by BERNARD TOBIN
The majority of Allan’s soybean field turned yellow due to a potash deficiency. However, the strips that could be found every 20 feet across the field were not potash-deficient and, as a result, produced healthy, green soybeans which led to this strange pattern in the field.
“When the soil tests came back, they revealed that the potash levels in the yellow areas were down in the 60s and the potash in the green areas was in the high 80s and 90s,” explains Keith Reid, soil fertility specialist for the Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs.
“The case really came together when we linked the pattern in the field to Allan’s combine and the fact that he left the straw on the field for six weeks,” says Reid.