Biological Fertilizer

[njharvester]

On irrigated beans this year I did close to 70 bpa. Headline, 200 lbs white potash, planted 5/15/10  140,000 pop. Like everyone else would like to do more. 

We have sandy loam soils in this area and low levels of micro elements like Mn, Zn, and Boron. Also there is a shallow water table so our iron levels are extremely high. I have been told that if I try to fix the Mn problem with fert the iron will convert the Mn to a solid form that is unavailable. So what we do every year is to foliar feed the Mn. that is only a temporary fix and was looking at this pro-soil product that enables some 100 bu beans year after year.

http://www.pro-soil.com/blog/bio-brothers/2010/admin/biological-farming/8-secrets-to-100-bushel-soyb...

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Let me know what you guys think as I am a young farmer that likes to try new things, but appreciates an experienced opinion.

[nwobcw]

These miracle whatevers have popped up here and there as long as I remember.  1 was supposed to help excess water drain better.  Maybe some may work in your area but for my ground it's all a fallacy.  The newest seed varieties seem to be the key to the highest yields to me.  That and a blessing from Mother Nature.

[njharvester]

Does anyone have problems with Mn deficiency? and if so how do you address it.

[Jim Meade / Iowa City]

I'm a bit of a skeptic about these kinds of claims.  I suggest you contact the agronomy department of your local land grant university and see what they say about manganese for your soil types.  Do you know what your soil types are?  You should also do a good soil test profile for your ground.  Then, if you think there is merit, see if you can devise a fair test to see how the program compares with a more generic program of the common manganese fertilizer and with no program.  That may help you decide if you need Mn and if the specialty version is better than a generic version.

Again, keeping in mind where you farm, you can find some information on the internet by googling "soybean manganese" or something similar.  MSU has a slide show that discusses it, iron and other deficiencies.

[idalivered]

good call nwob....I have a local agronomy/farm business co. call on me.(i've never done business with them, but they are persistent) the last time a salesman called(good young man from a local farm background, but clueless about agronomy)  he wanted to ask about my starter fert. program. I said "uhh 10-34-0". He said he had some magic stuff (i forget the catchy name) to put in with it and they've had good results. I say "what's in it". he replies "a biostimulant".  Me: "what's in it?" Him: "a biostimulant". I can see this dialogue is off to a good start, so I told him I was covered for 2011. What the heck? They had another saleman call last year thAT had some magic stuff I could add to my roundup app. at 2 quart/acre. this stuff would take the place of 2-3T of lime. Now this is really good considering we're dealing with millions of #'s of soil. The amazing thing to me, is that this business appears to be growing and thriving. to be fair they are in legitimate agronomy services that sell herb. , insecticide, agronomy, and accounting services. You pay for their "consulting" fees.  OOHHm don't get me started on the chicken manure ash....they've sold the hell outa that one.

[njharvester]

thats why i asked and did not purchase. goes back to what sounds to good to be true  (12oz per acre pro-soil, twice a year = consistant 100 bu soybean on productive soil dryland) it probably is.

[Pupdaddy]

There are Mn deficiencies here in NW Ohio...most of it is due to calcareous soils (high calcium) that tend to be higher in pH. Another thing that contributes to Mn deficiency symptoms...is compaction. I've got a field of lake-bed clays that I've no-tilled for 20+ years...and while the surface has nice tilth to it...the subsoil has actually gotten so tight..that I see Mn deficiency every time I plant soybeans on it. I'm going to try a straight leg ripper on it next summer after the wheat is off...and then see if I can seed some tillage radish into it...I'm afraid if I only go with the tillage radish..they won't penetrate the subsoil..and will just grow up out of the soil.

As far as something that might increase your soybean yield...some Mn sprayed about 3 days after your post Glyphosate application is probably the only option you have right now....

[njharvester]

Last season I simply added 1 qt 6% chelated Mn to the Roundup spray. When sprayed the yellow comes out of the beans, but is back in a few weeks.

 You suggest not applying the Mn with the glyphosate, I have heard of that before.  Also I have been told by a fert salesman that the Roundup gene in the plant increases the soybeans succeptability to Mn probelms.

[Jim Meade / Iowa City]

Prof. Bob Hartlzer of Iowa State University just published a paper on that topic.

http://www.weeds.iastate.edu/mgmt/2010/glyMndisease.pdf

Here's one quote:

"Mn plays an important role in plants’ disease defense mechanisms (Thompson and Huber, 2007). It has been proposed that glyphosate interferes with absorption and utilization of Mn, thus increasing a plants susceptibility to disease. However, the majority of research has not found reductions in Mn concentrations within plants following glyphosate applications (Bott et al. 2008; Rosolem et al. 2009; Nelson 2009)."

[nwobcw]

All those Ag college graduates have to work somewhere to pay off student loans.