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THE LAND, JANUARY 17, 2014
14 A
Cover story: Is 300-bushel corn within reach? “You have By RENAE VANDER SCHAAF to believe The Land Correspondent that you On a subzero, extremely can do it,” windy Jan. 6, Brian and Darren Brian said. Hefty told 400 interested farm“Then work ers that they believe it is possitoward ble to consistently produce 300 that goal. bushels per acre of corn. You can’t Darren Hefty They are even more con- Brian Hefty just look at vinced that this once-thought out-of-reach goal is attainable for one thing; everything needs to be everyone. Even more after Darren’s looked at.” That includes seed genetics plot yielded 307 bushels and Brian’s and traits, fertility products, equip302 bushels in their “Brian versus ment and new pesticide technology. An excellent place to begin is with Darren” plots. the soil itself. Farmers need to conThe growing corn was seen at the stantly, diligently be building up soil Ag PhD 2013 Field Day at their farm and organic matter. Most nutrients are near Baltic, S.D. good in the top three inches, but roots
grow deeper. There need to be nutri- assume their crops are suffering from ents available at deeper soil depths. drought, the reality it is from a lack of “Soil testing is important. We know nutrients. When crops have ample we are depleting our soils and that nutrients, less water is needed. isn’t how we want to Farmers need to ask leave it for our chilthemselves if are they dren,” Brian said. “For are fertilizing for 200You have to evidence of that, take a or 300-bushel corn believe that fence row soil sample, crops. A 200-pound where the land is undisdiammonium phosphate you can do it. turbed, and compare it application only Then work to a field sample.” replaces what was toward that taken off by a 200Soil samples must be goal. You bushel corn crop. properly studied, and can’t look at attention needs to paid Darren Hefty cauone thing; to the base saturation tioned against applying everything test and ratios of everytoo much nitrogen, even thing to everything else. in the form of manure. needs to be He suggests split applylooked at. Ratios matter. At first ing, a little in the fall, glance the potassium more at planting with — Brian Hefty levels may appear adethe rest sidedressed. quate, but when magnesium and calcium levels “It’s important to keep were also high, the plant’s ability to nitrogen out of the nitrate form,” Dartake in potassium is affected, essen- ren said. “Nitrogen stabilizers usually tially rendering the potassium level pay when nitrogen rates and prices are down to deficient levels. high, or when it sits on the top of the He also suggested going back to soil for more than two days or applied where the soil samples were drawn to far ahead of when it is needed.” do plant tissue testing throughout the season. Oftentimes when farmers See YIELD, pg. 15A