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Breaking News on Below Ground Management

It amazes me that over the past 20 years of my involvement with Below Ground Management and working with products that improve soil energy output, how many major farm magazine publications are finally catching on. I used to have to research for days to find new information whereas now I can open just about any farm publication and find not only an article but in some cases an entire issue devoted to ways we can improve our soils.

Increased root mass on Idaho corn

The dirt that we plant into, is a living ecosystem that requires attention just the same
as our above ground crops require fertilizer, weed control and insect control. Many leading
soil experts believe that the next major breakthrough in farming, 100 bushel soybeans and 300 bushel corn, will come from a greater emphasis on our soil and our Below Ground Management practices. Since everything that we apply to our soil must first go through a biological process to breakdown and become available to the plant, we at Pro-Soil agree and have the products, knowledge and understanding to assist you in improving your soil year after year.

THE TIME HAS COME TO QUIT TREATING OUR SOIL LIKE DIRT…

The ROOT of it all.

Our primary focus is on the Improvement of Soil Conditions, Quality of Crop and Increased Crop Yields. In addition to evaluating the above ground portion of your crops, we also focus heavily on the increase in root mass that occurs below the ground. Of the 90 individual ingredients in our products, there are 12 inputs that are specifically focused on root stimulation and root formation.

One major benefit to a larger and fuller root system is that plants are able to get to, and utilize more of, the nutrients and water needed to reach their genetic potential. Nutrient availability also reduces stress on the plants and leads to both yield and quality increases.

An equally significant benefit to increased root mass is the quantity of Organic Material being returned back to the soil in the form of roots. In September of this year, Successful Farming Magazine published the article, “6 Components of Soil Quality Management,” regarding the importance of Organic Matter. Some key points in the article include:
• “Soil Organic Matter makes up less than 6% of the soil, but it controls more than 90% of the soil’s function”
• “Organic Matter drives the organisms responsible for healthy soils while it also provides a reservoir of water and nutrients. This helps reduce compaction and increase water infiltration rate.”
• “As for CEC, Organic Matter can hold up to five times more nutrients for plants than can clay.”
• “Good things usually don’t come easy, and that’s the case with increased soil organic matter. You get it by adding crop residue- and more importantly Crop Roots – to the soil.”
• “The best way to add organic matter to the soil is to add MORE ROOTS.”

Ask an Expert…

I am often asked in the field as to what soil types respond most favorably to Below Ground Management strategies.

Keep in mind that we are working with Below Ground principles and improving soil energy output. We have seen excellent results in virtually all soil types. Let’s take a look at the physical properties that we are influencing with our high quality below ground products.

1. We are reducing compaction and relieving surface tension in the soil. (This improves pore space and percolation creating more oxygen in the soil)

2. We are increasing the stores of beneficial microbial activity. (This helps the soil in numerous ways but most importantly it creates more soil balance)

3. We are increasing the root mass on the plant.(This enables the plant to tap into more soil reserve nutrients and long term, a more active soil allows a higher percentage of the root mass to be converted to Organic Matter and humus)

4. We are accelerating residue decomposition. (This improves seedbed preparation and as stated above helps to speed up the process of nutrient conversion)

Control

Treated

UTAH
Alfalfa

 

New seeding alfalfa treated at planting with 16oz. application of Foundation® 1-0-1

2011 – Southern Indiana Soybeans

In the News…

In the mid-February 2011 Progressive Farmer magazine the entire issue was devoted to “Unlocking the secrets of Soil”. The forward written by Editor in Chief Gregg Hillyer was very well written and covered some interesting facts about preserving and improving our soils, but the article that caught my attention the most was titled Microbial Mysteries on page 20. It covered a broad spectrum and range of benefits that microbial life provides to improving the soil as well as the plant. It stated that in 1 gram, that’s right just 1 gram of topsoil, there are over 1 million bacteria, fungi and protozoa. It went on to discuss how all of these microbes form symbiotic relationships and work in harmony to balance our soils. Balance in the soil creates more energy and better release of nutrients along with numerous other side benefits. In the end the higher the populations are of beneficial microbes the more productive a soil is. Very interesting article well worth reading. Ray Trent is the National Field Advisor for Pro-Soil and has 20 years of experience with Below Ground Management products.

Ray Trent is the National Field Advisor for Pro-Soil and has 20 years of experience with Below Ground Management products.

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Experimenting with a number of crop varieties and fertilizer treatments, it wasn’t long before Lynn Hoover concluded that even the best genetics can’t help you overcome worn-out or poor soil.

Lynn is co-owner of Triple L Farm, a successful 120-cow dairy located in Carlisle, Pennsylvania.

Lynn joined his sister and brother in the family-owned and operated venture in 2003 after branching off from their Father’s failing operation. The threesome started out renting a nearby farm where, with the help of one spouse, they milked 50 cows two times per day.

In 2008 the siblings bought their great grandfather’s farm and moved up to a double herring bone parlor and 120 cows milked three times daily.

With the dairy industry facing economic constraints, to be successful Lynn knew he needed technology that could boost soil health and productivity and crop protection that worked more efficiently with less input. But it seemed like everything he tried forced a trade off either on cost, performance or environmental impact.

Then he tried Pro-Soil.

Used as part of a complete management program, a quality microbial fertilizer like Pro-Soil FOUNDATION, Lynn discovered, can increase silage tonnage, milk production and per acre profitability for dairy producers.

HIGH QUALITY HAY

The second cutting of Lynn’s first-year dry land alfalfa, for example, tested at 27% Crude Protein after two application of Pro-Soil.

“The treated vs. non treated Alfalfa also averaged 2% to 4% better each cutting,” says Lynn, who learned that one of the best ways to boost hay quality and yield is to feed the roots. He concentrates on producing a strong root system to support stronger stands and future growth.

To encourage deeper roots, Lynn delays the initial first cutting and takes it only when the soil surface is dry enough to minimize compaction. After every cutting Lynn applies Pro-Soil FOUNDATION at a rate of 16 ounces per acre. The result, Lynn says, is a healthier stand with less thinning, fewer weed problems and higher protein levels.

“The high protein haylage is helping to save on purchased protein which is good!” says Lynn. With such high protein levels, he expects this Alfalfa stand to make 90 lb milk without purchasing additional protein for the ration.

SUPERIOR SILAGE

Cornfields in Southern Pennsylvania experienced severe heat and drought challenges in 2010 that reduced pollination and ear development and resulted in lower tonnage and lower quality silage, which adversely affected dairy herds.

Such was not the case, however, for Lynn’s Pro-Soil treated corn fields. His fields stayed green and hung tough during the adversity, with a noticeable difference in Plant Health compared to untreated neighboring fields.

The root system delivered, stalks remained strong, and the plant made the most of a bad situation by continuing to fill big ears to the tip and put on dry matter, which at harvest amounted to 27 tons per acre — a 7 ton increase compared to the control and a 10.8 ton* advantage over farms in the area even with a 35,000+ population.

*F.I.R.S.T. 2010 Corn Silage Performance Summary for Pennsylvania South East

There should be at least 8 to 20 healthy nodules per plant. (Triple L Farm - 2010)

12 BUSHEL BETTER BEANS

Beginning in the Spring with fast emergence and early growth, Lynn’s Pro-Soil treated soybeans caught his eye. He watched them cruise through pollination and turn a dark green color that he says stayed green until harvest.

“I was surprised to see that after just one application, my Pro-Soil treated soybean plants appeared healthier throughout the season against my untreated soybeans,” Lynn says, “And I was blown away when I counted 90 pods per plant.” (He’d counted only 60 pods on plants from the control plot.)

Ultimately with Pro-Soil FOUNDATION™, Lynn says he gained an 8 to 12 bushel advantage over his untreated beans

TOP 10% – HIGH YIELD CORN

Like many growers planting on poor slate soils in Pennsylvania, Lynn has experienced slow emergence and poor seedling vigor. But he says one application of Pro-Soil FOUNDATION™ made a night a day difference in his corn harvest this year. With a personal best of 177 bushels per acre — 17 bushels more per acre than his best harvest to date — Lynn’s yields rank in the top 10% of high-yield corn in Pennsylvania, which he says, is more than he had hoped for. (The average corn yield in PA is 122 bu/acre.)
PRO-SOIL PERFORMANCE REPORT:

Our Top 10 of 2010

From coast to coast, Pro-Soil Biological Liquid Fertilizer Technology has shown impressive results. In independent research,on-farm field trials, first-year test plots and on farms that for years have been treated biologically with Pro-Soil FOUNDATION, STARTER PRO and TRIPLE 3 VITAL BOOST are seeing bigger roots, improved crop quality and consistently higher yields.What developments will determine trends in fertility during the next quarter century? Microbial products, like Pro-Soil that stimulate plant hormone, enzyme and root systems to help the crop overcome yield barriers caused by stress is the technology of the near future. Our technology can help keep your farm profitable against rising production costs and narrower contract margins and it’s environmentally responsible. Here are some of our top performers:

BUHL, IDAHO — BMZ Ag Solutions’ Ryon Murray notes a substantial increase in root size on a Croplan 3688 96 day corn variety treated with a 16 oz broadcast application of Pro-Soil FOUNDATION™ (right) compared to control (left.) The treated corn yielded 9.4 bushels per acre more.

Nyssa, Oregon

NYSSA, OREGON— These onions are from test plots that were planted on the same day and received identical fertility. In addition, the onion on the right received one application of Pro-Soil STARTER PRO™. The onion on the left did not.

Filer, Idaho

FILER, IDAHO— A Croplan 7428 100-Day Corn variety treated with 16 ounces per acre of Pro-Soil FOUNDATION™ (right) outperforms the control plot of the same variety in a field demo planted three weeks earlier (left.)

100 BUSHEL BEANS

Indiana (non-irrigated)

SMALL FARMS – At 110 bushels per acre with test weights averaging 60 lbs. per bushel, this marks the 5th consecutive season for Ron Small to raise 100-bushel soybeans.
And we’re not talking contest plots. Ron has
proven that 100 bushel soybean yields are possible in real-world conditions on farm-size no-till commercial fields. Biologically managed for eight years, Ron plants early, plants narrow (15 inch) rows and treats 100% of his acres with 12.8 ounces per acre of Pro-Soil FOUNDATION™ which he broadcasts with his first Roundup pass.
Ron says Pro-Soil warms up cold soils and provides immediately available nutrients which enables him to plant as soon as his soils and the weather cooperate.

283 BUSHEL CORN

Indiana (non-irrigated)

MACE’S PLEASANT VALLEY FARMS – Rod Mace reports producing his “BEST CORN EVER!” with one field yielding 283 bushels per acre and a farm average of 212 bushels. That’s *50 bushel per acre more than the average yield of farms in his area
Biologically managed five years, Rod applies
12.8 ounces per acre of Pro-Soil FOUNDATION™ directly in row with the seed; followed by an additional 12.8 oz/ac broadcast application in the Fall.
His third year on the program, Rod dropped applied N down from 180 lbs/acre to 147, which he applies at different times. Rod says split nitrogen applications are “key on this program — spoon-feeding is what I call it.”

*F.I.R.S.T. 2010 Better Hybrids Performance Summary for Indiana South.

THREE TIME’S THE CHARM

BINK LAND AND CATTLE – Our most significant results on wheat have come with anearly season “Prime & Activate” approach developed by researchers and growers like John Bink. This year, John’s wheat averaged 70 bu/acre and tested at 63 lbs./bu — double that of area farms.

Biologically managed for five years, he achieved this with just 30 units of 32-0-0. First John ‘primes’ the soil system by applying FOUNDATION™ as early as possible in the plant’s life. A second application, within six weeks of the first, builds on this to properly ‘activate’ the system (soil microbes.) Last but not least, he follows up with two 12.8 oz top dress applications of Triple 3 Vital Boost™ to add energy when the plants need it most.

Where’s the money in potatoes?

It’s in the roots, not in the tops. More roots mean less stress for the “root dominant” Potato plant, allowing it to produce a superior product. The more roots you have the more stolen-creating hormone will be produced. Without stolen you don’t get tubers which are started by the same hormone. More roots also condition the plant to keep growing during drought and extreme w e ather an d temperatures.

IDAHO (JK Farms) -In a full season of on-farm field research on Norkotah Potatoes conducted by BMZ AG Solutions, a single in-furrow application of Pro-Soil STARTERSTARTER PROPRO™ (16 oz/ac) not only increased root size, but also produced more potatoes at harvest and increased their size. The greatest increase (128%) was in Baker size potatoes. Addi tional increases compared to control included a: 19.4% increase in total sample weight, 53.6% increase in 6 ounce #2’s and an 88.6% decrease in Pink Rot. STARTERSTARTER PROPRO™ works by inducing the potato plant to produce more of its own gr owt h stimulating enzymes and hormones, helping it overcome seasonal stress-related setbacks and prom o t i ng the continued transport of photosynthesis products, minerals and water to the tuber, assuring higher yields and improved size distribution and quality. Uniquely suited to the potato crop, early application of STARTER PROSTARTER PRO™, prior to hooking (tuber set,) has great potential for the seed grower looking for maximum tuber set and uniformly sized tubers.

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Looking Forward To A Golden Harvest In Kansas

Stuart (Stu) Beckman a 3rd generation farmer of Menlo, KS and top Golden Harvest seed dealer was recently interviewed by Pro-Soil.

How long have you been farming?
It started back when my father let me farm a quarter section of corn as a freshman in high school. At graduation he let me buy a 1/2 section irrigated! That was a big deal back in those days.

Initially you were skeptical about using Pro-Soil. What changed your mind?
Eventually it was results, but it wasn’t until year three that I was totally convinced. Until then I trusted Ray Trent. I felt like he knew what he was talking about. He kept telling me to give it 3 years before passing judgment. It will pay off he would say. I reluctantly gave him the benefit of the doubt since he came out to my farm every year to check our fields and always had a great joke to tell. (laughing)

What kind of results have you observed?
The first year we tested everything, irrigated, dryland, corn, beans and wheat. It didn’t show us a lot in yield, but I remember it alwayspaid for itself. Also, we noticed the Pro-Soil treated wheat looked a lot better than the control. Bigger roots, just a healthier looking plant overall. I still think it looked 5 bushel better than the untreated, although it tested about the same.
The 2nd year we focused on corn and turned in a 7 bushel/acre increase, which got myself and my sons attention. When Ray came out we looked at roots and the treated plants were definitely bigger and deeper in the soil.

Family owned and operated, Beckman Farms consists of sons Brandon & Brent and Stu Beckman

This last year (2009) we treated all acres of irrigated corn. The numbers were exciting. We yielded 260.9 bushel/acre on the untreated acres and 275.7 bushel/acre on the Pro-Soil treated acres, an overall yield increase of 14.8 bushel/acre! The numbers don’t lie. This makes using Pro-Soil a no brainer to me. Now I have another tool to help my operation make more NET profit per acre!

What was your highest yielding plot?
277 bushel/acre and a Pro-Soil treated plot.

Research Briefs

Pro-Soil Cotton Grower Wins Award
Johnny Lindley of Lakeview, TX began using Pro-Soil products on his West Texas cotton crop in 2008. All Pro-Soil treated fields yielded over 2,000 lbs/acre and entry into the FiberMax One Ton Club.

The club recognizes growers who produce 2,000 lbs or more of lint cotton per acre on at least 20 acres using FiberMax cotton. He also won the Individual award for Most Acres over one ton at 269.

On a recent visit to the Lindley Farm, Johnny reported to Pro-Soil’s National Field Advisor Ray Trent & Dealer Tim Wyatt “on the Pro-Soil treated fields there was a definite increase in overall plant root mass, a softer more permeable soil allowing water to soak in a little better.”

Cotton:
Three Year Study Determines Pro-Soil’s
Foundation Formula is a Profitable Alternative.
Replicated Yield Results:
Using Pro-Soil’s Formula on Cotton vs. Conventional Treatment

Out of sight out of mind, soil dwelling organisms can be greatly influenced by agricultural practices. Tilling the soil can kill large soil dwelling organisms and reduce the number of earthworms. Pesticides can exterminate microbes and microfauna. Conventional short-rotation, single-crop farming can reduce the diversity, abundance, and activity of beneficial soil fauna, and indirectly encourage proliferation of soil bourne viruses, pathogens, and crop eating insects.
Source: dirt: The Erosion of Civilization

REPORTS FROM THE FIELD:

Real Farm Results: 2009 Cotton

Bio Brings Earthworms Back

Left: Treated with 12.8 oz / acre PS Foundation 1-0-1. Right: Control

I first Became aware of bio’s (biological fertilizers) in 2001 as I recognized there were no more earthworms in my fields. Immediately, I suspected that something was missing (in my soils.)
I have been using the Pro-Soil products since 2001 and have noticed more worms in my ground and the soil has become mellower with increased permeability resulting in crop yield increases. The products definitely work!!!

Bobby Felton
Circle Three Farms
Childress, TX

Advice From A Cotton Grower

I started using Pro-Soil Products in 2005 on a Texas cotton crop. This will be my 5th consecutive cropping season using the Pro-Soil products. Some of the more noticeable results from the product are the massive root growth, softer soil, more early vigor and the increase in the number of earthworms.

My advice to help fellow farmers is to keep a close eye on your bottom line evaluating your input costs throughout the year. I believe in the (Pro-Soil) product or I wouldn’t be using it. Plain and simple.

The first year on the Pro-Soil product I had a test plot & could tell a big difference. After that I decided to put it on every acre.

It was a good decision.

Jason Poole
Jason Poole Farms
Quanah, TX

Does Fertilizer Harm Soil Microbes?

Microbes in the soil are important to the nourishment of plants. Many of them facilitate the chemical conversions and physical transport needed to make nutrients available. Some people claim that soil microbes should supply all the nutrients needed by plants. Some also claim that applying soluble forms of plant nutrients harms the biology in the soil and reduces its capacity to make the native soil nutrients available. Let’s look at the evidence.

The microbes that supply nitrogen (N) are from two categories—symbiotic and free-living. The symbiotic types are mainly rhizobial bacteria that infect the roots of legumes, such as alfalfa and soybeans. These bacteria supply the bulk of the N needs of legumes. However, even genetic engineering has not yet been able to coax the non-legume crops—corn, wheat, canola, potatoes, and many others—to fix N. Most crops depend on N applications in the form of fertilizer, manure, or organic materials.

The free-living bacteria in the soil supply some N as well, but the amounts are limited and are not influenced by fertilizer. A paper published in the journal Nature in 1998 compared nutrient dynamics in three Pennsylvania crop rotations: one fertilized, one manured, and one legume-based. The study found that the free-living bacteria supplied less than 5 lb/A/year, an amount that did not differ between the three rotations. No evidence of harm.

Microbes that help supply phosphorus (P) form an association with plant roots. The association is called “mycorrhizae”, a term that means “fungus-root.” Fungi explore the soil better than roots, because their hyphae are narrower. They can bring P to the root from as far as 4 in. away.

Mycorrhizal fungi depend on the plant for energy in the form of sugar. It is well known that they are more active when P is deficient. But sugar used to feed the mycorrhizae is sugar taken away from grain yield. For example, in a recent field experiment in Quebec, corn depending on mycorrhizae yielded 14% less than when fertilized with P. The fertilizer—even though it was applied at twice the recommended rate—reduced the density of fungal hyphae by 24%, but certainly did not eliminate it. When soil test levels are low, P additions can actually increase mycorrhizal development.

Scientists have recently discovered that mycorrhizae produce a unique substance called glomalin. It may form as much as 30% of the organic matter in soil, and it seems to help maintain soil structure. Dr. Sara Wright, a noted expert on glomalin, recently stated that the best field-scale management for the production of glomalin is to “use minimal disturbance, add no more phosphorus than is required for crop production, and use cover crops.”

Soil microbes depend on plants for their nourishment. Fertilizers that nourish plants also nourish the biology of the soil.

© 2004. Potash & Phosphate Institute of Canada (PPIC) Kathy Hefner, Envirobriefs No. 16 – PPI-PPICC

Ask an Expert

Q:  If I am applying Pro-Soil products do I still need to use a nitrogen stabilizer or additional products that help make phosphorus more available to the plant?

A:  As with any recommendation, many factors come into play involving the release of macro and micronutrients. Soil testing for the availability of nutrients as well as calcium to magnesium ratios, sulfur availability and heavy metal toxicity all play an important part of nutrient release to the plant. Pro-Soil products contain an enzyme concentrate that works to feed and stimulate microbial activity. By increasing the beneficial microbe population in your soil you are working toward increasing the efficiency of all applied nutrients. However, there may be specific individual circumstances that still warrant adding an N Stabilizer or a Phosphorus release type product. They would be as follows:

• During cold and wet conditions at planting time nutrients tend to be more immobile.
• In the event of very low or phosphorus depleted soils where crops have been known to show phosphorus deficiency.

Remember that your Pro-Soil products are working for you to improve soil conditions by increasing root mass, improving pore space and providing a scientifically engineered nutrition source for your microbe populations. These improvements can help by allowing the plant to come in contact with more nutrients (roots) allowing roots to grow deeper with more mass (pore space) and by converting more of the root mass to organic matter and plant available nutrients (microbial activity).

Have a question for Ray?
Email: ask@soil-matters.com or Call 1-800-714-4903
Ray Trent has been helping farmers solve problems for over 15 years. As National Field Advisor for Pro-Soil AgSolutions, Inc., Ray walks between 200,000 to 300,000 crop acres a year.

Sweet & Lovely in Alva, OK

Bob Baker discovers hidden profits in “Below Ground Management”

Baker Farms, OKLAHOMA (2009) – We first met up with Bob Baker in Enid, Oklahoma at the Chisholm Trail Farm Expo in 2003. Bob was the owner of Baker Farm Implements at the time and had a display area set up in the main arena of
the expo.

He came over and visited with us several times and then told us he was interested in getting together

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and using our products on his wheat.

Brett Porter and I drove up to Alva and met Bob at Baker Implements. Bob took
us on a tour of the facility and showed us all the various steps that were required for making Baker plows and
discs.

We then went out and looked at several farms and Bob decided to get enough product to seed treat every acre of his
wheat.

The following spring we came back out and looked at all the fields Bob had put the product on. Simply put, Bob had
some of the best wheat in the entire region and when we started digging roots it was easy to see why.
Bob has remained a loyal customer ever since and now uses the (PS) Winter Wheat Seed Treat Program with Foundation 1-0-1. Bob later makes another product application Using (PS)

Winter Wheat Top-dress Program mixed and applied with Nitrogen fertilizer

We have been out every spring to field evaluate Bob’s wheat crop and it continues to be some of the best wheat in the region every year.

This past year was certainly no exception as most wheat in the area averaged in the high 20’s to low 30’s Bob’s wheat
was in the mid 40’s with several fields cutting over 50 bushel.

“I’ve been using the Pro-Soil Products 6 years and I’ve been seeing a significant increase in yields. My root mass is better and I don’t see the drought stress in the spring like my neighbors. Overall I’m just happy with the product and plan on using it for as long as I farm.

I’m also very happy with the service I get from Ray and Brett. Every spring they come out to check as many fields (as I want to check,) we talk about the wheat and dig up roots to check mass and do comparisons with my neighbors (untreated) crop as far as the head size and root mass.

Every year I’m seeing bigger heads and bigger root mass.”

ORGANIC MATTER: THE REAL PAY DIRT

Most people aren’t aware that 70-90% of the organisms in a rangeland ecosystem live underground, or that one cup of healthy soil contains more than 6 billion living organisms! The key to creating and maintaining a healthy soil is providing habitat and nourishment for the organisms that live there.

HUMUS IS ESSENTIAL
Think about the soil as the plant’s stomach. Just as microbes break down fiber in the cow’s rumen, microorganisms in the soil break down fiber and other organic matter. As the microorganisms decompose organic matter, they create humus. Humus stores nitrogen in the soil. With all of our technology, that’s something we have not figured out how to do. Humus holds 30 times more nutrients than clay. It absorbs 5 times its weight in water and increases oxygen availability in the soil. Micro-flora that live in humus attack soil pathogens. Humus is essential in a healthy soil.

CARBON MAKES THINGS GO
The primary food required by plants is the same as the primary food required by cows and sheep (and people). It is carbon (C). Carbon is energy. It makes things go. While there is a high proportion of carbon in the organic matter in the soil, plants get nearly all of the carbon they use from the atmosphere. Through the miracle of photosynthesis, plants take energy from sunshine, carbon from the carbon dioxide (CO2) in the air and water from the soil and produce starch, cellulose, sugars, proteins and other carbon-based compounds. These substances are consumed by animals and decomposed by soil organisms, releasing CO2 into the soil. In nature, unless consumed by fire, nearly all carbon is recycled into the soil. Maintenance of organic matter is important for many reasons, not the least of which is providing adequate carbon to feed the soil microorganisms. It is critical that sufficient crop and root residues be
provided to replenish the organic matter. While nature returns nearly all-organic matter to the soil, modern agriculture removes most of the organic matter. Farming and ranching will not be ecologically (or economically) sustainable until we replenish and maintain soil organic matter. According to Australian Soil Scientist, Dr. Christine
Jones, “pulsed” grazing (short graze periods with adequate recovery periods) adds organic matter to the soil and is the most effective grazing method for maintaining healthy soils.

NITROGEN MAKES THINGS GROW
If carbon makes things go, nitrogen makes them grow. Our atmosphere is 78% nitrogen, but unlike carbon, plants can not utilize nitrogen in its gaseous form. In order to pass from the atmosphere to plants, and ultimately to animals and people, nitrogen must first be “fixed” by the soil microorganisms. Almost all of the nitrogen in the soil is in the organic matter. But plants are not able to use the complex protein molecules in these materials. Only after the microorganisms have broken down these complex molecules into ammonium and nitrate molecules will the plants have a nitrogen source.

THE IMPACT OF AGRICULTURAL PRACTICES ON HUMUS

Returning adequate organic matter to the soil and encouraging its decomposition into humus are essential for healthy productive soils. But most farming practices deplete organic matter and destroy humus.

MANAGEMENT PRACTICE EFFECT ON ORGANIC MATTER

Cultivation
The majority of organisms in the soil are aerobic (they require oxygen). When soils are cultivated, increasing the exposure to air, it is like opening up the air intake on a wood stove. The microbes use up the organic matter faster. If they use it all up, the microbes will begin to consume the humus as their energy source.

Turning in Crop Residues
This obviously increases the organic matter in the soil. However, it may temporarily throw the C:N ratio out of whack. Ideal C:N ratio is 25 –30:1 for optimal microbial balance. With abundant carbon, the microbes need more nitrogen. The microbes will use all of the nitrogen in the soil creating a nitrogen deficiency for the plants.

Nitrogen Fertilization
When excessive nitrogen is applied to the soil (in excess of what the microbes need to convert organic matter to humus) the microbes will begin consuming humus as their energy source. Every pound of excess nitrogen applied to a soil destroys 100 pounds of humus.

Burning
Burning removes organic residues and reduces the amount of organic matter returned to the soil. It also tends to expose the soil, making the surface more vulnerable to erosion and susceptible to capping.

Grazing
About 50% of plant growth occurs underground. Continuous grazing reduces total root volume and tends to decrease soil
organic matter content. Grazing with adequate recovery periods for root and top growth tends to increase the contribution of roots to soil organic matter. It also increases soil porosity and improves the habitat for many desirable soil organisms.

You can’t afford, economically or biologically, to lose the humus. Replenishing soil organic matter and maintaining a thriving soil microbe population are essential in any business that is Farming For Profit.

Fortunately for Pro-Soil users, all of our products contain at least 3% Humic Acid from what is considered the highest quality source available for Agricultural use.

3 Reasons to Seed Treat Winter Wheat with Pro-Soil

Putting your Pro-Soil product directly on the seed is still the most popular method of application on Wheat. Seed treatment is done at 8oz. per 100 lbs. of wheat seed. When you treat the seed:

1. It is more economical as far as cost per acre.
2. The energy from the product is on the seed from the time it germinates.
3. The root structure always seem to benefit more from the seed treatment.

* Remember however if you seed treat- DO NOT MIX GAUCHO AND YOUR PRO-SOIL PODUCTS TOGETHER.

Bonus Reason: Low program cost allows grower to maximize Pro-Soil’s R.O.I. with a 2nd Top-Dress application post-dormancy to help complete the potential fill of the grain sites improving yield potential. This is the top rated practice reported by Winter Wheat Growers. Looking for suggestions on how to best apply PS product on seed, just ask by emailing us from www.Pro-Soil.com or contacting your local Pro-Soil Dealer.

Top-dress Wheat Program: Timing Considerations?

If your wheat crop is tillering weak when it breaks dormancy it is best to top dress early. Conversely, if your wheat crop is tillering strong when it breaks dormancy try to hold off a little longer.

Many growers have recently started doing 2 half rate top dress applications. Wheat that is grown in the corn belt is almost always top dressed twice to take advantage of the variable weather conditions and to stagger the nitrogen uptake so that the plant gets more of a spoon feeding effect. Sometimes a little bit of additional energy at the right time can make a big difference.

Increasing Forage Quality & Livestock Health

Perhaps the greatest opportunity we have to increase forage quality and
overall livestock health lies in our ability to stimulate and increase soil
microorganisms.
Most soils in this country have been overwhelmed with fertilizers and pesticides and as such, the cumulative and long term effects have resulted in a soils inability to maintain adequate soil life and balance. As soil life has diminished, plant available nutrients and trace minerals have also suffered.
Mineral supplementation has become an absolute necessity primarily because many nutrients are no longer available in conventionally produced forage. Not only will bio stimulation of beneficial microbes increase the nutrient availability in existing soils, but livestock which feed on soils with improved microbial life will have improved digestibility and better overall health.
Many problems related to livestock health are the result of inefficient breakdown of ingested forage material or toxins from heavy metal residues which reside in most soils. An improvement in the complexity of soil organisms can markedly improve both situations.

Ask an expert

Q: Why can’t plants obtain all of the nutrients they need from synthetic fertilizers?

A: Plants feed at the second table. The plant feeds on what the microbes provide. Plants are poor foragers and scavengers of nutrients in fertilizers compared to microbes. Microbes have the capacity of “mining” or releasing nutrients from soil particles that are unavailable or “tied-up”. Since microbes need carbon, nitrogen, phosphate, potassium and minor nutrients and trace minerals, they digest these nutrients and change them to a chelated or carbon-based form for the plants. The microbes rely on plants to provide the complex sugars released from plant roots to support the microbes ability to provide nutrition for the plants.

Plants rely on the microbes to digest organic matter into humus that contains the nutrients in stable humic compounds. The plant uses these stored and stable nutrients through the symbiotic relationship with the microbes. The carbon and the balanced carbon/nitrogen relationship of microbes are vital in maintaining healthy, productive soil.

Have a question for Ray?
Email: ask@soil-matters.com or Call 1-800-714-4903
Ray Trent has been helping farmers solve problems for over 15 years. As National Field Advisor for Pro-Soil AgSolutions, Inc., Ray walks between 200,000 to 300,000 crop acres a year.

Indiana Producer Ron Small Pushes Soybean Yields to the Limit

Nestled between the White and Wabash rivers in Southwestern Indiana near Monroe City, Small Farms grows corn, soybeans, & wheat on about 6,000 acres of lightly rolling fields.

Small Farms, INDIANA (2009) – Ron Small has achieved what soybean breeders and University geneticists only recently predicted farmers wouldn’t see for another five years — consistent 100-bushel soybeans. He’s done it three years in a row.

Ron broke the 100-bushel barrier in 2006, with 342 soybean acres averaging 100+ bushels per acre, including one 42 acre farm that yielded 118 bushels.

“That first field I made 118 bushels on had [pod] clusters like grapes — each one with four beans to the pod” Ron says.

In 2007, Ron did it again with a 25 acre field of soybeans yielding 100 bushels per acre and a total farm average of 80-bushels per acre, overall.

2008 marks Ron’s third consecutive year to raise triple digit beans with one field yielding 114-bushels per acre.

One of the largest producers in southwestern Indiana, Ron has more than 45 years experience in production farming.

Along the way he discovered several management tools that work together synergistically to improve yield potential.

One such tool is Pro-Soil’s Foundation 1-0-1. This has been his primary soil builder for the last seven years.

Ron says, “Pro-Soil enhances my crops more than probably anything I’ve done In the last 40 years I’ve been in agriculture.”

“Over the past seven seasons we have gradually cut back on fertilizer, herbicides and insecticides. Our ground has improved every year and our yields have actually increased,” he says,

“The best thing is that we’re spending less money per acre and we’re raising healthier crops.”

Ron sums up his system for growing 100+ bushel soybeans In eight simple steps:

1. TREAT 100% OF YOUR ACREAGE WITH PRO-SOIL PRODUCTS. Ron broadcasts 12.8 ounces of ?? foundation 1-0-1 with his first Roundup Pass.

2. Plant Early. (Between April 5th and the 15th in Southern Indiana) to take advantage of more pod-creating sunlight while avoiding the stress of hot days.

3. PLANT 15 INCH ROWS. This reduces early season competition from neighboring plants and provides maximum access to sunlight.

4. SELECT AN EALIER BEAN VARIETY. Ron plants a 3 to a 3.6 maturity – which us considered an earlier bean variety for southern Indiana. He suggests growers further north “Could probably consider a 2.7 to a 3″

5. COAT THE SEED WITH AT LEAST THREE DIFFERENT INSECTICIDES.

6. LIME AT THE RIGHT PH FOR YOUR SOIL. “I’ve even applied 2 ton of lime and then turned around and used pail lime whenever I planted — plus 100lbs of potash with that.

7. APPLY FUNGICIDES AT THE RIGHT TIME.

8. CUT BACK ON FERTILIZER*. Ron has reduced the amount of fertilizer he applies by about around $25 per acre. “I’m also using 25% less pesticides.” he says.
* Following Pro-soil’s Gradual Reduction Program over time. Consult with your Pro-Soil Representative for details.

Small Farms (2006) – An agronomist from Campbell’s Seed verifies 118 bushel soybean yield on 42 acre farm belonging to Ron Small. Overall, 342 total soybean acres averaged 100+ bu./ acre that year.