Ready for more advanced fertility management? So are we! Precision soil testing can be done in a few different ways, but the fundamentals still remain the same. Obtain a representative sample within your grid/zone at the proper depth to ensure recommendations are based on quality data. Precision soil testing should consider any and all data you’ve collected on your farm.
Rosetree uses two methods for precision soil testing:
- Zone Sampling: Rosetree’s Data Management services create sub-field management zones that can be used for zone soil sampling. This is our preferred method for precision soil testing once farms have enough yield data to create multi-year yield layers. Yield layers, soil types, NDVI layers, and more can be combined to create high-quality zones for soil testing and variable rate applications. Our agronomists review the zones with you before soil testing, then take representative soil samples within each zone. We meet with each customer to discuss the soil test results & fertilizer budgets before creating fertilizer recommendations. Our recommendations consider agronomic needs, planned manure applications & your fertilizer budget.
- Grid Sampling: Grid soil testing is recommended where multiple fields were combined to form 1 larger field, fields where yield data does not show strong variability, or farms new to precision ag with limited yield data. Grids can be modified to add or subtract sampling locations as needed, and NDVI imagery can be used to help guide sampling locations within a grid to increase the sampling accuracy. We always meet with our customers to explain the results and work together to develop fertilizer recommendations that fit the operation’s needs.
All fertility prescriptions are developed through our Variable Rate Prescription Services using the FieldAlytics program. Our recommendations will factor in other nutrient applications, like manure, biosolids or FPR applications, when that information is made available to us. Once fertilizer scripts are developed, we work with you & your applicator to export the recommendations into your precision ag platform & rate controller.
