Mid-County Messenger Page 2
Mid-County Agronomy
www. midcountycoop. com
Liming, Lime Materials, and Handling
Joe Forner Agronomist( 952) 466-3730 joef @ midcountycoop. com
There are 216 different materials registered with the state of Minnesota as liming materials. Within that list, there are a wide variety of sources ranging from industrial and municipal by-products to quarry lime. Each product can vary greatly in quality of neutralizing capability. In Minnesota, the quality of the liming material is termed as Effective Neutralizing Power( ENP). ENP is factored from a combination of the chemical purity and the fineness of product. Unlike fertilizer, where we have an analysis that stays the same from supplier to supplier and year to year, Ag
Doug Kraska Ag Production Specialist( 952) 466-3730 dougk @ midcountycoop. com
Lime changes greatly from one source to the next and even year to year. The most potent lime available in Minnesota is about 150 % higher in neutralizing capacity than an average quarry lime. The least potent lime has about 7 % of the neutralizing capacity of an average quarry lime and only 3 % of the neutralizing capacity of the most potent lime. It takes 33 tons of the lowest ENP lime to equal 1 ton of the highest ENP lime. Spread-ability is an important criterion for choosing a lime source. Lime sources with a high ENP, may not always be the most functional lime to spread if it has a tendency to bridge or is so fine that it won’ t spread uniformly. Consistency of product is also of importance. For instance a recommendation may apply to a source with 5 % moisture and then it could change to 35 % moisture, which will change the underlying ENP and can change the spread pattern, making for an inconsistent application. Stockpiling lime at the field for an extended period of time can also adversely affect the uniform application of lime, especially in times of heavy precipitation and late in the season if the lime starts to freeze. Other issues with stockpiling are finding a suitable area that isn’ t in crop. Dumping lime onto an existing crop, corn in particular, can create problems with uniform flow. The best is to wait until after the crop is off of the field, find a dry and level area on the field, scrape any stalks away from the dump site, dump the lime, and spread it within 24 hours for optimal performance. If you think that you may need lime or if you have a conventional soil test that indicates low pH, this would be a good time to grid sample the field. A lime application may cost $ 50 to $ 100 per acre. By grid sampling we can target the areas of the field that need the lime and not apply it to the high pH areas that do not need lime. Next to tiling and drainage, having the correct pH is the most important long-term management practice that you do on your farm.
Maximize profit with the best seed hybrids
The seed world is getting more complicated. Last year we had quad stacked, triple stacked, double stacked and now Smartstax corns. With Smartstax corn we can reduce our refuge acres to 5 %. Dekalb, Producers, Croplan, and Stine will have Smartstax corn available in their elite varieties. Also available this year will be Roundup Ready II soybeans, which will have a yield advantage. As we near harvest season, now is the time to evaluate your corn varieties that were planted. Some of the things to look for are: how well did the varieties pollinate, are there any leaf diseases or nutrient deficiencies, is there any root rot starting? Look at the root development: is there root worm feeding, is the corn standing, and when will harvest begin with normal temps? All seed companies have some great hybrids and some average hybrids. Diversifying your hybrid selection from different seed companies and picking only the great hybrids can increase your profit per acre. Receiving an extra 5 % discount or free seed when buying all your seed from one company won’ t pay for the extra yield advantage on $ 3 corn you could get by choosing only the great varieties. At Mid-County we offer you the best opportunity for a profit per acre with the least amount of risk with the seed companies we represent: DEKALB, NK, PRODUCERS, CROPLAN, and STINE.
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1935- 2010 ANNIVERSARY