Key Takeaways
- Total Acre has introduced the Nutrient Power Ranking (NPR) tool to help farmers optimize crop yields by understanding nutrient effects.
- The NPR tool is integrated into Total Acre’s proprietary Yield Management System (YMS).
- This tool identifies nutrient imbalances and provides insights into the optimal timing and stage for nutrient application.
- NPR is currently available for corn, and soybean testing is ongoing. Results are published at critical growth stages.
- Farmers are encouraged to use NPR alongside traditional sufficiency scales to address nutrient deficiencies effectively.
Total Acre is excited to announce the launch of the Nutrient Power Ranking (NPR), Version One, a new tissue sampling scoring method designed to help farmers understand and predict how different nutrients affect their crops. This innovative tool is now available within Total Acre members’ proprietary Yield Management System (YMS).
Overview of the Nutrient Power Ranking Tool
The NPR tool, integrated into the YMS, combines crop modeling and analytics to provide a detailed understanding of individual nutrient sufficiency. By highlighting nutrient imbalances—whether too high or too low—the tool helps farmers identify the optimal time and stage to apply specific nutrients, ultimately aiming to optimize yield and maximize return on investment (ROI).
Randy Siever, Chief Operating Officer of Total Acre, explained, “The NPR tool is a unique product that is a culmination of digesting nearly a decade of real on-farm data points, specifically designed to benchmark nutrient sufficiency analytics with our interactive nutrient matrix. This accurately pinpoints issues that can be managed within the growing system.”
How NPR Works
The NPR tool addresses the critical question for farmers: “If I were to apply a single nutrient at this point, which would have the greatest impact on my yield?” Farmers can refer to a list of preferred products when the scoring method identifies a nutrient issue to correct the deficiency and restore balance. Tissue samples are then re-pulled to measure the effectiveness of the application, ensuring that the actual problem is treated, not just the symptoms.
In 2024, NPR will be available exclusively for corn, with ongoing testing for soybean production. NPR results are published for corn at two key growth stages: when crops have grown 700-850 GDUs and at the VT/R1 stage. Farmers will receive regular messages about new tissue samples, including NPR analysis availability, and must enter their Relative Maturity (RM) on the tissue sample sites for accurate sample highlighting.
Practical Advice for Farmers
David Hula, a nine-time World Champion Corn Grower and Total Acre specialist advises farmers to address any nutrient sufficiency gaps first using traditional scales. “If you’re in the green for sufficiency, use the NPR scale to fix any red (insufficient) balances,” Hula suggests. He emphasizes the importance of having realistic yield goals for each field and knowing when to push for higher yields or conserve resources to avoid unnecessary expenses.
