Optimal Acre and N Rich Strips

As one crop comes off the field, it's the ideal time to start thinking about the next one, and the best way to do that is with MKC’s Optimal Acre program. Optimal Acre is a deferred payment, grid soil sampling, and variable rate fertilizer program that will help you lower your cost of production, increase yields, and make data-driven decisions for maximum profitability, all for $3.50/ac per year. Strong yields, coupled with the high cost of fertilizer inputs, mean placing the right product at the right rate and in the right place will be vital for agronomic and financial success in 2026. Sign up now before Nov 1st to take advantage of our early order discount: $.25/ac off the 1st year of the program. By signing up early, you can significantly improve the turnaround time for getting the VRT prescriptions back to you by getting ahead of the bottleneck at the soil lab in November.  To find out more about how Optimal Acre can help you be more successful next year, please watch the video at https://youtu.be/_Ta65BKuh10?si=1w5Q_915H7OORvV-.   

Another simple idea I have had great success with to manage nitrogen next season adequately is to install nitrogen check blocks across some fields as you make your fall N applications. With the heavy rains and anticipated good yields from this past season, we are likely to have very low N reserves, if any, left in the soil, so this could mean we need more nitrogen next year than in most years. By implementing some N check blocks that are 45-60#N/ac more and also -30#N/ac less than your standard field rate, it will provide a simple visual check of your current N status on your crop. If you see a strong response to the N-rich block, you are most likely running short on N. And if the Low N block isn't showing up, your current N rates are most likely sufficient. The ideal size of your N blocks is 100-120ft wide by 200-300ft long, and they should be close together or side by side. It's also good practice to place two sets of blocks at opposite ends of the field, rather than just one, to address field variability. The key is getting these out there with your 1st nitrogen application so you can make a more accurate 2nd application. And stay tuned in the coming months as I discuss an advanced nitrogen modeling service that uses these check blocks to deliver an average $22.00/ac advantage.   

If you would like us to create a VRT N script with the N check blocks or to sign up your fields for Optimal Acre, please contact your Strategic Account Manager, your nearest MKC location, or email us at Agtech@mkcoop.com.