There has been a silver lining in COVID-19 for Ben Riensche, a Jesup, Iowa, farmer.

“For at the time, my yard was not entire of Ford F-150s pushed by product sales reps in khaki pants just after remaining explained to at their Monday early morning product sales meeting that they weren’t advertising sufficient,” he jokes.

Confident, this is an exaggeration, but it’s rooted in the point that businesses every year pitch a myriad of products to farmers.

Myriad solutions exist to nix generate-limiting components, these as weeds and bugs. Businesses also industry seed and fertilizer goods to assistance boost yields.

“On the other hand, farmers should not be investing pounds for alternatives to troubles they never have,” claims Bob Nielsen, Purdue University Extension agronomist.

Nielsen has compiled a presentation known as “Filter the Kool-Support In advance of You Drink It” that has the pursuing 15 guidelines farmers can use to decipher marketing statements.

“Being a important thinker as you assess advertising promises and info can aid increase the profitability and sustainability of your farming operation,” he suggests. 

1. Talk to the “what’s in it for me” concern.

Be informed that revenue representatives have one thing to acquire by offering farmers merchandise.

“Naturally, it pays to be skeptical if the source of facts could get fiscally from you pursuing their assistance,” claims Nielsen.

2. Be cautious of farmer testimonials.

“Some options seem to be perfectly-documented but rely mainly on farmer recommendations,” he claims.

Nielsen points to a assert where by a farmer shifted 30-inch planting spacing to a twin-row system (two corn rows spaced 6 to 8 inches apart on 30-inch facilities) that amplified yields 15%.

It’s not that uncomplicated.

“He wholly switched to a twin-row planting program, which means he did not have a 30-inch row comparison,” claims Nielsen. “While his yields may possibly be 15% bigger than ordinary, it might simply just be thanks to fantastic weather conditions.”

3. Never blindly adhere to logic.

Some statements just appear to be rational. Nielsen details to a company assert that boosting corn populations by 4,000 vegetation for each acre (ppa) at a charge of $15 per…