Catching Up

Thanks to a lot of good help, I am catching up!  Next week is Farm Science Review though, so I am sure to get behind again.

I promised the guys at AgroSoil to help explain how gypsum works from my experience here on the farm after taking every opportunity to learn about it the last 20-30 years.  I've seen it take farms up a notch, especially if they are no-till and or use cover crops.  The physical, chemical and biological properties come together well.

Water infiltration is a major problem on many soils, particularly here in Ohio.  Soil erosion and farm economics are such that many no-till farms are out performing others who don't.  Gypsum fits right into that scenario with all of the properties that calcium sulfate brings to soil.  Many soils are lacking calcium or sulfur to the point that users often see benefits from one application.  I wonder how much it would help the tight soils I saw at the Farm City Field Day yesterday.  I bet it would help a bunch.

I am going to go talk to my neighbor who spreads litter each and see if I can interest him in learning how to spread gypsum.  The field behind the house ought to be one of the first fields to come off in this neighborhood since it was the first planted.  720 lbs of calcium and sulfur for $6 is the best purchase I will make in 2015.  It will make the little bit of fertilizer I apply go farther.

I did see a farmer friend at the Pioneer field day who has spread 3 years and claims he has not see any benefit.  Soil test?  Tissue test?  Yield?  Grain quality?  Ponding water?  All his answers were Nope, maybe better water movement he said.  Are you spreading this fall?  Yep?  Why, I wondered?  I just walked away and scratched my head.

Bin 3 has one more load to be delivered then we start with 65,000 bushels of clean storage for 2014 crop.  The experts say we are going to need it.  I admit it has been a big crop since the day it was planted.

Thank you Lord for a really good day yesterday and an amazing week.

Ed Winkle