Paragon Ag Services of Melfort, Sask., was one of the founding sponsors of the Saskatchewan VRT Project. At the outset, it was clear that the probable result of the research would be an overall reduction in nitrogen expenditures.
“We understood that quite well,” said Paragon agronomist Sherman Boland.
“I agree 100 percent with the statement that the VRT Project would ultimately show us how to reduce the amount of nitrogen going into the ground. I think our duty to our customer base is to help ensure that the correct amount of nitrogen is properly placed in the spots where it can best be used. We need to find out what that correct amount is and we need to identify those spots.”
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Boland said nitrogen rates should also be reduced in areas where nitrogen cannot be used.
“We have no interest in seeing our clients over-fertilize their fields.”
Boland said there have been so many changes in farming practices in recent years that it was time to re-think the use of nitrogen fertilizer.
Changes include the increase in continuous cropping, direct seeding, zero till, shrinking margins and the technology to make variable rate a reality instead of a concept.
“We were thinking about variable rate at least five years ago, but we were in the same boat as everyone else,” Boland said. “We weren’t sure what to do next. The VRT Project that Dennis (McIntosh) was launching back then gave us the means to actually start doing something about variable rate.”
He admitted that curiosity was a major motivation for Paragon because it wanted to know what the project could reveal that wasn’t available from other sources.
“Our curiosity continues,” he said.
“That’s why we continue sponsoring the project. We’re gaining insights into what happens in our soils. We’re already taking some of what we’ve learned to our clients who are not involved in the project.”
Boland said estimates that nitrogen fertilizer efficiency is generally below 50 percent are probably true, which is all the more reason to unravel some of the mystery.
“It is not in our best interest to have our customer base waste money. However, it is in our best interest to see that they make the most efficient use of the product they buy from us.”
