Happy new year and welcome to 2024. While it’s exciting to be entering a new year full of new possibilities the unknown also brings with it uncertainty. Change seems to be a constant in the agriculture industry today. While change brings opportunity it can also affect our ability to make decisions. In this week’s edition of Growing Possibilities, we present four things farmers can do to reduce uncertainty and increase ROI:
- Make a plan (and stick to it)
- Use tried and true methods
- Carefully calculate ROI
- Work with trusted local suppliers
According to our sales team farmers seem to be waiting to make a decision on what to plant and what inputs to buy in 2024. But is waiting until the last minute the best way to deal with uncertainty? According to experts simply making a plan and writing it down can help people to remain resilient in the face of uncertainty and gain control over their daily lives (1). Once the plan is made and committed to paper then it is time to stick to the plan, carefully executing each step one after another.
Using tried and true methods is a solid plan in uncertain times. While it is good to incorporate new technologies (like AI powered precision ag) it’s important not to forget the basics of nutrition. For example, in legume and pulse crops using inoculant is a simple tried and true method to boost yields. While some growers will tell you they don’t need to use inoculant anymore on their soybean or pulse crops it is still the cheapest way to ensure nodulation. Inoculation is consistently listed among the practices that growers should use to produce high yield legume crops (2, 3).
ROI is more than just a buzzword. Any product that can give more return than it cost to purchase and apply is money in your pocket. Inoculation has been shown to produce an ROI of 4:1 (3). But not all inoculants are equal in their effectiveness. Just applying an input to check the box is not the same as using a premium product proven to produce maximum ROI. In over a decade of testing XiteBio® SoyRhizo® has produced a 1.4 bu/ac advantage over its competitors (4). And in recent trials in Alberta XiteBio® PulseRhizo® showed itself to be equal in performance to its granular competitor (See graph above). Why are we proud that our product is equal to the granular competition? Because as a premium liquid inoculant XiteBio® PulseRhizo® is cheaper (per acre) than its granular competitors giving it a higher ROI.
Local suppliers know your soil and understand your needs. That is why XiteBio has established its private dealer network. Check our map to contact your local XiteBio sales rep to find a dealer in your area. Together we can reduce uncertainty, increase ROI and produce healthier plants and better yields.