Another title for this article might be “It’s hard to make a silk purse out of a sow’s ear.”  This doesn’t affect everyone, but I have had enough calls this spring from folks who are looking at commodity prices and have already started the process or are thinking about taking an old pasture or sod field and converting it into either corn or soybeans.  Well maintained ‘new ground’ can yield very well and often has less disease and nematode pressure.  However, it may be impossible to make poor ground into a productive field if compaction or low soil pH cannot be corrected in time for the cropping season or at all.  Input costs must be weighed against realistic yield potential– particularly in fields that have not been limed or fertilized regularly for years.  Continue reading →