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NW Illinois | For the sake of the mining discussion here I generally look at fertilization, from a P & K standpoint, as a crop removal replenishment and not as a yield goal. It's easier to put a number to. I also don't like using soil tests as the all mighty rule for fertilizer recs as their is some large inaccuracies that can be induced in the process.
I'm not sure other nutrients like N even qualify in the discussion of soil mining as they don't persist in the soils much past the intended crop.
As to the nay-sayers that say overapplying is killing the environment, I don't listen to them. I'm sure someday they will regulate me out of farming. I also don't listen to the entire fertilizer selling group the argues that farmers are bad for not replacing removed nutrients. Neither side actually cares about the farmer or the ground, just their own self-serving interests.
I believe, as a whole, farmers are the best stewards of the land. | |
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Can we agree on a definition of mining the soil?
