Crop Dry Down Yields More Profit
In a press release on agweb.com on November 25, 2019, Farm Journal field agronomist Ken Ferrie discussed a very important trend in his corn test plots. The corn plots that used in-furrow fertilizer technology also included plots in which the in-furrow fertilizer contained various supplements. According to Ferrie, some of the plots with the added supplements produced dryer harvested corn. Ferrie isn't sure what the results mean, but he concluded that the in-furrow fertilizer paid for itself with yield, but also in the cases with the supplement, the entire cost of the fertilizer was covered by the dryer corn.
Since 1955, Growers Mineral, Corp. has recognized that in-furrow applied nutrition that uses high purity and balanced nutrients will result in a crop retaining less harvested moisture. This result suggests that a plant that is grown in conjunction with the microbiological life in the rhizosphere dries down quicker at harvest time. This dry down result is probably related to the healthy start the plant receives early in the growth process. It is kind of the opposite of a "runt hog is always a runt hog." However, the dry down results story does not end at planting time when using the Growers mindset. Many times, Growers Mineral, Corp. also sees crop dry down resulting from the use of foliar feeding GMS and the use of high calcium (Ca) lime from the Growers Program.
As the crop experiences environment stress that affects both the plant and its microbiological complex, crop dry down can be improved by foliar feeding GMS. When a stress event occurs during the growth period, an injection of highly available nutrition can help the crop deal better with the stress. For example, Ken Ferrie's associate Missy Bauer claims soybeans can abort up to 80% of their pod set due to environmental stress. Therefore, foliar feeding GMS prior to blooming can be very helpful for any crop, soybeans included.
When discussing the Growers Program and crop dry down, environmental stress for the microbiological complex could probably be the biggest issue. If the proper Ca addition to soil allows better soil oxidation to occur because of soil flocculation, which is very helpful in times of excess moisture and in times when moisture volumes are very low.
So it seems Ferrie's plots are substantiating the in-furrow portion of GMS; however, Growers Mineral, Corp. has a lot more to discuss with producers. Please contact your local GMS sales representative.
This is an excerpt from the Spring Growers Solution (2021) written by Jim Halbeisen, Director of Research & Education.
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