ONTARIO GRAIN FARMER AGRONOMY 16 continued from page 15 “They might only soil test if there’s a visual problem they’re trying to diagnose,” says Legg, agronomist and manager of business development for SGS Canada Inc. “In the middle of these two is the most likely to soil sample — a farm with hundreds to a few thousand acres — managing each field to maximize returns. Sampling a third of the acres each year is a good strategy to keep soil testing current and spread the cost over every year.” He believes that in spite of the rationale against testing, the practice is increasing, influenced not only by the rising cost of inputs but also by the future uncertainty of what those costs might be in a new, and less-stable, global economic environment. He also sees a difference in comfort levels with soil testing among the next generation of farmers, who tend to be more adept with technology, tools, and the use of data. “That’s helping farms make business plans that understand the cost of production,” says Legg. “The younger farmer has the advantage of data collection and software to capture and record this information, and help with decision-making. Understanding soil fertility is just a piece of the puzzle, but it’s an essential piece.” • “With the price of fertilizers, over-application is a riskier thing now than it was two or three years ago. At best, it is simply building up those levels.” However, doing that without a soil test can be the difference between building fertility and losing it. To help improve part of that process, the ministry is working to update soil fertility recommendations, particularly for phosphorus and potassium. Along with micronutrients, those are investments with more than a single-year payback. “It’s one thing we’re working on, and when we have updated recommendations, that should bring a bit more confidence in knowing what those soil test values mean and having them line up with an expected return and response,” says Elgie. He acknowledges that some growers are reluctant to test regularly, due in part to the cost, but also because many find it challenging to read the soil test results. Elgie knows there are growers who pay to have a field tested, yet once the results are returned, they often opt for what they’ve done in previous years. “If you’re a farmer who’s wary about soil testing because you don’t understand it, you don’t have to,” he says. “There are a ton of good, certified crop advisers and agronomists who read these tests all the time. They understand them and can help with fertilizer recommendations and plans.” THE SOIL TEST QUOTIENT If there’s a benefit to higher operating costs and more growers “sharpening their pencils,” it’s that more are seeing the value of regularly testing their fields. Nearly 20 years ago, anecdotal evidence cited 20 to 25 per cent of growers sampling a field once every three years. According to some estimates today, that number has crossed the 40 per cent threshold; however, different scenarios affect that rate, as well. Jack Legg sees both ends of the spectrum, where a septuagenarian farmer with one or two smaller farms may defer soil testing and continue farming the same way, producing enough to live comfortably. At the other end is the larger-scale operation with thousands of acres to manage, which may also default to applying a flat-rate fertilizer to every field. “Producers have much more in terms of dollars at risk and assets in play that affect risk. - Al Mussell, Research Lead Agri-Food Economic Systems
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