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What about reduced tillage practices?  How would you like to try these practices on your own farm - protected from yield loss by the AGFLEX BMP performance guarantee?

Nutrient Best Management Practices
Best Management Practices (BMPs) are designed by experts to save farmers money.  By properly crediting nutrients already in the soil, in manure or in legume crops, nutrient BMPs can reduce fertilizer inputs, cut costs and improve stewardship. 

Many farmers don’t follow nutrient BMPs, and for good reason.  Under some circumstances, BMPs can fail, causing costly yield losses.

AGFLEX programs protect farmers who follow BMPs.

Protection Against Failed BMP Recommendations
AGFLEX BMP protection is available to corn farmers who follow Extension-recommended nutrient application rates and use conservation tillage.  Contact AGFLEX for further details.

For example, here's how the Nutrient BMP Performance Program works.  First, an approved crop advisor recommends a BMP for your fields.  You apply the recommended rate of N and P fertilizer specified in the BMP on the insured acreage, and your usual amount on a check, or comparison strip.  Your approved crop advisor will work with you to establish this check strip early in the season.

Then, if you believe the yield is low because of insufficient fertilizer, you request an performance assessment.  We will compare the yield on the check strip to the yield on a directly adjacent portion of your field.  If the yield loss is greater than your savings in fertilizer costs, you will be compensated for your loss. 

In this case, the UW recommendation would be to apply no additional nitrogen or phosphorus.  To implement the insurance, a certified crop advisor lays out a representative test strip in the insured field.  On the test strip, the farmer applies extra nitrogen and phosphorus at a level that he or she is confident will supply enough plant nutrition, e.g., 100 pounds of N and 50 pounds of P2O5.  On the balance of the field, the farmer follows the UW recommendation. 

In this example, the minimum amount saved is $11.17/acre and the maximum saved is $26.37/acre.  Your savings will depend on the amount of fertilizer you typically apply, your soil test results and the recommended BMP for your site. 

This example assumes 100 acres are enrolled, N costs of $0.22/lb, P2O5 costs of $0.23/lb, corn at $2.20/bushel, test strip yield of 120 bushels/acre, and a cost of $9.00 per acre for nutrient planning plus the performance guaranty.

Get started saving money!
To find out how you can begin reducing your fertilizer costs, improving stewardship and protecting your income, contact AGFLEX today at (608) 232-1425, or email to tom.green@agflex.com.

Note: AGFLEX is a commercial service company. AGFLEX is not an insurance company, nor an insurance agent. AGFLEX does not offer nor sell insurance or provide insurance advice. AGFLEX and COST CUTTER services are not covered under any state insurance guaranty fund. The AGFLEX service is only part of a grower’s comprehensive crop management program which may also include the purchase of state or federal crop insurance from a licensed and authorized insurance agent.

 

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