Farmers are facing difficult situations. Their costs have been extremely high this year, primarily because of high fuel and labor costs. Yet, their crop yields are going to be so low because of the drought that they will most likely not even cover the cost of production.

If you are a farmer and you grow crops with any intention at all of making a profit, it is time for you to get back to the basics. It is critical that the basic things about crop production be done right. It does not matter if the crop is tobacco or vegetables worth thousands of dollars per acre or soybeans worth only a couple of hundred dollars per acre.

What this means is that farmers are going to have to be more resourceful this coming year. They are going to have to be better managers and will need to do everything they can to keep their cost to a minimum. They need to save money when they can, but they cannot afford to risk additional losses by eliminating costs that will further affect final yields. Even if things go well for them, it will take farmers several years to overcome the losses they suffered this year

The most basic task related to crop production, and the one overlooked most often, is soil sampling. Even during good years, most problems associated with poor plant growth are soil related. Agents on my staff report that whenever they are called to a farmer's field to help determine what caused poor plant growth or plant death, it is almost always related to conditions within the soil. Also, in most cases, the farmer has not taken any soil samples in recent years and had no idea of the soil conditions before planting the crop.

Good soil samples provide information related to whether or not lime is needed to reduce the acidity of the soil. Plants do not grow well in acid soils. Fibrous roots that take up moisture and fertilizer from the soil do not develop in acid soils, so the plant is unable to grow properly. Weak plants are more susceptible to insects and diseases. Many plant nutrients become tied up in soil particles when the soils are acid and never become available to the plant even though there may be an abundance of this nutrient in the field. Many herbicides do not perform well in acid soils, so money spent on herbicides is often wasted and weeds become a problem.

Good soil samples also provide information about how much residual fertilizer is in the soil. A large portion of the fertilizer applied this past growing season was never used, because there was never enough moisture in the soil to make the fertilizer available or the crops did so poorly, they did not take up much fertilizer. This fertilizer is still in those fields ready to be used by the crops that will be planted next year. In addition, more than likely, more fertilizer than was needed was applied to fields for many years in the past. This fertilizer has also be accumulating in the soil, just like money in the bank.

The only way to determine just how much residual fertilizer is available is with good soil samples. As mentioned earlier in this column, it will take farmers several years to overcome the losses they will experience this year. This is a good way to start. Don't buy any more fertilizer than is absolutely needed. Take soil samples now to determine just how much is needed.

Kent Wooten, Extension Crops Agent, is working with most of the farm suppliers in the county to push a soil sampling campaign for this winter. The primary reason for this campaign is to help the farmers save money or to use their money more wisely. In addition, soil samples taken now will be analyzed much quicker by the NCDA labs in Raleigh. Most farmers delay taking samples until the spring, and then the backlog gets so large that it often takes eight to ten weeks to get the results back, and it is time to start planting crops before then.

Soil samples taken early in the fall will usually be analyzed within two weeks. Information can be received in time so that if it is needed, lime can be applied to winter wheat fields before they are planted. In addition, just enough fertilizer for both the wheat and double-cropped soybeans can be applied in one application.

Soil sampling supplies are available at the Robeson County Center of the North Carolina Cooperative Extension Service and at most farm supply dealers in the county. Stop by and pick up what you need. There is no charge for these supplies, and there is no charge for soil analysis for North Carolina citizens. It is all free. What better deal could you ask for?

Taking soil samples is an easy task, but it does take a little time. If you have never taken soil samples before, your Extension agents, and most farm dealers in the county, would be more than glad to teach you how. If you take good samples, you can expect good results that you can rely on as you make management decisions during the coming year. If you take poor samples, the results are worthless, because you have no idea what the information on the reports represents.

The week of October 29 is Soil Sampling Awareness Week in Robeson County. All soil samples dropped off at the Extension Center, or at any of the local farm dealers in the county, will be transported to the NCDA labs in Raleigh the following Monday morning. This will speed up the time for you to receive your reports, so you can use this information most effectively during the coming months. Get back to the basics. If you have not yet done so, please consider taking soil samples and use the results to reduce your cost and increase your yields this coming year.

E-mail address: Everett_Davis@ncsu.edu

Mailing Address:
P. O. Box 2280
Lumberton, NC 28359-2280

Phone: 910-671-3276
Fax: 910-671-6278

Date Created 10/30/07