Wednesday, November 5, 2025

Today, Nutrien is applying the P & K & micronutrients to the next year’s corn fields at the home farm.  This is the last location to get this treatment.  It took a little longer than other locations, for the soil tests were taken by grid after DCB harvest, and we had to wait for the results to come back.  Those results were used to create a map for the variable-rate lime applications and another map for the variable-rate application of the P2O5, K2O, & micronutrients. 

Yesterday, they applied the lime and today the granular fertilizers.  After that, we will run the VT tool over the acres to not only incorporate the nutrients into the soil, but also to mix in the wheat and soybean crop residue.  If this VT pass does not occur, the heavy crop mulch on the surface of the soil makes it very, very slow to warm and dry out next spring, delaying planting season for 2026.

Unloading the lime into piles, which are then scooped up into the spreader rig.  The lime works to raise the soil’s pH to an optimum level

Loading the prescription blend of fertilizer into the spreader rig.  

John uses the JD 9R540 and the 2660VT to lightly till the soil after the lime and fertilizer application

At 43 feet wide and 9.2 mph, John can cover a lot of acres each hour 

When this VT task is complete, all field operations for 2025 will be finished.  It feels a bit urgent to get this done, for another round of rainfall is predicted for Friday.  The 330+ acres here at the home farm need this treatment by Thursday night.  It should happen, unless there is an unforeseen breakdown.

The trucks are quite busy today, delivering soybeans to ADM in Newburgh, Indiana to fulfill our November contracts.  Yes, harvest is history, but it is still a busy time at Carnahan & Sons.