IOWA FALLS, Iowa — Four regional workshops on soil fertility will be held across Iowa with one being held at the Hardin County Extension Office in Iowa Falls on Tuesday, August 27, from 9 a.m. to Noon. Pre-registration is required by Aug. 23 and limited to 30 registrants. The cost is $40 per person due the day of the workshop and includes publications, copies of presentations and lunch. To register, call Hardin County ISU Extension at 641-648-4850, toll free 1-888-648-5005 or email xhardin@iastate.edu
The cost of managing soil fertility in Iowa continues to change, with increased fertilizer input costs and a rising demand for nutrients from higher-yielding crops. To help producers understand the changes, Iowa State University Extension and Outreach is hosting four workshops called “Soil Testing Interpretations and Recommendations: Maximizing Return on Investment.” The workshops will lead farmers through the basics of soil testing, analytical tests, calculating crop nutrient removal, understanding return on investment from fertilizer applications, how crop response correlates to soil test levels and what is known about crop response to micronutrients. “These workshops provide producers the skills to best allocate fertilizer input dollars on their farms,” said Terry Basol, field agronomist with ISU Extension and Outreach. Angie Rieck-Hinz, field agronomist with ISU Extension and Outreach, said producers are already thinking about next year’s fertility decisions, ahead of fall harvest. She said the workshops are designed to help farmers understand their current soil nutrient situation, the amount their crops are using in a growing season and what needs to be added.
The other three Soil Fertility Workshop dates and locations are: Aug. 15 at the Marion County Extension Office in Knoxville. Pre-registration due Aug. 7. To register, call 641-842-2014. Aug. 21 at the Mitchell County Extension Office in Osage. Pre-registration due Aug. 19. To register, call 641-732-5574 and Aug. 22 at the Northwest ISU Research and Demonstration Farm near Calumet. Pre-registration due Aug. 20. To register, call 712-546-7835.
All workshops are limited to 30 registrants and cost $40 per person. Additional workshops will be scheduled after harvest. For more information, contact Angie Rieck-Hinz, Extension Field Agronomist at 515-231-2830.
— Iowa State University Extension and Outreach
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