TISSUE SAMPLE FOR THIS YEAR’S CROP – AND NEXT YEAR’S, TOO

Tissue samples open a window to view the nutritional health of crops. Tissue sampling is a tool that allows you to “dive a little deeper and improve production,” according to Kevin Carlson, Federated’s agronomy sales manager.

Taking a tissue sample is pretty quick and easy, but it’s important to clearly note the crop stage at the time the samples are taken for the best lab results. (See videos below.)

This year, drought conditions could potentially skew the accuracy of tissue sampling, but any tissue sample provides insight into ways to improve yields, reduce crop stress, and mitigate weeds and/or disease. Well-documented crop conditions at the time of sampling can improve testing accuracy.

There is still time for foliar or rescue dry fertilizer applications on corn and soybeans. “We are still in the vegetative states for both crops [pre-tassle corn and pre-bloom soybeans],” said Carlson. “We are a few weeks shy of not being able to get into corn, but we can still get into soybeans for some time yet.” Once crops are in the reproductive stage (post-tassle and post-flowering), it’s too late to fertilize.

Your Federated Agronomist can assist with taking and/or submitting tissue samples to the lab for analysis, and can then help interpret test results to make treatment recommendations.

Tissue samples are never a waste of time, even if the window for helping this year’s crop is closed. The analysis will lend itself to making good recommendations for next year’s crop. Talk to your Federated Agronomist soon.