New Website Launched!New Website Launched! If you haven’t noticed already, Bambauer Fertilizer & Seed, Inc. has a new look on

the web! We have updated our website in an effort to keep you better informed

on the ever-changing grain markets, weather, and news in agriculture.

You will find more information on our site including updating grain markets and

cash bids, a local 5 day forecast and radar, and all content you would find on your

DTN satellite! You will also have the option to sign up for text messages with our

daily cash bids, and keep up to date with bi-monthly grain newsletters. We hope

to add additional features to the site as we progress, including videos, periodic

agronomic updates, and more.

Check out our facebook page that can be linked to from our website. If you are a

facebook user, watch for agronomic updates throughout the growing season as

we are scouting fields!

Thank you for your business, and the opportunity to serve you! Enjoy the Step-

pin’ Up Newsletter, and be sure to check out the new updated website!

www.bambauerfertilizer.com

this issue

New Website Launch P.1 Early Planting Potential P.2

Maximizing Soybean Yields P.3 Research Farm Update P.4

Where to Place Poultry Litter P.5 Grain Marketing P.6

How do I get to the next level?

Try something new!

Over the past 5 years we have

been researching products and

ideas that make agronomic

sense. Through hundreds of

trials with many different prod-

ucts and ideas, we have had

trials that haven’t yielded the

way we had hoped. But

through all the trials that have

failed, we have learned from

them and have had much suc-

cess finding products and ideas

that will work in the fields. Our

Research Farm has helped us to

not only find the products, but

also the right rates, and correct

timing of application! It has

been eye opening to see the

technology that is available to-

day, and see the positive results

from the trials helping to per-

fect it. Our goal is to learn from

the trials at the Research Farm,

and help find new ways to make

your farm more profitable!

Summer 2012 , 26th edition

Early Planting Can Increase Potential!Early Planting Can Increase Potential!

Nutrisphere-N is a long chain

polymer with an extreme neg-

ative charge of –1800. The

extreme charge of Nutrisphere

-N is patented, and the strong-

est on the market, making it

the most consistent we have

seen in our studies. It is

charged to help stop unwant-

ed reactions in the soil to keep

enzymes at bay and erase the

effect of urease at the molecu-

lar level!

Nutrisphere-N keeps enzymes

at bay, keeping more nitrogen

in its ammonium state before

it gets converted to nitrates,

which is more subject to leach-

ing and volatilization.

It works to erase the effects of

urease at the molecular level

as well, allowing applied nitro-

gen fertilizer to enter the soil

and stay more available to the

crop throughout the season!

Nutrisphere-N slowly degrades

over time, leaving no environ-

mental footprint. It is not a

slow release product, so it will

manage your nitrogen the en-

tire season, keeping it availa-

ble to the plant when the plant

needs it the most!

We are definitely in a totally opposite

situation than what we were last year

in May! While not all corn was planted

early, much of the crop was put in the

ground in mid to late April, and stands

are very good where water wasn’t a

major issue! Historically with early

planting we have higher yield poten-

tial, but to get to that potential we

need to help the plant through some

times of stress. It is also important

that we remember the nutrients need-

ed by the crop, and the amount of time

they will be in the field subject to loss!

The First Step Is Nitrogen!

Any grower that has run out of Nitro-

gen in their corn crop has seen the di-

rect yield response! There is no more

important nutrient than nitrogen for

corn, and with nitrogen moves many

other nutrients as well. The im-

portance of keeping the N available to

the crop season long cannot be over-

stated, and that is why we have seen

excellent results from nitrogen stabi-

lizers. We have spent a large amount

of time and resources finding which

stabilizers do the best job in different

environmental conditions, and have

seen consistent positive results from

Nutrisphere-N over the past 5 years.

Whether you are side dressing 28% or

urea, manage your nitrogen to keep it

there season long with Nutrisphere-N!

Our 5 year average increase by adding

Nutrisphere-N to side dress nitrogen is

16.3 bushels per acre!

Boost Crops at Critical Stages

One thing we have to remember with

early planting, is that the plant goes

through an enormous amount of stress

from germination until it becomes a

large enough plant to pull nutrients out

of the soil. Meanwhile, the plant is

trying to decide it’s ear diameter (the

number of sockets around the ear) in

the V4-V8 stages. Supplying a boost to

the plant at this period is a perfect way

to enhance yield potential. At this

stage, Quadris fungicide has a growth

regulator effect on the plant, telling it

to grow fast and take in more nutri-

ents. If micronutrients are supplied at

the same time, and there are adequate

amounts of N,P, & K, the plant will put

into place a larger ear, with potential

for higher yields. Ask one of our

Agronomy Representatives to take a

tissue test on your corn field to help

determine which micronutrients you

should be applying to help give your

crop the greatest potential!

Our Corn Mix Micronutrient Blend has

shown an average return of 12.01

bushels in a foliar application in our

research trials!

Planting corn in April can lead to higher yield potential. It also, how-

ever, leads to more risks along the way to achieve high yields!

How does Nutrisphere-N

manage your Nitrogen?

Where Quadris fungicide was

combined with Corn Mix Micronu-

trient Blend in 2011, we experi-

enced yield gains up to 20 bushels

per acre! Consider trying a field of

Quadris & Corn Mix at V4-V8 on

your farm this year!

Maximize Soybean Yield Potential!Maximize Soybean Yield Potential!

Maximizing soybean potential is

no easy task, but with the right

products, and the right timing, we can easily take a major

step in the right direction! In 2005 we designed a foliar

fertilizer for soybeans with a slow release nitrogen, foliar

potash, and manganese to help the plants get through

times of heat and drought stress during the summer. We

made the foliar simple, with enough of the nutrients that

really help a soybean plant retain pods and increase yield

potential. It has proven to be a very effective tool to get

the solid base started for high yields. NK Extra has evolved

over the past 7 years, with several increases in manganese

levels as the need for manganese has increased with ge-

netic changes in the soybeans.

Benefits from an application of NK Extra include:

Nutrient boost at a critical period of flowering

Greener, healthier plant with greater tolerance to drought stress

Encourages more flowering and pod set, leading to higher potential pod numbers and yield

We have also researched and recognized the im-

portance of the plant performance benefits of Quad-

ris fungicide to help protect the base we have built

with the foliar fertilizer! Quadris fungicide moves

throughout the leaf and into new growth, separating

it from other strobilurin fungicides that are effective

where they are in contact, but don’t have the xylem

movement to extend the protection to new growth.

Benefits from a Quadris foliar fungicide application include:

Xylem mobile broad-spectrum disease control preserves the green leaf area longer

Increases water-use efficiency and increases tolerance to extreme water loss (drought stress)

Increases plant growth for higher yields

Extends pod fill helping to increase berry size, which is the final step in achieving high yields!

All of the benefits help to build

on the base you have created

with fertility management,

proper seed placement, good weed management practices,

and foliar nutrition. If you have taken the time to manage

all of the steps to build the base, why not take the extra

step to give the plant the potential to produce high yields if

mother nature provides the environment for it!

Our Research Trials show a 2.5 bushel advantage with NK

Extra applied during flowering, and a 5 bushel advantage

using Quadris fungicide applied when the soybean plant is

developing pods! Try it on your farm this summer and

see the advantage of Quadris fungicide and NK Extra!

Plan to Visit the Research Farm this Summer!Plan to Visit the Research Farm this Summer!

We spend an enormous amount

of time leafing through data in

the fall, trying to find the hy-

brids that put the most bushels

in the tank. While the end yield

is the most important aspect of

choosing a corn hybrid, it defi-

nitely isn’t the only one we look

at when making those deci-

sions.

Early emergence and vigor, leaf

design, plant height, ear height,

ear type, kernel texture, grain

quality, root size, stress toler-

ance, root and stalk strength,

percent of green snap, and

much more goes into making

that final number that equates

to yield at the end of the year.

With two totally different

springs, it is likely that the hy-

brids that won all the plots last

year may get shadowed by an-

other hybrid that responds to

the season differently. We have

planted plots at all locations, as

well as farmer plots, side by

sides, and the research plots to

help understand what hybrids

fit your situation the best.

Take the time to look at the

plots this summer. Give us a

call or stop by the locations,

and we would be happy to help

start evaluating the hybrids

with you as they grow!

The sixth year of the Research Farm is

now underway. Planting is complete,

and seed treatment and starter trials

have already begun. We are excited

about the products we are testing in

this year’s trials, and eager to learn

what products and cultural practices

we are studying will benefit your farm.

You can keep track of the weather at

the research center including rainfall,

soil temperature, and soil moisture

from the link on the front page of

www.bambauerfertilizer.com.

What trials are at the farm?

Every year we try to build on the suc-

cesses we have found in the previous

years trial, and progress the trials to

learn more about the products we

have been successful with. At the

same time, we are looking at new ideas

and products. Below is a listing of just

some of the testing we have in 2012!

Foliar Fungicides

Side-dress Nitrogen Additives

Pre-emerge Nitrogen Additives

Refuge Options

New Starter Products

Seed Treatments

Insect Awareness Demo

Cover Crops

Foliar Fertilizer Blends

Herbicide Bare Ground Demo

Brodbeck Seeds and AgriGold hy-

brid and variety trials

High Yield Experimental Trials

Attend the field day!

Last year we had an excellent turnout

to the educational field day at the Re-

search Farm. We will again be having

this event in late August or early Sep-

tember, and hope that you will be able

to attend. Look for more information

at the end of June or early July for a

definite date and time for the event!

We plan to bring in quality educational

speakers as we have in the past for the

event, and make it as educational as

possible. Our goal is to help you to

learn about the trials we are doing at

the farm, as well as to help you find

ways to make your operation more

profitable!

Buckeye Ag Testing in Troy, Ohio will

be hosting a research plot on the new

2,4-D resistant technology from DOW

called Enlist. This technology is sched-

uled to be available to you in a year in

corn, and a few years from now in soy-

beans. It is remarkable technology,

and DOW has invested the research

and time to produce a new formulation

of 2,4-D with new Colex-D technology.

It is low volatilization, low drift, and

low odor. The Enlist trait technology,

as well as the technology of the new

2,4-D chemistry will be showcased in

this plot. Look for more information

on how to view the new Enlist technol-

ogy at the facility in Troy in July or ear-

ly August!

Now is the time to start

looking at new hybrids!

Poultry Litter offers a Buildup Option!Poultry Litter offers a Buildup Option!

More Than Manure (MTM) is a

new product that has been proven

to protect the nitrogen in manure

from loss, and also help keep

phosphorous from fixating to the

soil, allowing more nutrients to

get into the plants. We have been

working with this product for the

past year, and are very familiar

with the two components, Nutri-

sphere-N and AVAIL, that were

reformulated to make MTM. Re-

search has shown a 10-12 bushel

yield advantage over untreated

litter by keeping the nitrogen and

phosphorous more available to

the plant!

We have also noticed some in-

credible side benefits while apply-

ing MTM to poultry litter as well!

The ammonia reduction compo-

nent of the Nutrisphere-N in the

MTM product helps to cut the

amount of ammonia coming off

the manure. This not only saves

more nitrogen by converting it to

ammonium form for the plant, but

also massively decreases the smell

of the litter. This leads to less

complaints, as well as less fly

attraction to the area litter is ap-

plied! MTM is reasonably priced,

and can be applied with a sprayer

at 18 oz per acre within 48 hours

of a litter application!

In 2010, we began to see the need for

higher organic matter options in fertili-

ty and decided to add custom applica-

tion of litter to our services. In the

past, wheat and alfalfa were involved

in many rotations, and over the years

corn and soybeans have taken prece-

dence over other crops. In the mean

time, we have introduced new technol-

ogy that has increased efficiency of

farms, make yields increase, and begin-

ning to deplete our soils from the vital

nutrients that are essential to continu-

ing to grow good crops. Add on top of

that the increasing price of commercial

fertilizers , and without VRT technology

it isn’t feasible to throw on an extra

200 lbs. of fertilizer every year to start

a buildup program!

Where does litter fit in?

Obviously, every field does not need

poultry litter. Also, poultry litter is not

the complete answer to your fertility

plans. It is, however, a great tool for

building up organic matter, phospho-

rous, and micronutrient levels in your

soils. The best place to start applying

poultry litter is in the lowest organic

matter, and poorest fertility fields that

you farm. Variable rate sampling by

soil type will help determine where the

best acres are for the best return on

investment . Future fertility plans

should include a Variable rate program

for Potash, as it is the main nutrient

that will need to be supplemented for

complete buildup of your soils. We

also have our trucks set up to variable

rate apply the litter if you want to fol-

low the soil samples for buildup!

How much litter do I apply?

The state regulates how much litter

can be applied to the soils, and usually

that is between 2-4 tons per acre de-

pending on the soil tests. It is im-

portant that you do not overload your

soils with phosphorous, or you are like-

ly to lose the nutrient in runoff, and

pollute the streams and lakes in your

watershed. You are required by law to

have soil tests on the fields where you

are applying litter. As Certified Live-

stock Managers, we keep all of those

sample records, as well as maps, appli-

cation records, setbacks, and nutrient

calculations for the Ohio Department

of Agriculture.

Stockpile to guarantee it!

As with any manure, there is only so

much that is produced! We have quali-

ty contracts on manure and are able to

guarantee a good amount, but the best

way to guarantee you will get the litter

in the fields you want spread in a time-

ly manner in the fall is to stockpile in

the field. This takes very little space in

the field, and needs be away from

ditches, wells, and houses. The stock-

piles of litter crust over, shed water,

and the manure is the same when it is

unpiled as when it is delivered to the

field. Under the pile will also be drier,

allowing for less compaction when

loading and spreading the field in the

fall. During the summer when the

ground is hard and dry is usually the

best time to get trucks to deliver into

the fields, and ensure you get litter to

help increase fertility and yields!

Protect the Nitrogen and

Phosphorous in litter with

More Than Manure!

Thank you for taking the time to

read our newsletter. The articles

in this newsletter are always top-

ics that we feel are important

and relevant to you, and we wel-

come the ideas and concerns you

would like to be addressed in

upcoming issues of Steppin’ Up.

As always, we appreciate your

business and the opportunity to

serve you! Enjoy the Summer!

Do you still have some of your 2011 crop in the bin? Call us for direct pickup or de-

livered pricing options for the grain you still have to market. We price competitive-

ly, and offer trucking services if you want your grain picked up!

If you haven’t got a plan together already, now is the time to start thinking about

your 2012 crop marketing strategy. Call Dave Bambauer to discuss the marketing

options that exist for your crops, and develop a plan to keep you profitable in 2012!

Are you interested in getting daily texts with cash and new crop prices? Call any

location or go to the website and sign up to receive daily updates!

Find daily grain prices, market updates, and newsletters at

www.bambauerfertilizer.com

Farm Pickup Available for Grain!Farm Pickup Available for Grain!

New Knoxville Location

Dave & Bruce Bambauer

Dennis Albers

419-753-2274

Jackson Center Location

Mitch Bambauer

937-596-5432

Pemberton Location

Matt Bambauer

937-492-2827

Bambauer Fertilizer & Seed, Inc.

10573 Kettlersville Rd.

New Knoxville, Ohio 45871

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NEW KNOXVILLE, OH

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