With harvest beginning for key crops in Michigan, planning nutrient needs for next year’s crop can begin in earnest. Soil sampling to analyze nutrient levels delivers baseline data to plan nutrient management decisions, and today’s technology allows for many other data layers to be incorporated into those plans.
Intensive soil sampling programs such as grid or zone approaches allow for a detailed evaluation of nutrient levels across the field. Increased nutrient use efficiency through increased grain yields and reduced fertilizer applications typically offset the costs of intensive soil testing and variable rate applications.
This is also a good time to review schedules of soil nutrient level tests to ensure adequate testing over time. Fields should maintain steady sample schedules, ideally at the same time of the year and following the same crop each sample timing.
Incorporating data layers such as yield maps, in-season imagery, or simply field elevation can allow for the delineation of management zones in fields. Proper calibration of equipment is important when generating this data to provide an accurate view into field conditions.
In addition to managing soil nutrient levels, fall soil testing allows for the timely management of soil pH levels. Soil pH has a strong influence on nutrient availability for crops and is a fundamental component of effective nutrient management. Lime applications can take more than six months to fully react in the soil, making fall applications preferable to get the maximum impact on spring crops.
Crop advisers and agronomy retailers are great resources to help collect and analyze the data that can go into nutrient management decisions. Contacting these experts in advance to create a plan for how to best manage nutrients in the following growing season can help them begin collecting necessary data in order to make accurate, informed plans.
Few management options have the demonstrated pay-back that nutrient management offers, with the environmental benefits to match.
This newsletter is brought to you by the Michigan Agri-Business Association and the Michigan Agriculture Environmental Assurance Program. For more information, visit miagbiz.org.
MABA September Activities and Legislative Update
Welcome to FY24! We’re very much in our “full swing” season for events and activities, with the Outlook Conference last month kicking off our fall and winter meeting season. MABA also remains highly engaged at the Capitol, and we were able to make progress last month on important issues facing our members in the Legislature.
Here are some updates from September:
Outlook Conference brings industry leaders to Mackinac Island Once again this year, MABA welcomed agricultural professionals from across Michigan and the region to Mackinac Island, from September 14-16. This special event focuses on big-picture shifts and trends in agriculture, equipping leaders with insights and information to help advance the industry. Mark your calendar for the return of this conference next year, September 6-8, 2024. We appreciate all those who attended and helped make this one of the most-attended Outlook Conference events in several years. Go here for photos and a list of speakers!
West Michigan Works! and MABA host briefing on Going PRO Talent FundThe Going PRO Talent Fund (Talent Fund) makes awards to employers to assist in training, developing and retaining current and newly hired employees. A 10-minute briefing from Karrie Brown can be found here. We encourage you to become familiar with this program!
Harvest Solar discusses solar applications for agribusinesses, benefits of REAP program at Ag Club Breakfast This month’s Lansing Ag Club breakfast was sponsored by Harvest Solar; Ken Zebarah with Harvest discussed how agribusinesses and farms have used on-site solar to generate energy – and outlined the opportunities provided by the Rural Energy for America Program (REAP). Thank you to Harvest Solar for sponsoring breakfast!
MABA joins national industry in honoring truck driversIn mid-September, MABA joined other Michigan agricultural organizations in honoring trucking companies and truck drivers crucial to the success of Michigan, and American agriculture. National Truck Driver Appreciation Week is an annual, nationwide effort led by the American Trucking Associations to recognize and honor the vital contributions of 3.6 million U.S. truck drivers.
Michigan farmers and rural businesses depend on truck drivers before, during and after the growing season. Truck drivers’ hard work keeps rural communities supplied, keeps ag supply chains moving, and helps fuel the success of Michigan’s $100+ billion agricultural industry.
You can read our news release here.
MABA Ed Trust hosts Memorial Golf OutingThe fall Memorial Golf Outing brought more than 100 MABA members and friends together to raise funds for the Educational Trust. We appreciate all those who played golf as well as those who sponsored the event. This caps off another excellent fundraising year for the Ed Trust.
CCA Spotlights continue – MABA speaks with Andrew Greenhoe We recently visited with Andrew Greenhoe, an agronomist with Michigan Agricultural Commodities who became a Certified Crop Adviser early in his career, and continues to put this important certification to great use! Read more about Andrew: https://tinyurl.com/GreenhoeCCA
Stewardship Newsletters: MABA distributed briefings this month on the role of CCAs in protecting the state’s soil and water resources, as well an update on drain water management, which you can see here.
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The Michigan Agri-Business Association (MABA) invites you to participate in the 91st Annual Winter Conference and Trade Show, to be held on Tuesday and Wednesday, January 9-10, 2024, at the Lansing Center in downtown Lansing.
The most recent MABA Trade Show was a big success with a new floor plan and layout! In 2024, we are continuing to adjust this special event in response to your feedback. Here are key changes for 2024:
This year’s floor plan remains similar to 2023, and can be viewed here.
Reserve my space for the 2024 MABA Trade Show
2024 Trade Show hours will be as follows:
2024 Trade Show booth prices will be as follows:
10’ x 10’ – $800 MABA member / $900 non-member
12’ x 10’ – $1000 MABA member / $1,200 non-member – Video or Multimedia Presentation Encouraged – Priority to Equipment Exhibition
**An additional $100 charge will apply to specific corner and hi-visibility booths as noted on the Floor Plan.
These prices include an identification sign, 110 electrical outlet/usage and two conference registrations per booth. The passes will allow access to all sessions and meal functions. Draping and carpeting is provided for all booths. Tables are included with 12’ x 10’ booths. Additional items are available to rent from Art Craft Display, Inc.
Please use the link below to let us know your intentions for the 2024 Trade Show and reserve your space before we open the floor up to new exhibitors. You will be contacted during the first week of November, 2023 by Rose Plummer, MABA Trade Show Coordinator. You can contact Rose by email at rose@miagbiz.org. If you have any questions before November, please contact me at kara@miagbiz.org. Thank you for your time!
If there has been one major headline this growing season, it’s been the massive swings in precipitation. Much of the key growing area of the Lower Peninsula started out very dry – headed into July, 50 percent of the state was in D1 or greater drought. Then over the ensuing weeks, the precipitation turned on – with major rainfall and storm events tracking across croplands statewide and turning the drought on its head. Many areas ended the season with localized standing water or, at least, very wet soil conditions.
All of this spotlights the value of drain systems and their key role in Michigan agriculture. This year, and in several recent years, periods of substantial drought are broken up by major rainfall events, delivering several inches of rain in a short period of time. This complicates management of water in fields, and can exacerbate dissolved P and N losses through tile drains.
Drainage water management systems allow for the adjustment of the water table elevation in fields, allowing for a naturally high-water table during non-cropping times of the year. This allows for greater water infiltration to groundwater while keeping unnecessary water out of drainage systems. During the growing season, the water table can be lowered to the typical functional level of the drain tile system, providing all the same benefits of tile drainage that growers expect.
DWM systems also allow for raising the water table during drought events, retaining moisture in the soil profile for crop use. Unlike some other nutrient loss reduction practices, DWM systems don’t take farmland out of production or require changing in-field agronomic management.
Cost-share assistance programs are available in many parts of the state. Growers are encouraged to contact their local conservation district offices to learn more about improving their tile drainage systems with drainage water management technology. As a conservation practice, DWM retains flexibility of in-field agronomic management and has assessable cost-share opportunities – a unique combination and something to be considered in planning for 2024 and beyond.
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