SAP Test(revised)

Two young scientists from the Netherlands gave a very interesting presentation.  They came up with a new method of determing plant nutrient content that uses the sap of the cells, not the burned ash we traditionally use in a tissue test.  Here is a sample that Mike from Ontario posted on Crop Talk.

Yes, they test the plant sap and you get a Brix reading plus everything on an ash tissue test and more metals. They are going to charge $20 the same as the ash test but shipping overnight to Holland is $215 per box and you cram in all the samples you can get in one box.

They completed 1000 samples for FHR customers this summer to establish baseline data.   Nitrogen was too high and everything else too low for maximum yield.  These are guys using 120 lbs N and less and more nutrients than anyone I know of! My guess is the typical American field would flunk big time. We are higher than Europe on Mn as a rule because we have had to fight glyphosate but we were lower on everything else. Nitrogen was the exception and it was clear off the charts.

I stopped the conference right there asking questions.  Farms that made 150-300 bushels per acre in this drought were:
60-70% samples Ca deficient
about half were deficient in magnesium
about half potassium deficient
nearly 100% were Phosphorous deficient
few were nitrogen deficient
Mn and Boron were pretty good
75% were OK in copper
Only 10% were deficient in zinc

These are what I consider the best corn growers and fields in the US this year!  We have a LOT of work to do!  As you know I highly recommend tissue testing and the SAP test could give me data 2 weeks earlier than waiting for maturity for an ash test to get accuracy.  It looks like a better indicator to me and you get the Brix reading and nutrients not measured in the ash test.  Once again I think Europe is about 7-10 years ahead of us.

My mind is aching after a week of school so I will bid adieu to you early.

Ed