Kent's Korner Special Edition
By Kent E. Durbin
President, Owner
Every once in awhile I make an evaluation of some aspect of the company. An example was when I
evaluated how the Total Soil Management® program was managing the P1
test. I chose several growers randomly and evaluated how the P1 test had reacted to our recommendations.
Because of doing evaluations like this, you can be assured that we are always giving you the very best we
can in programs and services.
This time, realizing that our TSM® Research Farm west of Catlin, Illinois
had its 10th crop growing on it, it was time to look and see what this research data was telling us. It doesn't seem like it has been 10 years. As I reported at the TSM® Summer
Training Sessions, our objectives that we set at the start of this research farm have all been met.
I reported that we have three main objectives for this research farm:
1. DEMONSTRATE to you the principles of soil fertility. Let us never say anything that we cannot
demonstrate to you somewhere. If you hear something and it cannot be demonstrated to you, you are on
your own if you go with it!
2. COMPARE the TSM® programs alongside other programs
(or just recommendations) so you can see what you are getting. These comparisons should be in several
locations. On this specific location we are comparing:
a. Our TOTAL SOIL MANAGEMENT® soil fertility program and marketing concepts
b. Our HEAD STARTTM soil fertility program and marketing concepts
c. UNIVERSITY of ILLINOIS1 recommendations
d. TRI-STATE1 recommendations (Purdue, Michigan State & Ohio State)
e. CONVENTIONAL1 recommendations (fertilize every other year)
1 Recommendations only. These sources do not have a marketing program
to go along with their recommendations
3. RESEARCH is looking for answers. Budgeting the grower's money is the biggest breakthrough
we have accomplished. No other source for fertilizer recommendations has this!!!
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Now let me share with you what our TSM® Research Farm has told us:
1. Which fertilizer recommendations have given us the highest corn yields
over the last 9 years?
a. TOTAL SOIL MANAGEMENT® 181.18 Bu/A ( 9 yr. Average)
b. UNIVERSITIES 175.50 Bu/A ( 9 yr. Average)
c. Conclusion is that the TOTAL SOIL MANAGEMENT® program
out-performed both university recommendations by 5.7 bushels per acre.
2. Which fertilizer recommendations have given us the highest soybean yields
over the last 9 years?
a. TOTAL SOIL MANAGEMENT® 62.9 Bu/A ( 9 yr. Average)
b. UNIVERSITIES 57.8 Bu/A ( 9 yr. Average),
c. Conclusion is that the TOTAL SOIL MANAGEMENT® program
out-performed both university recommendations by 5.1 bushels per acre.
3. Which fertilizer recommendations have given the grower more profit?
(Gross income minus the cost of the fertilizer)
a. TOTAL SOIL MANAGEMENT® $368.60/A ( 9 yr. average)
b. UNIVERSITIES $363.90/A ( 9 yr. average)
c. Conclusion is that the TOTAL SOIL MANAGEMENT® program gave the grower $4.70/A more profit after the fertilizer bill was paid.
4. Which fertilizer recommendations applied the most phosphorus?
Let's take a look at the total amount of DAP applied for all 10 years:
a. TOTAL SOIL MANAGEMENT® 702 lbs
b. UNIVERSITIES 1500 lbs
c. Conclusion is that the TOTAL SOIL MANAGEMENT® has a higher
efficiency, therefore used 53% less product. It is environmentally sound!!!
5. Which fertilizer recommendations applied the most potassium?
Let's again take a look at the total potash applied for 10 years:
a. TOTAL SOIL MANAGEMENT® 1352 lbs
b. UNIVERSITIES 1482 lbs
c. Conclusion is that the TOTAL SOIL MANAGEMENT® program has a
higher efficiency for potassium and required 9% less product. Again, we are environmentally sound!!!
6. Which fertilizer recommendation did a better job managing the P1 test?
Let's take a look at the pounds the test changed:
a. TOTAL SOIL MANAGEMENT® 10 pounds
b. UNIVERSITIES 10 pounds
c. Conclusion is that all are equal.
7. Which fertilizer recommendation did the better job managing the K test?
Let's take a look at the pounds the test changed:
a. TOTAL SOIL MANAGEMENT® 60 pounds
b. UNIVERSITIES 76 pounds
c. Conclusion is that the TOTAL SOIL MANAGEMENT® program
managed a 4% higher soil test level.
The TOTAL SOIL MANAGEMENT® program increases yield,
provides more profit, uses less fertilizer and does as good
or better job of managing the soil tests.
Who said that you can't have your cake and eat it too?
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TSM® Services, Inc.
January 2003 Newsletter