| Corn | Soybeans |
| Small Grains | |
| Peas | Sweet Corn |
PRODUCT VIDEOSJanuary - February 2011
Field To Plate Seminars: DEFEND YOURSELF AGAINST GLYPHOSATE!
The most important take home message from the last couple of Field to Plate Seminars is you can protect yourself from the chronic and current residues of glyphosate use.
Expert researchers like Dr. Don Huber and Dr. Robert Kremer agree that trace minerals will help overcome the strong tie up by glyphosate, either in the plant or in the soil. Foliar fertilizers have been shown to be 8-10 times more efficient than the same nutrient applied to the soil. Including a proper foliar is a must to insure that the essential trace minerals are absorbed and utilized by the crop at the appropriate stage of growth. This is one of the keys to successful yield management. You can add the correct minerals and growth enhancers at the proper stage of growth to insure the crop does not lack the keys to achieve the next stage in a robust and invigorated state.
Foliars like Defender G4 and Defender G4+ offer this advantage! The use rate is 24-32 oz/acre at $3.40/acre for Defender G4 and $8.00/acre for Defender G4+. The difference is that Defender G4+ has our Foliar Stimulate and WakeUp included which would increase the punch and reduce another trip to apply Foliar Stimulate. By using these product s you gain an advantage in crop health and yield as well as a significant return on your investment. Both products can be tank mixed with most herbicides, including glyphosate.
Another foliar duo is Foliar Stimulate and Foliar Seed Set. These products are applied in separate passes and are increasing yields and quality in both corn and soybeans. Foliar Stimulate is applied at 24 oz/acre in both corn and beans, at early vegetative state. Foliar Seed Set is applied at 3 quarts/acre per application. This increases test weight and helps fill out the tip in corn. In beans, Foliar Seed Set applied twice increases blossom and pod clustering. These products can be combined with other plant protection chemicals. This reallocating of materials and management takes a bit more time and effort, but the returns are excellent. You can maximize your potential from every acre and we can stand ready to help you.
Bob's Streit's AG NEWS
The latest crop forecast size was released a few weeks ago and it lowered the bushel carryout to the lowest levels seen in years. Thus the markets remain strong and look like they should stay that way, which is great for grain producers, but not such a good thing for livestock feeders. It works for ethanol producers as long as the price of fuel also rises, which it has. If you include the increase in prices for many other goods, one can paint a picture for much higher inflation over the next few quarters.
Crop Update Sessions
The series of meetings being held across the state are those of the 'Crop Update' meetings. These are designed to cover a variety of topics that are important to crop producers in each part of the state. In previous years these meetings were well worth attending. Check with their web site or your local extension office as to when they will be held in your area.
Nitrogen Management
We just had one of the wetter seasons on record which followed one of the wetter years every. Nitrogen management was a huge item in both years as shortages of nitrogen caused yield losses of 25 to 50+ Bu/A. In hindsight, it is easy to say that one should have been using a sidedressing program to help address those shortages. Looking toward the 2011 season we can predict either a wet or a dry season and high nitrogen prices. Obtaining the greatest efficiencies with the dollars spent for N will be our goal under either scenario. So what will be the best nitrogen program?
The correct program, correctly guessed at without the use of a crystal ball, will likely utilize two or three sources of nitrogen that will release the nutrient throughout the season so no shortages occur during the critical stages. If an operator insists on making this application all preplant will likely mean applying 82% and then 32% with a stabilizer. If it is applied just prior to planting, the program will likely be using AMS plus the 32% with a stabilizer. If the machinery and labor will allow split applications then either 82% or 32% with a stabilizer, possibly some AMS and/or sidedressed 32% would suffice. We have seen the stabilizers such as Nutrisphere look very good in 2010. In 2009 there were challenges as heavy residue amounts and more corn on corn caused heavy rates of nitrogen tie-up. In a previous column I mentioned that the Y-No Till dribblers are a new tool that allow high clearance sprayers and pull type rigs to place the liquid N solutions right next to the base of the plants. This eliminates the risk of having dry soils in the upper profile decreasing the availability of those solutions to the roots.
Escalating Fertilizer Prices
With higher grain prices comes the desire by most input suppliers to garner a portion of those gross dollars. That looks to be the case as it was back in 2008. Since that time the prices for P and K dropped dramatically and many retailers feel they got burned severely by several big suppliers. Due to that learning experience they now don't want to shoulder the entire burden of buying and inventorying all of the fertilizers. As far as what retailers and growers should do about the current situation, they should stay current with soil tests so they can formulate their fertility programs several years in advance. Then they may have the flexibility to do their buying when prices have slacked off.
In the future we will likely see more foliar applications of fertilizers as research has proven that the efficiencies can be much greater than soil applied products. The trick then is to know what the rules are for application rates, pH of the mixes, and timings.
Managing Each Field for their Biological Components
In the past few years I have had the chance to learn more about soil microbiology and how important it is to good cropping. It is crucial to know the biological components of the soil, their activity and purposes, and how to foster their growth.
Why is such knowledge important? If we are going to be successful in keeping our major crops healthy we need to recognize and manage the major soilborne diseases. Losing four or more weeks of grain fill with the corn and bean crop is having a devastating effect on individual farm productivity in Iowa and other states and will continue to do so unless we take a proactive approach in diagnosing and managing the problem. For 2011 that means cont rol l ing the Fusarium, Anthracnose, and other pathogenic fungal populations in the fields. Along with that step, there should be variety selection, foliar micronutrients, and biological remediation. Doing tillage to the soil is not going to accomplish this task. Expect to see different biological mixes that have recently been introduced to the market or soon will be. I have experimented with SabrEx or Rhizofos which have great merit. I have learned of a few more that have been under development and will be tested this coming season. They focus in on the Trichodermas and Pseudomonas. Stay tuned for information about these.
Methyl Iodide Approved For Strawberries
Most of the strawberries on grocery store shelves are produced in California where a known carcinogen, Methyl Iodide, was approved in December 2010 for use. Methyl Iodide is associated with miscarriages and thyroid disease. It can bind to your DNA and change the way your genes are expressed. It would be wise to follow this breaking news to consider whether you might want to buy grocery store strawberries this year. Remember, they said that glyphosate was safe.
SmartBiz Farming by Arden Andersen
SmartBiz Farming is the culmination of best practices farm management, fertilizer and nutrition management, environmental protection and regeneration, and sound profitability with the result of producing actual food that is safe, free of chemical toxicity and nutrient dense. Many will call this type of farming "biological farming" and it is biological farming and much more. For many people, biological farming primarily refers to the fertilizer products the farm uses.
SmartBiz Farming is a system of management developed by BRT Ag & Turf and FHR that incorporated biological fertilizer products into a management program that includes best case seed genetics matching to the farm, seed treatment, UTrough nutrient selection & placement, crop progress determined side-dress fertilization and foliar sprays and chemical use, continuous and regular field scouting with soil and crop testing including soil nutrient testing, conductivity testing, and penetrometer testing along with crop brix, conductivity and tissue testing. Special attention is paid to crop growth stages and expression of any obvious or hidden nutrient deficiencies with aggressive follow up fertilization to correct these deficiencies.
Getting started in the SmartBiz Farming program begins with education. Farmers must become familiar with what is happening in their fields and why. They must manage differently if they expect to achieve different results. They must understand that especially in these times of rising input costs and blind application of chemicals, there is a consequence, a cost to every practice. The revelation regarding glyphosate is a perfect example of this issue. Glyphosate is a broad spectrum chelating agent that readily ties up many vital plant nutrients including calcium, magnesium, manganese, copper, zinc, nickel and cobalt. Tissue and soil tests may show adequate nutrient levels but if these nutrients are complexed with glyphosate, they are non-functional in the plant and reduce yield, increase insect and disease susceptibility and reduce crop nutrient density. The SmartBiz program addresses this problem.
Farmers must learn the difference between different fertilizers, when certain nitrogens should be used while others should not; what is the difference between "fruiting" fertilizer mixed and "vegetative" or "growth" fertilizer mixes. These are key details that set the SmartBiz farmer apart from the standard, typical or mediocre farmer. While the average farmer seeks to compare himself with his neighbor, the SmartBiz farmer compares himself to what should be and is possible on his farm with the best management possible, regardless what his neighbor might or might not be doing.
CROP INSURANCE
See what we have for crop insurance. Call Chris Adams about hail and wind policies that offer coverage until Oct. 15 and protect up to 129% of your APH. There are many options to get the most from your insurance dollar. Chris Adams 319-929-4746 or 319-227-7418
Seed for 2011 -- NON-GMO SEED
We believe we have the best seed on the market today! In seed corn we have Prairie Hybrids, Dairyland, Ag Venture, and Nu-Tech. Prices range from $115- $145/unit.
Non-GMO soybean are Excel, Nu-Tech, and Emerge (Schillinger). Prices range from $26-$32/unit. WE TREAT SEEDS TOO!
CBOT for soybeans. This is a buyers market and is on an acre contract.
Call the Ladora office for more details 877-623-7710.
KENT Feeds
Many of you may not know that we are a KENT Feeds dealer. We can get you any of KENT's products. Give Bill a call if you are looking for a source for your bagged feed, mineral, lick tubs, etc. His number is 319-227-7418
Perspective and Attitude by John Mayernak
Perspective is defined as the aspect in which a subject or its parts are mentally viewed. Perspective is how one views and comprehends the world. At the Field to Plate Seminars, many perspectives were presented by some of the founding voices of biological farming. Hopefully these perspectives were not far off of how you view your farming operations and crop health. See what you look at. This simple thought can change your perspective towards a more complete understanding of fertility, farm management, and personal relationships.
However, a clear and advancing perspective is often hindered by attitude. Attitude can be a positive or negative cloud affecting your perspective. If you want a positive outcome from an event or an action, whether current or in the future a positive attitude will influence that event. Biological farming is a slow and methodical progression towards a self-sustaining system. We at BRT/FHR offer the products, services, and consultation based on over 30 years of experience in biological farming. In the beginning change was slow, but every application or mechanical technique had an impact. It was just a question of did we see what we looked at? Obviously we were fortunate, but a positive attitude or an "I can do this" attitude was also very helpful. It was not so much as to pat ourselves on the back, but it helped us to evaluate with a clear and positive mind the incremental progress in the change to grow nutrient dense food and revitalize the soil.
This after all, is why we farm, to provide nourishment and energy for humanity. We welcome everybody to once again enjoy farming by having a positive attitude and reallocating inputs using high-energy fertilizers and natural crop genetics. This will change your perspective from what you are used to seeing to what you will be seeing.
From the Staff and Employees of BRT/FHR,
we would like to thank you for your support and business.
