What does a decade of detailed tissue testing data get you? Yields that win.
Our AgriGold agronomists have been working with farmers across the country to implement a rigorous tissue testing program. After nearly a decade of collecting and analyzing tissue samples, your local AgriGold agronomist has the tools and information to make a tissue testing plan for your farm that will lead to data-driven decisions for yields that win.
“One or two tissue tests are worthless. You need to have a minimum of six samples to build a roadmap over the season, and so you can make management changes and measure their impact. At AgriGold, we target six critical times in the corn plant’s life that we can then compare to our extensive tissue sampling database, telling us where your nutrient levels should be.” – Josh Johnston, AgriGold Agronomist.
When to collect tissue samples
AgriGold’s tissue sampling program uses a disciplined approach to collect six samples from precise points in the growing season: 350 GDU, 750 GDU, 1150 GDU, 1750 GDU, 2000 GDU and 2400 GDU. This structured approach allows the growers to compare tissue sampling data against a set standard for nutrient needs at defined crop development levels. That way, you’re always comparing against a defined control, and can quickly and accurately identify holes in crop health and fertility.
Lessons learned from tissue sampling
Our decade of tissue sampling data confirmed the importance of nutrient timing based on yield goals. For an overall nutrient dense crop, front-loading your nutrient application allows the corn plant to start off at the highest nutrient level possible. Think of a corn plant like a race horse – no race horse comes out of the gate slow. When the gun goes off, they’re barreling down the track with everything they’ve got. That’s how we want your corn plant to come out of the ground loaded with nutrients.
To add bushels all the way through grain fill season, focus on the last 500 GDUs and maxing out nutrient availability late in the season. Partner with your AgriGold agronomist to set clear goals and develop a tissue testing and fertility program that works for your farm.
Measuring tissue sampling success
As a farmer, you’re no stranger to the fact that yield is complicated, and there are often more measures of success than yield alone. To evaluate the success of the nutrient plan on your farm, you’ll want to choose a few items to measure. For example, if you want to increase the level of Nitrogen at 2400 GDUs and you are making a late application, the tissue sample will allow you to determine if you were successful, even if yields didn’t’ follow due to outside circumstances.
Once you have a goal, it’s time to start sampling. It’ll take a year of sampling to see the benefits fully play out, but our tissue sampling database is backed up by multiple years of data showing how dialing in your crop fertility program leads to yields that win.
Growing yields that win
Your local AgriGold agronomist is an expert in tissue sampling and creating a crop fertility and management program that works for your farm. Get in touch today to enroll your farm in the AgriGold tissue sampling program and continue your relentless pursuit of yields that win.
Additional AgriGold Tissue Sampling resources:
Tissue sampling for better yield results
Tissue sampling & field management