Tissue Testing - Is it Really Necessary?

While it is well understood that a good soil test is key to ensuring that you have enough P & K in your field, be sure you don’t discount the value of an in-season tissue analysis. It can help you identify problems in the current crop and give you direction to help solve those in-season issues. It can also give you information that will help you improve your soil management strategy for the next year. A good tissue analysis can help detect nutrient deficiencies before you can see them with your eyes. It can also provide a confirmation of the source of the deficiency. Is the deficiency truly caused by a lack in the soil, or is it because of a problem with the plant’s uptake of that nutrient due to factors such as poor root development, soil conditions or weather?

Whether you are trying to fix a problem in the current crop or trying to use it as a diagnostic tool to correct nutrient issues for the next crop, it all depends on how and when the samples are taken. To obtain the best results, there is a right way (and a wrong way) to collect tissue samples. Contact your local Helena sales representative or Precision Ag Technician to learn more about our tissue testing program, Extractor™. Extractor is an advanced tissue management system that includes custom recommendations created for your specific farm and fields. Samples are collected at appropriate times based on observations in your field and sent to approved labs meeting Helena’s stringent requirements for quality and consistency. Using this method, you can be assured that you will be getting the best results possible.

Your Helena representative will deliver your test results and provide you with a recommendation that is agronomically sound and appropriate for your crop and not a simplistic general recommendation. We provide recommendations customized for your crop, farm, field and bottom line!

- Kevin Kilgus, Midwest & West Central Division Precision Information Specialist