As farmers like you are looking to cut expenses in the 2016 growing season, it is important to make sure you don’t make cuts that may ultimately affect your farming operation’s profitability. A fairly simple and inexpensive way to do this is to stay on top of your soil and fertilizer needs.

Running an annual soil test on your farm costs around 5 dollars per acre. Done in the fall, this test will allow you to know about only nutritional surpluses or deficiencies your soil has. A few examples of how this ultimately affects your farm’s profitability are:

1. Carryover nitrate levels:
   There is a very good chance that your crop didn’t utilize all of the available nitrogen last year.  Without a soil sample, there could be as many as 50 units of unrecognized carryover. With the  cost around $0.50 per unit for nitrogen, knowing your carryover amount can save $25 per acre.

2. Organic matter:
   You could earn an additional 30 to 70 units of nitrogen carryover from organic matter  throughout the growing season, and soil testing can tell you if and where that is happening.

3. VRT application of P, K, and micronutrients:
   Make sure that adequate amounts of each micronutrient are applied to your farm based on  what your particular soil is telling you it needs. Blanket-spreading based off a two-year-old  soil test that does not have the most recent information is a misuse of your resources.

4. CEC levels:
   This number identifies how much nitrogen your ground is able to handle, preventing you from  overapplying whatever the soil cannot tolerate.

We understand cutting costs is a necessity for your operation, and we encourage you to make sure costs are researched and understood as fully as possible. A small investment in a soil test, for example, can yield a significant return on your investment given the knowledge it provides.