Fertilizer | Midwestern BioAg

It’s All About Getting Your Fertility Right

By: Midwestern BioAg Staff · Fertilizer, Cover Crops, Crop Rotation, L-CBF, Weed Control, Technology

“Profitability.” That’s the most important thing Midwestern BioAg has brought to the Fairibault, MN farming operation of Bryan and Tammy Lips, says Bryan. Balanced soils, good fertility, and diverse rotations including cover crops and green manure crops are among the biological farming tools Bryan has been using for the past eight years on his 450 acres. He raises corn, oats, and alfalfa on a mixture of owned and rented land, with about half of the acres farmed conventionally and half certified organic.

Combating Higher Nitrogen Prices in 2022 with the BioAg System

By: Midwestern BioAg Staff · Fertilizer, Soil, Newsletters, Nitrogen, CX-1

Global demand for nitrogen fertilizer is expected to increase in 2022, while the nitrogen supply is expected to be down due to reduced production and supply chain constraints. For growers, this equates to an increase in nitrogen fertilizer price as supply and demand forces react with each other.

Midwestern BioAg has always taken a system-based approach towards our fertility program. By balancing our customers’ soil chemical, physical, and biological needs, their farms can generally remain resilient through adverse weather conditions or …

From the Desk of Gary Zimmer

By: Gary Zimmer, Founder · Fertilizer, Soil, Cover Crops, Tillage, Nutrients, Bio-Cal®, Soil Biology, Nutrient Efficiency, From the Desk of Gary Zimmer, Biological Farming

Dear farmers and agriculturalists,

I have been at a few events this fall and there sure is a lot of interest in carbon, quality feed/food, and soil regeneration. High fertilizer, especially nitrogen, and chemical prices have also been farmers’ concerns. No-till constantly comes up – it is a practice, not a farming system, that may help or may not lead to improved soil health and sequester carbon. Having said that, why would you till if you don’t have to?

Bridging the Yield Gap with Soil Productivity

By: Midwestern BioAg Staff · Fertilizer, Soil, Newsletters, Soil Biology, Nutrient Efficiency, Calcium, Soil Capacity

As farmers navigate the reality of higher production costs, the biological farming space will continue to draw attention. Many farmers identify yield gaps as a significant concern looking forward to 2022.

Yield gaps are those differences between what is applied vs. what is realized. We often think yield gaps are negative; however, yield gaps present opportunities for soil productivity. Opportunities for nutrient management recovery through enhanced soil productivity and biological farming systems.

Liquid Carbon-Based Fertilizer: A Spring Soil Starter

By: Midwestern BioAg Staff · Fertilizer, Soil, L-CBF, Nitrogen

As we all know, spring weather in the Midwest can be really variable. Rain, snow, and cold soils are all things we deal with during the planting season. Getting the seed in the ground under the right conditions is the first step in fulfilling yield potential, but unfortunately, there isn’t always time to wait until those conditions occur. There’s not a crop grower out there who hasn’t had to plant under less than ideal circumstances; it’s just a call that has to be made sometimes.

Profitable Practices are the Bottom Line

By: Midwestern BioAg Staff · Fertilizer, Soil, Tillage, L-CBF, Nitrogen, Bio-Cal®

What’s profitable?
That’s the question that drives decision-making for Bill Ehrlinger, a southern Wisconsin farmer with 1200 acres of corn and soybeans. He considers the price of purchased inputs not just what he pays today, but also the long-term costs of products and practices, understanding that what he does this year can keep his farmland profitable and productive in the long term.
That’s important to Bill because this farmland has been in his family since his grandparents purchased the home farm over a century ago.

Strip-Till & TerraNu® Fertilizer: A Q&A with Duane Siegenthaler

By: Caitlin Roberts · Fertilizer, TerraNu®, Strip-Till

Where does TerraNu® fit in my current strip-till program?
TerraNu MicroPack™, TerraNu Calcium™ and TerraNu Ignite™ will fit conveniently into your dry fertilizer program. They can be used as a standalone or added to your dry fertilizer program. TerraNu fertilizers use a new technology, combining fertilizer nutrients with carbon and biological stimulants that result in improved nutrient use efficiency and better soil health.
Can I blend TerraNu with other fertilizers that I apply?
Yes. TerraNu Ignite can be used as a stand-alone fertilizer or blended with …

Gimme Some Sugar

By: Midwestern BioAg Staff · Fertilizer, Organic Matter, L-CBF, Soil Biology, Starter Fertilizer

Sugar: It has been part of Midwestern BioAg’s fertilizer line-up for over 25 years. Sugar is quickly becoming a staple in producers’ fertilizer programs across the country. In Nebraska, a study saw a 1.6 bushel per acre increase in yield across acres with foliar applied sugar. Another crop farmer sprayed his corn ground with a sugar and liquid carbon-based fertilizer mix with similar results. When tests were run in Ohio, researchers found a 6 bushel per acre increase in those acres treated with 7 pounds …

TerraNu Fertilizers Perform Well in UNL Study

By: Christopher.kniffen@midwesternbioag.com · Fertilizer, TerraNu

Findings from a 2016 University of Nebraska-Lincoln study show TerraNu fertilizers have a comparable impact on corn yields as other types of manure and anaerobically digested organic matter. The study tracked the impact of various sources of organic-matter based material, including bio-solids, poultry manure and feedlot manure. The advantage of TerraNu fertilizer is that it is much lighter than manure, storable and easy to transport, and supplies a guaranteed nutrient analysis in every granule for precision application.

Know Before You Grow

By: Christopher.kniffen@midwesternbioag.com · Fertilizer, Nutrients, Soil Testing

Soil testing has become a fundamental best management practice in crop production. The knowledge provided by these tests allows growers to apply the exact amount of nutrients needed in each field, helping avoid over or under application of valuable crop inputs. In this Q&A, we sat down with Midwestern BioAg’s lead soil technician, Andrew Cory, to learn more about the benefits of soil sampling and the services available to Midwestern BioAg customers.
What soil sampling services are available?