Understanding the Limiting Factors of Farming

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Of course, there are some factors that are out of our control. According to Tim Laatsch, director of North America agronomy for Koch Agronomic Services (KAS), there are ways growers can mitigate the negative effects of those factors.

"Growers face any number of limiting factors each growing season, but it’s how they prepare for them that matters," Laatsch said. "Making a plan in advance and utilizing nutrient solutions with additional efficiencies can make a big difference come harvest time."

INPUT PRICING

When input costs are high, growers look to get the most out of their crops and maximize yield results. Start your efforts with best practices in the field. The 4R Nutrient Stewardship framework helps growers reach their cropping system goals by incorporating the right nutrient at the right rate, at the right time and right place to keep nutrients available to plants when they’re needed.

One of the biggest input costs for many growers can be nitrogen. If not protected, it's susceptible to loss due to ammonia volatilization. If urea and UAN aren't adequately incorporated, up to 40 percent of applied nitrogen can be lost. In order to increase return on nitrogen investment, growers need to protect what they apply. Those that do will be better positioned to minimize their potential nitrogen losses. Learn how growers can yield comparable results in a time of record high input costs.

WEATHER

Rarely does Mother Nature give growers the perfect weather conditions for their crops, making nitrogen application difficult. Temperature, time and moisture can lead to nitrogen volatilization, denitrification or leaching long before plants have an opportunity to use what they’ve been given.

Whether growers are using urea, UAN or anhydrous ammonia, KAS has the solution for this limiting factor.

ANVOL™ nitrogen stabilizer combines the dual active ingredients of Duromide and NBPT to provide longer-lasting protection against ammonia volatilization over a wider range of soil conditions.

With CENTURO™ nitrification inhibitor, growers can increase their anhydrous ammonia and UAN efficiency by extending the window of protection by slowing the conversion of ammonium to nitrate to hold nitrogen in the ammonium up to three times longer than without an inhibitor.¹

EARLY SEASON NUTRITION

Spring weather can certainly bring a unique set of challenges, especially early on in the season. Cold, wet and compacted soils can become a limiting factor when it comes to ensuring access to critical nutrients a crop needs for emergence and early-season growth.

PROTIVATE^™️ nutritional seed treatments is designed to provide crops the nutrition when and where it is needed most — directly on the seed and near the root zone for optimal crop uptake. Providing the right nutrients early on, plants can better withstand the challenges thrown its way.

While providing nutrition, PROTIVATE is also designed to be a replacement for talc to keep your planter working efficiently. By utilizing dual-purpose PROTIVATE as part of a comprehensive nutritional program, growers can efficiently plant and provide essential nutrients to promote early season growth and maximize yield potential.

MICRONUTRIENT EFFICIENCY

Growers are looking to fine-tune their nutrient applications. Their trusted retail partner can work with them to identify which micronutrient deficiency is the limiting factor. It can be challenging, but if it means reduced operating costs and improvements in crop health and productivity, it can be money well spent.

"Liebig’s Law of Minimum, also known as Liebig’s Barrel, illustrated crop nutrient needs with varying lengths of staves in a barrel," said Laatsch. “Think of nutrients as staves in a barrel, with the shortest stave being the least available nutrient. A barrel can only hold water to the point of the shortest stave, so growers can see the importance of addressing nutrient deficiencies to have a ‘full barrel’ to help them maximize yield potential.”

Growers who know this theory are enhancing nutrient applications to maximize yield potential by using products like WOLF TRAX™ DDP™. With Koch's patented technology, EvenCoat™ provides complete coverage and ensures the adhesion of micronutrients to the entire surface of dry fertilizer granules. The uniform coating ensures micronutrients are evenly distributed across the field and placed in closer proximity to growing roots for increased potential of nutrient uptake.

LABOR & OPERATIONAL EFFICIENCIES

Labor and operational costs can also be limiting factors for growers. Farming operations are busy with activity before, during and after growing season, so when there’s an opportunity to find efficiencies in farming, they can be quite valuable. Choosing the right products can make a huge difference in ensuring everything from planting to nitrogen applications go smoothly.

With products like ANVOL, CENTURO, and SUPERU™, not only can growers expect efficient nitrogen management, but they are also formulated to decrease operating costs. From SUPERU premium fertilizer’s broader and more even spread patterns to cover more ground in less time to easy-to-handle CENTURO, with more flexible storage options – these products are formulated to improve operational efficiencies.

When growers look at the limiting factors facing their operation, choosing efficient solutions will help them reach their goals. To maximize those efficiencies, contact your local KAS representative today.

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