N Sensing Dealer Expectations

1
N SensingDealer Expectations

• Danny Peeper
• Wheeler Brothers Grain
• Watonga OK

2
Introduction

• Company background
• What we have experienced
• Concerns
• Economic possibilities
• Discussion

3
Company Background

• 17 Locations
• Grain, Fertilizer, Chemical

4
Historical Program

• Provide soil sampling
• 60 DAP in drill
• Additional 40 N if grazing
• Topdress 30-40 N
• Normally applied to late

5
Dealer Interest

• Customer Focused Business
• We are now a service industry
• Fertilizer is fertilizer
• Restaurant view
• Better producer economics
• Better use of funds
• Yield Goal History

6
Cont.

• Environmentally Friendly
• Nutrient management plans
• Nutrient limited watersheds
• Can make a good year a great year
• Save money in a bad year

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Banker Interest

• He is operating on your money
• How much time do you have to walk fields
• Second opinion on his topdress needs
• Efficiently make all he can
• Very accurate yield potential in Feb.

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Our N-Rich Strip Use

• 2 Years of Serious Interest
• 600-1000 plots annually
• Results
• No rain in 05
• Delayed planting in 06
• Late dormancy
• Freeze
• Flood.......

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Our Equipment

• 3 rates
• Portable
• Storage
• Tracks
• Visible

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Retailer Expecations

• 2007
• High Expectations
• Ramp Yields
• Field Counts
• Inputs
• Every Year
• Accurate look forward at potential yield
• Accurate and credible N rate recommendation

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Results

• Record the wrong way

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Whats the Answer

• There will be years with no N required
• Spring 05
• They would not have applied N anyway
• I still consider this a success
• Personally I think it will help us sell more
• Help reach max yields
• Traditional rate or yield goal does not work
• Most years N will be recommended at higher rates

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Responsible Approach

• How can we recommend an accurate N rate visually
• Producers need a correct rate by field by year
• Historically overused products
• Atrazine
• Legal issues on groundwater
• Poultry litter
• Time to do a better job

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Retailer Marketing

• Must be a profitable venture
• Increase fertilizer sales
• Increase producer profitability
• He cant spend what he doesnt have
• Total package solution

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Producer Concerns

• I dont want tracks
• I dont want flags
• What are you trying to sell me
• I wont put on enough fertilizer
• I will put to much fertilizer on
• It just wont work in my field
• People will laugh at me
• Not what my neighbor is doing

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Methods Discussion

• How big of ramp do you need
• How do you go back and find it
• What if you cant see the ramp
• Are we representing accurately the field
  variability
• How do we get them to pay for it