Fire Your Consultant?

I feel compelled to do one more blog on the National Farm Machinery show.  This hit close to home, so I had to write something.  The sign said "Fire Your Consultant"  The man was in a small booth and Was selling a biological soil treatment and a liquid fertilizer formulation.  He said that farmers do not need an expensive soil consultant to tell them what to put on their soils.  Just buy his magic juice and overcome all your soil limitations.  He had a crowd around him.

What is wrong with the picture?  First many biologicals just do not perform.  Most soils have maybe millions of species of micro-organisms in them.  If a particular species is not there it is usually because the soil does not have the proper habitat to support them.  There are some exceptions like legume inoculants, but you are creating the environment to support the bacteria by planting the legumes.  You cannot underestimate the value of micro-organisms in releasing plant nutrients, but the soil needs to have ideal soil test levels to support the right organism.  Just applying magic bugs is not likely to work.  I have no argument if you want to try some strips or better yet, some replicated plots on your farm to see if these things work.  It is possible.  Just don't quit all the other right things you are doing.

I guess I should not even need to explain this but there is just not a one size fits all for fertility.  Variable rate fertilizer would not be nearly as popular as it is right now if that were the case.  Nutrients are removed at different levels depending on yield, crop, soil type, drainage and a host of other factors.  The magic juice might be OK for a starter, but getting all your nutrients to their ideal level should be top priority before adding the magic juice.

DON'T FIRE YOUR SOIL CONSULTANT.  He or she can help you test magic products so you can make valid determinations.  Stick with sound management.  Your soil consultant should be able to tell you where you can cut back for a year or 2 and not cost yourself money or yield.