The colder months are on the way, meaning it’s time to start planning next year’s crop rotation. Agricultural Consulting Service (ACS) is a resource for farmers to use when building plans for next year and improving crop yield. Whether it’s collecting soil samples to confirm nutrient levels or checking crops for pests, the Agronomy Team at ACS is here to help you make your crop season a success. Read on for more services that they offer to farms located in New York and Vermont.
Checking Soil Nutrient Levels
Looking at soil only tells a person so much. A proper analysis of soil will provide a full picture of what’s actually in it. Collecting a soil sample from a field on a regular basis such as before and after the crop season is a way to get an accurate look at the lay of the land. The analysis will provide a report on what’s missing or in surplus in your fields. This information will aid in saving money when it comes to applying nutrients to fields and reducing the over-administration of fertilizers. Collecting data over the years will also show how certain field practices have affected a field.
Visiting each field on a farm to collect a soil sample is a job that ACS Field Technicians do year-round. They work with farms to identify fields that need samples collected and then visit each of them to pull soil samples. To ensure that the full field is represented, they will pull soil from multiple points in the field. That way you can see the difference in wet and dry spots and the headlands versus the middle of the field.
Monitoring Crops for Pests
During the growing season, pests are a common issue in fields. Scouting for them can be even harder when you’ve got five other jobs to juggle at the same time. While spot-checking fields from time to time will show if there are pests in one certain spot, walking an entire field will show if they are concentrated in one spot or spread out.
That’s where ACS steps in to help locate pests in a variety of crops. From netting alfalfa fields to inspecting cabbage leaves, the team is constantly on the lookout for pests of many kinds. They also attend regular training to learn more about what types of new pests are emerging or what new seed options are being used to deter pests.
Mapping Fields
Most farms don’t have perfectly rectangular fields located next to their barns. As farms get larger, fields are spread out in different locations and come in many sizes and shapes. An accurate record of where a field is, and its boundaries is key for many reasons. Training new employees, guiding outside groups for spraying or consulting, and determining crop rotations are just some of the ways that maps can be used on a daily basis.
Knowing the wet spots, hedgerows, WASCOB placement, or other field features will prevent equipment from getting stuck or accidentally putting manure or fertilizer somewhere it shouldn’t be placed. Marking these features also helps with locating possible damaged areas when big rain events move through the area. It’s also good to gauge how much land is available for planting a crop in that field.
An ACS Field Technician can map a field to note all of these features for a farm. They have visited many types of fields and use a wide array of tools to properly capture the different parts of a field. Many farms have map books created by ACS to reference throughout the year.
While the winter months are a time to start thinking about plans for next year, take a moment to consider how to improve your crop yield. Working with the Agricultural Consulting Services teams will help you build on the success of this year’s yield. By monitoring soil nutrient levels, checking for pests, and mapping your fields, ACS is here to support your crop team and make your yields improve each year.
For more information, contact them at [email protected].