Page 16—Corn Talk, Lancaster Farming, Saturday, January 29, 2000
NORCROSS, Ga.-A crop’s
growth requirement for phos
phorus and/or potassium
does not change with the
crop’s market price or its
level of worldwide supply.
Such marketing factors
can change rapidly. They are
seldom within our control
and most often at the mercy
of weather conditions or the
demand for food and feed in
other regions of the world.
Thus, a commitment to plant
ing a crop becomes a commit
ment to providing the essen
tial ingredients for high yield
crop production. One such
ingredient is an adequate
and balanced crop nutrition
program.
Soil testing provides valu
able decision making infor
mation essential for good
nutrient management. Spec
ifically, it gives the best possi
ble measure of the level of
acidity and a prediction of
availability of essential nutri
ents such as potassium and
phosphorus. Equally valuable
is the measure of change in
fertility level over time by
comparing soil test values
from the same field year after
year. A vital component of
high yield production is to
maintain a highly productive
and fertile soil.
A recent summary of soil
test results for agronomic
crops on a state by state basis
indicates that 26 to 75 per
cent of the soils in the
Southeast are inadequate in
phosphorus and 23 to 74 per
cent inadequate in potassium
for optimum crop production.
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Soil Tests Document Phosphorus, Crop Needs
The survey evaluated 1.8 mil
lion soil samples collected
across the U.S. in the fall of
1996 and spring of 1997 and
analyzed by private and uni
versity labs. Surveys are no
substitute for quality sam
pling on a site-specific field
by field basis. Yet, this survey
clearly reveals that phospho
rus and potassium are limit
ing factors in too many fields
and that soil testing is an
essential tool for nutrient
management planning and
the determination of crop fer
tilizer needs.
Some believe that soil test
ing is utilized more in high
management cropping sys
tems, and that the survey
values might not adequately
measure the sector of untest
ed, low fertility, low-yield
fields.
What information of value
might be derived from such a
summary? Consider the fol
lowing observations about
the southeastern U.S. as they
relate to phosphorus and
potassium nutrient manage
ment for optimum crop pro
duction, profitability and pro
tection of the environment.
•More than one-third of
the fields sampled are in
need of lime. This practice is
essential for optimum nutri
ent availability and use effi
ciency by crops.
•Phosphorus shortage is
most striking in Georgia and
Alabama and less of a prob
lem in the poultry/livestock
states of Delaware and North
Carolina. Concerns with
phosphorus and the environ
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Approx. 5 mi. South of
Lancaster on Fit. 272
14 Herrville Road
Willow Street, PA 17584
Ph. 717-464-3321 or
Toll Free 800-732-0053
Mon.-Fri. 6:30 am to 8 pm
Sat. 7:30 am to 6 pm
Sun. Closed
mental must be considered.
However, equally important
to farmers is the need to; (1)
supply adequate phosphorus
to responsive soils to achieve
target crop production goals;
(2) improve nitrogen use
effectiveness; and (3) gener
ate soil protecting crop
residues.
•Potassium fertility seems
to be lowest where high
potassium - requiring agro
nomic crops are grown-most
ly on low exchange capacity,
coastal plain soils. The small
nutrient reservoir with such
soils favors best management
practices such as multiple
ST. LOUIS, Mo.-The
National Corn Growers
Association (NCGA) has ann
ounced unique Pro Farmer
marketing opportunities for
those attending the Commod
ity Classic March 5-7 in
Orlando, Fla. The two organi
zations will conduct two first
of-their-kind marketing clin
ics March 7-8 to help growers
improve their bottom lines.
The clinics will be held at the
Omni hotel, the Commodity
Classic hotel.
About 3,800 growers are
expected for Commodity
Classic, the fifth annual com
bined convention and trade
show of the American
Soybean Association (ASA)
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11/27
Pro Farmer, NCGA To Host Marketing
Clinics After Commodity Classic
CROP INSURANCE PROGRAM FOR
CORN IN PENNSYLVANIA
Protection against unavoidable losses
due to:
• Drought
• Wind
• Wet weather
• Uncontrollable insects
and diseases
Six coverage levels available:
50, 55, 60, 65, 70, or 75% of your proven yield is guaranteed
Two plans of insurance to choose from:
Standard Actual Production History (APH) - Yield lower than your %
guarantee paid at $1.90 per bushel. This program offers protection from
production losses only.
Crop Revenue Coverage (CRC) - Coverage is in dollars per acre
determined by multiplying your bushel guarantee by the December, 2000
futures contract price. This program offers some protection when the
market prices drop.
Farms may be separated into separate units by Farm Serial
Number allowing for spot losses.
Premiums are set by the USDA and are heavily subsidized
Crop insurance coverage is mandatory to remain eligible for
USDA Disaster Programs.
Sale closin
(DdDDSN MI HEWS
PENNSYLVANIA MASTER CORN GROWERS ASSOC, INC.
application of nitrogen,
potassium, and other nutri
ents subject to leaching.
•The large percentage of
medium to low testing soils
suggests significant loss in
yield and income potential
throughout the region. Such
soils provide little opportuni
ty for farmers to benefit from
an exceptional growing sea
son, or from stress protection
and NCGA.
“It’s not enough anymore
to be good farmers. Today we
have to be equally good econ
omists and even better mar
keters,” said NCGA Pres
ident Lynn Jensen of Lake
Preston, S.D. “Pro Farmer
has de-signed marketing clin
ics to give growers plenty of
information, especially as
they prepare for the 2000
planting season.”
The two clinics planned
are “Mastering the Basics of
Marketing,” 2 p.m. to 5 p.m.
Tuesday, March 7, and
‘Beyond the Marketing,” 8
a.m. to 11:30 a.m. Wednesday,
March 8.
“These two sessions are
• Hail
• Freeze
• Wildlife
late is Mar
John J. Gartside, Crop Insurance Agent
PO Box 19, Dillsburg, PA 17019
Phone 1-800-974-2563
offered by good plant nutri
tion, or from improvements
in technology and/or interact
ing production practices.
For more information, con
tact Dr. Noble R. Usherwood,
Southeast Director, PPI, 233
Kenilworth Circle, Stone
Mountain, GA 30083, (404)
294-0137, e-mail: usherwood
@ppi-far.org.
neld consecutively to allow
producers to progress quickly
toward a ‘masters in market
ing 1 in just a day’s worth of
time,” said Jensen. “There
may never be a more conve
nient time or inexpensive
time to take in two work
shops of this caliber-save
travel costs by attending
these two workshops immedi
ately following Commodity
Classic 2000.”
He notes that, normally,
corporations and coopera
tives pay Pro Farmer tens of
thousands of dollars to put on
the exact same classes.
Because of the working
agreement with NCGA, these
workshops are available ht
great money-saving rates.
h 1