Mud-Stained Soles

Cutting Trends in Desert Alfalfa to achieve 10 tons/ac.

2011-11-19T10:24:00.001-08:00

Are your fields producing 10 tons/ac per year of alfalfa hay? If not, the cutting data above may give you an hint as to why.

Many years of research here in the Palo Verde Valley, California on good producing alfalfa has shown us that good fields follow a yield trend through the season. Our highest yielding cutting generally is the 5th cutting (May-June) at 1.61 tons/ac. Yields diminish from there to the end of the season.

It has been our experience that if the third cutting out yields the second cutting then the field may be on it's way to 12-13 tons/ac for that year.

Responses of Alfalfa Production and Quality to Water run applications of Micro-organisms.

2011-11-03T20:26:00.000-07:00

Below is an excerpt from Stanworth Crop Consultants Inc Research

Introduction: Questions regarding soil health in the SW deserts of the United States have been posed. Indigenous populations of micro-organisms may not be as effective in decomposition of organic matter or competitive with plant parasitic nematodes or soil borne diseases. Recent regulatory and environmental pressures have been put to growers to switch from caustic soil sterilants (methyl bromide) to alternatives. These alternatives include biological organisms as agents to help control soil borne diseases. Recently, benefits of these materials have been noted anecdotally. Increase in production and quality have been seen in treated versus untreated fields. Increase in plant analysis nutrients, primarily nitrogen and phosphorus have been observed on sugar beets. Decreases in nematode populations have been seen in treated vs untreated fields. A replicated treatment and untreated control experiment was proposed. This experiment was performed to test the efficacy of using Pure Ag Solutions micro-organisms and quantify benefits on nutrients, yields and quality of alfalfa hay.

Results: Alfalfa quality improved significantly in the treated plots. Median %ADF and %NDF decreased over 3% in treated versus untreated check plots. Energy calculations showed an increase in median Relative Feed Value from 119 to 133, TDN increased from 53.7 to 56.1. Median Crude protein increased over 1% in treated plots over the untreated check, but was not statistically significant. Yields increases were noted. Average yields of the treated plots were 1.23 tons/ac, the untreated plots averaged 1.09 tons/ac. This was not statistically significant however. Total bale counts showed there was no increase in yield, treated 1.46 tons/ac, untreated plots at 1.47 tons/ac. Bale weights were estimated at 105 lbs/bale. Comparison of soil nutrients between treatments revealed that there was no significant change in any of the soil nutrient tested in alfalfa soils treated with Pure Ag Solutions Micro-organism when compared to controls. Alfalfa plant tissue analysis of the top 6” of plants showed a similar lack of significant differences in nutrient content between treatments.

Discussion: Significant increases in alfalfa feed quality and moisture was noted in the treated over the untreated check of these fields. The mechanism of this increase is unknown. Increase in alfalfa leafiness, or higher leaf to stem ratio may be occurring in the treated areas. Possible influences from micro-organisms could be better tilthe and aeration of the soil allowing better uptake of water to the plants, giving more lush leafy growth. This experiment was performed during the peak of the desert summer. High heat stress on alfalfa causes a condition locally described as “summer slump”. Alfalfa quality and yields are depressed as plants struggle to survive through the heat. I recommend checking the same plots again in the fall as cool temperatures and un-stressed plants may respond in the treated plots.
Bibliography:

Undersander, Dan., et al. Forage Analysis Procedures. Omaha Ne.: National Forage Testing Association. July 1993

Zar, Jerrold H. Biostatistical Analysis. Englewood Cliffs N. J.: Prentice-Hall Inc. 1974

Pure Ag: http://pureagproducts.com/soil%20science/soilscience.html
Yield Estimate: http://aronquist.blogspot.com/2011/07/estimating-hay-yields-on-research.html

2011-09-16T11:33:00.001-07:00

Below is a well written email post, it is published without permission.

Dear NIRS Consortium members, friends, and associates:It is with the deepest regret that I must tell you that Dr. John S. Shenk passed away this afternoon, Thursday, September 15 following surgery to remove a tumor on his kidney.For more than three decades, John has been an incredible driving force in the creation and advancement of NIRS technology. His unmatched passion to help everyone, everywhere benefit from NIRS brought success to scores of people and improved animal and crop production throughout the world. John accomplished this with the help, love, and unwavering support of his wife Gloria, his children, and his grandchildren.To so many of us, John's love of our Lord was exemplified in the friendships he formed with everyone he met. Several times over the last quarter century he stated that his mission in life was to simply share with others the understanding of NIRS that God had so generously shared with him. And share he did!With each sample we scan, may we bring honor to Dr. John Shenk's life's work by remembering not only what he did, but who he did it for.Information on viewing, memorial services, and related information will follow soon.Sincerely,Tim HoernerPresident, The NIRS Consortium

Estimating Hay Yields on Research Trials

2011-07-24T06:23:00.000-07:00

Estimating yields on alfalfa or other hay crops can be challenging. Hay harvesting in the desert SW United States involves a period of curing and baling on dew moisture. Raking and Baling may occur at 3 am in the morning. We like to rise early here in the hot desert, but unless one sleeps in the field, one will miss the bale count. So here is our compromise to the traditional bale count to estimate yields on large research plots. We have used this method for a variety of trials ranging from fertility to soil amendments to soil micro-organism trials (seen here).

Here is a list of items needed: A field that had been cut. A pick up truck with an arm swung out off the bed of the truck. A milk scale. A tarp. Rakes. Measuring tape. Zip lock baggies. Clipboard. Pen. And a couple of assistants.

First measure a length of windrow in replicated plot with the tape.

The length of windrow is raked onto the tarp.

The tarp is weighed, the weight is recorded on the clipboard (don't forget to post the tare weight).

A sub sample of the hay is placed into the zip lock bag. The bag is returned to the lab for dry matter test.

Yield is estimated by back calculating the net weight of the hay to tons/ac. Moisture content is then corrected by dividing the yield by the percent dry matter found from the lab analysis. Yields are commonly reported on Dry Matter or 90% dry matter basis.

Real Time Soil Moisture Reports

2011-07-18T09:05:00.002-07:00

Recently new IT products allow traditional soil moisture meters to update to the internet to give reports in "real time".

The report to the right is an example of how soil moisture is depleted from the rootzone of an established cotton crop. Note that root depth can be estimated by the zone of water depletion in that area. For example, the 32 inch sensor began to show water just prior to the last irrigation on July 15th. We can assume that the roots are now in the vicinity of that sensor. http://www.aquaspy.com/Home.aspx

Rain Event

2011-07-08T08:57:00.000-07:00

As the old Arab saying goes "All sunshine makes a desert", so it is that I post a recent rain event here in our valley. We received 2.28 inches of rain Tuesday morning. This event was recorded by our Decagon Echo data logger and connected instruments. *see image.

The bar graph shows the rainfall amounts with 1.4 plus inches of rain falling between midnight and 1 am. Capacitance soil moisture sensors responded to the moisture from the rain event. First the top foot (red line) responded. Then the second foot (yellow) and even the deep soil moisture sensor (green line) at 36 inch depth increased. This field is in alfalfa and irrigated by center pivot irrigation system. Due to high water demand (ETo) and limited water supply, it is difficult to refill the soil profile this time of the year to the deep sensor. But it was accomplished by the precipitation that night. Note green line appears at about 4 am after the water had infiltrated to the depth.

First Impression Sauce

2008-09-24T06:33:00.000-07:00

Have you ever noticed how sometimes, the first time you use a product the success is immediate and conspicuous? A while ago, I opened a box that contained a new bar of soap and took a shower. Right away I noticed how well the soap lathered up in our hard desert water. The effect was impressive. I compared the new bar to an old bar of the same brand. I had to really work at the old one to get it to lather. Showers are normally known for singing, but this got me thinking. Why was I so impressed with the new bar, when I had been using the same old soap brand for years? I think proctor and gamble or whoever made the bar sprayed a solution of calgon (sodium hexameta phosphate) on the surface to soften the water and make it lather well right away. I have given this effect a name, it is "first impression sauce".

I remember when I was just out of school with my Undergrad degree (20 years ago now), I had a sales meeting with a salty older Agronomist that gave me a pretty hard time initially. As the meeting went on, I noticed he had a bottle of Vitamin B1 on top of his filing cabinet. Vitamin B1 is sold as an amendment, used mainly in the ornamental industry to be applied during transplant of young plants. In a little sarcastic smart-ass tone, I said, "Wow Vitamin B1! Do you use alot of that?" He told me "You know as well as I do that that stuff is worthless, but I manufacture it." He went on, "I just add a little iron and zinc chelate in the solution, the grower sees the plants green up when they first use it. They don't know any different, they think it is the Vitamin B1 is great." There is my definition of "first impression sauce".

There are others. Dr. Paul Eberhardt of IAS Labs in Phoenix discovered years ago that calcium levels in the cotton plant really respond to boron applications. Flower pollination- boll retention increase dramatically in cotton to boron fertilization. About the same time, a plant growth regulator used in cotton changed it's anion chemistry from chloride to borate. This borate is considered a foliar fertilizer when the pgr is applied. Is this a co-incidence or "first impression sauce"?

Nitro-sul is a liquid fertilizer applied usually as a water run in furrow/border strip systems. It has a stinky rotten-egg-sulfury smell when applied. Stanworth Crop Consultants has never recommended the material. We believe that there are more economical alternatives to increasing soluble calcium on calcareous soils. I believe growers like the "first impression sauce" as they observe the stinky milky white emulsifier move across the field in the irrigation water.

Can you think of any "First Impression Sauces" in your life? If so, you may want to consider why the company adds it. Maybe you would be better off to buy just the sauce and not the product.... Me, I just put more salt in the water softener.

FRESH PIX FROM LONDON

2008-08-01T12:26:00.000-07:00

Michael Mullion had an excellent idea. Why don't you blog while you are on your trip to Saudi Arabia. Well, I am not long winded or fluent with words. But I am having a pint of London's Pride at the Robert Inn. It is a traditional English pub in Hounslow London. And, I can post pictures with a little explanation below each. So here Goes.....

This is the Boeing 777 loading at the Jetway at LAX.

This my isle seat, Eric Edlund, from Stockholm Sweden next to me. He is returning from a business trip to LA. His sister lives in Smaland Sweden, the Quist ancestral home. He was married in an 800 year old church, Lutheran of course. He commented that many Swedes left Smaland in the mid 1800's because of hard times and even hunger. He related that the soil there is very rocky and not very productive. He said the people from there have a reputation of being hard working.

These ladies are from the Netherlands. Many of the plane passengers are Scandinavians going home from vacationing in the US. I overhead them speaking in Dutch, it is a beautiful language, it sounds like the a bubbling brook flowing through the forest. They had just finished a joint-family vacation with 8 kids and parents spanning 4000 miles across the US. I apologize for the quality of the print.

Picture of London Heathrow Airport. Side note now, they are serving green peas with my fish and chips here at the pub. Yes Teresa, other people in this world do enjoy eating green peas, thank you.

Next up, A cute Bobby, a shrubbery, and a dark Cloak Room! Later, AQ

Irrigation Management- Nitrogen Efficiency

2008-07-25T18:18:00.000-07:00

As I am reviewing last seasons Wheat agronomic reports one fact keep appearing. Good irrigation management pays in savings on nitrogen applications. Part of our service is to review the previous seasons agronomic reports with growers. But this year, the pressure of increasing fertilizer costs are causing us to scrutinize more closely the efficiency of fertility programs. Good management pays, this is nothing new. But as I look at these reports I see that growers that monitor the soil moisture and irrigate accordingly irrigate their fields less often than those who irrigate by calendar.

Whether reduction in Nitrogen efficieny is due to leaching of the fertilizer (out the tile drain) denitrification (loss of N to air in saturated soils) I cannot quantify. I can tell you that fields that have excellent production and protein (4 ton plus yields and 14% protein) generally were irrigated less often and used less nitrogen than comparable yielding fields of comparable soil texture that were irrigated more often.

Tile Cleaning Crew on the Vail Canal system near the Salton Sea (loss by leaching).

First turn off the fertilizer tank, then the head gate (just plain lost).

Anhydrous-Schmanhydrous

2007-07-13T06:51:00.000-07:00

Each year I come into contact with local growers that are led to believe that water run applications of anhydrous ammonia hardens the soil. They are concerned that applying this form will lead to losses in soil quality and crop yields. These beliefs are based upon opinions from those who do not understand local soil and water conditions.

I believe that water run anhydrous ammonia applications make good sense in the area irrigated by the Lower Colorado River and here are my reasons. 1. Economic Sense: The cost of ammonia historically has been 1/2 (on per unit N basis) that of other nitrogen fertilizers such as UN-32 and Urea. At my last check, the cost for NH3 was $0.35/lb N compared with $0.57/lb N for UN-32. This means a typical water run of 30 lbs N/ac of NH3 would save the farm $6.60 per acre. 2. Agronomic Sense: NH3 is a good "maintenance" fertilizer. It must convert to Nitrate before becoming completely available to root uptake. It has been said, it is the "next irrigation" fertilizer and moves into the plant over time. In this sense, it could be considered "slow release". If plant analysis shows adequate levels of Nitrogen and if the crop is entering a time of high Nitrogen demand, NH3 is a good form to apply to maintain those levels. 3. Soil Sense: NH3 does not cause hard soil where the source of the water is the Colorado River. Yes, precipitation of Calcium Carbonate occurs with applications, but the sodium hazard of the River Water (SAR) does not increase to severe or even moderate levels. Water analysis of samples taken during these water run applications show the precipitation of ~100 lbs Calcium per acre foot of water, but the sodium hazard increase(2) SAR unit 2.1-3.3 and R-Na from 1.7-2.2. Both are considered in the no restriction on infiltration category(1) with Colorado River Salinity (ECw 0.85). Therefore: Water run Anhydrous ammonia does not harden the soil in our area. NH3 is an acid-forming fertilizer, It converts over-time to nitric acid and actually reduces soil pH. 3. Environmental Sense: Yes, NH3 can burn the lower leaves where it contacts plants and roots on very sandy soils with over-application. And, NH3 is a gas and can be lost during water run applications. Therefore, I recommend neutralizing the water pH with sulfuric acid during the water run, this keeps the NH3 in solution and reduces plant burn and Nitrogen loss. NH3 is immobile in the soil and does not contribute directly to Nitrate pollution of groundwater (see agronomic sense above). Also, NH3 stimulates micro-organism growth as it is converted to Nitrate.

Safety/liability Concerns: While NH3 applications are lauded above, it must be stated that NH3 is a noxious gas and must be handled and monitored only by trained professionals. Some commercial fertilizer companies no longer supply this fertilizer because of high insurance liability costs and these safety concerns.

All considerations taken in stride, NH3 can be a good tool to have in the growers tool box to maximize production and minimize costs.

1. Soil Improvement Committee. Western Fertilizer Handbook. 9th Edition. Danville, Il; CPHA, 2002.
2. Ayers, R. S., and Westcot, D. W. Water Quality For Agriculture. Rome Italy; FAO of the United Nations. 1985

2007-05-30T06:59:00.000-07:00

"I like numbers, words speak to some people; to others of us it's numbers."
-Carlos Slim Helu

2007-05-06T19:24:00.000-07:00

"Problems are seldom solved by those who created them"
-Albert Einstein

Let the Rabbi Drive....

2007-05-02T17:16:00.000-07:00

Last month I was speaking with one of my clients (we'll call him "Jeff") about a specialty crop he was growing and harvesting. Jeff had landed a "kosher" wheat deal where the crop would be grown specifically for a religious group. Without getting into the details, the client wanted the crop to be grown with special attention to detail and religious ceremony, blessing etc. Jeff had written sufficient profit into the deal to make the smaller acreage and attention worth his while.

When I spoke to him over the phone, Jeff intimated that now his client wanted to ride in the combine during the harvest of the crop, he even wanted to drive the harvestor in the field. Jeff was uncomfortable letting him do this and would draw the line there. My recommendation was to let the client ride and even drive the combine say on the trim pass of one of the fields as long as Jeff's employee rode with him. Modern combines are designed to be very user-friendly, they contain sensors and contain equipment that adjusts the conditions to thresh the wheat from the chaff. In the old days (my father's time) running a combine properly took an experienced driver setting the shakers and air flow etc.

Contract farming can have its benefits. Farming field crops is fine, but contract farming can be financially beneficial. We need to get out of the comfort zone and routine. That is, sometimes we need to let the Rabbi drive.

Unpredictable Barnyard

2007-03-15T20:09:00.000-07:00

With the escalating prices of commercial fertilizer and the pressures from environmental regulations, more growers are turning to organic sources for plant nutrients.

It is about time! Trends in follow up plant analysis on fields that have a history of manure and those that do not show significant benefits. It is true that we can manage the nutrients using commercial fertilizers, Urea, ortho-phosphate, etc. Growers have been doing this successfully for many years. However, I have observed differences in follow up plant tissue analysis in ranches that have had supplemental organic sources applied compared to those ranches that continue on the commercial "inorganic" fertility regimes. Petiole results from the latter have a more spurious nature, the petiole graphs look more like nitrogen "EKG's". Conversely, the petiole graphs with the supplemental organic program appear to transition more smoothly from sampling to sampling over the season.

The problem is predicting when the nutrients become available from the organic sources. You may remember from your basic soils class that nitrification or mineralization occurs only in the presence of nitrifying bacteria, adequate moisture, oxygen and favorable temperatures. A complex system is at play here. I have observed adjacent fields in comparable crop rotation, manure application and soil type display very different petiole nitrate levels early in the season. One shows excessive nitrate, the other low nitrate. One requires no nitrogen application, the other a significant application.

Other observations: care should be taken when managing nitrogen with the sap nitrate quick tests. I did a petiole program on a durum wheat field about 10 years ago. The crop was grown on soils reclaimed from an old feedlot. About late jointing the basal stem nitrate levels dropped quickly and I recommended a relatively high application of UN-32 (60 lbs N/ac) to be applied in the next irrigation. I called the grower and gave him my recommendation, he was unsure of the results. He said the crop looked fine to him. We re-sampled the stems and the lab had comparable low N results. The grower applied the N and got a very good response, both visually and in the plant test. I found out later the grower was using sap nitrate quick tests on his own. Those analysis had not shown the low plant nitrogen. Our best guess was that there may have been some organic interference in those plants that gave a false positive for Nitrate in the quick tests.

Organic sources have benefits, most agronomists are schooled in the three year Nitrogen release rate of Bovine manures (33%, 33% and 25%) in the desert. Phosphate has a 2 year release rate of (50%, and 40%). The trick is to know the timing of the release of these nutrients to the plant system.

Sugarbeets and Low Plant Phosphate

2007-03-03T18:08:00.000-08:00

For my first blog, I would like to discuss low fertility in plant analysis that is not caused by deficient soil nutrients. We have noticed in the past that low petiole phosphate may not respond to side dress or water run P applications. This has been caused by soil borne diseases and this year in Sugarbeets, by nematodes.

We have a field in the Imperial Valley that had adequate levels of P applied preplant. It was grid soil sampled and had GPS precision applied 11-52-0 prior to planting. The soil is sandy loam texture with a 1/4 mile length of run. About 2 months after establishment, the headlands began to show low petiole P (less that 1000 ppm PO4-P). We applied sufficient 10-34-0 as a water run to correct the deficiency. The petiole p did not respond in the follow up petiole samples. Soils were sampled in good and poor areas, no differences were found in extractable P (Olsen Method) and levels were adequate for good beet production.

Last week the same areas were sampled for Nematodes. Parasitic nematodes found included longidorus, stunt, and spiral.

In conclusion, the cause of the apparent low petiole phosphate was not nutrition based, it was a problem with a damaged transport system within the plant itself.