— Matt Schoper, Vice President of Agronomy
If the last couple years have taught us anything, it’s that waiting until the last minute usually costs more, whether that’s on inputs, logistics, or yield.
Fertilizer supply is tight heading into spring. We are waiting on patron commitments before purchasing large, unsold volumes that would need to sit in our sheds in hopes they are applied this spring. The continued volatility in the market creates significant risk for those who speculate on inventory. Our advisors expect fertilizer pricing to remain firm through the spring due to limited imports and low supply levels in most reseller sheds. We are asking that you please step forward now if you anticipate spring fertilizer needs. In addition to supply concerns, logistics can be a key obstacle in ensuring product availability when you need it. Your early commitment helps us secure the product and position it appropriately to meet your application timelines.
We will have corn and soybean seed available for you in-season, so if you come up short, please give us a call. All of our soybean bulk sites are equipped with seed treaters, allowing you to treat your seed even if it wasn’t part of your original plan. We have seen positive results from soybean seed treatments for many years. With the recent push toward earlier soybean planting, the yield advantage from treated seed has become more pronounced. We offer several different seed treatment packages, so please reach out to your Agronomist to discuss your options.
Last year’s weed pressure was strong for several reasons, so staying proactive this season is going to be important. We recommend strong pre-emerge programs followed by post programs that layer residuals. We want to get the weeds before they even come up! The potential always exists for having to make last minute changes to the program due unforeseen issues. Let us help you whether it is scouting or a second opinion on products or rates.
Summertime is a great time to start the planning process for next year’s crop with soil sampling. Soil sampling is a key investment to understanding what you have in the ground to support your crop the following year ahead. If you are not yet on our Crystal Decision package, I would highly recommend considering this Precision Ag program. Crystal Decisions helps you make deeper and better-informed decisions that impact your ROI. The other newer service that has a lot of attention is our ability to boundary map your fields. Clean boundaries help you run more accurately, cut down on overlapping, and keep you efficient.
We are adding another drone to our service offering this spring. Each year the drones are getting bigger and allowing for more acres per hour. This is a great new tool in the toolbox, however, there are disadvantages as well. One disadvantage includes lower water rates which reduce the plant coverage. We plan on providing options on water rates through our drones for this coming season. We look forward to discussing options with you whether it is ground applications, aerial, or drone application as our Agronomists are well versed in the pros and cons to each.
If you haven’t already connected with your Crystal Valley Agronomist or Precision Specialist, now’s a good time to start that conversation. The earlier we talk, the smoother the season tends to go.