1. N Sensing A Retailers Perspective
Danny Peeper
Wheeler Brothers Grain
Watonga OK

2. Introduction Company background What we have experienced Concerns
Economic possibilities
Discussion

3. Company Background
17 Locations
Grain, Fertilizer, Chemical

4. Why Are We Interested Customer Focused Business
Better producer economics
Yield Goal History
Added service
Environmentally Friendly
Produce In The Good Years

5. Historical Program Provide soil sampling 60# DAP in drill
Additional 40# N if grazing
Topdress 30-40# N
Normally applied to late

6. Our N-Rich Strip Use 2 Years of Serious Interest
plots annually
Results
No rain in 05
Delayed planting in 06

7. Our Equipment
3 rates
Portable
Storage

8. Retailer Concerns I will sell less fertilizer
True only if:
Farmers are overapplying nitrogen
Traditional rate
Have money to overspend
You have never seen any N deficiencies
It will not work on grazed wheat

9. What’s the Answer There will be years with no N required
Spring 05
They would not have applied N anyway
I still consider this a success
Personally I think it will help us sell more
Help reach max yields
Traditional rate or yield goal does not work

10. Responsible Approach How can we recommend an accurate N rate visually
Producers need a correct rate by field by year
Historically overused products
Atrazine
Legal issues on groundwater
Poultry litter
Time to do a better job

11. Retailer Marketing Must be a profitable venture
Increase fertilizer sales
Increase producer profitability
He can’t spend what he doesn’t have
Total package solution

12. Producer Concerns I don’t want tracks I don’t want flags
What are you trying to sell me
I won’t put on enough fertilizer
I will put to much fertilizer on
It just won’t work in my field

13. Methods Discussion How big of ramp do you need
How do you go back and find it
What if you can’t see the ramp
Are we representing accurately the field variability
How do we get them to pay for it