How do ProVantage Growers Put Their Data To Work?
By: Katie McWhirter
Over the past month and a half, the same question has been asked in my office, “What are other growers doing differently?” To answer this, I’ll share with you one of the most memorable grower meetings I have had. The grower said he couldn’t believe where his planting rates were four years ago when we first started variable rate seeding. Now, he knows exactly where he can “push” in his most productive areas and as a result, is more closely hitting optimum levels; yet, he is still able to work with his less productive regions.
While we looked at how his yields correlated to soil fertility and where his yields topped out on HIS fields (not the same as Iowa State’s recommended optimum), it really made us feel like we have learned and continued to improve over the past four years. Next, we calculated potential dollars left behind in those areas. When the grower realized what he had actually removed over the past two crop seasons, his eyes were opened to see that even though he was fertilizing, he wasn’t building his soil fertility. Finally, we put together a plan for fertilizing to maximize those areas with commercial fertilizer.
The moral of the story is this is exactly what my ProVantage growers are doing; using their personal data (from their own fields) to help drive decisions. With that said, as you enter this crop season are you going to base your decisions off of your own personal data or off somebody else’s?
Click here to learn how ProVantage can maximize your input effectiveness. Or contact our ProVantage Specialists Katie McWhirter or Amber Milder 319.679.2281 for more information!