Time to start thinking about fall soil sampling
Although it’s still summer, harvest of seed corn and early maturing soybeans is just a few short weeks away. With continued uncertainty in commodities markets likely to extend into the foreseeable future, getting a fall game plan in place now that will maximize nutrient use efficiency and eliminate unnecessary expenses is more important than ever. Getting quality soil sampling on 2.5 to 5.0-acre grids provides you with a level of detail sufficient to make variable rate applications of phosphorus, potassium, and lime. Many will say lime alone pays for the sampling. In addition, average savings per acre on dry fertilizer will run about $5-$10 per year. With sampling costs running in the $8-10$/ac range, that’s just $2-$2.50 per year for fields sampled on a 4-year rotation. The payoff to this added level of management is significant – just a couple bucks per acre per year to make $10 or $20.
North Iowa Agronomy Partners is an independent third-party provider of soil sampling. We aren’t in the business of selling more fertilizer or other inputs - our recommendations are based only on what you need to reach your crop yield and fertility goals. All NIAP samples are taken by a Certified Crop Advisor – none of our work is out-sourced to seasonal or part time help. We pull 12-14 cores at each grid or sample zone to ensure accuracy, whereas most of our competitors only pull 6-10. Once the samples are back from the lab, we will provide you and your retailer a prescription to VRT P, K, and lime on your fields. You will also receive an easy to understand printed booklet with all your results and recommendations.
Our software allows us to work with any retailer and any type of machine or rate controller. All of the data we collect is yours – at any time, we will provide you with shape files, results, and other related information to allow you to transfer your results to any software platform. Because we work with both retailers and farmers, our direct prices are often $1-$3 per acre cheaper than your local coop or service provider. We bring value to our clients by being an unbiased independent company, providing accurate and repeatable results, and by offering recommendations tailored to each farmer and field.
Please contact us HERE to set up your fall sampling now!
- Jeremy Sills, CCA