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Texas Liquid Fertilizer

Sorghum 2007

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TLF Commitment to you

Increase yieldsLower CostsHelp solve

those production problems that limit profitability

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TLF Commitment to You: Sorghum

Field Inspections: – over 1,000 in three years

Plant Analysis: – 101 in 2006

Weather Stations; – located in El Campo, Dayton, Holland

DSS Acres– 25,109 in three years

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Sorghum in the Texas Upper Coast

Year

USDA Yield Upper Coast #/Acre

TLF DSS Yield

# /Acre

2003 3,063 3,791

2004 3,903 4,855

2005 4,598 5,348

2006 4,262 4,794

At $5.25 per cwt, per acre increase in 2006 means $28 more per acre

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TLF DSS Results in 2006

Yields ranged from 2,576 lbs. to 7,620 lbs. /acre

Highest yields came from planting between 2/28 and 3/1 (earliest in three years)

Potassium and zinc were most limiting

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Climate Data for Four Years

El Campo, TX rain (inches) 2003 2004 2005 2006

Jan 2.0 4.6 2.5 1.9

Feb 2.5 3.8 1.5 1.9

March 1.8 2.2 4.8 1.7

April 1.0 5.1 0.8 2.1

May 0.2 8.6 4.8 4.6

June 4.8 15.5 0.8 7.5

July 8.0 3.9 5.4 10.9

Totals 20.2 43.7 20.5 30.8

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July 2006 Produces 10.9” Rain

J uly 2006 Rain El Campo TX

00.5

11.5

22.5

33.5

7/1

7/3

7/5

7/7

7/9

7/11

7/13

7/15

7/17

7/19

7/21

7/23

7/25

7/27

7/29

7/31

Inch

es

Avg. Yield Harvested Here

5,614 #

3,752 #

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Climate Data for Four Years

April 2006 was warmer than usual; 2006 was warmest year

El Campo TXGDU 2003 2004 2005 2006

March 346 512 393 513

April 578 546 545 702

May 897 765 746 834

June 927 903 934 902

Total 2,748 2,726 2,618 2,951

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Early-Season Weather is Variable

Avg Daily Tempts. for El Campo, Texas

50

60

70

80

90

3/ 1 3/ 15 3/ 29 4/ 12 4/ 26 5/ 10 5/ 24 6/ 7 6/ 21

0F2006 2005 2004 2003

Optimum PD for 2006 (5,264 #)

Avg. yield for 2006 = 3,620 #

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Crop Summary

Yields were slightly lower than 2005 2006 was the warmest of the past four years In 2006, El Campo received 30.8 inches of rain

during the sorghum growing season The optimum planting date came earlier than

the previous four years Harvest delays caused yield losses with too

much rain The DSS data base from 2006 included 128

fields consisting of 8,698 acres.

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Sorghum Recommendations for 2007

FertilityHybrid SelectionSeed TreatmentsPlanting DatesSeeding RatesTillageRow Direction

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Sorghum Fertility

• Nitrogen• Phosphorous

• Potassium• Sulfur• Zinc

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Sorghum Fertility 2006 Summary

First 30 Days; Sorghum 2006

60%

70%

80%

90%

100%

N S P K Mg Ca B Zn Mn Cu

% r

ecom

men

ded

Avg 5,700 Avg 4,200

These results compare the high-yield group (5,700 lbs. /acre compared to the lower yield group (4,200 lbs. /acre)

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Sorghum Fertility 2006 Summary

Potassium levels were low in both yield groups

Zinc was much lower in lower yield group

Nitrogen, calcium and sulfur trended higher in higher yield group

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Sorghum Fertility 2006 Summary

Flowering Stage; Sorghum 2006

40%

60%

80%

100%

K Zn

% r

ecom

men

ded

6,890 #/ A Avg 5,700 #/ A Avg 4,200 #/ A 4000 #/ A

This chart compares the individual plant tissue sample results from fields where the yields and practices were known.

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Sorghum Fertility 2006 Summary

Potassium and zinc tested higher in the highest yields

Potassium prevents lodging, promotes plant health, lowers aluminum toxicity from low pH soils

Zinc quickens dry-down and helps with pollination

Zn/Cu Balance: the sorghum plant tissue samples were very high in copper.

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Wheat Fertility – N Amounts

DS

S,

2006

5,1504,800

4,600

3,600

3,000

3,500

4,000

4,500

5,000

5,500

#/A

140 to 160 120 to 140 101 to 120 81 to 101

Highest yields in 2006 came from fields receiving 140 to 160 lbs. /acre N

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Impact of N by Hybrid

DKS 54-00: Impact of N in 2006

56565320 5096

4088

2000

3000

4000

5000

6000

160 140 130 100

Lbs. /A Nitrogen

Lbs. /A

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Sorghum Fertility – P Amounts

DS

S,

2006

4,990

4,500

3,7003,000

3,500

4,000

4,500

5,000

5,500

6,000

31 to 40 #/A 11 to 20 #/A 0 #/A

Highest yields in 2006 came from fields receiving 31 to 40 lbs. /acre P

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Sorghum Fertility – K Amounts

Potassium effects on grain sorghum stalk strength and yield. Southeast Kansas

K2O rate per acre Allen County, KS Cherokee County, KS

Lodging Yield per acre

Stalk deterioratio

n

Yield per acre

0 pounds 88% 5,320 22% 2,912

40 pounds 71% 5,880 20% 3,416

80 pounds 45% 6,048 26% 4,032

160 pounds 16% 5,992 16% 4,256

320 pounds 2% 5,936 4% 4,648

One pound potash in a band is equal to four lbs. broadcast

Better Crops with Plant Food. Number 3-1974, pp. 22-26.

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Sorghum Fertility- Sulfur

Sulfur is critical:– For the plant to

utilize nitrogen 5 to 10 lbs. /acre

of sulfur increased yields by 1,327 lbs. /A in DSS data.

4984

3657

2000

3000

4000

5000

6000

10 lbs. /A None

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Zinc on Sorghum

Results from DSS in 2006 Hybrid: Golden Acres 737 Zinc quickens dry-down and

helps with pollination Zn: Cu Balance

– Plant roots absorb Zn and Cu by the same mechanism.

– This can cause interference in the uptake

– Copper levels in the plant tissue are all very high

6,104

4,127

3,000

4,000

5,000

6,000

7,000

Zinc 2.5#/

A

None

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Functions Of Zinc

An essential component in many enzymes. Linked to the growth hormone auxin - low auxin

levels cause stunting of leaves and shoots. Plays an important role in the formation and

activity of chlorophyll. Involved in protein synthesis. Important for carbohydrate metabolism. Zinc plays a major role in the absorption of

moisture (plants with adequate zinc nutrition have enhanced drought-handling capacity).

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Fertility Program for Sorghum

Apply: 140-160 lbs. /A Nitrogen 40 lbs. /A Phosphate 20-30 lbs. /A Potash 5 to 10 lbs. /A sulfur 2.5 to 5 lbs. /A of zinc

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Sorghum Cultural Practices

Hybrid SelectionSeed TreatmentsPlanting DatesSeeding RatesTillageRow Direction

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Hybrid Selection

Hybrid2006

Lbs. /A2005

Lbs. /A Avg.

DKS 53-11 6,014

5,992

6,003

DKS 54-00 5,118

6,177

5,648

Golden Acres 737 5,342

5,342

Asgrow 570 4,306

5,980

5,143

Pioneer 82G63 5,023

5,023

Asgrow 571 3,590

4,598

4,094

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Seed Treatments on Sorghum

Results from DSS in 2006

Hybrid: Golden Acres 737

Poncho 250 produced 1,087 more lbs. /acre than Gaucho in 2006

6,104

5,017

3,000

4,000

5,000

6,000

7,000

Poncho

250

Gaucho

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Sorghum Planting Dates

year 2004 2005 2006

Optimum PD 3/11-3/12 3/25-3/31 2/28-3/1

5 day GDU (50) 80 78 80

Since 2004, the best time (highest yields) to plant sorghum was when the 2-inch soil depth forecast accumulated 78 GDU (base 50) or higher in the next five day period including the day of planting.

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Early-Season Weather is Variable

Avg Daily Tempts. for El Campo, Texas

50

60

70

80

90

3/ 1 3/ 15 3/ 29 4/ 12 4/ 26 5/ 10 5/ 24 6/ 7 6/ 21

0F2006 2005 2004 2003

Optimum PD for 2006 (5,264 #)

Avg. yield for 2006 = 3,620 #

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Sorghum Seeding Rates*

Depends on average annual rainfall

Depends on seed size

Depends on seed loss

* Kansas State Univ.

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Sorghum Seeding Rates*

Avg. Annual Rainfall (inch)

26-32 >32 irrigated

final stand 45,000 70,000 100,000

seeding rates (35% loss)

69,231 107,692 153,846

lbs/acre (16,000 seed per lb.)

4.3 6.7 9.6

* Kansas State Univ.

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Tillage

5656

4984

5560

4670

4000

5000

6000

DKS 54-00* All Hybrids

Minimum Till

Conventional

Each cultivation will cause the soil to lose about ½ inch of soil moisture; The DKS 54-00 was planted on 49% of DSS 2006 fields

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Row Direction

2,000

3,000

4,000

5,000

6,000

2004 2005 2006 Avg.

West-East North-South

Since 2004, there has been an average increase of 105 lbs. /A by planting West to East

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Summary of Sorghum Practices

DKS 53-11 and DKS 54-00 gave the highest average yields from 2005 and 2006 results

Treat seed with Poncho 250 Plant as soon as the soil temperature

forecast reaches 78 GDU (base50) in the next five days

Seed according to the soil moisture capacity of the field

Use as little tillage as possible Planting east to west gave slightly better

yields

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TLF Commitment to you

Increase yieldsLower CostsHelp solve those production

problems that limit profitability