Thursday, October 27, 2016

Yesterday, and for several days now, CPS has been applying specialized plant food (fertilizers) to our fields in preparation for the 2017 crop season.  This addresses our crops’ needs for Phosphorus and Potassium, as well as some micronutrients.  CPS uses a grid-sampled soil testing of each field as well as the corresponding yield maps to create a composite application map…pinpointing an exact mix of nutrients for each precise area of the field.  The fertilizers are blended together according to the needs identified by soil testing and the yields of previous crops.  Then, the applicator vehicle adjusts the rate of material applied as it moves through the field.

This applicator moves across the field, applying the food for the 2017 crop.

Working alone, with only a tender truck to keep the material box filled, the applicator works diligently to apply the precise amount.

The acres disappear rapidly behind this machine. The farmer feels the ‘ka-ching!’ of the rapidly growing fertility bill, too!

The only remaining plant food will be the corn’s nitrogen…which will be applied next year, close to the time when the corn plants need it most.