We hear it in many arenas, yet sometimes fail to act: The key to success is planning, and preparation.  In essence, to perform at our best, we need to be ready! Gold medal athletes, airline pilots, doctors, and yes, even growers!

As part of AGSI’s Ready, Set…GROW! perpetual planning framework, we’ve identified the ‘Ready’ portion of this plan as anticipating your needs well in advance of when the snow begins to melt.  Just like all of those in the careers listed above, the reality is, as a grower, you really only have one shot at getting it right!  Why leave anything to chance?

In collaboration with many of our growers, we’ve identified Ten Critical Steps in Making Sure YOU’RE Ready:

1.    Evaluate this past growing season: Was I satisfied with my ROI?  Did I make the best decisions I could have possibly have made for optimal yield performance?

2.    Set Goals: Including yield targets, costs of production, and return on investment, based on past history and results as benchmarks for the coming years’ performance.

3.    Ever heard the phrase, “Get your ducks in a row?” - - Formulate Plans: an inputs plan, labour plan and financial plan address products, people, and resources needed to attain and surpass your benchmarks.

4.    Enter into a partnership: AGSI Solutions Team Players can assist in an in-depth crop production plan, and help guide you through the year!

5.    Soil Tests: Consider it your Ready, Set…GROW! Foundation: allows for complete, fully informed plans and recommendations.

6.    Consider years down the road: Have a defined crop rotational strategy in place, and select the proper seed variety for your field.

7.    Taking stock of Product Logistics & Timing: we’ve heard it’s a good idea to have everything at the farm-gate before seeding.  Is this a possibility for you?

8.    Overall Crop Nutrition: Know your options: Your partnerships with AGSI allow you to make the most informed decision about the different fertility options available to you, and the forms they are available in to ensure balanced overall plant nutrition.

9.    Mapping out a Crop Protection Plan: An AGSI Solutions Team Player can help you design the proper plan for your needs; taking into account past experience, and previous year’s weed reports, and your crop rotation strategy.

10.Mother Nature: Am I prepared to deal with whatever weather may come: proper planning allows for calculated adjustments (HINT: For anybody thinking ahead, that’s the ‘Set’ part)

Consult with your local AGSI & Partners Location today, to make sure you’re ready to be ready….when rubber hits the road!

Vegreville – AGSI Customers discuss the benefits of Fungicides, and Advanced Fungicides on their 2011 crops. 

Southwest of Vegreville, Alberta, two AGSI customers are now true believers in using Fungicides and Advanced Fungicides to increase their yields…by as much as a 17.4%. With rain pouring down this past spring - and the forecast showing even more to come, growers Brent and Lorne Wyllie made a decision to protect their crop investment. Their AGSI dealer arranged for a high clearance applicator to apply the product, when the window of opportunity presented itself.

The Wyllie’s saw the results in their plots right away: “When we walked the fields, the treated portions kept their leaf size better and less evidence of disease pressure was observed on the plant. As the crop continued to fill, we were starting to get excited over the kernel size. Although we could never see any visual evidence from the road, our brother happened to take an aerial photo of the entire wheat field with the plots late in the season. No doubt about it, there were clear borders of the protected and check strips in the wheat!”

The two farmers exclaim, “Come harvest time, the yield monitors and weigh wagon confirmed that these products do an amazing job. We were glad we didn’t leave too many acres untreated. Protein, germination, moisture, grade, and 1000 kw weight were all equal to or better than the check strips. The yield was the largest profitable factor in the scenario with as much as a 17.4% increase!”

Economic Analysis

 Untreated 

 Fungicide 

 Advanced Fungicide 

 Fungicide   (cost/acre)

$0.00

$12.98

$17.00

 Application   (cost/acre)

$0.00

$6.00

$6.00

 Total   (cost/acre)

$0.00

$18.98

$23.00

 Yield   (bu/ac)

63.00

71.00

76.00

 $/bu   (Nov Pro Price)

$7.31

$7.31

$7.31

 Revenue/acre

$460.53

$519.01

$555.56

 Net Revenue/acre

$460.53

$500.03

$532.56

 Profit   increase/acre vs. untreated 

-

$39.50

$72.03

As the calendar turns to 2012, and growers across the province work on their ‘Ready’ plans for next season, it is important to factor in all elements, and ensure results like those of the Wyllie’s.

Talk to your AGSI Solutions Team Player today about your options to ensure optimum yields this coming season - - It’s never too early to be ready!