Growers around the country should remember they’re removing more than just record yields from their fields this harvest season.
"The predicted highest average corn and soybean yields on record offer many reasons for our industry to celebrate the advancements that have helped us reach this level of production," says Dr. Kyle Freeman, director of New Product Development at The Mosaic Company. "But it‘s also important for growers to remember that with record yield comes record nutrient removal, and necessary measures will need to be taken to replenish those nutrients."
The October crop forecast from the USDA predicts a 15.2-billion-bushel corn crop and a 175.3-bushel-per-acre average. That equates to an estimated 61 pounds of phosphate (P2O5) removed from every acre.
The same forecast predicts a soybean harvest of 4.36 billion bushels, averaging 52.5 bushels/acre, which will remove 63 pounds/acre of potassium oxide (K2O) from U.S. soils.
Mosaic agronomists are advising their retail customers to urge growers to examine nutrient removal rates closely this fall.
"Unfortunately, regardless of how much a crop is worth per bushel, it’s still pulling just as many nutrients from the ground," Dr. Freeman says. "For some, this will be the third straight year of very difficult decisions related to input costs. Those who have cut back on fertilitizer costs may find themselves in a situation that‘s very hard to rebound from if they don‘t adjust their plans to address the effects of this record yield."
To address these nutrient concerns, growers and retailers may consider granular products with years of proven research from The Mosaic Company. Each offers efficient, balanced delivery of key nutrients, so growers can be confident they‘re getting the most out of their fertilizer spend.
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