Agriculture's Best Kept Secret: The Soil Doctor® System

From: Paul Reed
Email: pandlreed@se-iowa.net
Remote Name: 208.145.207.60
Remote User:
Date: 2000-06-23
Time: 18:04:52

Comments

Gary, That's a good idea and we had considered the same thing. There were just too many varibles for confident nitrogen rate saving for us. Although there have been many spirited firefights in the past concerning the Soil Doctor. After much research we broke down and puchased one for this spring. We were plesantly surprised to find unusually high soil nitrate levels (30-100ppm). We compared our Cardi nitrate test kit and A & L labs soil assays results to our Soil Doctor readings. They were close to the same. The Soil Doctor found our hog manure and fall nitrogen. It was amazing to watch it go wide open when you crossed a brome grass waterway. This tool seems to fit many farmers needs for on the go nitrate sensing and varible rate application. We have set up many replicated side by sides and will let the yeild monitor do the talking. After one springs use we're still confident it works. Paul

Then take a look at Opinions expressed by Soil Doctor System Owners in posts to Successful Farming's Precision@agriculture discussion group:

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Subject: RE: Soil Doctor
Date: SAT APR 03,1999 09:03:29 EST
posted by: dalucht@rconnect.com (Dale swMN)

Our operation has used the Soil Doctor system the last two years for planting and sidedressing. The system works very well on our variable soils. We have done check strips and also verified the results with weights and yield monitor data as well as N efficiency maps from application maps. Last year we grew our largest crop ever with 25% less n than before.

I can assure you I am a real farmer trying to make real money with something that really works. I am willing to talk to anyone about this system, just email me or call 507 847 5888.

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Subject: RE: Soil Doctor
Date: THU APR 01,1999 08:20:20 EST
posted by: roalv@itctel.com (Ron ESD)

Martin,

We have used a Soil Dr system for two years and are happy with the results. It has saved us approximately 35 lbs of N per acre average with no loss of yield. We have verified this with dozen of check strips. If you have lots of variability in your fields with respect to soils (OM%, topsoil depth, texture) it will pay off well.

Ron Alverson

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Subject: RE: Soil Doctor
Date: THU APR 01,1999 06:54:27 EST
posted by: davidj7@netusa1.net (David G. Jackson)

Martin, I purchased a Soil Doctor system in 1998 and used it to sidedress 28% on 1200 acres of corn. I was very impressed with the results, exactly as was promised by John Colburn. I went ahead and used the mapping option with GPS and really liked the data that I collected. The bottom line is, IT WORKS ! I'm a little miffed as to why people that have never tried it on their own are constantly discrediting the Soil Doctor system. I can only guess that ignorance is bliss. If you have any further questions feel free to email me. Sincerely, David G. Jackson

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Subject: RE: Soil Doctor
Date: WED MAR 31,1999 21:28:02 EST
posted by: grohop@aol.com (Ed)

We have used the Soil Dr. system for the past four years and been very happy with it. We have run side by side tests every year and have not seen a loss of yeild from use of the system. We have noticed a N saving of 15% to 40% depending on the field and soil type.

The Soil Dr. system when cal. showed aprox. the same soil N rates as our presidedress N test did. We even took samples where the system showed high and low rates in the field and got the same basic results from the lab also.

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Subject: RE: Soil Doctor
Date: WED MAR 31,1999 20:24:38 EST
posted by: shfarms@dave-world.net (Matt)

We've been using the system for a number of years. We conduct side-by-side trials every year(traditional flat rate vs. soil doctor sensor) and consistently find that we reduce nitrogen and maintain or increase yield. Our long term average is a reduction of 10 units of nitrogen per acre and an increase of 10 bushels per acre.

I'm convinced the soil doctor does a good job sensing the amount of nitrogen available and the productivity potential of the soil which helps us get more nitrogen to the areas that can use it most, while cutting back on the areas that don't need it or can't take full advantage of it.

I had a real eye opener this year when we compared some remote sensed images. Another company took some multispectral infrared images and enhansed them to analyze various things including nitrogen (chlorophyl). The application map from the soil doctor was almost a carbon copy of the imagery taken that same week.

The other thing that really sold it for me is all the acceptance of the Veris machine. In my opinion, both the old soil doctor system and the Veris are working off the same soil conductivity*** approach. The only difference is Crop Technology as worked with growers like myself for over a decade now and knows how to interpret and use the system.

One final plug for Crop Technologies. All the data and studies he cites in his literature come from his clients. Its not some in-house research -- its real world use.

If you want more detail on the system and prices, you should go check out his web site

***Note from CTI. ---Not Exactly. Looks can be deceiving. A wire connected to the coulter does not mean that two systems are identical. See "New Praise for Conductivity" This knowledge helps us combine a variety of measurements (including EC) for the maximum benefit to growers.

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Subject: Right on Nick
Date: MON FEB 15,1999 21:05:00 EST
posted by: roalv@itctel.com (Ron ESD)

Nick,
I think you are right in assuming that moisture levels have to be alike when doing ec mapping. Most of the time the soil moisture field conditions will enable a fair measurement of ec to take place and will reflect differences in soils, like texture(water holding ability), organic matter, CEC and etc. However, anything that affectS crop soil moisture levels prior to ec measurement will have an affect if done before moisture levels equalize. For example, we did extensive nitrogen rate work on a field this summer, applying different rates of N in strips across the field to try to determine corn yield response across soil types. Included in this field were 0 rate strips. Yields were mapped at harvest of course and then later, electrical conductivity was mapped using a soil dr system. We were initially surprised to see that the 0 rate strips showed up very clearly as having a significantly higher EC than areas that had adequate N. After a bit of brainstorming and some soil testing we came to the conclusion that it was simply soil moisture.....even though we had had quite a bit of precip after crop maturity. Where the crop was severely deficient of N and yields were drastically reduced, less moisture was used by the crop thus more soil moisture and higher EC at measurement time. In this case, spring would probably have been a better time to do this measurement. So, you're right, one has to be careful of such things when interpreting ec maps.

With regard to the N rates, we are finding that our deep, high (4.5%) organic matter soils can reach maximum yields(200 bu/ac) with only 100lbs of N, and our thin, lower (2%)organic matter soils need 180lbs N to grow 150 bu corn.

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Subject: RE: Soil Doctor
Date: FRI FEB 12,1999 19:40:33 EST
posted by: dalucht@rconnect.com (Dale swMN)

I have used the Soil Doctor for the last two years, varying N and planting by the sensor.

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Subject: RE: Precision farming,will it pay its way?
Date: SAT FEB 06,1999 00:28:35 EST
posted by: dalucht@rconnect.com (Dale sw mn)

We have been using a yield monitor for 4 years now and a Soil Doctor for two. I can say that precision farming is paying its way in our operation in two different ways. First it has given us an opportunity to test many different things and to eliminate products and practises that were not worth doing. In a sense it has turned our whole farm into a large research farm.

Second, it has given us the confidence to cut back on inputs to reduce costs. The yield monitor verifies what we are doing from year to year. It has verified our use of the Soil Doctor both years and has given us a further dimension to study the soils. All of this info was vital in helping us weather the storm that 1998-99 is shaping out to be.

Without putting a dollar figure on it, I can say that we have made money this year instead of just holding our money together because of our investment in both the Yield monitor and the Soil Doctor.

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Subject: Additional Reading FYI
Date: WED DEC 23,1998 06:48:19 EST
posted by: hostetlerj@cbpu.com (Ron)

I have run been running the Soil Doctor system for a number of years now. I have had excellent results with the machine. My system is running NH3. I have covered over 20,000 acres with this unit.

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Subject: ECs correlation with NO3 ??
Date: MON DEC 14,1998 00:10:14 EST
posted by: roalv@itctel.com (Ron ESD)

A question for you guys using Veris EC meters.....have you found that the Veris can pick up deep NO3? We have been testing a soil dr here in SD on a couple of farms for the past two years. This year we spread 60 ft wide strips of N across the rows in a couple of fields prior to planting, then came back at sidedress time with the soil dr. The remainder of the field had no Nitrogen applied until sidedress. The soil dr precisely and consistently found this earlier applied N each time we crossed it*** and adjusted the application rate appropriately. We have found it to be very good but wish it would do deep nitrate also. Thought I read or heard somewhere that Veris claims to do deep EC too???

Ron Alverson

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Subject: RE: Soil conductivity mapping
Date: TUE DEC 01,1998 00:07:01 EST
posted by: roalv@itctel.com (Ron ESD)

We used a soil dr system this spring to apply sidedress N in our corn. In one field we applied 150lb/acre actual N in March in a 60 ft wide strip across the rows(perpendicular to the row direction). We did this to see if the soil dr could sense this earlier applied N and adjust the applied N rate as it crossed the strip. It precisely and consistently sensed and adjusted for it each and every time it crossed this strip all the way across the field. We mapped the soil dr sensor readings that verified this also. We did soil testing for nitrates also to verify. At the same time we also used an EM38 electrical conductivity meter to map this field. The EM38 could not detect this cross strip of N. This fall we are using the soil dr system to map ECs in this and other fields and later this week plan to use the EM38 to compare readings again. Hope to get a Veris out later this week to compare also. I think ECs will be a valuable layer of information that will help us make better crop production decisions in the future.

Ron Alverson

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Subject: RE: Precision Ag Must Increase Profit Margin
Date: SUN MAR 22,1998 22:45:58 EST
posted by: dalucht@rconnect.com (Dale)

If anything, your chart shows how important it is to keep control of costs. There is so much new technology out here today that can assist people in this quest. Technology like the Soil Doctor not only can save inputs in some areas in the field but make sure there is enough in other areas. Variable rate seeding can also allow you to better utilize the crop investment. The key is to be able to hold things together in the low years and even make some money. In my mind that is not done by shooting for 300 bushel corn on land not capable of doing it. I may not have the highest yields in my area but that is not my goal.

I have used the Soil Doctor for one season and I plan to put many of these things into practice. We are currently setting our planter up with a Rawson
drive to vary the seeding rate by the Soil Doctor.I have seen some of these benefits from using this system as well as some others. For one thing I can record an actual amount of application and make it a layer in my GIS software. This has been a great study and verification of many theories.

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Subject: RE: SOIL DOCTOR-DETAILS
Date: SUN MAR 08,1998 09:02:45 EST
posted by: hostetlerj@cbpu.com (Ron)

I farm in southern michigan. The soils vary from 1% organic matter to muck. I irr. over half of the acres the other is heavy tiled ground. I'v run between 6-7000 acres with the Soil Doctor. I have the unit set up to apply from 0lbs to the max.rate required for the yield objective for the specific field. The rate will go down to 0 if their is enough nitrogen in the soil. I run a 12 row bar with a raven unit also. The tissue samples indicate that the soil doctor is supplying the accurate amount, whereas the other bar may overapply. I have never had a sample come back as needing more N.

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Subject: SOIL DOCTOR
Date: FRI MAR 06,1998 10:13:19 EST
posted by: Hostetetlerj@cbpu.com (Ron)

I have used the Soil Doctor (NH3) for two years and have had excellent results. I have run side by side comparisons and have run tissue samples to varify the advantages that I have seen. I run a 3-point, 24 row bar to side-dress and the Soil Doctor works great.

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Subject: RE: Mapping Varieties @ Planting
Date: SUN JAN 18,1998 01:23:22 EST
posted by: roalv@itctel.com (RonA ESD)

Used Greenstar receiver in conjunction with
Soil Dr system to map planting rates as well
as N application rates this past spring. Worked
without a hitch - folks at Soil Dr made cables
to hook everything together.

Ron Alverson

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Subject: RE: fert. controller
Date: SAT DEC 27,1997 00:54:04 EST
posted by: roalv@itctel.com (RonA E SD)

I would caution you in assuming that you need more Nitrogen on your high yield potential soils or areas in you field. This past year we did replicated strips in 5 different fields comparing a series of uniformly applied Nitrogen rates with the Soil Dr. variable rate applicator. The Soil Dr system applied fewer lbs to the corn crop on what I consider to be our best(high yield potential)soils. Yield tests this fall and detailed looks at yield maps showed no differences in yields between the treatments in those areas. This would seem to indicate to me that maybe? we are underestimating the nitrogen mineralization potential on our deep,dark, productive soils? We are planning more replicated strips next year. You may want to do some further investigation before going ahead with your initial plan. Just my thoughts and experience.

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Subject: RE: Ignorance - a limiting factor ?
Date: WED NOV 19,1997 21:33:58 EST
posted by: tbehymer@adams.net (Terry)

It has been quite interesting to sit back and watch numerous individuals with unspoken adgendas take cheap shots at (geo in Il). I too, have had a considerable amount of experience with Soil Doctor technology, and have done an exhaustive amount of research plot work that has been set up as random and replicated plots and strip plots comparing against conventional methods of nitrogen management in IL. And yes we do take N credits for any dry fertilizer applied,and we also allow N credits for our corn/soybean rotation under our conventional methods. Our plot work unquestionably shows that we can reduce nitrogen rates (variable app.) and quite often increase yields (due to improved plant health) with Soil Doctor technology! It is indeed unfortunate that around every corner waits someone to tell you why a technology can not work (as you are having success on your farm). As for those who chose not to believe that the Soil Doctor can and does work, that is your loss. As they say, those who have learned the art of resource management,(PROFIT) will continue to expand operation size, and increase profitability!

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Subject: vrt nh3
Date: SUN NOV 16,1997 23:53:22 EST
posted by: claybrookacres@mmtcnet.com (geo in il)

colten i have using vrt nh3 for 2 years using the soil doctor equipment. it reads whats in your soil just what you are looking for . for sidedressing it reads nitrates ,cec, and organic matter, then adjust rates of nh3 to your own yield goals you establish. all done as you go through the field at 6 mph

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Subject: SHOW ME THE MONEY
Date: SUN NOV 16,1997 11:24:09 EST
posted by: claybrookacres@mmtcnet.com (geo from il)

tell me how you can make a nice return on your investment of yield mon., mapping etc on the very 1st year. The only equipment i know that can do that is the soil doctor and require no mapping, and guarentee it in writing.

Dave and Jeff Weber of Geneseo, Illinois

have been satisfied Soil Doctor® Farmers since 1992. They have participated in Case's VR planter and Yield Monitor development and have appeared in numerous magazine articles.

The Webers farm Environmentally Sensitive Ground, but believe that all growers should address nitrogen management before they map yield.

Since Nitrogen management is easily done with the Soil Doctor System, Why not map only the problems that remain????

Claiming that "When you grid-sample and map, you always find that you need more fertilizer, not less", their FS dealer told the Webers in 1992: "Do NOT buy a Soil Doctor® Unit !" (In 1997, however, Dave's fertilizer dealer took soil samples for P&K and found that his farm needed none.)

As Dave now puts it: "I will never, Never flat rate my nitrogen fertilizer again." They own two Soil Doctor® Systems. See their maps and learn more about the financial benefits to their operation at Nitrogen Management.

-- freeing-up the farmer to carry on with his business. Soil Doctor Technology is effortless, one-step, normal operating speed, Real Farming-by-the-Foot. It provides all the $Benefits$ and none of the hassles, which is what you should demand from all "precision" technologies.

And, with its new CEC/Organic Matter Sensing mode --at no additional charge-, its an all Season, all liquid (& anhydrous) prescription applicator, enabling you - finally - to apply inputs according to the foot-to-foot productivity potential of your soils, rather than one rate "fits" all.

With the Soil Doctor System's
CEC/Organic Matter Sensor Mode You Can:

Fall Apply N
Without Putting Any On The Soils Which Will Lose It By The Time You Need It.

Give More Nutrients (Like P & K) To Your Better Soils
Those Soils Which Will Produce More With It, or Store it Better.

Vary Plant Population
Distributing more seeds to your highest productivity soils, while thinning the stand in the soils that realistically cannot support higher stands.

Proportion Herbicides
Applying More To The Places Where Weeds Thrive, Etc., Etc., As You Also

Save 20-40-60% Of Your Nitrogen (increasing yields at the lower savings level), depending upon the nitrate in your soils, which in turn is dependent upon your management practices and Mother Nature --of course-- .

Other variable rate technologies consume precious free time and/or $resources$ while providing little return, making a slave of the farmer (rather than slaving for the farmer). End Result: Everyone who knows this grower also knows about his very altered, hectic lifestyle.

The choice is simple. If you want to map, then map (or try to), or let us help you do it. If you want to grid, then grid or pay someone else to do it for you. And if you want to wait for the Ag-giants to eventually offer a $Performance$ protection as generous as the one CTI has had for years --while you suffer the damage and destruction of increasing input costs with unpredictable corn prices--, then suffer.

BUT, If you want to MAKE MORE MONEY STARTING NOW, from the people who mastered site specific farming back in 1987, then become a Soil Doctor® Farmer today. It's the only product with a performance guarantee that addresses your $bottom line$.

George Holsapple of Jewett, Illinois has been a satisfied Soil Doctor® System Farmer since planting 1996. It rained so much that spring that he used his VariPlant controller almost three years worth.

George was also pleased to be able to save several thousands of dollars of fertilizer in a year where Mother-Nature continuously robbed him of his seed investment, his nitrogen, and more. On his own, he never would have tried to save an ounce.

George and Darrick Chadima of Fairfax, Iowa have been satisfied Soil Doctor® Farmers since 1996. George is pragmatic, believing that, in Agriculture, if you're standing still --or breaking even--, you're going backwards. He looks toward new technology to keep him moving forward. George had the leading mapping system and last fall recorded 440 acres of corn, but lost 200 of it (and lost 100 acres of beans too). He says fall '95 was "too frustrating, at a time when I had to be harvesting my crop, not coping with software problems or dealing with computer shutdowns, just to map" He sent back that system and now says: "Why would anyone want a system which only maps, at best; when the Soil Doctor® system does everything." The Chadima's crop scout says that George's Soil Doctor® plots are just as variable as his non-Soil Doctor® plots; but George says: "The Yield from my Soil Doctor® plots --where I saved considerable fertilizer-- is just as high as that in my full rate plots, and that's what I bought the Soil Doctor to do!" His actual 1996 test plot data shows that he saved 20 LBS of N/Acre, while increasing his yield by 4 Bushels/Acre.

Tom Dittmer of Eldridge, Iowa has been a satisfied Soil Doctor® Farmer since 1995. He too was directed Officiously, Decisively, and Unequivocally: "DO NOT BUY A SOIL DOCTOR UNIT!!!", but by three different "experts", all PhDs. He decided to ignore all three after a forth PhD told Tom that he had heard good things about the Soil Doctor System and after Tom learned that those three negative PhDs (just like the "experts" who spoke to G.H's dealer) had no practical experience with the system. Like all Soil Doctor® System owners, once Tom got behind the wheel of his system, in a field he knew, the system's constantly changing, on-the-go, soil sensor readings confirmed that the system knew his fields just as well, and sometimes better, than he did.

One of the three negative PhDs is a university agronomist, another is a government ag-engineer , and the third is an ag-engineer formerly of academia, now with a major chemical company. NONE of these three SCIENTISTS bothered to tell Tom Dittmer, his brother, or Tom's foreman that they are COMPETITORS of the company they so recklessly disparaged.

Doug and Lumir Dostal of Marion, Iowa became satisfied Soil Doctor® owners/producers in 1994. They also mapped with Rockwell. Their Rockwell maps dramatically demonstrated that the Soil Doctor System made their yields higher and more uniform than non-Soil Doctor treated plots, which is exactly what other precision farming companies only aspire to do -- not now, but someday far in the future.

*In 1994, the Dostals recorded Soil Doctor advantages of saving 7 LBS N while increasing yields as much as 17 BU/acre, a full field, not test-plot, average. In 1995, they estimated a farm wide increase in net income of $32/acre, through saving about 12 LBS N while increasing yield by 10 BU/acre, a farm-wide, not test-plot, average. Their economic benefits could have begun as early as 1992, but "experts" interfered with these earlier benefits.

Retired from farming in 1995, David Petteys of Bowling Green, Ohio and Doug Dostal of Marion, Iowa became satisfied Soil Doctor® Farmers in 1994. In the brief time they farmed with their units, still in great condition, Doug estimates that it made him up to $37 more/acre and David estimates that it paid for itself three times over. Still installed on their bars (one recycled, one homemade), they both sold their Soil Doctor® Systems for $more$ than they paid for them.

Jim Lensch of Marion, Iowa has been a satisfied Soil Doctor® Farmer since 1992. His dad was extremely skeptical, so Jim wouldn't tell him the size of his investment in the Soil Doctor System until after Jim tallied his field $benefits$. Those economic results made Jim's Dad --like a lot of other Soil Doctor "Dads"-- an immediate "believer" in the Soil Doctor System and a vociferous advocate.

*An implement dealer (now selling a competing product) authoritatively advised Jim (and the Dostals) in 1992: "Do Not buy a Soil Doctor® Unit !", based only upon hearing that the System found no nitrogen in low field areas which the year before had registered high nitrogen levels. Apparently, the dealer had never heard of "denitrification" nor of its frequency in wet --compared to dry-- years, making nitrogen maps worthless, as a basis for nitrogen application, from year to year. Jim ignored the dealer, but his neighbors, the Dostals, decided to wait two full years before they bought a Soil Doctor System. Indicated above, once they used the system, the Dostals immediately realized that their deliberately "cautious", two-year delay actually cost them two good years (1992 and 1993) of increased net profit.

Brad and Brian Clark of Little York, Illinois

have been satisfied Soil Doctor® Farmers since 1990, They use their system to do almost everything: nitrogen, starter, spraying, and this year to monitor yields and vary their plant population. Brad says back in 1990, it took him about three rounds to figure out why his Soil Doctor® nitrogen applicator would repeatedly, completely shutdown in one region of a field, a cattle lot abandoned over twenty years ago. Ever since, he and his brother Brian have seen his Soil Doctor® system automatically and reliably save them considerable money on old fence rows (where fertility had not been built-up over years), around the hog buildings (where manure has always been in abundance), and in the other nutrient rich areas of their fields.

David and Alan Anderson of Pine Village, Indiana

have been satisfied Soil Doctor® Farmers since 1990, when they saw the unit find the areas of the field where a previous applicator malfunctioned.

They have been using the unit to apply fertilizer --the way they would if they could--, giving more to the areas of the field that have less and less to the areas that have more, accurately, on a foot-by-foot basis,

has been a satisfied Soil Doctor® Farmer since 1988, he and his dad, LeRoy, have won several nationwide NCGA yield contests, sometimes applying as little as 70 LBS N on fields yielding over 240 bushels. How was that possible?

Two years of alfalfa set-aside seemed to have provided --for that season-- enough nitrogen to make up the nitrogen needed --beyond the 70 LBS-- to support the over 240 bushel corn.

The Soil Doctor® Prescription Nitrogen Applicator
Side-by-Side Comparisons Conducted by Customers

Corn Yield evaluated at $3.00/bushel; Anhydrous @ 15¢/lb N; 28% @ 23¢/lb N

Soil Doctor® System Owners/Testers	LBS N Saved per ACRE	Bushels Increase per Acre	Net Economic Advantage per Acre	Yield Results Recorded by
Terry Schneider Shirley, Illinois since 1987	+17.5	+8.7	$30.16	GreenStar Yield Monitor
Data Recorded by Customers, as Part of Their Money-Back Performance Guarantee Testing
Mike Wurmnest Deer Creek, Illinois	+32	+11	$40.36	Pioneer Seed
George Holsapple Jewett, Illinois	+78	+6.7	$31.80	Asgrow Seed
George Chadima Fairfax, Iowa	+20	+4	$16.60	Weigh Wagon
Mike Lewis Osage, Iowa	+31	+6.5	$26.63	Weigh Wagon
Kent Thornburg Union City, Indiana	+10	+7.4	$24.66	Asgrow Seed Totals
Arthur Rice Centerville, Michigan	+35	+3	$17.05	Weigh Wagom
Ron Alverson Chester, S. Dakota	+37	+3.8	$16.89	GreenStar Yield Monitor
Lynn Jensen Lake Preston, S. Dakota	+51.4	+3.5	$22.32	Weigh Wagon

Comments

With the Soil Doctor System's CEC/Organic Matter Sensor Mode You Can:

Corn Yield evaluated at $3.00/bushel; Anhydrous @ 15¢/lb N; 28% @ 23¢/lb N

With the Soil Doctor System's
CEC/Organic Matter Sensor Mode You Can: