Intensive Soil Sampling

Take the guessing game out of your fertility program.

Intensive Soil Sampling breaks your field down to 2.5 acre grids and reports the actual nutrient levels and fertilizer needs in every acre of your field. Lab analysis includes: pH, Buffer pH, Phosphorus, Potassium, Sulfur, Zinc, Calcium, Magnesium, Organic Matter, and Cation Exchange Capacity.

The Intensive Soil Sampling process begins with creating a field boundary and overlaying 2.5 acre grids over the field. Then a soil sample is taken in the most representative area of each 2.5 acre grid, which consists of 6‑12 cores per sample. The sample points are geo‑referenced so we can return to the sample points in the future to re‑test and evaluate the program.

Re‑Grid Sampling is critical to a successful Intensive Soil Sampling program. Re‑Grid Sampling allows us to return to the original geo‑referenced points to re‑test and evaluate the Intensive Soil Sampling Program. When Fertilizer and Lime is variable rate applied to intensively sampled fields, the nutrient and pH levels WILL change. The fertility program, original soil test levels, crop yields, crop removal, soil types, and weather conditions all play a role in how small or drastic of change there will be. Fertility recommendations are only as good as the soil tests, so it is critical to Re‑Grid Sample fields after a 4 to 6 year period. Re‑Grid Samples are as important as the original Intensive Soil Samples to insure a continued successful ACS program.

Variable Rate Seeding

Improve yields and profitability with the proper plant population.

ACS’s Variable Rate Seeding program matches inputs with expected yields. Variable Yield Goals are used to write a prescription in which plant populations are adjusted based on expected productivity. This reduces seed expense and maximizes yields in areas of low productivity or soils that support lower plant populations. In areas of high productivity, plant populations are increased to maximize production and profitability. Utilizing Variable Rate Seeding assures the proper plant population throughout the field. Variable Rate Seeding has been proven to increase yields as well as decrease seed costs. As seed technology advances and seed cost per acre rises, Variable Rate Seeding is another way Advanced Cropping Systems can help you achieve the highest economic returns.

Variable Rate Application

Improve yields and profitablitiy through proper placement of fertilizer and lime.

Fertilizer and Lime are applied based on the soil test results from Intensive Soil Sampling. Variable Rate‑Application technology allows us to vary the rate and blend of fetilizer and lime on EVERY ACRE of the field, while not over or under applying in any area. The key to profitablility is to achieve maximum economic yields while not wasting input dollars.

Central Valley Ag has numerous multi‑product air, single product air, and single product spinner floaters equipped with GPS to achieve the most accurate variable rate application.