Tissue Testing.... Do you? Is it worth it?

[Rich©]

Custom cutter told me I needed to tissue test the wheat next year. I gave him that smart alec smile and argued with him.

But ya know, as profound of an operation as that man runs. He obviously knows something a lil more then me about crop production.

Ok.. park the stubborness.. Lets talk it.

What is the protocol here? What are we establishing? Yes.... we are trying to learn what the plant needs to excel. Talking mainly wheat though... How do we know what nutrient is going to increase the grain count in the head and test weight? I don't get paid anything extra for protein in this are so I couldn't care less about that part of the grade scale. I am interested in a good tiller with alot of heads and long heads that are full of grain.

Seems to me with alot of varietys and wheats that alot of boosted nutrient packages produce 100 bushel straw and still have 50 to 20 bushel grain.

I am certain and understand that variety and moisture play a key role in this equation and I think carry more weight and volume in making a successful crop then tissue testing.

Nevertheless.. I am wanting to discuss this topic and has over questions that will settle my thoughts on the matter.

Please, enlighten me.

Thanks You.

[lafarmer345]

Hey Rich, I feel a little under qualified to respond to ANYONE that has over 16MM posts, but, I will give it a try.

My question is what will you be testing for....just NPK or micros, and what do you have to correct deficiencies? Foliar sprays? Extra dry fert? Curious.

I know with cotton, you can adjust as you go with foliar fertilizers. On corn, I think by the time you know where deficiencies are, it may be too late, and being wheat is a grass crop....

playing devils advocate here I guess, but I will be doing a little research tomorrow. Look forward to replies from someone smarter than me!

[Rich©]

See... you got me... I don't even know what we are testing for exactly. True... your looking at what the plant needs nutrient wise. What are Micro's going to add? 1 bpa? If that? I don't know... I'm speculating and playing devils advocate as well.

You have to take into consideration that rainfall amounts yearly in NW kansas are sporatic and unreliable. As I have told Dad and a few others in the area... You can have the choicest ground, best seed, fanciest tests, and newest equipment with the most efficient help but if it don't rain... we ain't raising squat.

How do you anticipate rainfall to manage exactomundo "N" needed put down to raise 100 bushel wheat?

Exactly.. YOu can't.. It's a crap shot.

So you can place what you think and be a big risk taker.... throw a load out and hope it doesn't burn up... or be conservative, put down a "civilized" amount and then wonder if a wet spring just pushed part of it out of the zone or made you come short again to produce the large heads with many grains.

and again..... how do we designate what nutrient is going to benefit us the most as to produce a large grain head full of kernals with good test weight instead of something that makes a 20 bpa yield ticket and 100 bpa straw (wheat farmer terminology.. some will get that) to burn more fuel in the combine running it through the chopper?

I'm trying to be optimistic and positive about this service availble to us.... but at the moment.... I am not convinced one bit yet it's viability in my operation.

[Dave-ECIA]

I look at tissue testing as the "end report" of what we did is working or not. You can find that soil tests are adequate for nutrients, but the plants aren't taking them up and find deficiencies in the tissue.

In our area, drainage, compaction, seed placement are all factors that can be involved. In the early days of some strip fertilizer placement, those operators found out you CANNOT lower your fertilizer rate just because you are "accurately placing" the fert. Came out in tissue testing.

Try it out. It's too late now, but take some tests next year. The labs will advise you on timing the tests to the crop stage. I'd start with NPK and micros. In corn we take late season tests for nitrates to tell us if we applied the correct amount of N. I would suppose you could do the same in wheat.

It's not really expensive and may tell you more than you know now.

[jd9600guru]

Good posts guys.........

Rich, is there a specific reason he reccomended doing the tests? Was something observed yield or crop condition wise or was he just wanting you to think outside the box?

[ses]

Rich I think most guys out here would like to have 100 bushel wheat but, when most send in their soil tests they shoot for 50-60 bushel and hope mother nature takes care of the rest. If you want 100 bu. wheat you have to fertilize for 100 bu. potential. That probably includes applying 40 lbs. phos at least and have 2 pounds of N. available per bushel, probably looking at 160 total N applied at planting, before jointing then just before heading. Very few apply fungicide out here but if you're going to shoot for high yields you better plan for a fungicide. Last year some guys had 100 bu. straw and ended up with 30 bu. wheat. IMO that fungicide application would have made the difference. There's a lot of potential for disease when you have that much cover.