Zone Management for Increased ROI
Nov 04, 2021
As we enter our typical prepay season, we are aware of the concerns of growers on the costs of inputs and the availability of products for the 2022 season. We are doing our best to procure products at the best possible pricing with you in mind.
One option for possibly reducing input costs and still maximizing ROI is through variable rate application. For those who are considering variable rate fertilizer but haven’t taken the step in to grid sampling, Zone Management is a great option.
How does it work?
Zones are created using satellite imagery from previous crop years, topography maps, and soil maps. The field is then split into several zones that can be managed similarly. Each zone will be soil tested to get a baseline. Working with you and your agronomist, our team will then help you set yield goals for each zone. Based on the soil tests, fertilizer recommendations by zone and the prescription map will be created. Great Bend Co-op can vary up to three dry fertilizer products at a time with our dry rigs
.
What are the benefits of Zone Management?
Managing inputs by zone is a sustainable strategy that improves ROI on those products. For nutrients, fertilizer inputs will be increased in areas of better potential and reduced in lower producing areas. This reduces the chances of losing fertilizer to environmental factors such as leaching and runoff. Placement of fertilizer where it will be best utilized efficiently is not only a form of conservation, but also economically beneficial.
For seed, seeding rate will vary based on past yield maps and yield potential estimates. In corn, the lower producing areas will have less plants/acre to help prevent plant loss during times of stress. This has proven beneficial on dryland acres in dry years. It also applies to irrigated acres, for example, areas that typically drown out because of water infiltration issues or hilltops that dry quickly. More plants/acre may be planted in the higher producing areas to maximize return in those areas.
What does it cost?
For only $3/acre, you will get the zones created by our team, soil samples, and the Rx map. If you have the option of variable rate seeding, we can also create a planting Rx for the field(s).
If you are interested in learning more about Zone Management, reach out to Mark Bauer, Precision Ag Specialist, today!
One option for possibly reducing input costs and still maximizing ROI is through variable rate application. For those who are considering variable rate fertilizer but haven’t taken the step in to grid sampling, Zone Management is a great option.
How does it work?
Zones are created using satellite imagery from previous crop years, topography maps, and soil maps. The field is then split into several zones that can be managed similarly. Each zone will be soil tested to get a baseline. Working with you and your agronomist, our team will then help you set yield goals for each zone. Based on the soil tests, fertilizer recommendations by zone and the prescription map will be created. Great Bend Co-op can vary up to three dry fertilizer products at a time with our dry rigs
.
What are the benefits of Zone Management?
Managing inputs by zone is a sustainable strategy that improves ROI on those products. For nutrients, fertilizer inputs will be increased in areas of better potential and reduced in lower producing areas. This reduces the chances of losing fertilizer to environmental factors such as leaching and runoff. Placement of fertilizer where it will be best utilized efficiently is not only a form of conservation, but also economically beneficial.
For seed, seeding rate will vary based on past yield maps and yield potential estimates. In corn, the lower producing areas will have less plants/acre to help prevent plant loss during times of stress. This has proven beneficial on dryland acres in dry years. It also applies to irrigated acres, for example, areas that typically drown out because of water infiltration issues or hilltops that dry quickly. More plants/acre may be planted in the higher producing areas to maximize return in those areas.
What does it cost?
For only $3/acre, you will get the zones created by our team, soil samples, and the Rx map. If you have the option of variable rate seeding, we can also create a planting Rx for the field(s).
If you are interested in learning more about Zone Management, reach out to Mark Bauer, Precision Ag Specialist, today!