nebraska | 406 - 11/19/2023 17:12 Conventional “maintenance” fertilizer recs are based on calculated nutrient removal rates as found in the harvested grain. Strip tillers often advocate a 25-ish % reduction of applied fertility while experiencing no decline in soil test values. The premise is “banding equals improved nutrient efficiency”. Many strip tillers are students of what I would call conventional textbook agronomy (relying on calculated removal rates and utilizing conventional widely available nutrient sources). Banding is leveraged as a way to somewhat depart from this conventional agronomy, but yet we don’t account for where the nutrients in the grain are coming from. We cite soil samples that are holding steady - as proof that the system of improved efficiency is working. If all nutrients found in the grain are a result of direct nutrient transfer from the soil - how is this all possible? The math doesn’t work. I’m not advocating for increasing nutrient applications. I’m simply inquiring as to how the math works - when the math doesn’t work? If I’m not applying full removal rates, and my soil tests are holding steady…….? You are right. Removal rates, or taking so much out of the soil is a myth. Take a corn stalk, and burn it. Then weigh the ashes. Then tell me that your last crop took of 150lbs of N. 90% of everything grown is ABOVE ground, made possible by photosynthesis.
We can take N out of the air for free...and it's readily available to the plant!!! Do you like to pay $100.00 to $150.00 an acre for N, when you could get your soils working and BUILD UP free N every single day? It IS proven in the soil test, providing that we know what we are looking at. How many of you actually know how to read the soil test, and what it is telling you? Do you have a "BASE" of what the minerals are supposed to be? And, do you know how one mineral affects the other in every cases? Its called BIOLOGICAL TRANSMUTATIONS. Big word, and big consequences if you don't know what's what. I am not belittling anyone if you don't know. I like to help producers IF they want some. I've been doing this since the 90's, and I can assure you, that I learn something every day! I will be glad to share what I have been taught. It should be a priority to ALL PRODUCERS, BOTH GRAIN AND LIVESTOCK. And remember this, if you build a healthy soil, then the soil will grow a healthy plant! Isn't that the goal for all of us? |
Let’s talk removal rates
