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Soil tests are a good investment, agronomist says

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Regardless of whether it is for a row crop, pasture or cover crop, one expert agrees that a soil test is a must. Fred Vocasek Dodge City, Kansas-based ServiTech Senior Laboratory Agronomist Fred Vocasek, says that field and pasture conditions can change in a short amount of time and producers need to take that into account. Consistency in samples and depth allows growers to compare “apples to apples.” “This year it has been so dry that depending on the soil sample depth they have been using, it has been hard to get to that same depth by hand probing,” Vocasek said. “If you are used to taking an 8-inch sample and you can only pull a 6-inch sample that’s going to skew your historical average results.” Tools that can help Some producers are using cordless drills to ensure they are reaching the right depth, he said. Oklahoma State University developed a “Sweatless Soil Sampler” that a grower can build for himself and has been endorsed by Clemson University. The developers of the tool said
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The Cover Crop - Winter 2023

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  Inside this Issue: Easy Button Solution is the Goal of New Technology Platform Soil Sampling 101 Managing Nitrogen to Avoid Nitrate Leaching Board Member Profile: Jerald Kemmerer Buyer Beware for Biostimulants Click to open PDF.
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Federal Programs, Carbon Markets Mean Opportunities for Growers

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 Carbon credits. Environmental assets. Climate-smart commodities. ESG scores. Regenerative farming. No matter what it is called, growers and our cooperative partners are continuously bombarded with requests from third parties to do more, collect more data and be more involved at the farmgate in the environmental space.     With ServiTech’s focus on data and decision excellence and our team of agronomists and lab professionals at hand, ServiTech can provide a turnkey solution for data collection, analysis and validation with any platform. It is a natural fit to include our experts as a part of your strategy to capitalize on the expanding opportunities of sustainability, sound agronomics and environmental consciousness.    ServiTech President and CEO Ryan Hassebrook says the company is geared to be at the forefront of navigating the challenges, the technology platforms, the validation and the marketplace with grower customers. Hassebrook says ServiTech is also growing its expertise with
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ServiTech Announces Chief Operating Officer and New Iowa Territory Leader

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  ServiTech is announcing new members of its leadership team. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here:  https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20220930005433/en/ Rob Swieter, Left, becomes ServiTech COO. Derek Kleve, Right, becomes ServiTech Iowa Territory Leader. (Photo: Business Wire) Rob Swieter has been named Chief Operating Officer (COO) for the nation’s largest agriculture consulting and lab services company. In this position Swieter will lead the ServiTech team’s day to day operations and administrative functions. Swieter comes from a diverse career background and joined ServiTech as the Iowa Territory Leader in 2021. Swieter has served in the Air National Guard since 2005 first as a Computer Systems Operations Specialist and now as an Aircraft Metals Technology Specialist. Swieter graduated from Iowa State University with a Bachelor of Science in Agronomy, and gained industry experience with ag retail cooperatives in Minnesota and Wisconsin as a Sales
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The Cover Crop - Fall 2022

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  Inside this Issue: Federal Programs, Carbon Markets and More: They All MeanOpportunities for Crops Planning a Test Plot? Feed and Forage Team Ready for Fall Board Member Profile: Dennis Rickertsen Click to Open PDF
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ServiTech Makes Recommendations Regarding Drought Conditions

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  Senior Lab Expert Expects Growers to Deal with High Nitrates and Low pH Fred Vocasek Areas of the country are in a severe drought, with conditions so extreme some growers are taking their soil conditions day by day. ServiTech, the nation’s leading independent crop consulting and agriculture lab, is making a prediction growers should lean in to hear. In a cyclical pattern that comes with extreme drought, ServiTech expects to work with its grower customers to manage a uniquely high level of nitrates in the soil as well as potentially lower pH levels. ServiTech’s Senior Lab Agronomist Fred Vocasek said it may be to a grower’s advantage to help blunt the effects of severely dry conditions with zone-specific soil tests to help make nitrogen management decisions. “Drought conditions have been present for an extended time in many areas and with that drought comes a cyclical effect to soil microbial activity,” Vocasek said. “Optimum soil temperature is between 60 and 95 degrees for microbial
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National Crop Consulting Company and Agriculture Lab Welcomes New President and CEO

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RYAN HASSEBROOK SET TO LEAD SERVITECH ON MAY 1  Ryan Hassebrook, CEO ServiTech, the nation’s largest independent crop consulting and agriculture lab company, has hired its new staff and vision leader. Ryan Hassebrook will step into the role of ServiTech President and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) on May 1. ServiTech offers crop consulting, field intelligence and lab services for growers across the Midwest and High Plains of the United States. The company’s team of internal agronomists and lab service experts consult with growers who seek information to reach high yields with data-driven knowledge and targeted insights and develop efficient feed and hay controls for profitable livestock management. ServiTech works to connect every stage of growth in production agriculture from ag technology to field services and waste management to quality lab work. Hassebrook will lead ServiTech’s 160-person organization, after serving the company as the eastern Nebraska territory lead and most recentl
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