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November 20, 2025

Proper 4R nutrient management can help control costs with tight margins 

By Ben Wicker, Executive Director, Indiana Agriculture Nutrient Alliance When harvest wraps, planning for 2026 begins. Margins are tight, and the most expensive input on most grain farms are fertilizer, especially for corn acres.  Proper 4R nutrient management, using the Right Source, Right Rate, Right Time and Right Place, becomes increasingly important. Knowing your baseline, managing for utilization, and scouting for concerns can ensure a healthy harvest and return on investment.  Knowing what nutrients your soil currently holds is key to deciding how much fertilizer to apply. Plan to soil test on a rotating basis, aiming for a test to be taken every two to four years. Between soil tests, we can use resources like the Tri-State Fertilizer Recommendations, plant tissue testing, or corn stalk nitrate testing to estimate the removal of nutrients.  However, the foundation of these estimates falls back on the original soil test. The results of the tests can be used to save money, particularly for soil pH and accurately applying phosphorus or potassium.  Use a Certified Crop Advisor or trained agronomist to help with soil test interpretation and recommendations. Timing of soil testing is important for the long-term. Soil nutrient characteristics are different when testing in the spring or in the fall. Once the timing has been established, one should remain with the same timing for all other all future tests.  Manage for utilization ...
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