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Tissue sampling for higher yields

A nationally recognized high yielding grain farmer says his secret to high producing crops is tissue sampling.

Don Stall farms a couple thousand acres near Charlotte in Mid-Michigan and has won several state and national corn and soybean yield contests.  He tells Brownfield he treats each growing season with a blank slate and takes tissues samples every seven to ten days throughout the season.  “Normally we’ll feed the crop based upon actual yield, what we removed, and with a tissue test we adjust from there.”

Stall says because he regularly soil samples, during years of tight margins he has a better idea of what inputs can be reduced.  “Most of our fertility is good so years like this when things are tighter a lot of times we don’t have to buy additional fertilizers or stuff, we can cut back a little bit as long as our ratios are in line.”

Stall says his goal is to not stress the plant at any time during the growing season and advises farmers to make sure the right macro and micro nutrients are available throughout the year.

During the 2016 Michigan Soybean Yield Contest, Stall entered the highest overall yield at 118.91 bushels per acre, a record for the contest and the state. His entries in the contest have yielded over 100 bushels per acre in four of the past five years.

Stall also won the 2016 National Corn Growers Association yield contest for Michigan in the irrigated category with a 326.07 bushel yield.

AUDIO: Interview with Don Stall

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