EC Nebraska | Patriot81 - 1/8/2025 07:08
Biggest takeaway for me was the relationship Ca & Mag have to pH. Mag has an ENM factor that’s double what calcium can do…so, if your Mag is too high (like mine), pH can appear to be ok but you can still be deficient in Ca. Solution…apply only high Ca/low Mag lime and use ample amounts of sulfur to help lower Mag and maintain or raise Ca. Again, that’s my situation where soil type, rainfall and local resources all play into what we do…yours could be different.
Others may chime in with better suggestions for your area. Where are you located?
The understanding that low calcium needs to be corrected regardless of pH allowed me to take some poorly performing soil and make it some of the best on my farm. The soil tests looked great from the University perspective, but too high in Mg and way too low in Ca. Some of it was beautiful black soil, but it just wouldn't yield, and would burn up quickly in a drought.
Yields and drought tolerance have amazed me the last two years. I hadn't thought that corn could make it all the way through a hot June on 2-3 inches available soil moisture from before planting. But it just wouldn't die. I hadn't thought that 190 bpa COC was possible on dryland with zero rainfall after July 3rd. (ten days pre-tassel) But that's what the scale tickets said.
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Help me understand CEC, CA and MG
