Introduction to Fertilizer Planning for Beginning Farmers

Jan 19, 2021

By Jon LaPorte

As a young or beginning farmer, you may be raising crops to reduce feed costs or to sell on the market. One of the important decisions in crop production is deciding how much fertilizer you should apply. Fertilizer application focuses on meeting the nutrient needs of the crop you’ll grow. Apply too much fertilizer and potential profits are reduced. Apply too little fertilizer and there is not enough production. To meet the nutrient needs and produce a profitable crop, you’ll need to create a fertilizer plan.

The latest publication from the Michigan State University Extension Beginning Farmers DEMaND series explores the process of creating a fertilizer plan and how it can help reduce the impacts to revenue. This includes spending some time understanding the soil and the available nutrients within it. You’ll also learn about the available forms of fertilizer and the methods of applying them to the soil. Using the information collected from both the soil and the available fertilizer options, you’ll begin to create a fertilizer plan for the farm. And finally, understand what the costs are in the plan and their impacts on farm revenue.

Source : msu.edu

Video: Gleaner S98 Combines in Action | Harvesting Wheat Near Preston, Kansas

Kansas Wheat Harvest is in full swing!
Join me near Preston, Kansas as this farm harvests its 2026 winter wheat crop with two new Gleaner S98 combines. One combine is equipped with a MacDon FD240 FlexDraper while the second runs a Gleaner (AGCO) draper head, giving viewers a chance to compare both harvesting setups in the same field.

Keeping the combines moving is a powerful Versatile 610 Delta Track pulling a tandem axle Brent 1598 grain cart, hauling wheat from the combines so harvest can continue without stopping.
If you enjoy modern farm equipment, wheat harvest, combines, grain carts, and seeing how farms operate across America, I think you'll enjoy this one.

Equipment featured:
Gleaner S98 Combines (2)
MacDon FD240 FlexDraper Header
Gleaner (AGCO) Draper Header
Versatile 610 Delta Track Tractor
Brent 1598 Tandem Axle Grain Cart

Filmed near Preston, Kansas during the 2026 winter wheat harvest.