Yield/Profit Challenge marks decade of data

EUREKA, Ill. — Trent Nicholson is in his 10th growing season of on-farm trials that focus on agronomic solutions that combine improve soil and plant health with yields and profitability.

Nicholson’s Yield/Profit Challenge features a more holistic approach of utilizing a whole system that emphasizes the interconnectedness of components within a crop production system.

Nicholson, owner of Yield/Profit Challenge and a Pro-Soil Ag Solutions dealer, recently hosted his annual field day featuring on-farm corn and soybean trials.

Lynn Hoover, Pro-Soil national field adviser and owner of Ocean Blue Agronomics, partnered with Nicholson to lead the plot tours.

Nicholson works with product lines from companies including Ocean Blue Ag, Sea-90, Atlantic Pacific Ag, Pro-Soil Ag, Calcean and Kugler Fertilizer, finding ways to challenge the norm to ultimately achieve greater profitability.

The program’s focus is restoring functional soil structure by correcting mineral balance, improving bioavailable calcium and supporting biological activity in ways that improve nutrient efficiency.

“We have 13 different larger-scale plots this year and also about 40 smaller-scale hand plots,” Nicholson said during the recent field day.

“For the larger plots, we’re just showing proven plots, basically demonstrating it for customers to come out and see them. The hand plots are where we do research and product development.”

The foundation for Nicholson’s corn and soybean trials is a base package of 125 pounds of monoammonium phosphate dry spread.

Additional natural soil nutrition and liquid plant food products are added in each strip separately or in combination to compare yield, input costs and return on investment.

Nicholson applied 8 ounces per acre of Forcivo fungicide at about VT across all of his acres. No insecticide was applied.

Products used include Sea-90 Ocean Minerals, Pro-Soil’s IPS 100, Micro Pac, Power Pro, Nutri-Shield, Liquid Sea Minerals, Aragonite and others from natural sources.

A popular core program is a combination of NutriShield applied in-furrow, along with IPS-100 and Sea-90 in corn and soybeans with net ROIs of $125 and $113 per acre, respectively, when taking into account fertilizer savings and increased yields.

“NutriShield in-furrow has a really consistent ROI, a really good profit compared to starter fertilizer. It’s a good starter fertilizer replacement,” Nicholson said.

“Doing the IPS-100 and the Sea-90 together was a really great combination for a lot of customers that do that and they’ve seen a lot of good results with it.”

IPS-100 from Pro-Soil Ag Solutions is a soil conditioner. It’s designed to improve pore space near the rhizosphere, allowing increased oxygen flow.

This has been a very effective product for any heavy, tight soil that seems to drain poorly. The recommended application rate is 32 ounces per acre.

Sea-90 offers natural mineral and trace elements that enhance nutrient density and improve soil microbiology to create a more productive growing environment.

The product can replace several types of fertilizer, including 40 pounds of nitrogen, 12 pounds of sulfur, 50% to 100% of potash and all other micronutrients, according to Sea-90 literature.

The full program has the highest ROI over nine years of data, averaging $154 per acre better than conventional fertilizer management, according to Nicholson’s on-farm trials.

That program includes the base of 125 pounds of MAP; Sea-90, 100 pounds dry spread; IPS 100, 32 ounces pre-plant; NutriShield, 64 ounces in-furrow; and Aragonite, 200 pounds dry spread.

Soil Biology

Nicholson’s Yield/Profit Challenge program focuses on improving soil biology.

“That’s the primary target. We’re trying to stimulate the native biology,” he said. “A lot of companies are out there are trying to introduce new strains that they made in a lab. We’re trying to provide new resources for the existing biology to help the soil biology thrive.”

Corn, Soybean Systems

The program’s products fit into both a corn and soybean production system.

“We’ve designed these products around fitting into passes that you’re already making. So, we’re trying to replace things you’re already doing, but not add passes,” Nicholson said.

“You’re going to make a planter pass. You’re going to make a sprayer pass. Sometimes, most likely, you’re going to make a sidedress pass and a fungicide pass. These products are geared toward hitting those timings that you’re already going to make, so you’re not making an extra trip. In some cases, we may eliminate a trip.”