’s ability to

regulate P accumulation. This triggers

excess uptake o P and the develop-ment o Zn defciency symptoms.

Getting ready or next year’scrops starts now

Soil and plant analysis labs provide

guidelines or sampling felds, evaluating

crop need or Zn and determining the

amount o ertilizer Zn needed to correct

a defciency.

Soil-sample felds careully, and

analyze the lab reports on a feld-by-

feld, crop-by-crop basis with your

agronomic advisor. Remember, a Zn

defciency is oten not visible at the high-

yield level. Thus, soil and plant analysis

are key detection tools. Knowing the

other conditions that create resis-

tance to root uptake o Zn will help to

determine when Zn should become a

member o the balanced nutrient team.

To learn more about zinc, visit

www.Back-to-Basics.net.

Zinc (Zn) has been put to work on arms

or decades. Fencing wire and nails are

galvanized with zinc to prevent rust.

Metal buckets are coated with zinc to

last longer. However, zinc’s most impor-

tant job is in the feld, as one o the 17

essential elements in plant growth.

Zinc defciency is growing in the

Midwest, and it is more likely to occurin corn than soybean felds. This is

due in part to earlier planting o corn in

cool and moist soil. Also, more residue

resulting rom conservation tillage and

higher grain yields places added stress

on seedlings to absorb Zn rom soil.

Zinc is heavily involved in enzyme

systems that regulate the early growth

stages, and is vital or ruit, seed and

root system development, photosynthe-

sis, ormation o plant growth regulators

and crop stress protection. In addition,

Zn is a team player with nitrogen (N),phosphorus (P) and potassium (K).

However, Zn is required in very small

amounts compared to N or K. Only

about a hal-pound o Zn is needed per

acre or high-yield (180 bu/acre) corn

production. Sixty-bushel wheat needs

about 0.28 pound o Zn per acre. Yet,

lack o Zn can limit plant growth, just

like N or K, i the soil is defcient or crop

uptake is restricted.

Give plants a good start

Crops need readily available Zn,especially when plants are young and

growing vigorously. Zn does not move

in the soil, so the small seedling’s root

system may have difculty fnding and

taking up Zn reserves. Zinc availability

and uptake also can be limited by other

environmental and crop management

practices, including:

• Liming to reduce soil acidity.

Availability o Zn to plants declines as

soil pH increases. Zinc is usually more

available as soil pH moves to the acid

side o 7.0. Be alert or a Zn shortage

or sensitive crops growing on soils

with pH 6.0 or higher.

• Low soil temperature. The solubility

or availability o Zn in soil is aected

by soil temperature, and solubility

decreases as soil temperature drops.

• Reduced-tillage systems. Crop

residues on the soil surace at plant-

ing time shade the soil, resulting in a

The photo above illustrates symptoms

o zinc defciency in corn.




Grain-based biouels have both pas-

sionate proponents and opponents,

but political support or these programs

looks solid, particularly i energy prices

trend up as predicted this decade

and grain and oilseed prices remain at

moderate levels due to expected yieldincreases. For example, corn used or

ethanol production in the United States

is projected to increase to more than

135 million tonnes, or about 5.4 billion

bushels, in order to meet blending man-

dates by the middle o this decade.

Given this positive demand outlook,

the challenge or armers around

the world is to produce another

500 million tonnes o grains and

oilseeds per year by the end o

the decade—equal to another U.S.

harvest—and to boost global produc-tion by more than 70 percent by the

middle o this century. Farmers will

need to harvest record area and reap

ever-increasing yields in order or grain

and oilseed supplies to keep pace with

accelerating demand.

Put another way, the horse race

between grain and oilseed supply and

demand looks like a nearly dead heat.

Supply will inch ahead and stocks will

grow when harvests exceed trend as was

the case in 2008 and 2009. Demand

Global demand or the leading grain

and oilseed crops is projected to

increase rom about 2.6 billion tonnes

today to 3.1 billion tonnes in 2020 and

to more than 4.5 billion tonnes in 2050.

In act, demand growth has accelerated

despite the Great Recession and linger-ing ears about the global economy.

Demand has increased at a 2.2 percent

per-year clip during the last fve years

compared to a 1.8 percent per-year pace

during the frst hal o the last decade.

Grain and oilseed demand is ueled

by three key drivers: 1) steady popula-

tion growth, 2) increases in income and

the upgrading o diets by a swelling

middle class, especially in the populous

and rapidly developing countries o

Asia, and 3) the expansion o grain-

based biouels production, particularlythe exponential growth o corn-based

ethanol output in the United States.

All o these demand drivers look

positive. Global population is projected

to increase rom 6.7 billion today to

7.6 billion by the end o the decade

and to more than 9.0 billion by 2050.

Global population currently increases

about 75 million people per year—the

equivalent o adding another Ethiopia to

the world each year.

Based on IHS Global Insight ore-

casts, global GDP per capita in 2005

dollars is projected to increase rom the

Great Recession low o $7,200 to more

than $9,300 in 2020 and to about

$18,700 by 2050. Statistics show

people spend a large percentage o

the increase in income on protein-rich

and more grain-intensive oods such

as meat, eggs and dairy products as

they move rom low to moderate levels

o income.

will inch ahead and stocks will all

when harvests all below trend growth

as is the case this year. Nevertheless,

armers and crop input suppliers

will need to whip the supply horse

in order or it to keep pace with the

demand horse. That is exactly whatutures prices or most agricultural

commodities are signaling today or the

next several crop years: Keep whipping

the supply horse by planting record

area and harvesting record yields year

ater year.

Yet, as highlighted throughout this

supplement, achieving the next genera-

tion o yields will require a complete

bundle o high-technology inputs—

including not only promising new seed

varieties but also more sophisticated

crop nutrient products and practices.For example, eeding 45,000 corn plants

per acre will require innovative products

that uniormly deliver sufcient amounts

o primary as well as secondary nutri-

ents and micronutrients. This also likely

will necessitate more precise placement

or even multiple applications. One thing

we can say with certainty: Meeting

uture demand will require fnding the

most synergistic combination o innova-

tive production technologies with which

to drive tomorrow’s high-yield systems.

;OL7YVK\J[PVU*OHSSLUNLB Y M I K E R A H M , P h . D .





With every new generation, population continues to grow. This means we need more food.

Today’s farmers are leading the way to meet the increasing food demands of the future.

MicroEssentials ® is the next generation of fertilizer designed to meet the needs of your

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go to MicroEssentials.com.

© 2010, The Mosaic Company. All rights reserved. MicroEssentials is a registered trademark of The Mosaic Company. MES-0169

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