Northside Elevator is pleased to announce a renewed focus on our precision agronomy program for a customized approach to smarter, more efficient input use. Starting from the ground up, we offer industry leading tools to make you profitable – from GPS based grid soil sampling, dual product variable rate fertilizer applications, variable rate seed prescriptions, yield mapping analysis, UAV (drone) flights, and satellite imagery.
We have invested heavily in these tools to help you improve your return on investment. This is essential with today’s commodity prices – we have an opportunity to utilize these technologies to maintain and grow profitability when margins are tight.
A key area of focus involves our grid soil sampling program. Over the past several years we’ve produced more grain and more forage than ever before. The traditional “starter” or other fertilizer applications that were traditionally applied no longer supplement the nutrients removed in annual production. There’s been a downward trend in nutrient levels – especially Potassium, a key, often yield limiting when low, nutrient for all the crops we grow!
Some growers have been proactive and have begun to combat the nutrient drain using straight rate broadcast corrective applications. Although this is generally a good idea, fields that are not consistently deficient are not receiving the appropriate amount of product in each part of a field. This reduces efficiency of input dollars and in the current market we must utilize input dollars to gain the most efficient return on investment.
This is where grid soil sampling comes in – We can improve nutrient levels using a more balanced approach. If a field has areas with adequate or high soil test scores, fertilizer applications may be reduced or eliminated this year while areas with lower fertility the input dollars may be reallocated there. This allows for a possible increase in yield potential, more efficient input expenditure and therefore an increase the field’s profitability! That’s a Win-Win approach!
Contact Northside Elevator to get set up with grid soil sampling or any of the other precision products and services we offer, today!
Drew Mizgalski
Precision Ag Specialist
715-937-2745
Drew.Mizgalski@dev.northsideelevator.com