I enjoy listening to Sauder describe farming through relatable stories, address microbials as “Mike,” and share his own studies and findings each year, but I’m not the only one.
Sauder has become a sounding board for grower ideas and a resource for many, which is clear when growers eagerly ask questions of him during a Q&A session after the formal presentation. Sauder seamlessly switches from Sauder, the company president, to Gregg, the farmer, depending on the question asked.
Here are six interesting tidbits from Sauder’s recent Q&A session:
- If you’re applying starter, Sauder thinks you should be putting some zinc down. He has had great success with zinc in his starter applications. '
- Salting crops for a quicker dry down will work, but Sauder has some concerns. Don’t overlook how much damage could be done when you’re flying through the field salting at such a late stage. What damage is being done to those mature ears hanging down?
- When growing cover crops, be sure you’ve really done your homework on what kind you’re planting. “You have to understand when to kill it in the spring. Be careful when growing crops like corn and rye that use the same root structure,” Sauder says.
- Make an iPhone light meter your best friend if you’re serious about understanding how much sunlight your crops are taking in – and you should be, he says.
- Biologics are OK, but Sauder has seen mixed results and wishes he could pinpoint what’s working. “I’m not against them, by any means, but I wish I could quantify them,” says Sauder.
- If you’re trying to figure out what to apply with Y-Drop, Sauder puts 10% sulfur in his application because he knows corn plants take up 50% of their sulfur needs after tassel.
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