Parsons, Kansas —
Fall is a good time to soil test fields that will be planted to crops next spring. So once you have the beans, milo and corn out of the fields and the wheat put in the ground, take a little time and pull some soil samples on your fields. You can also make weather-related harvest or planting delays productive by going out and pulling a soil sample or two. The soil doesn’t have to be completely dry for a routine sample, but of course you have to be able to at least walk across the field.
Soil testing can also save you money. If you guess on the amount of fertilizer to apply you could be costing yourself money, especially with phosphorus and potassium applications. Under estimating what you need to apply can result in reduced yields—reducing potential income. While over estimating your needed fertilizer application simply cost you extra out-of-pocket expense in excess fertilizer.
Knowing your soil pH and lime requirement is also important. When a soil pH drops to around 6.0 and lower you could be costing yourself production, especially if legume crops are in the rotation. Over applying lime is also costly, not only in increased out-of-pocket expense for the lime but potential crop damage if the resulting pH is much above 7.0. Many herbicides are not labeled for use on high pH soils. Potential problems in this situation are direct damage to the growing crop and/or carryover problems to the next crop. To prevent possible problems you need to know the pH of the soil in your field and read all pesticide labels carefully.
Accurate test results start with taking a good representative sample. Results can be no better than the sample taken from the field. To take a sample for a routine soil fertility test you need a sampling tube, auger or spade, a clean pail, sample containers and notepad. Almost anything will work for a sample container, as long as it is clean and will hold about a pint of soil. People use small plastic bags, cans, paper sacks, etc. We also have soil sample bags available at no charge in the Extension Office.
Take 20 to 30 cores or slices from across the field, mix thoroughly in a pail and place about one pint of this mixture in a soil sample container. Be sure to label the soil container and keep a record of the identification names that you used for each sample. Sample cropland to a depth of about six inches and permanent sod (pastures, lawns, etc.) to a depth of four inches. Avoid pulling cores from unusual or problem areas in the filed. If you want information on a problem area, obtain a separate sample for that section.
Bring your samples to the Extension Office and we will send them to the Soil Testing Laboratory at Kansas State University for analysis. There is a small charge of approximately $7 for each routine fertility sample sent to the lab. When you come in, we will ask you for field identification names, previous crop, intended crop, and if it is an upland or bottomland soil series.
We usually receive the results back in a week or so. I will then make recommendations for lime (if needed), nitrogen, phosphorous and potassium. The recommendations are based on the intended crop, previous crop, soil series and the soil test results. We then send you the test results and recommendations. We also keep a copy in the office. This allows us to use this test to make recommendations for different crops at a later date, if you want us to. However, we recommend that fields be retested at least every three years.
Other special soil test are also available. These include profile nitrogen, zinc, iron, organic matter, and salt-alkali. There is an additional fee for each of these test and some require a different sampling method.
Regular soil testing is an easy area of crop production management that can save you money and/or help improve productivity. For more information on soil testing please feel free to contact Wildcat Extension District agent Scott Gordon in Independence by calling 620-331- 2690 or by email at sgordon@ksu.edu. You may also contact Keith Martin in Altamont by calling 620-784-5337 or by email at rkmartin@ksu.edu. We also offer programs in Family Consumer Science, 4-H and Youth, and horticulture. Program information and additional contacts can be found on our website www.wildcatdistrict.ksu.edu. £
Crops
Fall is a good time to do some soil testing
- Crops
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Plant now, add nitrogen later
When the rain faucet shuts off, plant first and apply nitrogen later, advises Peter Scharf, University of Missouri Extension agronomy specialist and professor in plant sciences at the MU College of Agriculture, Food and Natural Resources.
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MU Field Scouting Report: No freeze damage to wheat, delayed corn planting
Wheat is in the flag leaf to early boot stage. No freeze damage to the wheat head was seen. Temporary phosphorus deficiency, identified by purpling on leaf tips, was seen due to cold weather.
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Corn planting dates and cold temps cause concern
“The possibility of temperatures nearing 32 degrees or below, there is concern among producers for damage of the wheat head,” said Jill Scheidt, agronomy specialist with the University of Missouri Extension in Barton County. According to Bill Wiebold, state specialist with the University of Missouri Extension, wheat is the most sensitive to freezing temperatures when the heads are coming out and flowers are beginning to form.
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Wildcat Extension Report: Can gypsum fix what ails your soil?
A man much wiser than me once said that the easiest way to change your soil is to move. Unfortunately, this is not always an option for most producers. Soils in southeast Kansas are classified, in general, to be heavy clay soils.
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Kansas wheat growers should be aware of crop diseases
With forecasts of snow still a possibility and the wheat just starting to green up in parts of Kansas, it may surprise some wheat growers to know that March is an important month for wheat disease development.
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Cover crops can provide many benefits
Having plant growth in fields year-round can improve the soil, according to Tim Reinbott, superintendent of the University of Missouri Bradford Research Center. He says using cover crops in the fall and spring can provide large benefits.
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Drought impacts U.S. soybean quality results
According to a recent soy-checkoff-funded study, the overall oil levels in last year’s U.S. soybean crop increased over the previous year, while average protein fell. United Soybean Board (USB) Customer Focus Action Team Chair Sharon Covert says U.S. soy’s biggest users pay attention to those results.
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Midwest soil could take up to two years to recover
The Midwest suffered the worst drought in years last summer, and Midwest soil has been suffering from a drought since early 2010. As a result, crops have wilted and farmers have fallen on hard times. Now, a University of Missouri researcher says that it may take at least two years for crops and soil to recover.
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Ag profitability conference addresses crop concerns
Corn and soybean producers face wide-ranging harvest price possibilities for the crops they plant this spring.
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Local growers get latest on new herbicides
Controlling herbicide resistant weeds was the hot topic during the Andrew County Ag. Update conference on Thursday, Jan. 17 in the Clasbey Center in Savannah, Mo.
- More Crops Headlines
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Plant now, add nitrogen later
