Soil test results can help farmers be more strategic with input investments, agronomists stress

Farmers are expecting another year of tight profits, and it is why agronomists stress the importance of soil testing and viewing the results from a wide lens.

“It’s not individual nutrients that we’re looking at. We need to take the test as a whole. Many of these nutrients interact with each other. There are ratios that we keep in mind. We think that the law of minimum crop production can only be as good as the limiting factor. And with so many metrics on a soil test, it’s important to understand how we balance those things out. So again, understanding the soil test as a whole, sitting down with your local agronomist, it’s a great opportunity this time of year to set yourself up for success out in the field in 2025,” said Nick Frederking.

Agronomists are well aware some farmers are looking at trimming fertilizer costs this year. They say it is possible, but you need to make sure you are not sacrificing yield.

Related Stories
Chefs Chris Carter and James Peisker believe we have the power to make the world a better place with every meal. Through Porter Road butcher, they are now turning this belief into reality.
Make sure to tune into AARP Live on RFD-TV the third Thursday of every month for “Rural America Live – With AARP.”
CLAAS is pleased to announce its title sponsorship of the RFD-TV broadcast studios in Nashville, TN. The RFD-TV studios were officially recognized as the “CLAAS Studios” on July 3, 2023 further advancing the recognition of CLAAS as a leading large equipment manufacturer in North America.
Researchers at the Boyce Thompson Institute have constructed the perfect watermelon—returning “lost” genes from the domesticated fruit’s wild relatives that improve both taste and resilience during the growing process.