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‘Yield your way out’ of this year‘Yield your way out’ of this year

Hoosier Perspectives: Don’t skimp on inputs this year. Rather, prioritize inputs that will help you boost your yield and pull through this growing season.

Allison Lynch, Staff Writer

January 23, 2025

3 Min Read
Silhouette of soybean plants
BACK TO BASICS: Go back to the root of what sets up your crop for success. Prepare your planter. Plant early when field conditions are fit. Scout often. Returning to these basics can help you boost yields and pull through this year. Allison Lynch

I felt my heart flutter when my husband, Ryan, told me we’d need to make an appointment with the banker to discuss getting an operating loan. With this being his first year farming some acreage on his own, I knew this day was coming, but I liked to pretend that I had some time before we had to think about it.

As I sat in disbelief, my mind immediately started to wander, bouncing back and forth between areas where we could start cutting costs. How much fertilizer do we really need? Can we skip some seed treatments? How can we pinch pennies and make this big step less of a jump?

You may be like me, tempted to cut back on some inputs to save a few bucks. Although there are areas you could pull back on, resist the urge to get carried away and slash everything in half.

Shift your mindset

Instead of focusing on how much money you spend this year, try to shift your attention to how you’re spending it.

“How do we spend our money most efficiently and effectively to increase yield?” says Steve Gauck, a regional agronomy manager for Beck’s. “What are those practices that give us the highest return on investment?” He adds that this is the year to capture the highest yield possible instead of cutting costs that boost yield.

Two of the most crucial inputs are fertilizer and herbicide. When it comes to fertilizer, make sure you are meeting basic needs. On the other hand, do not overapply fertilizer without assessing soil test results.

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“It’s easy when you’ve got to write a big check to say, ‘Let’s just cut my fertilizer application by 10%,’” Gauck says, “I understand, especially if you’re overapplying by 10%. But make sure you’re applying the fertilizer that’s needed.”

Additionally, invest in a good soil residual herbicide that will help you mitigate weed pressure from the start. Otherwise, you will be scrambling to keep the escapes under control, and you will pay for it at harvest.

Make small cuts

While Gauck advises against cutting the yield-boosting inputs, he says you should analyze your costs and cut some of those smaller things that add up over time.

For me, this used to come in the form of a cup of coffee every day when I was in college. Over time, that $5 to $10 each day amounted to hundreds of dollars that could have gone toward something else.

When tracking my spending in college, it would have been clear that even larger amounts of cash were going to textbooks or rent. Why not cut those huge expenses to save money? Just like crucial inputs help boost your crop’s yield, those inputs helped me stay successful in college. I had somewhere safe to live and the resources to thrive in my classes. However, cutting out the small coffee expense each day is what really helped me start saving.

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What does that daily cup of coffee look like in your operation? Is it a biological product that hasn’t delivered promised results for the past two years? Or perhaps you could skip the insecticide seed treatment on soybeans for a field that has not had high pest pressure recently.

Gauck’s advice is to go back to the basics. Cut out those areas that aren’t necessary and focus on preparing your planter and setting up your crop for success. Plant early if possible. Maximize time in the field when soil conditions are right. Prioritize the inputs that boost yield. High yield is what will help pull you through this season.

“We’ve had some good years in terms of yields, and I think we can keep that momentum going with scouting, paying attention to your crop, and being active during the growing season,” Gauck says. “Let’s yield our way to prosperity.”

About the Author

Allison Lynch

Staff Writer, Indiana Prairie Farmer

Allison Lynch, formerly Allison Lund, is a staff writer for Indiana Prairie Farmer. She graduated from Purdue University with a major in agricultural communications and a minor in crop science. She served as president of Purdue’s Agricultural Communicators of Tomorrow chapter. In 2022, she received the American FFA Degree.

Lynch grew up as the oldest of four children on a cash grain farm in south-central Wisconsin, where the primary crops were corn, soybeans, wheat and alfalfa. Her family also raised chewing tobacco and Hereford cattle. She spent most of her time helping with the tobacco crop in the summer and raising Boer goats for FFA projects. She now lives near Winamac, Ind, where her husband farms with his family.

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