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Not All Seed is the Same
Cold germination tests are performed on all seed lots as a part of quality control, but these results are rarely publicly available. When they are provided, comparisons across companies lack validity because no standardized test procedure is legally recognized. Each company has its own unique processes and minimum standards that change with the range of results. Suppliers seek a balance between the goals of providing quality and maintaining adequate supply to their customers.
2 min read
Making Meaningful Change | GR Farms
Garrett Riekhof, owner of GR Farms in Higginsville, MO, implemented the Maximum Farming System® after suspecting he was wasting dollars on conventional fertilizer use. “I still am very confident that the efficiencies that this System gives me allow quite the low cost of production, and I can sleep really well at night knowing that the man upstairs knows that I am taking care of the land the best that I am able.” Hear more from Garrett in the video below.
1 min read
A System for Feed Quality | Hilltop Acres Farm
Hilltop Acres Farm is an eighth-generation Brown Swiss dairy farm set in the rolling hills of Calmar, IA. They have been utilizing the Maximum Farming System® for over a decade to grow the highest quality feed for their cattle. Their focus on improving soil and crops has led to healthier cows, which produce substantially higher milk components than prior to System adoption. Watch the video below to learn more about Hilltop Acres Farm.
1 min read
Wheat Nutrition After Dormancy
Timing of nutrition for winter wheat can make or break a crop. In this interview, Ag Spectrum Farm Manager Consultant Pat Tomlinson and Research & Teaching Agronomist Dr. Jim Smart discuss how the Maximum Farming System stimulates tiller growth as wheat comes out of dormancy.
1 min read
The Finer Details of Micronutrient Availability
Even though nutrients are labeled as micronutrients, secondary nutrients, and macronutrients, they are all subcategories within the group of recognized essential elements for plant growth. Nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium are not more essential than zinc, boron, manganese, iron, et cetera. They are all essential, just required in different amounts at different times. When thought about in that way, it is hard to rationalize how the conventional approach to soil fertility t
4 min read
Make Sense of Soil Test Variation
Soil test values are important indicators of soil chemistry. When properly sampled, soil test values will naturally vary by up to 10%...
2 min read
Manage Residue Cover for Spring Planting
Managing residue cover is critical to maintaining soil biology over winter and preparing the soil for timely planting next spring....
2 min read
Optimizing Crop Nutrition
Basic science reveals that soils provide the foundation of crop nutrition. Crops provide the chemical energy required through...
3 min read
Soils Provide the Foundation
The Maximum Farming System® is built on key insights about crops and soils that have been revealed through basic science research....
3 min read
Jumping in with Both Feet | Pierce Family Farms
Pierce Family Farms jumped into implementing the Maximum Farming System with both feet in 2021 after a trusted Ag Spectrum Associate approached them about it. After searching for a long time for a system that would support their soils and crops, they found exactly what they were looking for and dove right in. “There are things we knew out here that we wanted to do but didn’t have the resources or knowledge to put all the pieces together. That’s where Ag Spectrum came in to he
1 min read
Doing More with Less | Warner Farms
Warner Farms, a multi-generational farm in Goshen, Indiana, adopted the Maximum Farming System nine years ago. Since implementing the System on their farm, they have seen improvement in their soils and yields while lowering their input costs. “We take what is already there, what God created, and continue to maximize and enjoy the fruit from that without adding more than we need. That’s really something Ag Spectrum has helped us do on our farm,” says Clark Warner. Watch the vi
1 min read
Looking to the Next Forty
Ag Spectrum has been providing insight and guidance to help farmers become better land stewards for forty years. This longevity is only...
1 min read
Grounded in History, Progressing the Future
Dayne Jessup is passionate about progressing American agriculture while staying grounded in its deep historical roots. The Indiana father...
2 min read
Avoid Common Replanting Mistakes
Spring planting sometimes has to be done more than once. Replanting can happen for different reasons. Dr. Jim Smart, Research & Teaching...
1 min read
When to Start Planting
One of the most challenging springtime decisions: when to start planting. Correctly judging when conditions are right to plant can be...
1 min read
Discoveries that Changed our Understanding of the Nitrogen Cycle
Since the start of the 21st century, scientists have made several discoveries that will substantially improve farmers’ capacity to...
3 min read
Conditions, Not Calendar Should Drive Planting
May is here and planting is significantly behind in most corn producing states. While farmers want to get going, sound agronomic...
2 min read
Soils Tell You When it is Time
This spring is a little slower at getting conditions right for planting. Delk Crosier, Maximum Farming Implementation Specialist, says...
1 min read
Prioritize Early Season Weed Control
Early season weed control is the best bet to get a handle on hard-to-control weeds in your fields. Dr. Jim Smart, Ag Spectrum Research...
1 min read
Four Keys to Optimize Nitrogen
Nitrogen is among the costliest of annual grain farming inputs, so optimizing its use is critical to improving profitability. Consider...
2 min read
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