In November, Agricen’s Scott Lay sat with Dennis Michelsen of WITY Radio to discuss where TITAN XC and EXTRACT PBA fit into fall practices, and how they can help farmers ensure that every dollar they spend on fertility inputs makes a bigger impact.

Dennis - WITY Radio: With the excellent yields that we've had the last few years, agronomists I’ve talked to say that we've taken more nutrients out of the soil than ever before, and that it's important to recharge those nutrients this fall.

Scott - Agricen: When yields are removed, nutrients are also removed from the soil profile, so it's important to replenish those. It also makes sense to utilize technologies that increase the availability of the nutrients that you've paid for. In a year like this one, with commodity prices diminished 15 to 20% relative to a year ago, every dollar counts. Given the economic scenario, the question of how to increase the amount of nutrients available to the crop next spring and summer becomes even more important.

Dennis - WITY Radio: Some local producers have told me “The only way I can make money this year is by growing more bushels.” So it doesn't really pay to cut back on your dry fertilizer game plan unless you can use a technology like TITAN XC to help you get more out of the dry fertilizers you're already applying.

Scott - Agricen: That's correct. We've had TITAN XC on the market since 2013. It’s a complement to traditional fertility practices. This fall, TITAN XC was applied on its 100 millionth-acre since introduction. With TITAN XC on dry fertilizer, we have a number of university studies that indicate we're increasing the first-year availability of phosphorus by 15 to 20% and potash by about 10%. So the value is there.

When you treat dry fertilizer with TITAN XC, the average yield response in corn is just over 10 bushels per acre, and the average yield response in soybeans is four bushels. So the economics are very consistent. TITAN XC proves itself again and again.

Dennis - WITY Radio: Tell folks how EXTRACT works.

Scott - Agricen: EXTRACT is a liquid product combining the power of our biochemistry components and ammonium thiosulfate. We created it to accelerate nutrient mineralization and release in the soil—release of those nutrients that are already there, perhaps bound to the soil colloid—and also to enhance crop residue breakdown.

If we are applying EXTRACT in a broadcast application with a fall herbicide or in the spring with a broadcast application of a pre herbicide, we're able to increase the mineralization or release of nutrients in the soil while also, if it's in a minimum till situation, enhancing the breakdown of crop residue and getting that residue into more of a plant-available form more quickly.

Initially EXTRACT was targeted more towards the corn acre. We've had great success with it on corn, but as time has passed, we probably treat almost as many acres of soybeans with EXTRACT as we do corn.

Dennis - WITY Radio: When I look at data on TITAN XC and EXTRACT, I see a lot of the third-party and university data from Illinois.

Scott - Agricen: We’ve worked with the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign since 2012, and have done trials with Purdue and many other institutions as well as on-farm split-field trials where we can evaluate how the technology performs in a range of conditions. Whether we're talking about EXTRACT as a broadcast application or TITAN XC impregnated on dry fertilizer, those yield results have been pretty consistent.

TITAN XC and EXTRACT are available from Nutrien Ag Solutions.

This interview was edited for length and clarity. You can listen to the interview below or on Agricen's YouTube channel.

As we progress through the reproductive stage of the growing season, many growers have reason for optimism in terms of yield. But, even for those who are having a good year so far, stress from excess heat can have a negative impact on the crop. Agricen’s Scott Lay sat with Dennis Michelsen of WITY Radio to discuss how TERRAMAR can be applied with fungicide to help protect existing yield potential from heat and other weather-related stress.

Dennis - WITY Radio: It’s been a weird year with the weather. I believe all of those different weather factors are adding to crop stress, and we've already had a prolonged period of hot nights.

Scott - Agricen: In the summer months, heat will happen in every zip code, in every crop. It's a matter of trying to protect the yield potential that exists. With TERRAMAR, we have a technology that can help minimize the impact of heat stress on a crop. It’s a good day for a crop if you can minimize the temperature within the crop canopy. What we're seeing in a number of replicated trials is that we can reduce the crop canopy temperature by two to four degrees Fahrenheit with TERRAMAR.

Dennis - WITY Radio: We know we're going to get more heat going forward. How much benefit is there to applying TERRAMAR with fungicides?

Scott - Agricen: Let's review the negative detriments of heat on a crop. We know it impacts the ability of that plant to photosynthesize and to transpire water, and we know that it affects the plant's ability to mobilize nutrients into the plant and fill grain. So, if we can minimize that canopy temperature by two to four degrees with TERRAMAR, that's a positive. Secondarily, if we can increase the amount of nutrient uptake or movement in that plant, that's also a positive. We have documented a nutrient increase in tissue samples in the range of 10 to 15% with TERRAMAR.

Dennis - WITY Radio: Does that translate to yield?

Scott - Agricen: More often than not, it does. But more importantly, at each stage of the game, including the reproductive stage where we are today, we're attempting to increase the amount of nutrients available for that plant—to move starches and sugars to form that grain. If we can do that, we have a better opportunity to yield.

Dennis - WITY Radio: If you look at our weather this year, we had a lot of different weather conditions – from really wet to really dry, and with wind and hail damage in some parts. Now we take that already stressed-out corn, and we add more heat. Is there a cumulative effect of stress on a plant?

Scott - Agricen: I think there is a compounding effect. As we reach the critical reproductive stage, whether it be in corn, soybeans or perhaps other crops, fungicides are often applied to minimize the impact of disease, and that's a step in the right direction. But for factors brought about by the weather, TERRAMAR, in concert with a fungicide, provides a synergistic effect. If we can minimize the impact of a disease like tar spot, gray leaf spot or northern corn leaf blight with a fungicide, while also minimizing the canopy temperature of the crop with TERRAMAR to increase photosynthesis and nutrient uptake, the cumulative effect is positive. We're attempting to preserve yield potential, and we believe that's our best opportunity to do so.

Dennis - WITY Radio: With grain prices where they are, a producer I spoke to recently said he is changing his strategy this year to ensure he can get every additional bushel, because he needs that to make money this year.

Scott - Agricen: Corn and soybean commodity prices are not what they were a year ago, and certainly not what we would like them to be. The only other lever that can be pulled to impact net farm income is the yield. Again, we're not going to increase yield at this point. We're simply trying to preserve what yield potential exists. So if the crop is worth investing in to preserve yield potential, fungicide plus TERRAMAR gives a very consistent payback in terms of return on investment.

TERRAMAR is available from Nutrien Ag Solutions. 

This interview was edited for length and clarity. You can listen to the interview below or on Agricen's YouTube channel.

Wheat growers commonly apply fungicides to their crops to optimize plant health and yield. Typical application timings include early April after the flag leaves emerge (Feekes growth stage 9) and at heading shortly after (head scab application/Feekes growth stage 10.5.1). TERRAMAR can be utilized in the same pass as a wheat fungicide during any application timing, offering another stress-fighting and yield-enhancing tool to optimize crop yield potential.

What benefits can TERRAMAR add to a wheat fungicide application?

• TERRAMAR minimizes the impact of weather-related stresses (e.g., cold and dry conditions) to help maintain normal physiological functions. 
  
  
• TERRAMAR increases nutrient uptake and photosynthetic capacity at a critical time of yield determination.

Nutrien Ag Solutions has conducted multiple field trials in which TERRAMAR was applied at different stages of wheat growth with a fungicide. As seen in the examples below, consistent yield responses and a positive return on investment (ROI)* were observed across the different timings, whether one or multiple applications of TERRAMAR were made with the grower’s standard practice (GSP). 

FLAG LEAF/FEEKES 9 FUNGICIDE APPLICATION

In a Wisconsin field trial, TERRAMAR was applied at 1 quart/acre with fungicide at the Feekes 9 growth stage (flag leaf). The addition of TERRAMAR to the grower's standard wheat fungicide program led to a +3.62 bu/a yield advantage compared to the fungicide alone, with an ROI of 2:1.

(If a flag leaf fungicide application is not being made, TERRAMAR is also compatible with herbicide applications made at Feekes 8.)

HEAD SCAB SPRAY/FEEKES 10.5.1 FUNGICIDE APPLICATION

In a field trial in Michigan, adding TERRAMAR to the grower's head scab fungicide application led to a yield advantage that ranged from +3/9 bu/a (Plot 1, ROI of 2:1) to +12.8 bu/a (Plot 2, ROI of 7:1).

In an Indiana trial, the yield advantage when TERRAMAR was applied with a wheat head scab fungicide was +9.41 bu/a, with an ROI of 5:1 compared to the fungicide alone. 

In Ohio, a yield advantage of +12.0 bu/a was seen when TERRAMAR was added to a wheat head scab fungicide application, with an ROI of 7:1 compared to the fungicide alone. 

FEEKES 8, 9 & 10.5.1 (3 APPLICATIONS)

Lastly, a Pennsylvania field trial in wheat showed an +18.0 bu/a yield advantage when TERRAMAR was applied at 1 pint/acre at three time points: First with herbicide at Feekes 8, and then with fungicides at Feekes 9 (flag leaf) and Feekes 10.5.1 (head scab spray). The ROI in this trial was 9:1.

SUMMARY

Whether applied to wheat or another row crop, a foliar application of TERRAMAR offers a flexible and cost-effective way to enhance plant health and improve yield.

*ROI calculations assume wheat at $6/bushel.

View more wheat results by downloading the TERRAMAR Midwest wheat study.

How can farmers maximize every unit of UAN sidedress they apply to help them reach their maximum yield potential?

Watch our on-demand webinar, "Enhancing UAN Sidedress Efficiency to Optimize Corn Yield Potential," to learn:

• What conditions favor best responses from sidedress nitrogen applications
  
  
• How enhancing a sidedress nitrogen application can potentially help offset the impact of planting delays
  
  
• When growers should apply UAN sidedress for optimal benefits
  
  
• How EXTRACT PBA can maximize the impact of UAN sidedress applications to optimize corn yield potential

Not all forms of nitrogen in UAN are readily available for crop uptake when applied. EXTRACT (6-0-0-13S), a combination of a fertilizer biocatalyst and ammonium thiosulfate (ATS), can improve the efficiency of UAN sidedress applications by influencing the two most important sources of plant-available nitrogen: the applied UAN and the residual soil nitrogen.

Accelerating the conversion of the urea component (50%) of UAN and positively affecting the mineralization and recycling of organic nitrogen in the soil are two key mechanisms in nitrogen use efficiency that lead to more available nitrogen from both applied and residual (already on/in the soil) nitrogen sources. Increased nitrogen availability combined with a more efficient use of nitrogen equals better growth potential, both immediately after EXTRACT application and for weeks to come in the growth cycle of the crop.

EXTRACT is also compatible with other technologies that enhance liquid sidedress nitrogen applications, such as BLACKMAX 22, an organic acid-based product that can be applied in tandem with liquid nitrogen to improve nutrient availability and support positive soil attributes.

Whether applied alone with UAN sidedress or with other sidedress-enhancing technologies, EXTRACT helps ensure that crops can access nitrogen during peak demand and that farmers can get the most out of their UAN sidedress investment.

By Jeremiah Butler, Agricen

Early in the summer of 2023, widespread nutrient deficiencies were observed in the Corn Belt, particularly potassium (K) deficiency in corn. Due in large part to drier-than-average early season growing conditions, abiotic stress—or stress from environmental conditions—was more prevalent, impacting crop physiological development and reducing nutrient uptake during a critical phase.

Beginning in mid-June, a number of crop consultants were reporting an interesting phenomenon. Corn fields treated with a foliar application of TERRAMAR in the V3-V7 growth stage visually appeared to be healthier and were not exhibiting the same level of K deficiency symptoms as untreated corn.

As a result of these observations, trials were conducted on later-planted corn in Minnesota and Michigan, and on a soybean field in Indiana to evaluate the impact of a V4 application of TERRAMAR on nutrient uptake and abiotic stress reduction. Corn nutrient demand significantly increases after the V4 window to produce a healthy, high-yielding crop.

In the Minnesota trial, a foliar application of TERRAMAR (1 quart/acre) was made at V4, followed by rigorous tissue sampling to determine nutrient uptake levels of treated versus untreated plants. A total of 135 tissue samples were taken at the V9 growth stage (10 days after application) hourly over a 12-hour period (7 am to 7 pm). In addition, leaf surface temperature readings of treated and untreated plants were taken to evaluate canopy temperatures. Higher ambient air temperatures during the trial period were an indication that the corn crop was experiencing moderate heat stress.

Compared to the untreated corn, TERRAMAR increased the uptake of the majority of nutrients into the corn leaf tissue (Fig. 1). Potassium uptake was particularly notable, showing a 38% increase compared to the untreated corn.

Fig. 1. Percent increase in micro- and macronutrients in corn tissue with TERRAMAR treatment versus untreated. Samples taken 10 days after foliar application of TERRAMAR.

Leaf canopy temperature was also notably reduced in corn that had been sprayed with TERRAMAR compared to the untreated corn (Fig. 2). Lower leaf temperatures indicate that the plants were under less stress and were therefore able to more efficiently perform physiologic functions such as transpiration and photosynthesis.

Fig. 2. Tissue temperature in the leaf canopy of corn plants treated with TERRAMAR versus untreated. Temperatures taken using thermal camera 10 days after foliar application of TERRAMAR.

At harvest, the TERRAMAR treatment was associated with a yield advantage of +11.2 bushels/acre compared to the untreated corn (165.8 bu/a vs 154.6 bu/a, respectively).

These results are in line with prior research demonstrating TERRAMAR’s consistency in reducing stress from abiotic factors (e.g., heat, drought, salinity, wind, hail and wet environments) at any given time in the growing season following a foliar application.

While stress mitigation significantly contributes to the product’s performance, more recent research indicates that a foliar application of TERRAMAR also increases nutrient uptake (documented by leaf tissue tests in both stressed and non-stressed environments), nitrate assimilation, carbon fixation, and photosynthetic capacity. These benefits add value by providing more efficient nutrient uptake during the crop’s critical demand windows.

Every growing season creates a different set of challenges, but some things remain constant. Globally, 50% to 70% of crop yield is lost to abiotic stress factors. Taking measures to reduce the impact of abiotic stress and increase nutrient uptake throughout the growing season with new technologies like TERRAMAR provides growers a fighting chance to add more to their bottom line across a range of crops.

Learn more about TERRAMAR by accessing the Minnesota corn trial bulletin. 

As growers finish putting this year’s crop in the ground, Agricen’s Scott Lay spoke with WITY Radio’s Dennis Michelsen about TERRAMAR, a foliar product designed to help crops increase nutrient uptake and better tolerate weather-induced stress.

Dennis - WITY Radio: It’s impossible to predict the weather long term, but we know that something will always put our crop under stress every growing season. Would it be fair to say that the main reason a producer would want to add TERRAMAR to their lineup is to reduce stress?

Scott - Agricen: That is the essence of it. Weather-induced stress is one of the greatest yield robbers that farmers face. Up until this point, short of going to church on Sunday and praying for more moderate temperatures and rain, there's not been a heck of a lot we could do to address stress.

TERRAMAR was new to the row crop market last year, during which nearly 2M acres were treated. It does two things. One, it has a biologically extracted kelp component that minimizes the effects of weather-related stress, such as heat, drought or early season cold. Secondly, it has a biologically extracted carbon component that stimulates the plant to pull in more nutrients to aid in chlorophyll production and photosynthetic capacity, as well as increase carbon fixation in the plant. In this way, TERRAMAR provides a one-two punch that equals a better chance for yield at harvest time.

Dennis - WITY Radio: How and when is this product applied?

Scott - Agricen: TERRAMAR is designed for post-emergent foliar application throughout the growing season. It can go out early in the vegetative stages with a post-emergent herbicide in advance of the stresses that will present themselves to the crop. Then, as we get into the reproductive stages where a fungicide is often applied for the purpose of minimizing the impact of disease, a dose of TERRAMAR at that time will carry on for at least two to four weeks to minimize the impact of weather-induced stress.

We can measure this by canopy temperature. Last year, we did a number of trials across Indiana, Michigan and Minnesota to quantify the impact of TERRAMAR on canopy temperature in both corn and soybeans. Throughout the course of a July day, we saw that the canopy temperature of plants treated with TERRAMAR was 3°F to 5°F lower compared to untreated.

If you can lower the canopy temperature, that plant will be more efficient in reproducing and filling.

Dennis - WITY Radio: That's the key, Scott, because we always think about drought as a big stressor of crops, but we also get those hot nights where the temperature doesn't drop much below 75°F. That plant needs all the help it can get to stay out of stress, or we're losing bushels.

Scott - Agricen: That is absolutely correct. Heat happens in every zip code and every crop, every year. If we can moderate the temperature of the canopy, we're minimizing the impact of heat. It's not a replacement for a 60° F night. But if we can minimize the impact of those warm July and August evenings and give that plant a better chance to photosynthesize and to transpire water and nutrients, again that correlates very nicely to better yield potential.

Dennis - WITY Radio: What's the ROI that we can expect?

Scott - Agricen: In third-party university trials and farmer-conducted side by sides, we’ve found that the average response is 7 to 10 bushels in corn, 4 to 7 bushels in soybeans and 5 to 8 bushels in wheat. All told, regardless of crop, the average is a 3 or 4:1 return on investment. So for every dollar invested in TERRAMAR, a farmer could expect a $3 to $4 return as a result of an increased yield result.

TERRAMAR is available from Nutrien Ag Solutions.

This interview was edited for length and clarity. You can listen to the interview below or on Agricen's YouTube channel.

By Brian Cornelious, PhD, Agricen

The use of starter fertilizer, aimed at getting plant nutrients in a concentrated zone close to the point of seed placement, is a common practice in some parts of the country.

A standard starter program for corn in the U.S. Corn Belt is 3-5 gallons of ammonium polyphosphate (10-34-0) plus 1 quart of zinc per acre. More progressive growers have gravitated towards readily available orthosphosphate blends containing micronutrients or other enhancements like biostimulants. Regardless of the rate, timing, source and amount (the “4Rs”) of the practice, the goal is the same: Get the most out of every nutrient applied for better early growth and development.

Conversion from polyphosphate to plant-available orthophosphate takes place in the soil, where microbes and soil chemistry both play a role in making the applied and existing soil nutrients available to the plant, as well as in the timing of nutrient release into the soil solution. For any liquid starter program to be successful, growers must consider several key factors like soil test values, crop yield goals, field conditions and potential for nutrient release when the crop needs them most.

Thankfully, growers don’t have to leave it all up to nature. By enhancing liquid starter programs with ACCOMPLISH MAX or PROLOGUE, growers can speed up the conversion process in the soil and facilitate plant nutrient uptake by providing highly available forms of nutrients. The outcome is improved plant performance, as demonstrated in the trials below.

ACCOMPLISH MAX

ACCOMPLISH MAX is specifically formulated for use with liquid starter fertilizers. It contains diverse biochemicals (e.g., organic acids, enzymes) that interact with liquid fertilizers and soil chemistry to improve nutrient availability and facilitate nutrient uptake by the crop. It also contains a kelp-based technology that helps crops better tolerate potentially yield-robbing stresses like cold temperatures, saline soil, heat or dry conditions.

In the corn trial below from Ohio, the grower standard practice (GSP) was an in-furrow program consisting of NPK, a micronutrient starter and Proven 40 (a microbial nitrogen-fixing product from Pivot Bio). This was compared to GSP plus 1 quart/acre of ACCOMPLISH MAX over three fields.

The results? Adding ACCOMPLISH MAX to the grower's standard in-furrow program led to a yield advantage of +6 bu/acre over the GSP alone.

In another example, a corn trial in Nebraska looked at the impact of adding ACCOMPLISH MAX at 1 quart/acre to a starter program consisting of Loveland Products’ Riser (2 gals/acre) and Black Label Zn (1 gal/acre).

The results? A visual difference with ACCOMPLISH MAX earlier in the season, including thicker stalks and healthier plants above ground, with deeper, more developed roots below. The early, healthier start resulted in a +4.5 bu/acre yield advantage at harvest compared to the starter program that did not include this technology.

PROLOGUE

PROLOGUE (5-0-0 6.3% Zn) is a combination of highly plant available zinc and nutrient solubilizing technology comprised of microbial metabolites (biochemicals) and active, phosphorus-scavenging microbes that colonize within the root system.

PROLOGUE fits any banded liquid phosphorus-based fertilizer program requiring supplemental zinc for optimal plant growth. It is formulated to increase the efficiency of both applied phosphate and existing phosphate bound in the soil, as well as balance the P:Zn uptake ratio. (For every 10 units of phosphorus, a plant needs 1 unit of zinc.)

In this corn trial from Kentucky, PROLOGUE was applied 2x2 with 10 gals/acre of 10-34-0.

The results? A yield advantage of +7.15 bu/acre with PROLOGUE in the starter program compared to the 10-34-0 starter alone.

Crops that get off to a good start often maintain an advantage during the growing season over those that struggle to get going. As these studies show, growers that include a technology such as ACCOMPLISH MAX or PROLOGUE in their starter programs—whether a polyphosphate, an orthophosphate/polyphosphate blend or other liquid starter—can maximize the efficiency of applied nutrients and improve crop performance.

Learn more about starter fertilizer programs by downloading our booklet, Improving Crop Yields with Starter Fertilizers.

Whether conditions are “ideal” or stressful, the key is to be prepared for whatever the growing season brings so that you can reach your yield goals.

In this on-demand webinar hosted by CropLife, "Stand Up to Stress for Higher Yield & ROI," you'll learn:

• What abiotic stress is
  
  
• How ag biologicals and biostimulants fit into crop stress and plant health management programs
  
  
• How TERRAMAR, a new foliar technology for agricultural crops, enhances plant performance while mitigating the impacts of abiotic stress

During the webinar, Dr. Connor Sible of the University of Illinois discusses common abiotic stresses, how biological and biostimulant technologies can play a role in addressing them, and, specifically, how marine extracts promote stress relief in plants. He also discusses the need for a proactive approach when it comes to application timing.

"Stress mitigating biostimulant applications need to be proactive, not reactive," says Dr. Sible. "The crop needs time to build the defense so that it is able to tolerate the stress when it arrives."

Agricen's Dr. Brian Cornelious follows his presentation with a discussion of TERRAMAR, which can be used to enhance nutrient uptake while improving crop tolerance to abiotic stress.

TERRAMAR is a unique combination of carbon- and marine-based components that have complimentary functions:

• Carbon-Based Technology (derived from biologically converted leonardite) enhances nutrient uptake and provides key carbon derivatives for additional energy to optimize plant performance
  
  
• Marine-Based Technology (derived from biologically digested kelp) improves crop tolerance to abiotic stressors such as heat, drought, salt, and cold

Exclusively available from Loveland Products through Nutrien Ag Solutions, TERRAMAR can be used in combination with early, mid-season, or late-season foliar applications (including foliar nutrition, insecticides, herbicides, and fungicides) to mitigate stress and improve nutrient uptake. Foliar applications deliver its unique set of highly active, metabolite-based compounds for quick absorption through the leaf tissue of the plant. Multiple field trials validate the effectiveness of TERRAMAR as an addition to crop protection and nutritional programs.

Watch the webinar to learn how to help your crops stand up to stress for higher yield and ROI.

More than three dozen farmers in the 2023 National Corn Growers Association (NCGA) Corn Yield Contest used Agricen's biocatalyst technologies in their winning programs. They include four farmers who took top places at the national level and 34 who took top places in their states. 🏆

The winning growers used one or more of the following products in their corn fertility programs: Accomplish MAX, Ensurgo, Extract PBA, Levitate, Maritime, Prologue, Terramar and Titan XC. All of these products are exclusively available from our partner, Loveland Products, through Nutrien Ag Solutions.

Corn Yield Winners

The 2023 national corn yield winners again included Virginia farmer Heath Cutrell, who earned first place in the "Conventional Non-Irrigated" category (396.12 bu/a yield). You can learn more about Heath in our short video, Striving for Record Corn Yields.

Other national winners who used Agricen's technology were:

• Maryland farmer Temple Rhodes, winner of the "Conventional Irrigated" category (375.67 bu/a yield)
  
  
• Ohio's Corey Farrens, winner of the "Conventional Non-Irrigated - Corn Belt States" category (340.46 bu/a yield)
  
  
• New Jersey's Scott Truszkowski, who earned second place nationally in the "Strip, Min, Mulch, Ridge-Till Non-Irrigated" category (323.75 bu/a yield)
  

We are proud to be a part of these growers' winning programs and wish them the best of luck as we begin the 2024 growing season.

Learn more about some of the technologies used in the winning programs by downloading the Sustainable Technology Overview.

By Ronald Calhoun, PhD, Loveland Products

Crops need phosphorus (P) early in their development to help them get off to a good start. This important macronutrient not only helps them capture and convert sunlight into useful plant compounds, it also assists with plant growth, stalk strength and early root growth and development.

One challenge that growers need to think about each season is that phosphorus availability can be limited by soil fixation, poor root growth and cold temperatures that limit microbial activity. Much of the phosphorus that is applied each season is at risk of fixation with elements in the soil like iron (Fe), aluminum (Al) and calcium (Ca). Once those bonds have formed, the bound phosphate becomes essentially unavailable to the growing crop. For these reasons, it is difficult to access phosphate in the soil bank, making applied phosphate relatively inefficient.

Along with phosphorus, plants also need zinc (Zn). Zinc plays a role in the manufacturing of plant hormones that help drive root growth. It also has a unique relationship with phosphorus, interacting with phosphate to influence root growth. These two nutrients work best when they are available in a ratio in which neither one is limiting the other. Unfortunately, prevailing spring conditions, like cool temperatures and waterlogged soils, can limit the availability of zinc.

PROLOGUE (5-0-0 6.3% Zn) is a unique technology designed to enhance phosphate nutrition for a higher performing and more sustainable approach to crop nutrition. In the trial below, adding PROLOGUE to 10-34-0 starter led to an average yield increase of +8.9 bushels per acre across six sites.

PROLOGUE combines the critical early season micronutrient, zinc, with unique nutrient solubilizing technology that increases the efficiency of both applied phosphate and existing phosphate bound in the soil. Working together, these components enhance early germination and crop growth, helping crops better absorb both applied nutrition and soil bank nutrition:

• Nutrient solubilizing technology - Microbial metabolites (biochemicals) and active, phosphorus-scavenging microbes that colonize within the root system to keep more applied nutrition available to the crop. They also help loosen the bonds of recalcitrant phosphorus in the soil to improve phosphorus availability during the growing season.
  
  
• Chelated zinc - A plant-available form of zinc.

Many crops can benefit from PROLOGUE, especially those that do best with an early season application of liquid phosphate (including ammonium polyphosphate or liquid phosphate containing blends) near the developing root system.

With technology that drives more phosphorus into a developing crop, PROLOGUE can help growers realize big dividends at the end of the season. 

Learn more by downloading the PROLOGUE booklet.

How can growers get the maximum benefit from existing and applied nutrition to maximize their yield and return on investment?

Watch our on-demand webinar, "Early Season Opportunities to Enhance Nutrient Availability with EXTRACT PBA," to see:

• How Extract helps unlock the nutrition crops need from the soil, organic and inorganic nutrient applications and the previous season's crop residue for maximum yield
  
  
• How to get the most utilization out of applied and residual nutrition with Extract
  
  
• Results from corn, soybean and wheat trials

Extract enhances nutrient release and mineralization from the soil, liquid fertilizers and crop residues, which promotes nutrient availability and uptake. It can be used with pre-plant liquid fertilizers, pre-emergent herbicides, UAN sidedress applications or fall burndown chemistries to unlock more nutrition for crops.  

In an analysis of 105 third-party and side-by-side trials conducted over the past decade, the average yield increase gained by utilizing Extract was +10.3 bu/a in corn (53 trials), +3.7 bu/a in soybeans (47 trials) and +5.5 bu/a in wheat (5 trials) as compared to no Extract treatment.

By giving crops greater access to the nutrition they need, Extract can help boost crop yields and increase a grower's return on investment.

Extract is exclusively available from Nutrien Ag Solutions.

Watch the webinar today to learn how to maximize nutrient availability for your crops with Extract.

TERRAMAR can be applied to a wide variety of row crops, including corn, soybeans, wheat, grain sorghum (milo) and cotton. In this blog, we answer common questions about using TERRMAR in row crop programs.

What is TERRAMAR?
TERRAMAR is a breakthrough product that combines a biologically converted kelp source and biologically converted leonardite, which is a carbon source. It is intended for foliar applications in row crops at vegetative and reproductive stages. TERRAMAR supplements a balanced crop nutrition system by helping to maximize plant performance and yield across any type of growing conditions.

Why use TERRAMAR in row crops?
TERRAMAR is formulated to increase nutrient uptake and enhance stress mitigation, which can optimize plant health and contribute to enhanced yield. In 76 trials conducted from 2019 to 2023 across corn, soybeans, wheat and grain sorghum, TERRAMAR offered an average yield advantage of +7.12 bu/acre compared to untreated check.

What are the key benefits of TERRAMAR for row crops?
TERRAMAR sets a new standard in stress mitigation and plant performance. Foliar application of TERRAMAR improves abiotic stress tolerance (e.g. heat, cold, drought) at various stages of plant growth. Visible improvements in stressed crops can often be observed several days after application. Additionally, increased nutrient use efficiency has been documented when TERRAMAR is applied in conjunction with a foliar nutrition program.

How is TERRAMAR applied?
TERRAMAR is recommended for liquid foliar applications in row crops to enhance plant performance while minimizing weather-induced stress. Foliar applications deliver TERRAMAR's unique set of highly active, metabolite-based compounds for quicker absorption through the plant leaf tissue. The recommended rate for TERRAMAR is 1 quart per acre. It is compatible with a broad range of liquid fertilizers, insecticides, herbicides and fungicides for maximum application flexibility.

When should TERRAMAR be applied?
TERRAMAR can be applied in early post-emergent applications as well as mid- to late-season fungicide applications.

Should I apply TERRAMAR even if I am not anticipating severe crop stress?
Yes. TERRAMAR can optimize plant performance in all growing conditions, whether they are stressful conditions in which crop development could be impacted or average to ideal conditions in which crops have the best chance of reaching their yield potential.

Learn more by downloading the TERRAMAR Frequently Asked Questions bulletin.

Agricen's Scott Lay recently spoke with WITY Radio’s Dennis Michelsen about why pairing EXTRACT PBA with crop fertility programs makes sense.

Dennis - WITY Radio: Before you know it, it will be time to get the 2024 planting season going, and if you want to get the most out of your fertility program, you really need to find out more about EXTRACT.

Scott - Agricen: Applying nutrients is simply step one. The next question is, “What can you do as a farm operation to enhance the availability of those nutrients that you’ve applied?”

Dennis - WITY Radio: The key is not to reduce what you're putting down. It's just to get more value out of every dollar from your fertilizer program.

Scott - Agricen: That's right. EXTRACT is not a replacement for fertility or nutrients. But it is a technology that is available today to aid in the mineralization of nutrients in the soil profile and in the release of nutrients bound by calcium, magnesium or other components in the soil, so that they can be available for your crop.

Dennis - WITY Radio: Like all of your products, EXTRACT has been tested extensively both in the field and by university researchers.

Scott - Agricen:  Ultimately, the end result that any farmer wants is an increase in yield. We've done extensive research with land grant universities across the Midwest—Purdue University, University of Illinois, University of Nebraska, Iowa State and others—to validate what Extract is doing in the soil profile to hopefully give that plant a better chance to yield.

There are two things in particular we can point to when EXTRACT is applied in a broadcast fashion on the soil. The first is we're able to increase the amount of phosphorus available to the plant, more specifically P1, by 10 to 15%. Secondly, both the nitrate and soil ammonium forms of nitrogen are increased by 15 to 20%. That's not a guarantee of greater yield, but we do know that there's a high correlation between having greater amounts of soil nitrogen and phosphorus and increased yields.

Dennis - WITY Radio: EXTRACT offers a way to make sure that every nutrient you're putting down goes to good use.

Scott - Agricen: That's true. The term that's becoming more popular is “nutrient cycling.” In broad terms, it’s simply the ability to take nutrients that are applied or in the soil profile and convert them more readily to a plant-available form. EXTRACT can increase the level of nutrient cycling, which can lead to greater yield results.

Dennis - WITY Radio: It all comes down to the bottom line. What kinds of ROI have you seen with EXTRACT?

Scott - Agricen: EXTRACT has been available on the market since 2017, and this past year we treated a little over 2 million acres across the United States. With EXTRACT, the average yield increase for corn over years of trials is 10.2 bushels per acre. For soybeans, it’s 4.2 bushels per acre. For wheat, it’s a shade over 5 bushels per acre. The number of additional bushels needed to pay for that EXTRACT investment is very minimal. In corn, it's less than 2 bushels. In soybeans, it’s about 0.4 bushels to break even.

Our objective with any farmer, anywhere is to help them lower their production cost per bushel or unit of output. We believe that the economics with EXTRACT stack up very favorably. It’s also very consistent in terms of return on investment and, in the longer-term, positively impacting that soil health, which is any farm’s number-one asset.

EXTRACT PBA is available from Nutrien Ag Solutions.

This interview was edited for length and clarity. You can listen to the interview below or on Agricen's YouTube channel.

Learn more about EXTRACT PBA, a biocatalyst specifically formulated to maximize nutrient release from the soil and crop residues, by downloading the EXTRACT PBA booklet.

Ron Calhoun, PhD, Senior Manager for Plant Nutrition at Loveland Products, sat with AgriTalk’s Chip Flory to discuss the challenges that cool weather can bring when growers add dry nutrition to the soil during the fall.

Ron - Loveland Products: As we put our dry fertilizers like MAP, DAP, potash, and MESZ in the fall to get ready for next year, those dry materials need to be mineralized by the microbial communities in the soil for the nutrients in them to be available to our plants. Cool conditions in the fall and spring don't really propel that process forward, so that can limit the efficiency of those products. The mineralization process needs assistance to overcome the depressed microbial activity.

Chip - AgriTalk: Where does that assistance come from? Is it biochemistry?

Ron - Loveland Products: You're exactly right. We have a dry fertilizer enhancement product called Titan XC, and it is using that biochemistry from the soil microbial community to make the nutrition more available. We take that biochemistry and we'll actually sparge it onto the dry fertilizer ahead of time. 

That way, when you're putting the treated dry fertilizer out, the biochemistry that would typically be provided by soil microorganisms is already on the fertilizer prills, so that we can start the mineralization process and have the nutrition ready to go when the crop season hits.

Chip - AgriTalk: How effective is Titan XC in boosting fertilizer efficiency?

Ron - Loveland Products: We have probably 300 trials from the last 12 to 15 years, and we're closing in on 100 million acres on which Titan XC-treated fertilizer has been applied. I would say, in general, we're looking at probably around a 15 to 20% improvement in nutrient use efficiency.

Designed for use with dry fertilizers, Titan XC contains concentrated biochemistry to help growers maximize the yield potential of their crops by increasing nutrient availability and uptake. It is compatible with a variety of dry fertilizer blends, including phosphate and potash (P & K) blends, MESZ, MES10, sulfate of potash and ammonium sulfate. Titan XC is available from Nutrien Ag Solutions.

This interview was edited for length and clarity. You can listen to the original interview below or on Agricen's YouTube channel.

Learn more about Titan XC by visiting cropfertility.com or downloading the Titan XC product booklet.

Jason Jaggers is a third-generation corn and soybean farmer in Wyanet, Illinois. When it comes to getting advice from his Nutrien Ag Solutions agronomist, Chad Taylor, he knows he has someone he can count on. Chad is not only his agronomist, but also his childhood friend. 

"Chad and I grew up together. Now he's my Nutrien agronomist. If he brings a product to me, he knows it better perform," says Jason. "He's also a grower himself, so he understands that."

Two of the products that Chad has introduced to Jason are Titan XC and Extract PBA. They are biocatalyst technologies that help growers "do more with less" by enhancing nutrient use efficiency. 

"As he's brought Titan, Extract and multiple other products to the table, they've all performed very, very well," says Jason. 

In the fall, Titan XC on dry fertilizer is a particularly important part of the equation. 

"If you're making a fall application of fertilizer, it needs Titan XC," say Chad. "Titan brings multiple levels of benefit...being able to take a grower's fertilizer dollar and increase it by upwards of 20 percent."

On Chad's recommendation, Jason has used Titan XC on his fall dry fertilizer for the past decade.

"We've used it for probably the last 10 years in the fall," says Jason. "We tried it on a couple of farms the first year and instantly saw good results. Now I use it on 100 percent of my acres."

Getting ready to spread Titan XC-treated dry fertilizer.

Extract PBA is another product that Chad commonly recommends for corn and soybean producers. He has seen some outstanding results.

"I had a couple of growers say 'I can't raise beans on this farm.' We started utilizing Extract on the solution for corn years and on the residue for bean years. Now they're like, 'Wow, I never thought I would take 80+ bushel beans off this farm.' It's just been a tremendous turnaround in farm production," explains Chad.

On Jason's farm, Extract PBA is being used as a residue management tool on his corn stubble prior to planting soybeans.  

"We're going to apply it on standing corn stalks that are going to go to soybeans next spring just to try to break down the massive amount of residue that we have," Jason says. "It seems that the residue is tying up more and more nutrients, so we're trying to get it to breakdown to get them into the soil profile for next spring."

One of the newer products that Chad is able to bring to the table for his grower customers is Accomplish MAX, which is designed for use with liquid starter fertilizer programs and combines the nutrient availability technology found in products like Titan XC and Extract PBA with a marine-based technology for stress mitigation.

"Everyone who's used it that I've talked to is seeing results. The stress mitigation factor of the kelp extract paired with the Accomplish technology has been a tremendous fit. Now you are getting a healthier, stronger seedling that's encountering less stress— whether it be from cold weather, starter fertilizer salt or salinity within the soil profile," Chad says. "There couldn't be a better coupling of what a new planted seedling needs trying to get up and out of the ground fast and uniform."

You can watch the video below, here or on our YouTube channel, to hear more from Chad and Jason.

Learn more about Accomplish MAX, Extract PBA and Titan XC by downloading the Frequently Asked Questions booklet.

Agricen's Scott Lay recently spoke with Dennis Michelsen of WITY Radio about using Titan XC on fall-applied dry fertilizer blends.

Dennis - WITY Radio: In the fall season, we always talk about Titan XC. Talk a little bit about how it helps growers get the most out of fall fertilizer applications.

Scott - Agricen: Titan XC is applied on dry phosphorus and potash to help mineralize and break down those fertilizer prills, making them more available for next year's crop.

Dennis - WITY Radio: Ag producers don't want to have an extra trip across that field because that's money that they're spending. Titan XC does not require an extra pass.

Scott - Agricen: Titan XC is applied on the dry fertilizer. So whether the local Nutrien retail facility is applying the dry fertilizer or the farmer himself is applying it, putting on the Titan XC doesn't make that job any more difficult, and it also provides a benefit. In terms of a yield impact, we're looking at about an +11-bushel average yield response in corn and about a +4.2-bushel average response in soybeans. So the economics stack up very favorably.

Dennis - WITY Radio:  We're talking more than a 7 to 1 ROI when you add the cost of the product.

Scott - Agricen: That's correct. Farmers are obviously interested in the potential for yield response. But they also ask, "How many additional bushels do I need to produce to pay for that additional input?” In soybeans, a farmer would only need 0.6 additional bushels to pay for Titan XC. In corn, it’s a bushel and a half. Farmers are all riverboat gamblers at heart, and they put their chips behind reasonable propositions. With a high probability of payback, Titan XC is one of them.

Dennis - WITY Radio: Lab tests have shown a 22% increase for the first year use as far as available nutrients in those soils. That's a huge advantage.

Scott - Agricen: It is. If we think about a dry fertilizer prill, we're applying rocks to the surface of the ground, albeit small rocks. So the objective is to mineralize those fertilizer prills into a plant-usable form. If we can increase that rate of mineralization by 22%, that translates to a benefit in next year's crop, and that translates to yield.

Titan XC is available from Nutrien Ag Solutions.

This interview was edited for length and clarity. You can listen to the interview below or on Agricen's YouTube channel.

How can growers enhance the efficiency of their fall-applied dry fertilizer blends to maximize yield and return on investment? 

Watch our on-demand webinar, "How to Enhance Dry Fertilizer Efficiency to Maximize Yield & ROI," to hear:

• How to enhance the efficiency of your fall dry fertilizer application
  
  
• What you can do to improve nutrient recovery after applying dry fertilizer blends
  
  
• How to increase yield and return on investment in any crop production system with Titan XC on your dry fertilizer blend

The nutrients in dry fertilizer prills are not highly available to the crop as applied. To become available for crop use, they must first be converted into a plant-available form. 

Titan XC is a fertilizer biocatalyst designed to expedite this process and unlock the potential of dry fertilizer programs. When applied to fall- or spring-applied dry fertilizer blends, Titan XC can expedite nutrient availability and uptake, enhance nutrient use efficiency and improve nutrient recovery from the applied fertilizer and from the soil. 

In an analysis of 125 third-party and side-by-side trials conducted over the past decade, the average yield increase gained by treating dry fertilizer blends with Titan XC was +10.9 bu/a in corn (73 trials), +3.9 bu/a in soybeans (30 trials) and +4.0 bu/a in wheat (22 trials) as compared to yields with untreated dry fertilizer.

By giving crops greater access to the nutrition they need, Titan XC can help boost crop yields and increase a grower's return on investment.

Titan XC is exclusively available from Nutrien Ag Solutions.

Watch the webinar today to learn how to maximize dry fertilizer efficiency this fall with Titan XC.

Fall can be a good time to apply dry phosphorus (P) and potassium (K) fertilizers because of lower workloads and drier soils. A fall dry fertilizer application can also increase P and K availability for crops planted in the spring by giving the fertilizer prill more time to undergo natural weathering and breakdown in the soil compared to spring applications.

However, just because you apply 300 pounds of P and K this fall, it doesn’t mean that all 300 pounds will be available to next season's crop. Soil physical, chemical and biological properties combined with weather conditions all play a role in fertilizer availability. Even under the best conditions, an application of dry fertilizer on its own is usually not very efficient. In the first season after application, only about 10-30% of applied P and 20-60% of applied K is typically available for use by the growing crop.

For a higher rate of fertilizer efficiency, TITAN XC can be applied to dry fertilizer blends, increasing the efficiency of applied P and K fertilizers by an estimated 30%. This contributes to a number of benefits, including improved plant performance (as seen in the photos below from Dassel, Minnesota), as well as a positive yield response.

In the corn trial below from Ohio, a fall application of TITAN XC-treated dry fertilizer led to an average yield increase of +8.3 bushels per acre over 6 replications as compared to untreated dry fertilizer.

In a corn trial from Nutrien Ag Solutions’ Hopkinsville, Kentucky research farm, treating dry fertilizer with TITAN XC led to a yield increase of 6 bushels or more per acre compared to untreated fertilizer. This was true whether the fertilizer was applied at the full rate (300 lbs/acres) or the reduced rate (270 lbs/acre). What is most notable here is that there was no real difference in corn yield between the two different rates of untreated fertilizer (270 or 300 lbs/acre).

Sometimes the answer is not more fertilizer, but rather greater efficiency. By employing TITAN XC to increase the breakdown or mineralization of the P and K nutrients spread in fall, more will be available to the crop next year when it needs it, which can lead to better yield results. 

Learn more about TITAN XC by downloading the TITAN XC fall fertilizer booklet.

With dry, hot weather having impacted many areas of the country, Agricen's Scott Lay spoke with Dennis Michelsen of WITY Radio to discuss how Terramar is helping corn and soybean growers minimize the effect of drought and heat stress on their crops.

Dennis - WITY Radio: After a long duration of dry weather that we had during this growing season, we're getting a great chance to see just how much Terramar is helping reduce some of that drought stress we saw.

Scott - Agricen: Terramar is a new product to the Midwest and row crops. More importantly, it's a new practice. We now have a technology available to us in our arsenal that will help minimize stress.

Dennis - WITY Radio: This product is all about standing up to stress.

Scott - Agricen: We know that if the nighttime low does not get below 70 degrees Fahrenheit, that's a bad day for the corn plant. That impacts yield. We also know from our replicated studies with Terramar that we're able to decrease the crop canopy temperature by a measure of three to five degrees Fahrenheit for a period of three to four weeks. Again, that's not going to eliminate the negative impact of extremely hot temperatures, but it sure takes a bite out of it.

Dennis - WITY Radio: How is Terramar working on soybeans this year across the Midwest?

Scott - Agricen: Regardless of zip code and regardless of crop, minimizing heat and drought stress while increasing the amount of nutrients that the carbon component in Terramar can bring into that plant is a good transaction.

With respect to soybeans specifically, we're entering a critical stage, and that is the reproductive stages. That's when 90% of all nutrients are consumed by the plant. That's when yield is determined.

Again, we can't control what Mother Nature brings our way in terms of precipitation, but if we can increase the amount of nutrients flowing into that plant by virtue of stimulating that plant with our Terramar product, we've got a better chance to preserve yield potential.

Dennis - WITY Radio: Whether it's corn or soybeans, Scott, you guys have done a lot of testing of this product on acres that, quite frankly, are more susceptible to drought than we usually see here in Central Illinois.

Scott - Agricen: When we started to look at this on crops in tough growing conditions, like grain sorghum and dryland corn in western Kansas early on, we started to detect not only a positive yield impact, but also better plant health that maintained throughout the growing season. We knew at that point that we needed to get this more widely across the Midwest in corn and soybean growing areas. As a result, this year we'll approach about 2.5 million acres treated with Terramar.

Dennis - WITY Radio: I understand this product is working good as a tank mix companion with a lot of different materials, whether early in the season as you're doing an extra fertilizer run or when you're applying a fungicide. 

Scott - Agricen: That’s correct. As we look out over the month of July, any farmer of corn, soybeans or cotton is looking to preserve yield potential. Fungicides are a key part of that equation.

We're able to pair Terramar with fungicide and see a favorable impact in terms of minimizing the effect of drought and heat, which is a result of the kelp component, while also pulling more nutrients into that plant as a result of the carbon component.

Plants enjoy carbon and, when in abundant supply, it provides needed energy to produce a more robust root system that is able to pull more water and nutrients into the plant. That often leads to a more consistent yield result.

Dennis - WITY Radio: Whether it's corn or soybeans, Terramar can help you stand up to stress.

Terramar is available from Nutrien Ag Solutions.

This interview was edited for length and clarity. You can listen to the interview below or on Agricen's YouTube channel.

Learn more about Terramar by downloading the Terramar product booklet.

Lee Lubbers, an XtremeAg grower in Gregory, South Dakota, tried TERRAMAR for the first time in 2022, testing it across fields with different yield environments. 

"We were very intrigued by TERRAMAR being a stress mitigation product," says Lee. "We ended up applying about 4,000 acres worth of TERRAMAR on corn."

His first trial was in a field that was traditionally in the bottom one-third when it comes to yield.

"It ended up showing that the TERRAMAR is 7% better than the untreated," he says. "In our yield environment this year, to get a piece of ground to do this, and then to see a 7% increase...If we take that times 120 bushel, that's going to be about $60 an acre to our pocket. I'll take that all day long."

Lee speaks about that experience below.

A trial in a different field also showed him how well TERRAMAR can help growers hold on to yield under tough conditions. 

"I was driving by a corn field where we applied TERRAMAR on our side of the road. On the other side of the section line, the neighbor did not," he says. "When we planted we were looking at each other, the neighbor and I, and when we sprayed we were looking at each other. But we...went with stress mitigation with TERRAMAR."

The day Lee checked in on that trial, the wind was blowing 25 to 30 miles per hour, the temperature was 105 degrees Fahrenheit and there had been little precipitation since planting.

"On our side of the section line, the leaves were green and erect. The plant was still functioning," says Lee. "I walked 40 feet across, and the neighbor’s field looked like a field of green onions. The corn leaves were just rolled up tight."

That fall, Lee cut 150- to 160-bushel corn, while the neighboring field got chopped for silage. Based on the strips left for the adjuster, Lee estimates that his neighbor had 40-bushel corn. 

"We had to do fertility and our management practices to get to that point, but I know, in that third quarter going into the fourth, TERRAMAR helped us preserve that yield," he says. "Where the neighbor lost, we held what we had." 

You can hear about it in Lee's own words below.

Learn more about TERRAMAR by downloading the TERRAMAR booklet.

Many agricultural areas across the United States are facing weather-related challenges, but there are still opportunities to make the most out of what Mother Nature is dishing out.

Terramar, a new product for row crops, is formulated to help crops stand up to abiotic stresses (such as heat and dry conditions) while also increasing nutrient uptake for better plant growth.

The photos below document the performance of Terramar applications made on corn, soybeans and wheat earlier this season, and they show some very strong visual results.

With another opportunity to apply Terramar now here (this time with fungicide or plant nutrition products on reproductive-stage corn and soybeans), we wanted to share these images as a reminder of the potential in this year's crop.

Here are the top 10 Terramar field pictures of 2023, so far:

1. Terramar on Corn – Ferris, Illinois

Dry conditions (No rain for 11-12 days). Terramar was applied at 1 pint/acre. Photos taken May 26, 2023, 8 days after application. 15 plants per bundle.

2. Terramar on Corn – Muscoda, Wisconsin

Corn crop planted April 29, 2023. Dry conditions (2.2” precipitation since planting). Terramar was applied at 1 quart/acre at V5. Photo taken June 21, 2023, two weeks after Terramar application.

3. Terramar on Soybeans – Farmington, Illinois

Terramar was applied at 1 pint/acre on May 29, 2023. Photo taken 16 days after Terramar application. 

4. Terramar on Soybeans – East Chain, Minnesota

Terramar was applied at 1 quart/acre. Photos taken 5 days after Terramar application. 

5. Terramar on Wheat – Kentucky

Terramar was applied twice, each time at 1 pint/acre prior to a sub-freezing event. Joint (head) was above ground. Photos taken mid-May.

6. Terramar on Wheat – Oberlin, Kansas

Terramar was applied at 1 quart/acre on March 24, 2023. Very dry conditions. Photos taken May 4, 2023, 53 days after Terramar application. 

7. Terramar on Corn – Fairview, Illinois

Terramar applied at 1 pint/acre at V4 (left) & at 1pint vs 1 quart (right).

8. Terramar on Corn – Bennet, Nebraska

Terramar was applied at 1 pint/acre on May 30, 2023. Photo taken June 20, 2023, 21 days after Terramar application. Some leaf rolling observed on untreated corn. 86 degrees Fahrenheit.

9. Terramar on Corn – Ferris, Illinois

Terramar was applied at 1 quart/acre on on June 3, 2023. Photos taken 5 days after Terramar application. Plants taken 20 rows into each block; 1 plant every 20 steps. 5 plants per bundle.

10. Terramar on Corn – Parker, South Dakota

Terramar was applied at 1 quart/acre at V4 on June 7, 2023. Photos taken 8 days after Terramar application. 

*Bonus Photo* Terramar on Corn – Arcadia, Indiana

Terramar was applied at 1 quart/acre at V4-5.

*Bonus Photo* Terramar on Wheat – Western Kansas

Terramar was applied at 1 quart/acre at first green-up (Feekes 3-4) on March 21, 2023. Cold and dry conditions. Photo taken 54 days after application.

Learn more about Terramar by downloading the Terramar row crop bulletin.

Growers know all too well that hot and dry conditions can contribute to yield loss in corn and soybean crops, especially when these stresses last for a prolonged period of time. TERRAMAR gives growers the opportunity to mitigate the effects of these weather-related stresses so that their crops can hold on to their yield potential.

There are two key opportunities for making a TERRAMAR application on corn and soybeans. The first opportunity to apply TERRAMAR is with the early post herbicide pass, typically at the V4-V5 growth stage in both crops. The second opportunity is with a fungicide or foliar plant nutrition pass on corn and soybeans. For those who have already applied TERRAMAR earlier in the season, a two-pass program (first at the early vegetative growth stage, then at the reproductive stages) may be beneficial, particularly if crops are under prolonged stress.

In corn and soybeans, the window for applying TERRAMAR with fungicide or plant nutrition products is:

• Corn - V10 (early season) through R3 (tar spot)
• Soybeans - Pre-bloom through R3

All TERRAMAR applications made at reproductive stages should be at a minimum rate of 1 quart/acre. Applications can be made by airplane, helicopter or a ground rig.

Below are two examples of recent trials in which TERRAMAR was applied at reproductive stages in corn and soybeans, leading to yield increases compared to the grower's standard practice.

Impact of Heat and Drought Stress During Corn and Soybean Reproductive Stages

Typical fungicide applications occur as much of the Corn Belt, East and South begins to experience the most extreme time of heat and drought stress.

These conditions can have a significant, negative impact on the ability of corn and soybean crops to reach their full yield potential. About two weeks before silk emergence, corn enters the period of grain yield determination that is most sensitive to heat and drought stress. At this stage, wilting of the plant due to stress can decrease yield by 3-4% per day. During the silking and pollen shed period, severe stress may reduce yield up to 8% per day and, in the two weeks following silking, severe stress may reduce yield up to 6% per day.

In soybeans, stress during reproductive stages (R1 to R3) can lead to as many as 60-75% of flowers and up to 50% of the formed pods vulnerable to being aborted.

How TERRAMAR Helps to Address Heat and Drought Stress

TERRAMAR has a unique ability to minimize stress by lowering the canopy temperature and increasing photosynthetic capacity during this critical window.

As seen in the chart below, the technology in TERRAMAR lowered the canopy temperature of highly stressed corn for a window of more than 30 days. A lower canopy temperature means less stress for the plant.

As we approach the reproductive stages of both corn and soybeans, the potential for yield loss increases daily. This is where TERRAMAR can play a significant role in helping them “Stand Up to Stress” for a better-performing plant and a better overall outcome.

Learn more about Terramar by downloading the Terramar Row Crop Bulletin.

Growers who are applying UAN sidedress this season have multiple technologies and practices they can utilize to minimize nitrogen loss to the environment and increase nitrogen efficiency and uptake by the corn crop. Examples include chemical nitrogen stabilizers, cultural Y-drop systems and Extract PBA nutrient release technology, all of which can be used individually or as part of an integrated approach to maximize the benefits of a UAN sidedress application.

Extract PBA is a biocatalyst technology for enhanced nutrient release and mineralization combined with ammonium thiosulfate, a source of nitrogen and sulfur. By accelerating nutrient mineralization and recycling, Extract PBA can help improve crop growth and vigor, extend nutrient availability to the crop and improve nutrient efficiency when used with UAN sidedress.

How do we know that Extract PBA influences nitrogen availability?

One example comes from research performed at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. There, at the West Central Research and Extension Center, Extract PBA was applied at 1 gallon per acre onto fallow soil (absent of a growing crop) with a history of manure applications. Soil testing was then performed on the treated and untreated fallow soil every two weeks for four months to determine nutrient availability and assess soil health. 

Extract PBA increased the availability of all pools of nitrogen, including inorganic and potentially mineralizable N pools, compared to the untreated soil.

This is important in the setting of a UAN sidedress application. In the cropping cycle, optimal sidedress timing is at the V4-V8 growth stage, right before the period of rapid nitrogen uptake in corn. By enhancing the availability of nitrogen in a sidedress application with Extract PBA, the corn crop can get more of what it needs for optimal grain fill and yield.

In real world, on-farm situations, this can translate into higher yields, as seen in the examples below. 

By influencing both applied and residual nitrogen sources, Extract PBA can increase the efficiency of UAN sidedress applications and help maximize nitrogen uptake.

Watch the short video below to hear Agricen’s Dr. Brian Cornelious explain how using Extract PBA to enhance UAN sidedress applications can maximize corn yields.

Learn more about using Extract PBA in sidedress nitrogen applications by downloading our booklet, Sidedressing Nitrogen for Maximum Yields.

With growers turning their attention to early post-emergent herbicide and other foliar applications in corn and soybeans, Agricen's Scott Lay spoke with Dennis Michelsen of WITY Radio to discuss Terramar, a new option for mitigating the effects of weather-related stress and helping crops realize their yield potential.

Dennis - WITY Radio: Tell us a little bit about Terramar.

Scott - Agricen:  Terramar is not only a new product, but also a new practice that can now be employed in farmers’ growing systems: the practice of minimizing weather-related stresses. Weather plays a tremendous role in determining yield, and weather stress may present itself through the months of May, June and July in the form of heat, drought or other challenges. Terramar helps to minimize the stress impact that crops experience and allows them to realize more of their potential.

Dennis - WITY Radio: I understand it's derived in part from kelp.

Scott - Agricen:  It is. Our colleagues in California who grow fruit and vegetable crops have been using kelp for some time. They recognize that plant extracts from kelp help crops with stress. It doesn't take the place of moisture or precipitation, but it does allow that plant to continue more of its normal physiological growth processes and minimize the impact of heat and drought.

There's also a carbon component to Terramar. Even in the absence of stress, that carbon provides needed energy for the plant, which is then translated into a plant that can pull more water and nutrients into the cells as it needs them. We saw some tremendous positive yield results last year when Terramar was applied in corn and beans.

Dennis - WITY Radio: There's a lot of different kinds of stress that Terramar can help fight.

Scott - Agricen:  If we apply this technology early in the crop's growth process, we're preparing that crop for whatever may come. While we can't predict whether there will be any heat or drought impact on that crop, we do know that if we can improve specific metrics in the plant with Terramar, for instance, increased chlorophyll production or increased water transpiration, that will result in a better performing plant, regardless of weather circumstances.

Dennis - WITY Radio:  Terramar is applied with a foliar application and I understand it mixes well with other crop inputs growers are already going to be using. How late into the season can we apply Terramar?

Scott - Agricen:  It can be applied even as late as reproductive stages in concert with fungicide applications. In corn, that’s shortly after pollination or tassel time. In soybeans, those fungicide applications may take place well into the reproductive stages into late July or early August.

Dennis - WITY Radio: I like to think of a product like Terramar as sort of like an insurance policy. Could we benefit by using it twice, one run with the herbicides and then maybe later with the fungicide application?

Scott - Agricen:  Last year we saw evidence of that, where multiple applications turned out to provide a greater return in terms of increased yield. You could think of it as a practice that allows the plant to perform more closely to its potential. And in the absence of stress, pulling more nutrients into that plant—which the carbon based component provides—is a very critical yield enhancing practice.

Dennis - WITY Radio:  What sorts of results have you seen when you look at the return on investment?

Scott - Agricen:  Last year, the average response in corn was 7 to 8 bushels. In times of severe heat and drought stress like we had in the Western Corn belt, those yield responses were even greater, oftentimes in the 12- to 15-bushel range. In soybeans last year, the average yield response was right at about 4 to 5 bushels. Under today's commodity price environment, that’s a very handsome return.

Terramar is available from Nutrien Ag Solutions.

This interview was edited for length and clarity. You can listen to the interview below or on Agricen's YouTube channel.

Learn more about Terramar by downloading the Terramar product booklet.

How can growers mitigate the effects of weather-related crop stresses like heat and dry conditions while also increasing nutrient uptake by their crops during the growing season?

Watch our on-demand webinar, "Introducing Terramar: A New Way to Help Row Crops Stand Up to Stress," to hear:

• How Terramar improves crop tolerance to abiotic stresses while enhancing nutrient uptake
  
  
• Why Terramar is a good fit for any row crop program, including corn, soybean, and wheat
  
  
• Details about application timing, trial results, and more

Intended for foliar use in row crops, Terramar delivers increased nutrient uptake and enhanced stress mitigation to optimize plant health and contribute to enhanced yield.

Terramar combines two unique technology platforms with complimentary functions to improve plant performance and help crops "Stand Up to Stress":

• Carbon-Based Technology, or CBT. CBT is derived from biologically converted leonardite, a carbon source. CBT enhances nutrient uptake and provides key carbon derivatives for additional energy to optimize plant performance
  
  
• Marine-Based Technology, or MBT. MBT is derived from biologically converted kelp. MBT improves crop tolerance to abiotic stressors such as heat, drought, salt, and cold, which can represent significant yield-limiting factors.

Terramar is compatible with key crop inputs, including foliar nutrition, insecticides, herbicides, and fungicides, for maximum application flexibility. Multiple field trials validate the effectiveness of Terramar as an addition to crop protection (herbicide, insecticide or fungicide) and nutritional programs.

Terramar can be used in combination with early, mid-season, or late-season foliar applications to mitigate stress and improve nutrient uptake. Foliar applications deliver its unique set of highly active, metabolite-based compounds for quick absorption through the leaf tissue of the plant.

Terramar is exclusively available from Nutrien Ag Solutions.

Watch the webinar today to learn how Terramar can help row crops stand up to stress.

Agricen's Scott Lay recently spoke with Dennis Michelsen of WITY Radio about sustainable plant health technologies growers can employ this season to enhance yield and ROI. 

Dennis - WITY Radio: Agricen has a booklet about the company's sustainable plant health technologies. Tell us more about that. 

Scott - Agricen: Sustainable practices or technologies can be employed in real-life intensive managed production systems, and not at the expense of yield. They can enhance yield and productivity.

Our technologies, they either benefit the plant, benefit the soil, or both. If we can pair those technologies with traditional production practices, that’s a win-win.

Dennis - WITY Radio: One of the products you talk about is Accomplish MAX. Sometimes when we get a later planting, the crop doesn’t have a chance to get a good, deep root structure to get through those dry periods in the summer. Accomplish MAX could help avoid some of those stresses.

Scott - Agricen: Last year, Accomplish MAX was treated on nearly 2 million acres. It’s an in-furrow product used with starter fertilizers, with an average 7 to 8 bushel yield response in corn. If you can minimize early season stresses and enhance the amount of nutrients available to the plant, that plant has a better chance of yield.

Dennis - WITY Radio: Extract PBA is about making sure you get all the benefit out of the nutrients you’re already putting down in your soil.

Scott - Agricen: There are hundreds of dollars’ worth of nutrients that every farmer in the US has already paid for, which are already in the soil profile or in the prior year’s residue. Extract PBA is a broadcast application designed to accelerate Mother Nature’s work in mineralizing those nutrients into a plant-available form.

Dennis - WITY Radio: Another product you have is Terramar, which my listeners might not be as familiar with.

Scott - Agricen: Last year we had an informal introduction of Terramar with tremendous results. It’s a foliar or post application timing for corn or soybean crops. While we can’t control temperature, precipitation or other environmental conditions, we know those environmental conditions have a tremendous impact on a crop's ability to yield. Terramar minimizes heat and drought stress to preserve the yield potential that exists in that corn or soybean plant.

Dennis - WITY Radio:  And Terramar can be combined with other products that you're already going to be making the pass in the field with.

Scott - Agricen: If we can embed our technology in applications that are already taking place so that farmers don’t have to alter what they are already doing, we’ve got a better likelihood of experiencing success.

Accomplish MAX, Extract PBA and Terramar are available from Nutrien Ag Solutions.

This interview was edited for length and clarity. You can listen to the interview below or on Agricen's YouTube channel.

Download the Sustainable Plant Health Technology Overview to learn more about Accomplish MAX, Extract PBA and Terramar.

In the NCGA's 2022 National Corn Yield Contest, nearly three dozen winners used Agricen's biocatalyst technologies in their winning programs. They include four farmers who took top places at the national level and 31 who took top places in their states. 🏆

The winning growers used one or more of the following products in their corn fertility programs: Accomplish MAX, Extract PBA, Levitate, Maritime, Terramar and Titan XC. All of these products are available from our partner, Loveland Products, through Nutrien Ag Solutions.

Corn Yield Winners

National corn yield winners include Virginia farmer Heath Cutrell, who, with a yield of 394.05 bu/acre, earned first place in the "Conventional Non-Irrigated" category. His yield was also the highest overall corn yield in this year's contest. Heath was previously featured in Agricen's Last Stand film.

Other national winners who used Agricen's technology include Chad Henderson of Alabama, who placed second nationally in the "Conventional Irrigated" category with a yield of 333.04 bu/acre, and Temple Rhodes of Maryland, who took third place in the nation in the "Strip, Min, Mulch, Ridge-Till Irrigated" category with a yield of 344.94 bu/acre. 

Soybean Yield Winners

Agricen's biocatalyst technologies were also a part of several winning soybean programs. The top place winner of the Pennsylvania Soybean Yield Contest and two first place winners of the Michigan Soybean Association Yield Contest all used at least one of Agricen's technologies in their soybean fertility programs:

• A. Dale Herr, Jr., 1st Place, Overall & South Central Region, Pennsylvania - 97.49 bu/acre
• Don Stall, 1st Place, Overall & Late-Maturity, Michigan - 98.88 bu/acre
• Jim Schaendorf, 1st Place, Mid-Maturity Non-Irrigated, Michigan - 89.40 bu/acre 

We are proud to be part of all of these growers' winning programs and wish them the best of luck this season.

Learn more about the technologies used in the winning programs by downloading the Sustainable Technology Overview.

In an irrigated corn trial conducted in Benzie county, Michigan in 2022, adding ACCOMPLISH MAX to the grower's standard practice (GSP) starter fertilizer led to impressive yield results. 

ACCOMPLISH MAX was added to the GSP starter fertilizer at two different rates (1 pint/acre and 1 quart/acre, the recommended rate) and then compared to the GSP alone. The GSP 2x2 starter fertilizer blend consisted of UAN 28% (7.5 gal/acre), ammonium thiosulfate (ATS, 3 gal/acre), 10-34-0 (7.25 gal/acre), and Pro Zinc 10+ (0.25 gal/acre). The grower's fertility program also included a dry fertilizer broadcast application of 46-0-0 (300 lbs/acre) plus 0-0-60 (100 lbs/acre) applied over corn stubble. The field was no-till, corn on corn.

Adding ACCOMPLISH MAX at either rate provided both a yield advantage and a return on investment (ROI) for the grower.

With planters running soon, Agricen's Scott Lay spoke with WITY Radio about utilizing Extract PBA and Accomplish MAX in the spring to minimize early season challenges related to nutrient availability and weather-related stress.

Dennis - WITY Radio: It has been an incredibly mild winter, but Mother Nature likes to change things up and throw a lot of stress our way, and that’s what the products from Agricen are so good at. It’s really a simple concept: Draw out more nutrients and help with the stress.

Scott - Agricen: That’s the essence of it. If you can’t minimize challenges with regard to weather-related stresses or the challenges that soil profiles present in terms of allowing plants to access nutrients, you’re not going to maximize your return.

Dennis - WITY Radio: Talk a little bit about your Extract product.

Scott - Agricen: We designed Extract for the farmer who does not utilize liquid in-furrow starter applications but wants to get that starter-like effect. It is applied in pre-plant broadcast applications with herbicide or liquid fertilizer.

The intent is really simple. We’re looking to increase the mineralization of nutrients that are already in the soil profile and release nutrients (phosphorus and potassium in particular) that are bound to that soil colloid.

There are a lot of dollars’ worth of nutrients already in the soil profile. If we can accelerate the release of nutrients that the farmer has already paid for and put more in the plant, we’ve got a better chance for yield.

Dennis - WITY Radio: Soil tests that you have done show more available nitrogen not only in the 0- to 8-inch part of the soil profile, but way down deep at that 8- to 24-inch level. Those soil tests don’t lie...that means the product is working.

Scott - Agricen: We have University of Nebraska data to substantiate that we’re increasing both ammonium and nitrate levels in the soil. We’re increasing the amount of available nitrates at 0-8 inches by about 10% and at 8-24 inches by 15-20%. For a corn crop, that’s where the business takes place in the months of June, July and August when the plant is stretching for nutrients, so that’s a good transaction for that corn plant.

Dennis - WITY Radio: Tell us a little about the Accomplish MAX product.

Scott - Agricen: Accomplish MAX is applied with liquid in-furrow starter fertilizers. It’s not fertility, but it’s used as a companion product to liquid starters. There are two principles behind Accomplish MAX. One is to release more nutrients in the furrow, in close proximity to that planted seed. The second dimension is stress reduction. What that translates to is quicker emergence, particularly in times of cooler soil conditions which we often see during planting time.

Dennis - WITY Radio: These products are tested not only in the greenhouse environment but also in the real world in field trials.

Scott - Agricen: Whether you’re in Illinois, the middle of Nebraska or southern Georgia, Accomplish MAX provides a high level of consistency regardless of crop. On average, we see about a 7 to 9-bushel response in corn and, while starter fertilizers are not as common in soybean, we still see a 4 to 5-bushel yield response. That's not just in replicated university trials, but also in real, on-farm, side-by-side trials that our customers provide for us.

Dennis - WITY Radio: And that provides customers with the return on investment they are looking for. 

Accomplish MAX and Extract are available from Nutrien Ag Solutions.

This interview was edited for length and clarity. You can listen to the interview below or on Agricen's YouTube channel.

Learn more about Accomplish MAX, Extract PBA, and other innovative products by downloading the Sustainable Plant Health Technology Overview.

Salt stress can significantly hamper soybean germination and development. Since Accomplish MAX is designed to help crops better tolerate abiotic stresses such as salt and cold, the Nutrien Ag Solutions Carolinas Division set up a trial in Ahoskie, North Carolina, to evaluate how well Accomplish MAX could help mitigate the effects of fertilizer salt stress on a soybean crop at planting.  

To intentionally elicit an adverse salinity response, 10-27-0 starter fertilizer was applied at 5 gallons per acre in-furrow with the soybean seed. Accomplish MAX was applied at 1 quart per acre with the liquid starter fertilizer on half of the field.

The addition of Accomplish MAX to the liquid starter fertilizer had a positive impact on germination and establishment in soybeans under fertilizer salt stress.

As seen in the photo below, soybeans planted in the untreated part of the field struggled with germination and establishment, while those planted where the Accomplish MAX treatment was applied were up and established more quickly.

Learn more by downloading the Accomplish MAX salt stress bulletin.

How can growers optimize early-season crop health and get more from their investment in their fertilizers, crops, and soil?

Watch our on-demand webinar, "Early Season Opportunities to Enhance Plant Nutrition & Health," to hear:

• How Accomplish MAX and Extract PBA improve nutrient availability in the soil
• Where these biocatalyst products fit into spring crop plans
• Details from recent corn and soybean trials

Accomplish MAX combines proprietary biocatalyst technology with kelp technology to give growers "More Nutrients, Less Stress." It can be applied with liquid starter fertilizers in-furrow or 2x2 to enhance nutrient availability from starter fertilizer blends while protecting the developing crop from abiotic stresses like cold temperatures, drought and salt (including fertilizer salts).

Extract PBA contains biocatalyst technology for enhanced nutrient release and mineralization paired with ammonium thiosulfate (ATS), a source of nitrogen and sulfur. Designed for broadcast use (including application with soybean or corn pre-emergent chemistries, burndown chemistries and sidedress UAN, or applications to manures, litters or crop residue in the field), it helps "Unlock More Nutrition" by aiding with conversion or recycling of residual nutrients in the soil or in surface crop residues. It also improves nutrient availability and uptake of nutrients from liquid fertilizers.

With an in-furrow application of Accomplish MAX or a broadcast application of Extract PBA, growers can put their nutrients to work this spring. As part of a balanced crop nutrition program, they can increase nutrient use efficiency and help growers reach their yield goals—making them an important part of the equation for high yield and return on investment.

Accomplish MAX and Extract PBA are exclusively available from Nutrien Ag Solutions.

Watch the webinar today to learn how Accomplish MAX and Extract PBA can enhance spring fertility programs and help you maximize crop yield and ROI. 

In addition to the fertilizers growers apply each season, crops can benefit from the nutrients that are already in the soil or in surface crop residues. But first, these nutrients must be mineralized and converted into plant-available forms that the crop can use. An application of Extract PBA can make this process faster and more efficient.  

In the photo below taken by the Nutrien Ag Solutions North High Plains branch in the spring of 2022, half of this Kansas wheat field had a fall application of Extract PBA technology on it (right side), helping to break down corn stalk residue and increase nutrient availability, while the other half (left side) was untreated. 

The visible improvement in wheat growth and color in the treated part of the field shows the wheat crop benefiting from early nutrient availability with Extract PBA, an improvement that also translated into higher yield.

At harvest, the average wheat yield in the untreated part of the field was 35 bu/acre, compared to an average of 45 bu/acre where Extract PBA was used on the previous corn crop's residue—for a yield advantage of +10 bu/acre with fall-applied Extract PBA. The Nutrien Ag Solutions branch noted that the half of the field treated with Extract PBA was notoriously rougher ground, making these results more impressive.

Whether broadcast on crop residues in the fall, applied with liquid fertilizers and/or pre-emergent herbicides in the spring, or incorporated with sidedress UAN applications in the summer, Extract PBA can enhance nutrient release and mineralization processes, regardless of grower tillage practices. This can lead to greater nutrient use efficiency and improve nutrient availability, including during critical periods early in the season. 

Learn more by downloading our booklet, "Managing Nutrient Release from Crop Residue."

By Steve Roehl, Sr. Technical Sales Agronomist, Nutrien Ag Solutions

At harvest, impressive corn yields also leave behind an impressive amount of leaf, stalk and root mass material in the form of stover or residue. While some may call this "corn trash", the sage farmer and agronomist knows that residue is actually a treasure rich in essential crop nutrients, including nitrogen (N), potassium (in the form of K₂O), phosphorus (in the form of P₂O₅), and sulfur (S). 

Crop residue also poses some challenges. Fields with heavy residue levels can be slower to warm in the spring and can pose issues related to planting (e.g., stalks and root balls can hamper planter disc openers and depth-gauge wheels) and crop establishment. In addition, heavy amounts of crop residue can hinder the ability of soil microbes to release nutrients from the residue. This is especially true for nitrogen and sulfur, which are effectively "tied up" (immobilized) by soil microbes that use them as a food source to break down residue. These immobilized nutrients only become available to the crop once the microbes finish digesting the residue and release (mineralize) the nutrients to the soil.

For these reasons, some forethought about residue and nutrient management this fall can pay dividends to your 2023 crop. For years, Nutrien Ag Solutions customers have utilized a fall or spring application of Extract PBA to maximize nutrient release from crop residues and the soil, extend the availability of nutrients later into the season, and optimize yield potential. This biochemical-based technology is an effective way to release bound nutrients while also making seedbed preparation and planting processes more effective in the spring.

A planned application of Extract PBA at 1.5-2 gal/acre in the fall with UAN will provide a food supply for residue-decomposing microbes, jumpstarting the breakdown of heavy residue while also mineralizing nutrients from the residue and soil for the next season's crop to use.

Studies conducted several years ago by Dr. Fred Below and Alison Vogel at the University of Illinois provide insight into the potential value of complimenting a corn residue management strategy with Extract PBA. In that research on continuous corn, corn residue was first mechanically treated with standard stalk rollers or chopped using the combine head. It then received either 1.) no further treatment or 2.) chemical treatment in the form of ammonium sulfate (AMS, 200 lbs/acre) or Extract PBA (2 gal/acre) plus UAN (1 gal/acre). At the following corn harvest, the use of Extract PBA with UAN in hybrid 6594SS/RIB led to the highest yield increases across both mechanical treatments compared to either no chemical treatment or to AMS alone, as shown in the table below.

The value of Extract PBA does not end with the breakdown of crop residue and release of nutrients. It also provides timely and efficient release of nutrients in liquid fertilizer sources and those already in the soil, helping you unlock even more nutrition for your crops.

Learn more about this biocatalyst technology by downloading the Extract PBA booklet.

Chad Henderson, an XtremeAg farmer in Madison, Alabama, trialed TITAN XC-treated dry fertilizer on his farm in 2022. He saw impressive results in both his irrigated and dryland corn. 

"We can't wait to try this again," says Chad. "We had great results with this product."

In the trial, Chad compared his standard strip till fertilizer blend to the same fertilizer blend treated with TITAN XC at 1 pint per ton.  Both treated and untreated fertilizer blends were applied at 180 pounds per acre. Two different hybrids were in the planter, and each treatment (treated vs untreated dry fertilizer) was replicated 3 times for each hybrid in both irrigated and non-irrigated parts of the field.

In irrigated corn, Chad's average corn yield was 276.7 bu/a with his standard fertilizer blend and 293.8 bu/a with the TITAN XC-treated dry fertilizer, for a yield advantage of +17.1 bu/a compared to the check. 

He saw similar results in his dryland corn, where his average corn yield was 89.8 bu/a with his standard fertilizer blend and 106.0 bu/a with the TITAN XC-treated dry fertilizer, for a yield advantage of +16.2 bu/a compared to the check.

"It was the same results through irrigated and non-irrigated," says Chad. "We're looking forward to doing some more trials with this. We were really pleased with it."

You can hear about the trials directly from Chad in this video.

TITAN XC is an innovative biocatalyst that is formulated for application on dry fertilizers to increase nutrient efficiency and provide a yield response across diverse crops. It contains a range of beneficial biochemistries, including enzymes, that help mineralize the applied nutrients to make them more available for plant uptake and utilization.

Learn more about TITAN XC by downloading the TITAN XC corn bulletin.

How can growers make the most of every nutrient they apply, especially with high fertilizer costs? One way is to focus on improving the efficiency of dry fertilizers that are spread in the fall or spring.

Watch our on-demand webinar, "How to Make Your Dry Fertilizer Work Harder and Go Farther," tolearn:

• Why the amount of fertilizer you apply doesn't always equate to the amount of fertility available to your crop
  
  
• How next-generation technology can enhance your fall dry fertilizer program for better nutrient availability and uptake in the spring
  
  
• How TITAN XC can help you get more out of every prill you’ve paid for by giving your crop greater access to applied fertility
  
  

Hosted by CropLife and presented by Agricen's Director of Applied Sciences, Dr. Brian Cornelious, the webinar explains how TITAN XC can help growers maximize their yield opportunities by improving nutrient availability and uptake from treated dry fertilizers.

Fertilizer prills as applied to the field are not available to the plant or soil until they have gone through a conversion process that transforms them from organic forms into inorganic, plant-available forms. For example, applied phosphorus (P₂0₅) must be converted to the inorganic forms HPO₄ or H₂PO₄ before the crop can use it.

TITAN XC expedites this process. As part of the investment in next year’s crop, it helps deliver maximum yield and return on investment by making every TITAN XC-treated prill go farther and work harder, including in corn, soybean and cotton crops.

Watch the webinar today to learn how to get the most out of your fall dry fertilizer application. 

With fall fertilizer season approaching, Agricen’s Scott Lay spoke with WITY Radio about using Titan XC to get more efficiency and return on investment out of dry fertilizer applications. 

Dennis - WITY Radio: I think Titan XC is going to be a great addition to producers' game plans here in the fall.

Scott - Agricen: Titan XC has been available for about 10 years now. With each successive fall, use increases as folks better understand the benefits of what a fertilizer efficiency technology can provide for their operations.

Dennis - WITY Radio: You guys have a track record now of treating so many acres.

Scott - Agricen: We will treat nearly 10 million acres’ worth of dry fertilizer in the calendar year 2022. In the University of Illinois trials that we’ve conducted since 2011, the average yield response to adding Titan XC to a dry fertilizer program is about 4 bushels per acre of increase in soybeans and nearly 10 bushels per acre of increase in corn. With those types of results, we continue to find new farmers who recognize the value of Titan XC, and we’re happy to provide a cutting edge technology for their operations. 

Dennis - WITY Radio: Titan XC is about using your fertilizer input more efficiently. But if you’re using it more efficiently, you might be able to reduce the amount of fertilizer you’re applying without hurting your bottom line.

Scott - Agricen: Imagine you go to the grocery store to purchase orange juice, but all that’s available is oranges. You need to convert the oranges to orange juice. Think about that in terms of dry fertilizer. We’re applying oranges to the field, but what that crop needs is orange juice. Titan XC increases that efficiency—that conversion of dry fertilizer prills to a plant-available form—and it really adds up.

Dennis - WITY Radio: You have done testing to see what the effect of a reduced fertilizer rate is with Titan XC.

Scott - Agricen: In 2017 and 2018, we conducted on-farm trials in Sydney, Illinois, where we reduced the fertilizer rate intentionally by 10 percent and added Titan XC to that reduced-rate application. The average yield response in corn was 7 bushels per acre greater compared to the full rate fertilizer alone. Now, fertilizer lasts in the soil for longer than a year. It doesn’t just simply quit. That next crop year, when soybeans were planted after the corn, there was another 1.2-bushel response on the soybeans without additional fertilizer.

Dennis - WITY Radio: This might be better for your soil health as well. 

Scott - Agricen: We’ve tracked a number of different farmers’ fertility tests over the last 17 years in Illinois. Where Titan XC has been employed, the actual P and K levels in the soil are increasing. So there is a positive long-term benefit for the producer and for the environment as well. We are creating a more productive soil environment for that corn or soybean crop to grow.

Titan XC is available from Nutrien Ag Solutions.

This interview was edited for length and clarity. You can listen to the full interview below or on Agricen's YouTube channel.

Learn more about Titan XC by downloading the Titan XC corn and soybean bulletin.

Sugar beets are a major source of the world's sugar, and the higher the sugar yield and concentration per plant, the better. In a replicated trial, researchers evaluated the ability of MARITIME to improve sugar concentration in beets when applied to the crop a few weeks before harvest. A kelp-based product, MARITIME is designed to provide plant health benefits such as improved nutrient uptake and greater ability to tolerate abiotic stress.

Conducted during the 2021 growing season in Brown City, Michigan, the on-farm trial was overseen by Sugarbeet Advancement, a partnership between Michigan State University, Michigan Sugar Company, sugar beet producers, and agribusiness.

MARITIME was applied twice at two different rates toward the end of the growing season. Both were foliar applications made with a leaf spot fungicide. The first application was made in late July at a rate of 2 quarts/acre, with the second application made in late August at 1 quart/acre.

At harvest, there was a significant increase in both recoverable white sugar per ton (RWST, 7 reps) and percent sugar (5 reps) in sugar beets that received the MARITIME application compared to beets that were not treated with MARITIME (p <0.05 for both measurements).

The sugar beets (variety C-G675) had been planted in early April in loamy soil. The previous crop had been corn, which was plowed. After freezing temperatures early and a dry spring, there was good weather for the remainder of the growing season. Harvest was in late September.

The fertilizer program in this trial was 200 pounds/acre of potash applied in the fall, 300 pounds/acre of 33-0-0 applied pre-plant, and 10 gallons/acre each of 10-34-0 and UAN 28% with 2 qts/acre of manganese and 1 qt/acre of boron applied 2x2.

Learn more about Maritime by downloading the MARITIME booklet.

Titan XC technology for dry fertilizer is available in several countries around the world, including in Canada, where it is sold under the brand name Atlas XC.

While attending a recent farm expo in Canada, Agricen’s Steve Sexton spoke with Kurtis Wandler, a grower from Western Saskatchewan, about his experience with Atlas XC.

With many areas of the country in need of moisture, Agricen’s Scott Lay spoke with WITY Radio's Dennis Michelsen about Terramar, a new technology for the row crop market that can help growers protect their yield potential from heat and drought stress.

Dennis - WITY Radio: When it comes to wanting a little more rain and being concerned about stress in our corn and soybeans this time of year, that’s where Terramar comes into play.

Scott - Agricen: Right. Terramar is a new technology for the Midwest corn and soybean markets. We’ve already had it commercially available in high-value fruit and vegetable crops in Florida, California and the coastal areas.

Terramar is a combination of a biological extract of kelp and a carbon source that does two things. One, it helps to minimize effect of heat and drought stress in the plant. We’re trying to protect the yield potential that exists by minimizing yield robbing factors, like heat and drought stress, which are all too often an impediment to yield as the crop matures.

Secondly, it helps with nutrient uptake. As we move through the pollination and flowering to grain-fill phases in both corn and soybeans, it is a critical time in terms of nutrient consumption and nutrient demand. So the more “groceries” we can get into that plant, the better chance we have to optimize yield.

Dennis - WITY Radio: It really doesn’t matter whether they are being applied to a fruit or nut crop or to corn and soybeans. The actual game plan works similar.

Scott - Agricen: That’s very much the case. The factors that drive or impact yield are very comparable across crops. We’ve learned a great deal through our experiences in fruit and vegetable crops, and over the last couple of years we’ve screened Terramar in corn and soybeans and had very consistent results across a wide geography in the Midwest.

Dennis - WITY Radio: This is the perfect time for folks to start experimenting to see what Terramar can do in their fields. If you look at the weather, we are going to need to combat those high stress situations with smarter agronomy.

Scott - Agricen: Heat and drought-like conditions impact yield. That’s a fact. Now, the technology in Terramar is not a replacement for precipitation, nor does it make a 95-degree day 75 degrees. But if you can minimize the impact of that heat and/or drought stress in the plant, that’s a positive thing. It buys you more time and allows the plant to respire more efficiently, create more chlorophyll and undergo more photosynthesis, and that leads to a more consistent and productive yield.

Dennis - WITY Radio: You talked about the wide array of field trials ranging from areas like Kansas that are notoriously dry at this time of year to areas like Central Indiana that get more typical weather. The return on investment and the return in bushels has been quite amazing.

Scott - Agricen: In terms of yield impact, our average across a wide range of corn trials is in that 6 to 8 bushel range and in soybeans we’re looking at a 3 to 5 bushel range. There are instances where conditions are more challenging with heat and drought stress where we've seen upwards of a 10 to 12 bushel response in corn and similar in soybeans. We’re confident in the consistency that Terramar will deliver in terms of yield impact. 

Terramar is available from Nutrien Ag Solutions.

This interview was edited for length and clarity. You can listen to the full interview below or on Agricen's YouTube channel.

Soil health is the foundation of a successful crop. In our short video, The Plant Is Secondary, growers talk about their approach to improving their soil and keeping it healthy, including the role that Accomplish biocatalyst technology plays. 

"If your soil's healthy, obviously your crop's going to do what it needs to do," says Heath Cutrell, who farms in Virginia and across the state line into North Carolina.

Iowa farmer Kelly Garrett adds, "If we could take care of the biology of the soil, the plant is secondary. It's what happens when we do a good job with the biology." 

The corn growers in the video have seen firsthand how Accomplish technology can help with healthier soils and better nutrient availability for their crops. 

"Because of the Accomplish we're feeding the microbes, we're pushing that microbial activity and the mineralization, and we've giving ourselves nutrients," Don Stall, who farms in Michigan, says. "My soil tests have climbed and that's due to that fodder breaking down and returning that nutrient to us. It's a big deal."

"Over the years, we've got high phosphorus levels from manure applications. Even though we have such high P levels in the soil, we just can't get it into the plant. [Our dealer] said 'Here's a product, Accomplish, try that,' and right off the bat we were 0.1, 0.15 higher on our tissue samples. So year after year, we started running a little bit more, and the more we were running, the less commercial fertilizer we would have to buy," Indiana grower Kevin Kalb notes.

University of Illinois' Dr. Fred Below also weighs in.

"What I like to think of a product like Accomplish as is that it's trying to capture the essence of the value that's in that manure," he says. "They called it a fertilizer catalyst because one thing it does is it helps make immobile nutrients more available. There is a whole, vast source of nutrients in the soil, and if we can make some of those more available, that has a real value."

You can watch the video below.

See more by browsing our YouTube channel or by watching our film, Last Stand. 

Drought stress can cause significant yield reductions in corn, so it's important for growers to proactively consider ways they can reduce the impact of dry conditions on their crops.

Although growers can't control the weather, they do have options that can help them improve plant health and strengthen their corn crop's stress tolerance in the face of drought.

We are proud to announce that our farming film, Last Stand, and three related short videos took home Telly Awards this year. The Telly Awards honor excellence in video and television across all screens.

Last Stand, a movie about the joys and challenges of being a farmer that was filmed during the 2020 growing season, was recognized with both a Silver and a Bronze Telly. It is available to watch as both a short, 20-minute version and an in-depth, hour-long film.

The other Telly Winners were the short videos Religious Experience, You'd Never Go Without It, and The Whole World Can Benefit, which can be viewed below. All of the winning videos were produced by the team at Light Work Productions.

Religious Experience

Silver Winner: Non-broadcast - Lifestyle Category

You'd Never Go Without It

Silver Winner: Non-broadcast - Sales Category

The Whole World Can Benefit

Bronze Winner: Non-broadcast - Sustainability Category

Corn undergoes a period of rapid nitrogen uptake after the V8 growth stage and through tassel and silking. If nitrogen is not readily available to the corn plant as it enters this period, it can limit yield potential.

With UAN, this is especially applicable to the urea portion of the fertilizer (comprising 50% of the UAN), which has to be converted into ammonium before the plant can use it. Enhancing a sidedress UAN application with Extract PBA, which accelerates nutrient mineralization and recycling, can ensure that the crop has the nitrogen it needs in that 21-day period of rapid uptake without falling short.

Extract PBA, a proprietary formulation of our proven Accomplish biocatalyst and ammonium thiosulfate, is designed to increase the efficiency of sidedress UAN by influencing both applied and residual nitrogen sources, helping to get nitrogen into a plant-available form and into the crop. This is supported by data from numerous trials over the past decade showing an average yield increase of ~10.1 bushels/acre with Extract PBA. With current commodity prices, it takes less than 3 bushels/acre of yield increase to break even on Extract PBA, providing a high likelihood of positive ROI.

For optimal nitrogen uptake, UAN sidedress applications should be made around the V4 to V8 growth stages. Using Extract PBA at this critical juncture can maximize nutrient use efficiency by increasing the availability of the applied nitrogen.

You can find out more about corn nutrient needs in this short presentation by Dr. Fred Below, who explains the importance of having nitrogen in the system prior to the period of rapid nitrogen uptake by corn.

Learn more about using Extract PBA to enhance sidedress nitrogen applications by downloading the sidedress booklet.

With planting wrapping up, Agricen’s Scott Lay sat down with WITY Radio’s Dennis Michelsen to discuss how Extract PBA can enhance sidedress nitrogen applications.

Dennis - WITY Radio: With the wet spring, I think it makes a product like Extract PBA even more important this year.

Scott - Agricen: With the later planting, advancing the crop through all of its physiological stages from emergence on out is critical. One way we can do that is by increasing nutrient availability with Extract PBA to hasten maturity and move the crop through its growth phases as quickly and as efficiently as possible.

Dennis - WITY Radio: There’s no doubt from the trials that have been done over the years that Extract PBA really does help improve the efficiency of a sidedress application of liquid nitrogen. How and why does this work so well?

Scott - Agricen: By incorporating Extract PBA in a sidedress UAN 28 or 32 application, we’re able to increase the pool of available nitrogen by mineralizing more nutrients that are already in the soil profile—in other words, converting that nitrogen into an inorganic form the plant can use. And our university studies have shown that we’re able to increase the available nitrate levels by about 10 percent with Extract PBA, giving the applied nitrogen a higher level of efficiency.

Dennis - WITY Radio: When is the optimal time to sidedress nitrogen and use Extract PBA?

Scott - Agricen: In general terms, the ideal timing is starting at about V4 up to about V10 or V11. But why is that timing critical? Dr. Below at the University of Illinois has done a lot of work around nutrient partitioning in a corn plant, and he’s determined that the period from V6 up through tasseling is the time of rapid nitrogen uptake during which that plant will consume 7 pounds of nitrogen per day. So, it makes sense to apply nitrogen in the time frame to coincide with the crop's physiological demand for nitrogen.

Dennis - WITY Radio: There have been some impressive trials with Extract PBA in nitrogen sidedress trials. This has been very effective with all different types of soil types.

Scott - Agricen: The idea of increasing the nitrogen mineralization rate or increasing the amount of available nitrate in the soil translates to any soil type or growing environment. Over our third-party and internal split-field type trials, the average yield response has been about 8 bushels with Extract PBA compared to check. Right now, it takes less than 2 bushels of additional yield to pay for this technology. With today's economics, it becomes a better investment by the day.

Extract PBA is available from Nutrien Ag Solutions. 

This interview was edited for length and clarity. You can listen to the full interview below or on Agricen's YouTube channel.

Learn more about using Extract PBA in a sidedress nitrogen application by downloading the UAN sidedress bulletin.

With the spring planting season starting, Agricen’s Scott Lay spoke with Dennis Michelsen on WITY Radio’s Down on the Farm podcast about why growers might want to take a look at Extract PBA this year to get more out of nutrients they’ve already paid for.

Dennis - WITY Radio: Input costs are going up for producers, but that’s why they need to take an extra look at Extract this year. 

Scott - Agricen: Extract aids in the mineralization and release of nutrients that are already in the soil profile or in last year’s crop residue. These are nutrients that the farmer has already paid for. The object is getting more of these nutrients in a plant-available form to provide the necessary fuel to increase crop yield.

Dennis - WITY Radio: Extract has a tremendous track record in university studies and it shows a gain no matter what the fertility program is, which I think is a good key to seeing it work in the field.

Scott - Agricen: We've had the product out for six years. In 2022, we’ll treat approximately 2 million acres with Extract. You don’t get to that level without consistent results. We’ve seen an average yield increase of 10.1 bushels per acre in corn and 4.2 bushels per acre in soybeans. With today's economics, it takes slightly less than a 2 bushel increase in corn and less than a bushel increase in soybeans for Extract to pay for itself. The ROI on a per acre basis translates roughly to $45-55 per acre, depending on the price of the commodity.

Dennis - WITY Radio: One of the big factors in that ROI is that growers don’t have to make another pass to put down Extract.

Scott - Agricen: Extract is often applied with a pre-emergent herbicide on corn or soybeans, and it also fits nicely if you are applying your pre-emergent herbicide with UAN or a liquid nitrogen application in corn. We’re not asking folks to change their practice, but rather to employ this technology to get more miles out of the nutrients that are already held in the soil.

Dennis - WITY Radio: Talking to Dr. Fred Below at the University of Illinois, it appears that Extract improved plant vigor early in the crop season, getting the crop off to a much faster start. A plant that gets off to a good start is going to be a lot healthier to take a little abuse as the season wears on.

Scott - Agricen: Dr. Below has worked with this product for the last seven years and he has found very consistent results. He was the one who took us down the path of “Hey, if it works this well in corn, how about soybeans?” The ability to release nutrients throughout the course of the season with Extract makes for a healthier plant. If you can help prepare the plant for times of stress, that will pay for itself. 

Extract PBA is available from Nutrien Ag Solutions locations.

This interview was edited for length and clarity. You can listen to the full interview below or on Agricen's YouTube channel.

Learn more about Extract PBA by downloading the Extract PBA corn bulletin.

With the recent conclusion of the awards ceremony for winners of the NCGA National Corn Yield Contest at Commodity Classic, we wanted to take the time to congratulate all of the 2021 contest winners, with special thanks and recognition to those who used Agricen's biocatalyst technology in their winning programs.

In 2021, five farmers who came in top place nationally and 23 who won an award in their state incorporated one or more of the following products in their programs: Accomplish LM, Extract PBA, Levitate, Prologue, Maritime, and Titan XC.

National winners included Michigan farmer Don Stall, who took first place in the "Conventional Irrigated" category with a corn yield of 465.77 bushels per acre, and Virginia farmer Heath Cutrell, who took first place in the "Conventional Non-Irrigated" category with a yield of 391.31 bushels per acre. Both growers may be familiar to you from our Last Stand feature-length film and related short films.

All of the Agricen technologies used in the winning programs are available from our partner, Loveland Products, through Nutrien Ag Solutions.

We are very proud to be part of these growers' winning corn nutrition programs and wish them all the best this season.

Learn more about some of the winning growers who use our technologies by watching Last Stand. 

As growers start crop planning for the upcoming season, where do fertilizer enhancers fit in? 

In a recent episode of Nutrien Ag Solutions' "The Future. Faster." podcast, Agricen's Dr. Brian Cornelious discusses where different fertility enhancement products—specifically ACCOMPLISH MAX, EXTRACT PBA, MARITIME, PROLOGUE, and TITAN XC—fit into growers' programs to help them more strategically manage their inputs.

"A lot of the Agricen products are very focused on nutrient efficiency and nutrient availability. And then, of course, we've got other products that focus on stress mitigation," says Brian.

One of the newer products developed by Agricen and available through Nutrien Ag Solutions is ACCOMPLISH MAX for liquid starter fertilizer enhancement. ACCOMPLISH MAX can help crops better tolerate the effects of environmental stress, while also improving nutrient availability in the soil and uptake by the plant—with the ultimate goal of a healthy, high-yielding crop. 

"If a grower is using an in-furrow or 2x2 application of liquid fertilizer, all he's got to do is bolt that ACCOMPLISH MAX technology into that application," Brian says. "One of the things we do at Agricen is we try to be tuned into the grower environment. If we're coming out with a solution, we'd like for it to be a solution that a grower is actually going to implement. We also want it to fit something the grower's already doing."

TITAN XC is another easy fit into a grower's existing fertility program. This popular product is specifically designed for application on dry fertilizer blends to increase fertilizer efficiency.

"TITAN XC is designed to break down dry fertilizer to make the fertilizer more available to the crop faster," he says. "Because what we often see is that dry fertilizer is not that efficient. So the TITAN XC helps with the accelerated breakdown and increased availability of nutrients in those dry blends."

Brian also gets into the details on EXTRACT, PROLOGUE, and MARITIME. EXTRACT is designed to help free up nutrition that may be bound in the soil profile and not available to the crop. PROLOGUE helps to increase phosphorus availability while also serving as a zinc source. MARITIME is a solution of biologically extracted kelp that can help crops better tolerate stress. The technology in MARITIME is also found in ACCOMPLISH MAX.

"With EXTRACT, we can do a broadcast application across a manured field, or we can do it with a weed and feed. There are also sidedress opportunities," Brian says. "PROLOGUE is generally designed to go in-furrow with a starter blend, whether it's 10-34-0 or an ortho blend, where zinc is needed in that system. MARITIME can be applied as a foliar spray, or that same technology can be used in a starter application in the form of ACCOMPLISH MAX. It does a very good job of allowing plants to manage stress."

You can listen to the full podcast here.

Evan Matlock, a farmer from Greenfield, Indiana, first started using Titan XC on his farm about five years ago. In his first year of testing it, he applied Titan XC-treated dry fertilizer on a partial field of soybeans and a partial field of corn. There was an obvious difference between the parts of the field where Titan XC had and had not been applied.

“You could see it visually and we saw it on aerial imagery throughout the year,” he says. “When we took it to harvest, the corn stood out about 4.8 bushels better (with Titan XC) and the soybeans were 2.8 bushels better.”

With those results, Evan had a feeling that Titan XC might be a product he wanted to implement on a broader scale at the farm. That next year, he tested Titan XC-treated dry fertilizer on about half of his acres.

“The next year, we continued to see a yield increase,” he says.

Five years later, he uses Titan XC-treated fertilizer on every acre at Matlock Farms.

“We use it on corn, soybeans, wheat, alfalfa, sorghum and sudan grass,” says Evan. “It works great.”

Today, Evan spreads Titan XC with his fall dry fertilizer application in front of wheat and spreads his corn and other crop acres in the spring.

“We mix the Titan XC in with potash, MESZ 10, elemental sulfur and ammonium sulfate,” he says. “We’ve built up our soil profile over the last couple of years by using Titan XC. We’ll continue to use it here on every ton of dry fertilizer that’s spread from here on out.”

In the five years he has used Titan XC, Evan calculates that his corn yields have increased by anywhere from 4.8 to 7.1 bushels per acre and his soybean yields have increased in the range of 2.2 to 3.9 bushels per acre. He has recently gone back to growing wheat and saw a 7.1 bu/a yield increase with Titan XC-treated fertilizer compared to check in his latest wheat trial. 

“That really helps out your bottom line at the end of the year,” he says. “Titan XC will be a product that will be used here at Matlock Farms from here on out, and I would highly suggest everyone take a look at it.”

You can hear him talk about his experience in his own words by watching the video below or visiting our YouTube channel.

Learn more about Titan XC and dry fertilizer efficiency by downloading the Titan XC corn bulletin.

Although crops take up many salts in the form of nutrients, they can be adversely affected if more salt is added to the soil system than can be taken up by the plant or flushed out of the root zone. This is especially a concern in irrigated cropping systems, where dissolved salts from irrigation water can lead to soil salinity problems that compound over time. Salts in applied fertilizers can also contribute to soil salinity.

Soils that are high in salts can limit water uptake, impede nutrient uptake, and negatively impact seed germination and crop development. Plants that do survive will exhibit less vigor, have slower physiological development and show signs of stress, preventing full yield potential from being realized. Taking steps to manage soil salinity is therefore critical to having balanced soil for optimal plant growth and productivity.

Accomplish MAX, which is available through Nutrien Ag Solutions, is a next-generation biocatalyst designed to help plants better tolerate salt and other abiotic stresses.Plant germinated in presence of 120 mM salt, with and without Accomplish MAX. Images were taken 10 days after treatment. Note longer roots, more vigorous plant with Accomplish MAX.

Accomplish MAX mitigates salt stress with a three-pronged effect:

• Frees up calcium from soil chemistry, which allows sodium to be displaced from the exchange site and flushed from the root zone.
• Encourages plants to uptake additional potassium, which increases the K⁺/Na⁺⁺ ratio to offset the toxic effects of sodium.
• Breaks soluble salts apart, thereby lowering electrical conductivity.

Recommended for use in liquid starter applications, Accomplish MAX contains biochemistry proven to increase nutrient availability in the soil combined with a highly soluble kelp-based extract to increase crop tolerance to abiotic stresses like salinity from applied fertilizers. Accomplish MAX can be an important addition to any fertility or management program for crops affected by salt stress.

Download the Accomplish MAX salt stress bulletin.

Typical spring conditions create a challenging environment for a young crop. Too much or too little water, cold temperatures, and fertilizer salts may slow early season plant growth and can rob you of yield potential. 

Accomplish MAX, a new product available through Nutrien Ag Solutions, is designed to help you take on these challenges while also driving yield.

Watch our on-demand webinar, "Minimizing Crop Stresses for Increased Yields," to learn:

• How Accomplish MAX can help your crops succeed with "More Nutrients, Less Stress"
  
  
• Why this combination of proven biochemistry and cutting-edge kelp technology provides significant agronomic benefits
  
  
• How Accomplish MAX has performed in recent corn and cotton trials

Watch the webinar today to learn how to get more nutrients into your crop and mitigate crop stress with Accomplish MAX.

Accomplish MAX, a next-generation biocatalyst that provides nutrient efficiency and crop stress tolerance benefits, is now available from Loveland Products through Nutrien Ag Solutions retail locations. It is designed for use with in-furrow starters, 2x2 placement of liquid fertilizers, and liquid sidedress applications.

Accomplish MAX is a proprietary combination of proven Accomplish biocatalyst technology, which growers have used for over a decade to improve nutrient mineralization and uptake on millions of acres across the United States, and cutting-edge kelp technology designed to enhance crop tolerance to abiotic stressors such as cold temperatures, drought and fertilizer salts. 

Key benefits of Accomplish MAX:

• Increases nutrient availability and uptake by mineralizing nutrients in the soil
• Improves plant tolerance to abiotic stresses such as cold temperatures and salinity from commercial fertilizers
• Enhances overall plant performance to help growers reach their yield potential

Common stressors like cold temperatures, drought and fertilizer salts can slow early-season plant growth, robbing growers of yield. By incorporating Accomplish MAX into their existing fertility programs, growers can help their crops better endure some of these environmental stresses, ultimately leading to better results at harvest time.

“For years we’ve been driving crop yields with Accomplish LM. In Accomplish MAX, we’ve combined that proven biocatalyst technology with powerful kelp technology to both enhance nutrient use efficiency and improve abiotic stress tolerance, providing a significant agronomic advantage,” says Taylor Ivy, Senior Product Marketing Manager, Plant Nutrition, Loveland Products.

Accomplish MAX was extensively validated in corn, cotton, and soybean crops during the 2021 growing season, both at the Loveland Products Research farms in Kentucky and in 60 replicated on-farm trials and 20 replicated trials at third-party cooperators and university sites.

Accomplish MAX is manufactured by Agricen.

Learn more about Accomplish MAX by downloading the Accomplish MAX booklet.

How high can corn yield go? In our short video, "Striving for Record Corn Yields," you'll see how some corn growers try to test the limits and push for record-setting yields.

"I wish I could tell you that high yield is a recipe, like following the cookbook. By gosh, it isn't that way. High yield...it is an art form," says Dr. Fred Below of the University of Illinois in the video. 

The growers featured in the video faced multiple obstacles during filming in 2020 — from hurricanes and tropical storms in the East to a derecho that flattened crops and caused billions of dollars worth of damage across the Midwest. 

"We had a tremendous crop out there. The storm just took part of it," says Iowa farmer Kelly Garrett, whose farm was in the path of the 2020 derecho that made records as the most destructive and costliest thunderstorm disaster in U.S. history.

"We had a hurricane come in here the other day. Raise a good corn crop and then it's sad to come in here and watch it laying on the ground the way it is, broke off," says Heath Cutrell, who farms in Virginia and North Carolina.

In addition to Kelly and Heath, the video features growers Don Stall (Michigan) and Kevin Kalb (Indiana). These farmers all have had winning entries in the NCGA Corn Yield Contest in recent years. Agricen's product technologies, including Accomplish, Extract PBA and Titan XC, have been part of their winning programs.

"You have to use products that work if you want to be chasing these kind of yields," says Kevin.

See their stories below.

You can also hear more from each grower by watching the full version of Last Stand, also available on our YouTube channel.

When Illinois farmer Benjamin Rice first heard about TITAN XC, he thought it sounded too good to be true. But he was trying to find a way to increase the efficiency of the dry fertilizer he was spreading on his farm, so he decided to take it to the field and try it.

Benjamin took two different 80-acre fields, split them in half, and spread the north half of each field with TITAN XC-treated dry fertilizer and the south half with untreated dry fertilizer in the fall. He also took two different 40-acre fields and did the same, but spread the treated and untreated dry fertilizer in the spring.

He wanted to commit multiple years to the trial to see if TITAN XC consistently worked. For three years, he repeated the side by side trials on the same fields.

“We’re on a corn and beans crop rotation. After the first year I saw a yield increase consistently on the side of the field treated with TITAN XC,” he says. “After all three years, both spread in the fall or spread in the spring, my field averages made 6.8 bushel better on corn and 2.6 bushel better on beans.”

Benjamin was also conscious of costs, and wanted to make sure he was really getting value from the TITAN XC when applied to his MAP and potash.

“I knew that TITAN XC was going to be an additional cost,” he says.

On the parts of the field where he spread TITAN XC-treated fertilizer, he pulled back on his fertilizer by 10 percent to offset the cost of the TITAN.

The results showed him just how well TITAN XC can help drive dry fertilizer efficiency.

“Every field, every application where there was TITAN XC, it had 10 percent less MAP and potash spread and yet we consistently, every time, made more corn and beans where we used TITAN XC,” he says. “After I saw that on my farm, I will never spread another acre without TITAN XC.”

You can hear him talk about his experience in his own words by watching the video below or on our YouTube channel.

Learn more about TITAN XC and dry fertilizer efficiency by downloading our fall fertilizer booklet.

Agricen’s Scott Lay recently spoke with Hoosier Ag Today about how growers can maximize their dry fertilizer investment with Titan XC.

Hoosier Ag Today: One of the first decisions for farmers regarding next year's crop results relate to dry fertilizer. With fertilizer prices surging, growers are trying to find ways to maximize their investment. Lay says that's where Titan XC comes into play.

Scott: In terms of benefit, what we're looking for is the ability of the product to enhance the mineralization, or breakdown, of dry fertilizer prills so that come next spring when the crop goes in the ground, we have greater nutrient availability to that growing crop, which will lead to a more consistent yield response at the end of the year.

Hoosier Ag Today: Lay says that across third-party trials and university results, Titan XC's average yield response over untreated fertilizer is 10.2 bushels per acre in corn and 4.6 bushels per acre in soybeans. Even with fertilizer prices rising, Lay believes that type of response is worth the investment.

Scott:  It's not what you spend, it's what you get for what you spend that matters. Titan has been on the market for ten years, and we have nearly 50 million acres of commercial experience and results to draw on.  What we've found is that we get a more consistent yield result and a better ROI with Titan XC, and we're able to increase the availability of nutrients by nearly 20 percent in that first year. If you can enhance the value or benefit of those dry fertilizer dollars invested by 20 percent, we think that's a pretty sound investment.

This radio segment was edited for length and clarity. You can listen to the full interview below or on Agricen's YouTube channel.

Learn more about Titan XC by downloading the Titan XC Fall Fertilizer Booklet.

When faced with higher fertilizer prices, many who apply fall fertilizer will wonder if reducing their fertilizer rates makes sense in light of current farm economics.

It's practical to fertilize this fall to meet the anticipated needs of next year's crop, taking into consideration local recommendations based on soil tests. Reducing fertilizer rates can potentially increase an existing problem, namely the limited availability of nutrients from applied fertilizer in the first season after application. Only about 10-30% of applied P and 20-60% of applied K is typically recovered, or used by the growing crop, in that first season.

To get the most utilization out of dry fertilizers, many farms turn to Titan XC as a tool to maximize fertilizer efficiency without requiring a big investment. This is important whether a full rate or reduced rate of fertilizer is applied.

In the corn trial below from Nutrien's Hopkinsville, KY research farm, treating dry fertilizer with Titan XC (1 pint/ton) led to a yield increase of 6 bushels or more compared to untreated fertilizer. This was true whether the fertilizer was applied at the full rate (300 lbs/acres) or the reduced rate (270 lbs/acre). 

You can see this data and more by watching our short Titan XC video.

Titan XC is a valuable tool for increasing nutrient efficiency. By speeding up nutrient release from P and K fertilizers, it can play a key role in the uptake of applied nutrients, helping growers be more efficient with their fertilizer application while also optimizing yield.

Learn more by visiting the Titan XC Hub.

Farmers have a story to tell, and we wanted to capture it. During the 2020 growing season, Agricen hired a film crew to document the experiences of growers from four different farm operations in the United States. The result is Last Stand, a movie that follows some of America's top farmers as they try to grow the highest yields possible in a season full of challenges. The film can be watched by visiting LastStand.ag.

“While you can never predict what the growing season will be like, the 2020 season certainly did manage to throw many surprises into the mix. Excessive rain and hurricanes, the historic derecho in Iowa and across the upper Midwest – and that’s just the weather,” says Michael Totora, president and CEO of Agricen. “We think this is an important film that not only gives viewers a unique glimpse into the lives of the featured farmers, but also into the lives of farmers across the U.S. in 2020.”

The farmers featured in the film have a passion for farming and produced some of the highest corn yields in the nation in recent years. They also have the humor, grit and resilience to help them succeed at the job.

In Last Stand, you’ll meet:

• Don Stall – A former Marine, Don still reflects on the lessons he learned in the Marine Corps to help him face the challenges of being a farmer. Don farms in Michigan.

• Kelly Garrett – Kelly farms with his father and three sons in Iowa, where they work cattle and grow corn, soybeans and winter wheat.

• Heath Cutrell – Heath is a third-generation corn, soybean and wheat grower farming in Virginia and across the state line in North Carolina.

• Kevin and Shawn Kalb – Kevin and Shawn farm with their children in Southern Indiana, where they produce corn, soybeans and turkeys, and can often be found smashing state and national corn yield records.

• Dr. Fred Below & Connor Sible – Dr. Below and PhD student Connor Sible are from the Crop Physiology Laboratory at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, where they research factors influencing corn and soybean productivity.

Pictured above are top producers Don Stall (top L), Kelly Garrett (top R), Heath Cutrell (bottom L) and Kevin and Shawn Kalb (bottom R).

Another factor that ties the growers together is that they have used Agricen's product technologies in their high-yielding programs.

“Several years ago, we noticed that a number of growers with top corn yields at the state and national levels used our product technologies in their production programs,” says Totora. “With Last Stand, we set out to dig into that, but it quickly became much more. Their stories, as captured in the film, are deeply personal, yet also familiar to farmers everywhere.”

Last Stand, filmed by agriculture documentary veterans Light Work Productions, is the second long-form film about farming developed by Agricen. Agricen’s previous film about agriculture, Prove It to Me, which followed five farmers from Arkansas and Iowa during the 2015 growing season, is also available to view.

Explore the Last Stand trailers or visit laststand.ag to watch the full film. 

With growers soon to be making dry fertilizer applications after harvest, Agricen’s Scott Lay spoke with Dennis Michelsen on WITY Radio about getting the most efficiency out of dry fertilizer and the role of Titan XC.

Dennis – WITY Radio: It’s not always what you put on your field when it comes to fertility, it’s how those nutrients are used. Can you explain why Titan XC helps you get more out of the nutrients that you’re using on your field?

Scott: Nutrients are a fuel that a crop needs. We all recognize that. But we’ve also come to the realization that sometimes the answer is not more fertilizer. As it relates to Titan XC, essentially what we are doing is employing this technology to increase the breakdown or mineralization of the P and K nutrients that we spread in fall, so that more is available to the crop next year when it needs it. That ultimately leads to very consistent results in terms of early season plant vigor, which leads to better yields.

Dennis – WITY Radio: When I’ve talked to a lot of the experts, they keep telling me that today’s hybrids are going to require a change in how we do business if we want to unlock those high yields. Titan XC might be one part of that answer.

Scott: I think you’ve characterized it accurately. It’s not one thing, but a systems approach, of which plant fertility is a part. We’ve worked with Dr. Fred Below of the University of Illinois since 2011 in evaluating this technology. We’ve had very consistent results from Dr. Below’s trials, which we’ve been able to amplify over nearly 50 million acres across the U.S. over the last 10 years. We are very confident of the consistency of results that folks are going to see.

Dennis – WITY Radio: What sort of return on investment and what sort of boost in yields have you seen in those trials?

Scott:  Over the course of 10 years—and this is university trials, third-party research trials and our internal split field trials on real farms—the average yield increase in corn is just above 10 bushels. As we look at soybeans, it's about 4 bushels. The ROI is obviously dependent upon the price of the commodity, but generally it’s about $6-8 return for every dollar invested.

Dennis – WITY Radio: One of the experts I’ve talked to is Dr. Below. He’s talking about how it’s really important to understand the fertility of your soil, and that these new hybrids with huge yields are really extracting those nutrients out at a much different rate than we’re used to.

Scott: That’s very true. This fall, if corn yields are going to be 220-250 bushel per acre averages in some areas, when you sit down and do the math, that’s a significant removal rate of phosphorus and potash. Step one, certainly, is ensuring we’re applying adequate levels of fertility. Step two—once you’ve spread those nutrients, what are you doing to enhance the availability of those nutrients? Just because you applied 400 pounds of P and K this fall, it doesn’t mean that all 400 pounds will be available to the 2022 crop. Over time, Titan XC works in concert with the biological systems in the soil to provide more nutrients into that plant at critical times that will maximize yield.

This interview was edited for length and clarity. You can listen to the full interview below or on Agricen's YouTube channel.

Learn more about Titan XC by downloading the Titan XC Fall Fertilizer Booklet.

Grower Wade Hoffman of Dassel, Minnesota has used TITAN XC on his dry fertilizer for the last eight years. One of the reasons he keeps coming back to Titan XC is because it helps him make better use of the nutrients in his dry fertilizer, which he typically applies in the fall.

"It gives me more use of the fertilizer and a little more even emergence," says Wade. "It seems like the crops really take the fertilizer up better. We've used it for over eight years now, and it's just real consistent."

Mike Amundson of Nutrien Ag Solutions explains that applying TITAN XC to dry fertilizer helps to better break down the dry fertilizer prills for Wade's corn plants. This provides a big advantage for Wade and other growers who use TITAN XC on their dry fertilizer by giving them greater utilization of their applied nutrients.

Wade has seen other benefits, too. When asked if he has observed any soil health advantages, he says that he thinks his soil tilth is better since using TITAN XC. He also has noticed overall good plant performance, even when conditions have been dry in his area.

"It's been really dry up here, and I think the TITAN has worked well in these conditions," says Wade. "I can see the benefits of it. Year after year, it really feels like I'm getting a lot of fertilizer out of it. For the dollars I spend, the plants are getting a lot of use out of the dry fertilizer."

Wade is planning on using TITAN XC on his dry fertilizer again this fall. You can hear more about his experience in this short clip.

Learn more about TITAN XC by downloading the TITAN XC fall fertilizer booklet.

Cathy and Martin Quigley struck gold in the 2020 Ohio Wheat Yield Contest, coming in first in their district with a yield of 93.34 bushels per acre. 

What were the keys to Quigleys' success? First, selecting the right wheat variety, the right planting date and the right rate was important. The Quigleys, who live in Clinton county, used Dyna-Gro 9862, a soft red winter wheat, which they planted October 7, 2019.

Having an effective and efficient fertility program was another key to their success. Agricen’s biocatalyst technology was an integral part of the Quigleys' fertilizer program, with Titan XC applied at 1 pint per ton to their fall fertilizer blend and Extract PBA applied at spring topdress in a "weed and feed" application with UAN and broadleaf chemistry.

Mike Hacker, a Dyna-Gro Seed specialist and Nutrien Ag Solutions crop consultant based in Southern Ohio, assisted the Quigleys with the selection of their wheat variety and with recommendations for their fertility program. 

Treating dry fertilizer with Titan XC is a sound agronomic practice that can provide a long-term benefit to farm productivity. Titan XC utilizes unique biochemistry to increase nutrient availability and enhance dry fertilizer efficiency. With Titan XC on dry fertilizer in the fall or spring, more of a grower's applied nutrients will be available to the crop to help drive yield.

Extract PBA, with an analysis of 6-0-0-13S, is a biocatalyst that is formulated to maximize nutrient release from crop residues and the soil. Growers can tank mix Extract PBA with herbicides for spring burndown applications, use it with liquid fertilizers to enhance spring broadcast applications, or spray it on crop residues in the fall to enhance nutrient release.

Agricen and Dyna-Gro Seed are proud to be associated with Cathy and Martin, helping them achieve the top wheat yield for Ohio's District 9 in 2020!

Update: Martin and Cathy Quigley were the District 9 wheat yield champions again in the 2021 Ohio Wheat Yield Contest—taking both first and second place with both entries coming in at over 100 bushels per acre. In their winning program, they used Extract PBA on their previous season's crop residue and Titan XC on their wheat fertilizer blend.

Learn more about Titan XC and Extract PBA by downloading the Frequently Asked Questions booklet.

TITAN XC and EXTRACT PBA both help growers get more out of their fertilizer investments. But is there any benefit when they are applied in the same growing season? These trials show how TITAN XC on fall dry fertilizer followed by EXTRACT broadcast in the spring with pre-emerge herbicide can lead to improved yields and return on investment for the grower.

All three on-farm trials—two corn, one soybean—were conducted in South Sioux City, Nebraska, to look at the addition of TITAN XC and EXTRACT to the grower's standard practice (GSP). TITAN XC was applied at 1 pint per ton to dry fertilizer that was spread in the fall of 2019. This was followed in the spring of 2020 by EXTRACT applied at 1 gallon per acre with pre-emerge herbicide. 

In both corn trials, fall-applied TITAN XC followed by spring-applied EXTRACT led to a yield increase of over +12 bushels per acre, which was accompanied by a positive ROI.

Similarly, the soybean trial also showed a yield increase (+4.98 bushels/acre) and positive net ROI with TITAN XC and EXTRACT in the grower's program.

Treating dry fertilizer with TITAN XC, a proven technology for enhancing dry fertilizer efficiency, expedites nutrient availability and uptake from the treated ton, while EXTRACT, whether applied alone or with pre-emerge herbicides, helps to release tied up nutrients in the soil. 

Whether a grower wants to find ways to be more efficient with their crop nutrition, improve sustainability, or stretch each dollar further, TITAN XC and EXTRACT can help, and can even be used together for greater benefits. 

Learn more about TITAN XC and EXTRACT PBA by downloading the Frequently Asked Questions booklet.

Along with raising cattle, the DeBaillie family has been growing corn and soybeans in northwestern Illinois for over 65 years. Today, Randy, Rob and Russell DeBaillie, who are the third-generation of farmers in their family, farm around 6,000 acres of land in a longstanding no-till farming practice. EXTRACT PBA is one of the products they rely on to help them run a successful operation.

Like other growers, the DeBaillies like to get their crops in as early as possible, usually in the last week in April. They typically plant corn at 36,000 seeds per acre in their highly productive rolling clay hills. Given their northern location in Orion, Illinois, harvest ordinarily ends around Thanksgiving.

Rob, Russell and Randy DeBaillie of Orion, Illinois - on the farm and ready to plant in an Extract-treated field.

Mike Roegiers, a crop consultant with Nutrien Ag Solutions who has been the DeBaillie family's advisor for over 25 years, says that with their high yields and today's genetics, the DeBaillies needed an effective way to manage their corn residue so that they could get in their fields earlier than in the past.

"We don't have enough heat in the fall and early spring to rely on the residue from the high-yielding, fuller season hybrids naturally breaking down in time for that early planting window," says Mike.

About six years ago, the DeBaillies started a trial with EXTRACT to try to address this challenge, and today they spray it on all of their corn stalks. Bean stubble gets a vertical tillage tool in the fall. They also use TITAN XC to treat their dry fertilizer on most acres. 

"With EXTRACT, the residue in between the corn stalk rows turns to dust now when the planter's residue managers hit them," say the DeBaillies. "We also get in the fields at least a week earlier than in the past." 

This, in turn, helps them achieve an earlier harvest date.

When they look at their neighbors' fields, the DeBaillies have said they can see a difference in the amount of crop residue compared to their own fields, with corn stalk rows from two years prior still visible in the neighbors' bean stubble. They've also seen a yield impact in their soybeans planted after corn. 

"Our soybean yields were rather flat before," they say. "Since we started using EXTRACT, we see our yield averages constantly on an upward trend."

They believe a lot of this success is from earlier planting in drier and warmer soil conditions due to using EXTRACT.

Mike adds that EXTRACT has also made a significant overall improvement in the DeBaillies' farming operation by allowing earlier application of herbicide in the spring. They are now looking into applying EXTRACT with fall herbicide for soybeans to make early spring more efficient. 

"In the old days, they may have had to let a field sit an extra couple days to dry," he remarks. "Now they have that little edge with EXTRACT to make the field work earlier and much profitably all year." 

Learn more about using EXTRACT PBA to help manage crop residue by downloading the crop residue booklet.

Crop residue left on the soil surface after harvest can present both challenges and opportunities going into the next planting season. Potential tie-up of important nutrients, delayed nutrient recycling, and difficulty getting pre- and post-applied weed control coverage are some challenges growers may face. However, if crop residues are properly managed, there are great opportunities for nutrient release, improvement in soil organic matter, and soil moisture preservation.

Harvest and tillage equipment that mechanically break down residue are useful management tools, but adding a biochemical tool in the form of EXTRACT PBA can also help growers manage and even benefit from surface crop residue, regardless of their tillage practices.

"Whether you want to release nutrients from the soil or break down your crop residue, EXTRACT does all the heavy lifting, delivering consistent ROI to the farmer," says Michael Bern, Nutrien Ag Solutions Location Manager in Galesberg, Illinois.

Applied in spring or fall, EXTRACT helps to speed nutrient recycling by accelerating the breakdown of organic matter on the soil surface using microbial-derived biochemistry, which allows growers to recapture more of their original fertilizer investment. By helping to decompose crop residue, EXTRACT can also facilitate more effective tillage and better seedbeds, with improved seed-to-soil contact at planting and better crop stands.

On-Farm Studies

In a trial near Edgar, Nebraska, EXTRACT was applied at 1 gal/acre in the spring with pre-emergent herbicide to assess its impact on dryland corn in a corn-on-corn rotation. Both the treated and the untreated parts of the field also had UAN 32 applied at 9 gal/acre. The photo below powerfully illustrates how this treatment can release nitrogen tied up in crop residue.

On the untreated side, not only is more residue present on the soil surface, but the lower leaves of the plant are also firing, a sign that the plant is nitrogen deficient. On the EXTRACT-treated side, there is less residue present on the soil and the lower leaves are still green and healthy. In this trial, the EXTRACT treatment led to a yield increase of +15 bu/acre compared to untreated.

In Essex, Iowa, the addition of EXTRACT (2 gal/acre rate) to the grower's standard program of UAN 32 (applied at 7 gal/acre) also had a big yield impact in continuous corn, with larger corn ears (seen below) and a yield increase of +22 bu/acre where EXTRACT had been used.

In another example, adding EXTRACT (1 gal/acre rate) to the grower's standard program led to corn yield increases of more than +8 bu/acre in the two fields shown below near Greensburg, Indiana. These fields had been continuous corn for roughly six years.

Compatible with Both Spring and Fall Applications

For those considering a spring or fall application, EXTRACT can be tank mixed with herbicides, including glyphosate, and applied with burndown. It can also be broadcast with liquid fertilizers.

By using EXTRACT to increase nutrient release from crop residues and the soil, growers will be set up for greater success in the coming season.

Learn more about the benefits of using EXTRACT PBA in a corn program by downloading the Extract Makes Corn bulletin.

Last season, Agricen's product technology helped some of the highest-yielding corn growers in America take home a winning title in the National Corn Growers Association's 2020 National Corn Yield Contest.

A total of 6 national and 20 state winners used at least one product containing Agricen's biocatalyst technology in 2020. Among them were Don Stall of Charlotte, Michigan, who was the top-yielding grower overall in the contest, Kevin, Shawn, Nikia and Rhylan Kalb of Dubois, Indiana, who took national wins across three categories, and Leonard Truszkowski of Stewartsville, New Jersey, who also placed nationally.

The biocatalyst-based products represented in the top growers' programs were Accomplish LM, Titan XC, Extract PBA, Prologue, Levitate and NexBlu. All are exclusively available from Loveland Products though Nutrien Ag Solutions.

Grower Don Stall came in first place, nationally, in the Conventional Irrigated category with a yield of 476.9052 bu/acre, which was also the overall highest yield in the 2020 contest.

"Titan and Accomplish...turn nutrients into an available, soluble form so we can take them up," says Don. "It obviously works. You can see it, when you run the combine across the field and you weigh it. The results speak for themselves."

The Corn Belt's first place national winner in the Conventional Non-Irrigated Category was Kevin Kalb, with a yield of 385.4405 bu/acre.

"When I talk about raising, potentially, the biggest crop we have, I need to get as much phosphorus as I can into the plant. Titan makes that possible," Kevin says.

Kevin's wife, Shawn Kalb, also took home a first place national win in the No-Till Non-Irrigated category in the Corn Belt (329.0569 bu/acre), while Kevin and Shawn's children, Rhylan and Nikia, each placed second nationally in the Conventional Non-Irrigated (345.9045 bu/acre) and Strip, Min, Mulch, Ridge-Till Non-Irrigated (323.7572 bu/acre) categories in the Corn Belt states, respectively.

If you are interested in more details about these and other growers who have had winning corn yields in the NCGA contest, you can read about them in these posts:

• "Congratulating the 2019 NCGA Corn Yield Contest Winners"
• "Biocatalyst Technologies Are Helping to Transform Grower Productivity"
• "Starter Program with Accomplish LM Key Part of Farmer's Success"
• "Top Corn Producers Used Accomplish LM, Extract PBA & Titan XC" 
• "Accomplish LM Helps Couple Win Two Corn Yield Contest Categories"
• "Titan XC Helps Bring in Big Yields in 2017 Corn Yield Contest"
• "Accomplish LM Proves Worth to Idaho Corn Growing Champions"

Wishing everyone great success in the coming season!

You can learn more about the biocatalyst technology that is helping top corn growers achieve big yields by watching our film, Last Stand, or downloading our FAQ.

Does a pre-emergence application of EXTRACT PBA increase soybean yields, and does it provide a return on investment?

In recent on-farm, replicated research conducted by Ohio State University (OSU) Extension, EXTRACT checked off both boxes, showing a positive yield benefit and a positive net return to the grower.

John Barker, OSU's County Extension Educator in Knox County, worked with grower Dave Mitchem of Mitchem Farms on the trial, which was designed to test the effects of adding a pre-emergence sulfur application to a soybean production program. EXTRACT, which has an analysis of 6-0-0-13S, was selected as the sulfur treatment.

In a video posted by OSU Extension about the trial, both Dave and John emphasize the need for profitability when using any product or practice.

"It has to have a return on investment over the labor and management costs it takes to put it in there," says Dave.

The study was designed as a randomized complete block study and was performed on two plots (4 replications each) located near Centerburg, Ohio. The EXTRACT treatment was applied pre-emergence at a rate of 1 gallon per acre and compared to the check (no treatment). The previous crop was corn. 

Growing conditions were favorable for soybeans in their part of the country in 2020, with adequate rainfall throughout the season and little to no stress on the plants.  

Throughout the growing season, John and Dave observed that the treated areas were slightly greener than the untreated areas. At harvest, the average yield in the first plot was 71.23 bu/a with EXTRACT treatment, compared to 66.99 bu/a (no treatment), a yield increase of +4.24 bu/a. In the second plot, the average yield was 80.62 bu/a with EXTRACT treatment, compared to 75.91 bu/a (no treatment), a yield increase of +4.71 bu/a.  

Yield data taken from OSU Extension video., "Knox County On-Farm Research 2020"

Importantly, the calculated return on investment with EXTRACT as a sulfur treatment was also favorable in this trial. 

“The bottom line is so important to these guys. They’ve got to be able to show a profit and be able to make money to be back in the game again next year,” says John. “We showed a positive net return to sulfur on both of our plots.” 

Assuming soybeans at $13.50/bu, the average net return with EXTRACT in this trial would be $48.41/acre.*

You can hear more trial details directly from John and Dave in the video.

To learn more about EXTRACT, download the EXTRACT PBA booklet.

*ROI calculation does not include application costs.

At Nutrien Ag Solutions' Snake River Division in Idaho, Josh Perotto and his team have been looking at the benefits of treating dry fertilizer with Titan XC in potato growing operations over the past two years.

In a split-farm trial harvested in 2020, the grower's potato yield was increased by +105.1 sacks per acre where his dry fertilizer had been treated with Titan XC to maximize prill breakdown and nutrient release, as compared to yield where untreated dry fertilizer had been spread. There were also fewer culls (unmarketable potatoes) where Titan XC had been used.

These potato yield results followed the team's findings from the 2019 season, where a split-field trial showed that potatoes grown with Titan XC-treated dry fertilizer outyielded the untreated dry fertilizer by +19 sacks per acre (572 cwt/acre with Titan XC vs 553 cwt/acre untreated).

Josh and his team also noted that they performed weekly tissue testing throughout the 2020 growing season and observed that potato plants grown with Titan XC-treated dry fertilizer showed a trend toward higher tissue phosphate levels compared to the untreated dry fertilizer. 

In Idaho, high lime, high pH soils mean that soil phosphate deficiencies are not uncommon. This is because applied phosphorus will react with calcium in the soil, which makes the phosphorus insoluble and unavailable. By applying Titan XC on dry fertilizer, growers can address this limitation and enhance the availability and uptake of phosphate and other nutrients from dry fertilizer. Titan XC accelerates the breakdown of treated dry fertilizer and helps facilitate mineralization – the conversion of organic nutrients into inorganic, plant soluble, plant available forms. With more nutrients available, more nutrients can be captured by the plant, which can lead to significant yield benefits.

Learn more about Titan XC by downloading the Titan XC Booklet.

Yield success for this grower near Macon, Mississippi started in the fall of last year when he applied 1 gallon per acre of Extract PBA (with 1 gallon/acre of UAN 32 +15 gallons/acre of water) on cotton residue from his 2019 crop.

The grower planted corn in the spring of 2020. Where Extract PBA had been used, he realized a yield increase of +11.47 bushels per acre compared to the check, for a net ROI of $33.88 per acre with his Extract PBA application.

The NDVI shows the greater vegetation density and crop health where Extract PBA was applied on the cotton residue.

Extract PBA was applied in early October 2019 with 15 gallons of water per acre.

Extract PBA is a mineralization technology that converts organic nutrients into plant-available, inorganic forms that the plant can take up and use for nutrition. For example, an application of Extract PBA can help convert organic nitrogen into plant-available ammonium (NH₄+) and convert organic phosphorus into plant-available hydrogen phosphate (HPO₄^2-). In addition, potassium and micronutrients are mineralized and released back into the soil solution.

Extract PBA combines the concentrated biochemistry of Accomplish LM with ammonium thiosulfate (ATS) to help growers easily and effectively manage nutrients tied up in the soil, in crop residues and in animal manures and poultry litters. The biochemistry in Extract PBA increases nutrient release and accelerates residue and manure/litter decomposition for rapid nutrient recycling, while ATS promotes an optimal carbon to nitrogen ratio to enhance soil microbial activity, further expediting nutrient return to the soil profile.

For growers, increased mineralization with Extract PBA can equate to greater nutrient availability for the next crop and an increase in crop yield.

Learn more about the mineralization technology in Extract PBA by downloading the Extract PBA Frequently Asked Questions booklet.

Recent corn and soybean trials from the Bruce Research Farm at Hopkinsville, Kentucky highlight the opportunities for yield success with TITAN XC on dry fertilizer.

In corn, a replicated trial demonstrated a yield increase of +9.5 bushels per acre when dry fertilizer (300# 9-23-30) was treated with TITAN XC and compared to untreated dry fertilizer, with a calculated net return of $31.48 per acre. (The ROI calculation assumes corn at $4.05 per bushel.) 

Even with a reduced rate of fertilizer (90% of the standard rate, or 270#), treating the fertilizer with TITAN XC produced a yield increase of +6.3 bushels per acre, for a net return of $24.93 per acre.

In soybeans, TITAN XC was applied to 200# of 9-23-30 fertilizer. Similar to the corn trials, it led to a yield increase of +9.5 bushels per acre compared to the untreated dry fertilizer, for a net return of $94.99 per acre (assuming soybeans at $10.50 per bushel). 

Dry fertilizer is one of the largest investments made in a grower's production program each season, but it can also be highly inefficient. Growers, therefore, can benefit from technologies that enhance their dry fertilizer efficiency.

With a proven track record of performance over a range of geographies, genetics and management systems, TITAN XC is designed to help you get the most out of your applied dry fertilizer. Utilizing unique biochemistry to increase nutrient availability from treated prills, it can enhance the efficiency of dry phosphorus and potassium blends—turning your dry fertilizer into a driver of performance for your farm.

With TITAN XC on your dry fertilizer, more of your applied nutrients will be available to your crop, which can help you drive yield on every acre.

Learn more by downloading the TITAN XC fall fertilizer booklet.

When it comes to growing forage and pasture crops as feed for a successful livestock operation, simply increasing the biomass of these crops isn't enough. Feed quality is another important consideration. In fact, it may be the most important variable in livestock and dairy production, as increased feed quality can lead to higher production of meat and milk.

Biocatalyst technology can have a positive effect on these variables, increasing total biomass of the crop and improving feed quality. 

Increase in Dry Matter Production

In Victoria, Australia, a third-party, replicated pasture trial was conducted to evaluate the performance of the biocatalyst technology Titan XC (marketed as Basis XC in Australia) when used in the grower's standard dry fertilizer program. Treating diammonium phosphate (DAP) with the Titan XC technology led to a statistically significant increase in dry matter (+236.1 lb/acre) compared to untreated DAP (p<0.05). Crude protein, an indicator of crop quality, was also higher when Titan XC was used to treat the DAP compared to the untreated dry fertilizer.

Improvement in Feed Quality

What about the effect of biocatalyst technology on other indicators of feed quality?

In a pasture trial conducted at Lucindale, Australia, Titan XC technology was applied on single superphosphate (SSP) fertilizer and compared to untreated SSP. The feed analysis showed that Titan XC treatment improved multiple measures of feed quality, increasing crude protein by 26.4%, total digestible nutrients (DMD) by 6.7%, and estimated metabolizable energy by 7.5%. Titan XC treatment of the dry fertilizer also lowered acid detergent fiber by almost 3% and neutral detergent fiber by almost 8%, resulting in greater palatability and digestibility. 

These improvements in feed quality can lead to more pounds of beef and lamb produced per acre. They can also lead to more pounds of milk produced per ton of forage, as seen in a trial at a large dairy in California. 

In the trial, Accomplish LM, which is formulated for broadcast directly onto the soil, was applied at 1 gallon per acre along with the grower's standard practice (GSP) to a field planted for corn silage. The controls were fields planted to corn silage using just the GSP alone. All fields had a history of manure applications from the dairy. Corn silage that was harvested from each treatment was stored in separate bunkers and the feed analysis was conducted after the ensiling process was complete. 

Compared to the GSP alone, feed quality was improved across multiple parameters, including the  most important one: pounds of milk per ton of silage. Overall, Accomplish LM treatment increased milk production by 501 pounds per ton of silage, 16% more than with the GSP alone.

A Positive Impact on Livestock Operations

These trials, and others, demonstrate the positive impact that biocatalyst technologies can have on the forage and pasture crops grown to feed livestock.  

Whether by using Titan XC on dry fertilizer or Accomplish LM broadcast on each acre, farmers can increase pasture and forage total biomass and dry matter while also increasing crop quality. This can lead to increased production of meat and milk in livestock operations.

Learn more by downloading the Biocatalyst Technology booklet.

Already a busy period, harvest is also the time for growers to begin planning for next season's crop. Fall planning can be critical to having a less stressful planting season in the spring. Incorporating Titan XC and Extract PBA into fall plans is one way that growers can set themselves up for success in the season ahead.

Agricen's Stephen Sexton breaks down the benefits of these biocatalyst products and explains where they fit into fall programs.

Titan XC for Dry Fertilizer

Steve says that two key processes occur when Titan XC is applied to dry phosphorus and potassium fertilizer blends and spread in the fall.

First, he notes that the phosphorus and potassium prills are broken down much faster compared to waiting for Mother Nature.

"Remember that phosphorus and potassium fertilizers may have received multiple applications of petroleum-based or vegetable-based oils to reduce dust and maintain prill integrity," he says. "Oil applied to dry fertilizer can delay the breakdown of the prill when soil applied, since oil repels soil moisture. This is not the case when Titan XC is applied to the dry fertilizer."

Then, there are the benefits related to root growth. 

"In the spring, the biochemistry in Titan XC can signal to the plant that nutrition is nearby, which stimulates root growth and feeder tip roots or root hairs, which are the ports of entry for water and nutrition into the plant," says Steve.

Extract PBA for Crop Residue, Manures & Poultry Litter

When it comes to crop residues, manures, and poultry litter, that's where the innovative mineralization technology in Extract PBA comes into play. 

"Extract PBA can be applied with burndown applications or alone on crop residues, manures, or litter to mineralize the organic nitrogen and phosphorus into inorganic, plant-available forms," Steve says. 

Plants do not use organic forms of nitrogen or phosphorus. Rather, they can only take up these nutrients when they are in inorganic, plant-available forms. The plant-available forms of nitrogen are nitrate (NO₃) and ammonium (NH₄+), while the plant-available forms of phosphorus are hydrogen phosphate (HPO₄) and dihydrogen phosphate (H₂PO₄). 

"Both of these key macronutrients are mineralized, or converted from an organic form into a plant-available, inorganic form, by the biochemistry in Extract PBA," he explains.

The Last Word

By contributing to increased nutrient availability and an improved root system, Titan XC on dry fertilizers and Extract PBA on crop residues, manures or litter can lead to enhanced nutrient uptake, better crop performance, and higher crop yields. 

Learn more about these biocatalyst technologies by downloading the Biocatalyst Technology Booklet.

At the Nutrien Ag Solutions branch in Manlius, Illinois, farmer and crop consultant Chad Taylor has been witness to many TITAN XC success stories. One that particularly stands out in his mind is the effect that TITAN XC has had on one of his grower client's fields, helping to transform farmland that was largely phosphorus deficient into land with optimal soil phosphorus levels. 

"The farm was quite run down when he purchased it, and we've been pretty amazed with the activity of TITAN XC in just a short time," says Chad.

When the grower first took over the field in 2012, soil tests taken in fall showed that phosphorus levels were very low throughout the field, with an average soil phosphorus level of just 41.5 lbs/acre. Five years later, after applying TITAN XC-treated phosphorus and potassium fertilizers every fall, soil phosphorus levels were excellent. In 2017, the date of the most recent soil tests (taken in spring), the average soil phosphorus level had increased to 122.5 lbs/acre. 

The grower has been similarly satisfied with the corn and soybean yields on his acres. 

As seen in this and other trials, the biocatalyst technology in TITAN can help growers maintain or build soil nutrient levels by increasing the availability of nutrients from applied phosphorus and potassium fertilizers. This can lead to increased nutrient use efficiency while also driving yield and ROI.

Learn more about TITAN XC, including how it helps drive yield and sustainability, by downloading the TITAN XC booklet.

Growers make nutrient management decisions all season long. This includes the period just before and after harvest, when they need to decide whether a fall dry fertilizer application makes sense.

Growers who do decide to make a fall application face a significant challenge when it comes to dry fertilizer efficiency. This is because applied phosphorus and potassium fertilizers can be easily tied up by the soil chemistry. Even with the best program, only an estimated 10-30% of applied phosphorus and 20-60% of applied potassium will be available to their crop in the spring. This level of inefficiency is not good for the grower or the crop.  

One way growers can better ensure that they are getting more out of the nutrition they apply is by treating their dry fertilizer with Titan XC, a biocatalyst technology that is specifically formulated to increase nutrient availability from dry fertilizers. This can have a positive impact on a grower’s yield, as seen in the summary of corn, soybean and wheat trials from 2010-2019 below.

Proven on millions of acres across the country, Titan XC helps growers address the challenges related to dry fertilizer efficiency. Here's what some growers are saying:

"Every pound of potash that we put on, we also apply Titan XC with it...The biochemistry of Titan is the best choice for us to help solubilize the potassium and help get it into the corn plant." - Kelly Garrett, Iowa. Hear more from Kelly.

"I use Titan XC on my fertilizer since noticing a better root system and color on my crops versus the untreated fertilized acres." - Matt Minnix, Indiana. Hear more from Matt.

"I really like the biochemistry that Titan XC offers because I love the fact that I'm getting more out of my fertilizer and putting money in my pocket." - Allen Ehrman, Nebraska. Hear more from Allen. 

An application of Titan XC on fall dry fertilizer is a great investment in the next season. Ask for it on your dry fertilizer today!

Learn more about using Titan XC to maximize the efficiency of dry fertilizer applications by downloading our booklet, "How to Get Better First-Year Nutrient Recovery Out of Fall Dry Fertilizer Applications."

As manager of the Loveland Research Farm in Owensboro, Kentucky, Tim Sickman is well acquainted with the benefits of applying Titan XC on dry fertilizer. One of the trials that nicely highlights the advantages of Titan XC on dry fertilizer was conducted by his group during the 2015 and 2016 growing seasons in corn and soybean.

"In 2015, we initiated a study in corn on a site that already had a very respectable P and K soil test level," he says. "We took 150 lbs of a 9-23-30 fertilizer blend. In one of the treatments, we impregnated the 9-23-30 with the standard rate of Titan XC of 1 pint per ton of fertilizer. In the other treatment, we simply left that 150 lbs of 9-23-30 untreated."

Tim and his group then monitored the growth and development of the corn throughout the growing season, and harvested at the end of the year.

"When we ran the plot combine, what we saw was an 18 bushel per acre yield increase where Titan XC had been used on the dry fertilizer versus where we had not used the Titan XC," he says.

The team carried the trial forward into 2016, planting soybeans where the corn had been the previous season. However, they did not add any additional dry fertilizer at that time.

"At the end of the season when we harvested the beans...the soybeans actually yielded 5 bushels per acre better where we had used Titan the prior year versus where we had not used Titan on the dry fertilizer," Tim says. 

Tim notes that this trial illustrates a few very important things. First, it shows that Titan XC improves the solubility of the dry fertilizer prill at the time that the initial application is made. It also shows that Titan XC is helping to make applied nutrients available over the long haul.

"Not only did it make those nutrients more available on the soil exchange site and in the soil solution in 2015 when corn was in the field, but it continued to offer good availability of those nutrients to the soybean crop in the subsequent year," he says.

Tim adds that his group also observed an additional benefit.

"At the end of 2016 after soybean harvest, we went out and did an intensive soil sampling of the trial area. What we saw is that the P and K soil test levels were actually higher where we had used Titan XC the prior spring," he says. "So not only did we harvest 18 more bushels of corn and 5 more bushels of soybean where we used the Titan XC, but we actually saw soil test levels climb in that same environment versus where we had used the fertilizer without Titan XC."

Watch this video to hear Tim discuss the trial in his own words. 

You can learn more about Titan XC by downloading the Titan XC Drives booklet.

Since its introduction in Canada several years ago, Titan XC technology for dry fertilizer (sold as Atlas XC) has established a reputation for strengthening yield performance when added to a grower's dry fertilizer practice. Similar to the United States, Nutrien Ag Solutions agronomists there have also measured an increase in soil phosphorus levels when this biocatalyst technology is used to enhance nutrient release from dry fertilizers.

In the Canadian Prairie, Nutrien Ag Solutions' Southeast Saskatchewan Division has performed five years of soil tests to evaluate soil phosphorus levels in four fields belonging to a grower customer. With the help of the Echelon soil sampling app, all cores were taken within 10 feet of the same location each year. Sampling was done in the fall after harvest except in 2020, when samples were taken in May.

Sampling revealed that phosphorus deficiency was a major problem in the fields prior to the grower adopting Titan XC technology on his dry fertilizer. Candice Robinson, Manager of Agronomy Services for the Division, shares that 75.6% of the roughly 26,500 acres sampled in 2018 showed phosphorus deficiency (<25 lb P/acre). Of those deficient acres, 36.7% were critically deficient (<10 lb P/acre).

In spring 2019, the grower used his standard dry fertilizer (50lb/acre of 11-52-0) treated with Titan XC technology on all of the fields. The subsequent fall 2019 soil tests showed a considerable increase in phosphorus levels compared to pre-Titan XC levels, as did the spring 2020 test.

"When soil phosphorus levels are critically low, there is no rapid remedy. Phosphorus is easily tied up in the soil, which makes building phosphorus reserves a slow process," says Candice.

Using a higher rate of phosphorus-based fertilizers isn't necessarily the answer, given the inefficiency of phosphate applications in the first year after application, as well as the risk for seedling injury.

"Growers can only apply a certain amount of MAP fertilizer before salt injury occurs to seedling plants," Candice adds.

But, as these soil tests show, using Titan XC technology to increase phosphorus availability from dry fertilizers can help growers more quickly build soil levels of phosphorus, without the risks and investment associated with simply applying higher rates of phosphate fertilizer. 

Learn more about Titan XC by visiting the Titan XC hub. 

In the fall of 2017, Benjamin Rice, a crop consultant for Nutrien Ag Solutions in Sidney, Illinois, was faced with a challenge. 

He typically recommended Titan XC to his grower customers as a treatment for applied dry phosphorus and potassium fertilizers to help increase yield and profitability. Making the case for using this fertilizer biocatalyst was easy with growers who were blanket spreading dry fertilizers, but demonstrating the value of Titan XC was more complicated with a customer who used variable rate (VRT) applied fertilizer and did not want to pay more for the Titan XC technology. Benjamin needed to figure out a way to prove that Titan XC could have a nutrient efficiency and yield benefit when used with his customer's VRT fertilizer.

Benjamin and his grower devised a large, split-field trial consisting of 320 acres over five fields. Half of the acres would be treated with the grower's standard program (100% VRT-applied P & K), and the other half treated with Ben's program (90% VRT-applied P & K plus Titan XC). The trial was designed so that both programs were identical in cost to the grower. 

Two of the fields were spread with each fertilizer program in the fall of 2017, and the remaining three fields were spread with each program the following spring, in 2018, with no additional applications planned for the trial period. Corn was planted in the spring of 2018.

Yield Results in Corn

At harvest, Titan XC proved its worth. Compared to the grower's standard VRT program, the VRT program with Titan XC-treated fertilizer resulted in an average corn yield increase of +6.8 bu/acre over the five fields, for a net revenue of $23.80/acre (based on corn at $3.50/bu). 

One Application, Two Years of ROI

No additional fertilizer was spread in the fall of 2018 or spring of 2019 for the 2019 soybean crop planted in the trial fields. Even so, Ben’s customer recorded a +2.6 bu/acre soybean yield increase where the Titan XC program had been applied the previous year, for an added return on investment of $22.10/acre (based on soybeans at $8.50/bu).

Summary

In this split-field trial, one application of Titan XC-treated VRT fertilizer resulted in increased yields and profit for the grower over two seasons. The two-year total ROI with VRT fertilizer spread with Titan XC was ~$45.90/acre in this corn/soybean program, with no cost to the grower for the Titan XC technology. With a planned trial period of four years, Ben and his customer continue to analyze the potential for greater nutrient efficiency and higher yields with Titan XC, and the grower is eager to try this biocatalyst technology on his untreated fields at the trial's end. 

Learn more about Titan XC by downloading the Titan XC product booklet.

• Accelerated mineralization and release of nutrients in the soil

• Improved plant vigor
  
  
• Increased plant performance and yield

The benefits of Extract PBA in a corn program are supported by data from numerous corn trials that show the ability of this technology to provide an opportunity for improved crop health, higher yields and a better return on investment. In an analysis of 40 yield comparisons across the Midwest and South, the average yield increase from adding Extract PBA to a corn program was +10.1 bu/acre. 

Learn more about the benefits of Extract PBA in a corn program by downloading the Extract PBA Makes Corn overview.

MARITIME^® improves nutrient uptake and plant functioning to give growers unmatched seed germination, plant growth, nutrient uptake and resistance to abiotic stress. It can be used to enhance crop growth and performance both under positive growing conditions and under stress conditions from environmental factors such as drought, heat or salinity.

The MARITIME products booklet covers:

• Product benefits
• How MARITIME works
• Trial results in specialty crops, including lettuce, peppers, and celery
• Uses and rates

What is MARITIME?

MARITIME is a highly soluble solution of biologically converted kelp that can be used by growers to augment a balanced crop nutrition system. MARITIME stimulates soil microbiota, improves plant growth, and reduces crop stress for better crop quality and yield.

MARITIME is OMRI listed and is a WSDA Organic Registered Input Material. 

Learn more about MARITIME kelp technology for agriculture by downloading the digital booklet.

Nutrien Ag Solutions’ Gregg Schmitz has witnessed transformational changes in agriculture–from the birth of modern crop protection to the growth of today's market for ag biostimulants and biologicals, even leading some of the early, pivotal field trials that brought Accomplish technology to Nutrien's row crop customers.

We recently spoke with Gregg about his take on this biocatalyst technology, and why growers who aren't already using Accomplish LM, Titan XC or Extract will want to consider adopting this biochemistry in their fields in 2020.

With a father who was part owner of an agriculture retail facility in Iowa, Gregg grew up in the ag business, working in both retail and wholesale during high school and joining the sales team when he graduated. In 1985, the business was acquired by United Agri Products—which ultimately evolved into Nutrien Ag Solutions. Currently, Gregg serves as Nutrien Ag Solutions' Marketing Manager for the Western Iowa, Eastern Nebraska, South Dakota Division.

Gregg is a sound agronomist who firmly believes in soil health. His 2007-2008 replicated trial results on Accomplish were the springboard for incorporating this technology into Nutrien’s core fertilizer and plant nutrition business.

“In the summer of 2007, I got a call to evaluate a product called Accomplish LM that was then being used in California and other states, mainly on specialty or high value crops," says Gregg. "We decided to spray some strips in the fall of 2007 at a corn test plot we had north of Wall Lake, Iowa. To be honest, I was initially skeptical."

"In the summer of 2008, we started to see some visual differences at the V5-V6 stage of growth," he says. "In the area where we applied Accomplish, the corn leaf color was greener. Below ground, we saw more root mass with the Accomplish treatment. We had roots that extended at least three feet into the soil along with a more fibrous root system. We took these trials to yield and had good ROI on all of the applications we made."

Gregg and his team had also sprayed a few strips on soybeans in the fall of 2007, using the Accomplish that was left over after spraying the corn test strips. He saw benefits with that crop, too, including seeing the soybeans retain their leaves longer prior to harvest.

"Going into the fall of 2008, we set up trials with key customers at each of our divisions to replicate our results on a larger, real-world scale," he says.

Based on observations from his initial Accomplish LM trial work (harvested in 2008) and from subsequent trials testing the technology with customers at different locations over a two-year period, Gregg's skepticism changed into a belief that Accomplish technology could enhance his grower customers' operations. Some of his observations from that period included:

• More mellow, less compacted soils and less residue where Accomplish was applied, allowing for smoother tilling operation

• A customer with tight clay and high pH soils reporting a much more even appearance to his corn field with Accomplish than he had ever seen in past crops–the difference in emergence was right to the line where the trial was applied
  

• A big visual difference in terms of more even color, plant development and tassel emergence–along with a 10+ bu/a yield response–in a large-scale trial testing Accomplish technology with UAN in a corn-on-corn field that had liquid hog manure applied the previous fall

• Carryover effects on crop growth and yield into a second growing season–without additional Accomplish application

Today, Gregg uses a systems or solutions approach to help his customers maximize their ROI on every field, an approach that typically includes 1 gallon per acre of Extract (which contains Accomplish technology) each year. Since 2010, he has also used Titan XC on the majority of dry P&K applications. We asked him why he believes biochemistry is so important to soil health and sustainable crop production.

"There is a quote from Dick Goff, who was an agronomist from Midwest Laboratories in the 1980s. He always said, 'We cannot expect a plant’s productivity to be greater than the foundation and health of the soil.' This quote always stuck with me, as it is about balancing everything we do," says Gregg.

“In my mind, biochemistry is the catalyst to delivering the balance we need to help our customers preserve their ability to maximize productivity and ROI on every acre they farm," he says. "With the Accomplish products, we see many of those benefits, like the development of the roots and the mellowness of the soil, both in the current crop year and even beyond."

With plenty of growers who haven’t yet tried or adopted biological or biostimulant technologies, Gregg encourages them to explore the benefits of biochemistry for improving soil health and crop performance.

“There are over a decade's worth of trials showing how Accomplish biochemistry can benefit our growers," Gregg says. "Doing some hands-on research, even if it's outside of the normal row crop production, can be a good way to build confidence. One way I looked at the technology early on was by using it in my own garden and on my lawn."

"Make sure you dig plants and get your hands dirty," he adds. "It all starts in the roots and the soil.”

Find out why the biocatalyst technology Accomplish LM, Titan and Extract makes a good addition to agronomic programs by accessing the biocatalyst technology booklet.

Our recent webinar, "Overcoming Crop Stress and Improving Crop Quality with Kelp Science Innovations," is now available to watch online.

During the on-demand webinar, you'll learn about:

• The role of kelp technologies in agricultural production
• New, biological methods of kelp extraction and how they have advanced kelp science
• A new kelp technology, Maritime^®, and how it can help improve crop quality and increase abiotic stress tolerance
  

You'll also see recent trial work in a variety of specialty crops, which shows how Maritime performs in field conditions.

Watch this on-demand webinar today to learn about new kelp science innovations and the kelp technology in Maritime.

Every year, growers across the country compete in the National Corn Growers Association (NCGA) Corn Yield Contest and attempt to push their corn yields as far as they can go. We want to congratulate all of the 2019 winners, with special recognition to the 6 national and 17 state winners who used Accomplish LM, Extract PBA or Titan XC technology on their winning acres!

Among the 2019 winners who used our technology are Health Cutrell, Kevin and Shawn Kalb, Don Stall, Kelly, Cael and Colin Garrett, the Hults family, and Tommy and Valerie Cartrite–many of whom we've profiled on our blog for their previous wins.

Pictured: Kelly Garrett (left), Kevin and Shawn Kalb (top center), Don Stall (bottom center), Heath Cutrell (right).

Congratulations to the winners on your achievements, and we wish all growers success in the coming season!

Learn more about the biocatalyst technology that's helping top corn growers achieve big yields by downloading our FAQ.

Although animal manures can be a rich source of nutrients for crops, the nutrients found in them–whether from swine, beef cattle, dairy cows or poultry–are not always in a form that is readily available for crop uptake.

Phosphorus is a good example. With its negative charge, phosphorus easily binds to positively charged micronutrients, such as those found in animal rations or dairy cow footbath solutions. Once bound, it remains in a form that is unavailable to the plant until transformed through natural processes (e.g., weather, soil microbes) or agronomic management. As a result, growers who have been applying animal manures may see high levels of unavailable phosphorus on their soil tests (indicated by a high Bray P2 value), but a deficit of plant-available phosphorus (low/lagging Bray P1).

Extract PBA, which helps to convert P2 to P1, is one of the agronomic tools available to help growers be more efficient with their nutrient applications by making phosphorus and other nutrients found in manures, crops residues and the soil more readily available for crop uptake.

The concentrated biochemistry in Extract PBA not only helps to break down organic matter, but it can also separate positively charged (+) cations (e.g., calcium, magnesium, aluminum, iron, zinc, copper) from negatively charged (-) anions (e.g., phosphate, nitrate, sulfate, chlorides). As a result, the nutritive value of manure treated with this biocatalyst increases, as seen in the swine manure study below.

By giving crops greater access to plant-available forms of phosphorus and other important nutrients found in manures, Extract PBA can help growers improve their nutrient use efficiency and help crops better reach their yield potential, as seen in these and other trials. Extract PBA can also help protect against nutrient loss to the environment by promoting greater nutrient uptake by the crop. This flexible tool can be broadcast with manures or used as a manure pit treatment prior to pumping. In strips where manure has already been applied, it can be sprayed with pre-emergent or burndown chemistries.

Learn more about using Extract PBA with manures or litters by viewing a featured study.

Many growers apply the “4R” framework for nutrient management—using the right fertilizer source, at the right rate, at the right time and in the right place—to more closely match crop nutrient needs to fertilization practices while supporting sustainable agriculture goals.

Guided by this framework, growers have been able to improve their fertilizer use efficiency and reduce nutrient loss to the environment. However, despite best practices, an estimated 40% to 50% of applied nitrogen is either immobilized by soil microorganisms or lost from the soil through denitrification or leaching, rendering it unavailable to the crop. Although some soil microorganisms contribute to nitrogen loss or immobilization in the soil, others can have a positive influence on nitrogen use efficiency by enhancing the availability or stability of nitrogen in the soil or by enhancing root growth and physiological functions.

How Microbes Affect Nitrogen Use Efficiency

Bacteria and other microorganisms—through their metabolic processes—exude or secrete a wide range of biochemical compounds (called primary and secondary metabolites) into the soil. These biochemicals are not simply the waste or byproducts of metabolic functions. They are the tools through which microorganisms communicate and function in the soil. Some of the ways they can influence nitrogen use efficiency are by:

Complexing nitrogen into organic forms. Biochemical compounds exuded by bacteria and other microorganisms can influence nitrogen transformations. They can also promote the combination of nitrogen into more complex organic compounds, such as amino sugars, amino acids, and proteins, which can induce a metabolic response in other microorganisms and plants.

Keeping nitrogen in plant-available forms. Biochemical compounds in the soil can help keep or convert nitrogen into a plant-available form. One of the well-understood mechanisms of conversion is mineralization, which is the conversion of organic nitrogen to plant-available ammonium. Although not all of the exact mechanisms of conversion or transformation through which this occurs have been uncovered, it is thought that the biochemicals in the soil might also influence the conversion of nitrate back into an ammonium form, or even the transformation of ammonia back into ammonium or amino compounds.

Enhancing root growth and root physiological functions. Roots can respond to signals from biochemical compounds in many ways, including by increasing growth and branching, increasing the uptake of nutrients such as nitrogen, or limiting the uptake of compounds such as salt ions. Roots can also respond to biochemical signaling in the soil biochemistry by making changes to their own exudates. This can have an effect on rhizosphere bacterial functions that, in turn, may help make nutrients more available to the plant. 

Helping Growers Improve Nitrogen Use Efficiency

To gain greater nitrogen use efficiency, growers who are already using the 4R framework and similar practices can utilize additional tools and technologies to aid with soil health, plant health and nutrient efficiency. Available technologies not only include enhanced efficiency fertilizers, nitrogen stabilizers and nitrogen inhibitors, but also biochemical tools like fertilizer biocatalysts, which make use of biochemical mechanisms to directly stimulate bacterial, nutrient and plant functioning. 

The fertilizer biocatalyst Accomplish can effectively convert applied nitrogen into plant-available forms to increase nutrient availability and facilitate nitrogen uptake by the plant, as seen in this pivotal study. Similarly, Extract PBA is a biocatalyst that can be used to release nutrients that are tied up in the soil, hasten residue breakdown and facilitate the cycling of nutrients—including nitrogen—back into the soil. By helping to ensure that more of the nitrogen a grower applies gets into the crop, these biochemical technologies can increase nitrogen use efficiency. 

Learn more about the influence of soil biochemistry on plant health and nutrition by downloading the 'Understanding Soil Microbiology and Biochemistry' booklet.

Wet conditions in the spring can create major planting challenges for growers. Flooding and excess moisture in the fields can lead to millions of acres being left unplanted. Unfortunately, this can create favorable conditions for fallow syndrome, a phosphorus deficiency in the soil that can negatively impact next season’s crop.

Growers with fields left fallow can consider making a fall or spring application of EXTRACT PBA to overcome the potential impact of fallow syndrome. EXTRACT helps growers maximize yields by releasing bound nutrients in the soil, making them available to the next crop.

What causes fallow syndrome?

When the soil is left fallow (uncultivated) for an extended period of time, changes in soil biology occur. In particular, a decrease in the population of specific beneficial fungi, called “vesicular arbuscular mycorrhizae” or VAM, is observed. These mycorrhizal fungi help the roots of plants such as corn take up phosphorus and zinc, but they require actively growing roots to survive. The decline of these fungi in unplanted acres causes fallow syndrome, which primarily impacts grass crops like corn and small grains.

In addition to nutrient deficiencies, fallow conditions also impact soil quality due to reduced organic matter content (e.g., carbon and nitrogen) in the absence of crop residue. As a result, soil microbial functions within the soil are adversely affected, leading to reduced denitrification and soil respiration rates.

Corn is the crop that will be the most impacted. Affected corn plants will exhibit symptoms of phosphorus and zinc deficiency, including stunting, purple leaves, and uneven growth.

How can EXTRACT PBA help?

Growers can turn to EXTRACT to overcome phosphorus deficiency in fallow fields and help prevent fallow syndrome. A soil-applied biocatalyst, EXTRACT is designed to improve soil health and effectively increase the release of nutrients from the soil. In fallow soil conditions, EXTRACT can assist by maximizing the availability of bound phosphorus for easier plant uptake.

In a recent study (Fig. 1) conducted in fallow soils in Minnesota, soil treated with EXTRACT showed a >38% increase in plant-available phosphorus compared to untreated soil. Similar increases in potassium, zinc and several micronutrients were also observed in the study.

Figure 1. Percentage increase in fallow soil nutrient content after treatment with EXTRACT PBA. Both P1 and P2 increased with treatment.

Nutrient release with EXTRACT has also been shown to help increase the yields of corn and other crops, as seen in a meta-analysis that includes 86 trial observations across corn, soybeans and wheat (Fig. 2). 

Figure 2. The average yield increase with a fall or spring application of EXTRACT PBA was 6.56 bu/acre across 86 trials in corn, soybeans and wheat.

Learn more about EXTRACT PBA by downloading the EXTRACT Product Booklet.

Fifth-generation farmer, Dave Kolb, of Kolb Farms near Paynesville, Minnesota, is one of 11 children who grew up working on a dairy farm with his siblings and parents. The Kolbs have been in this area since their ancestors arrived to homestead in 1861.

Today, Dave farms and dairies with three of his brothers and his mother. They employ a corn, oat, alfalfa and wheat rotation to produce forage and grain for the 500 cows that they milk. They also raise their own replacement heifers. It is a very busy operation, but Dave and his family members have seen their hard work pay off, including as entrants in the National Corn Growers Association (NCGA) Corn Yield Contest.

In the 2018 contest, the Kolb Farms plot yielded 259.8895 bu/a, placing third in the Minnesota irrigated division (and just missing first place in the state by 3.73 bushels).

Gabe Kjellsen of Loveland Products (right) presenting an achievement award to Kolb Farms'
Dave Kolb (left) for his success in the NCGA corn yield contest using Accomplish LM technology.

What is Dave doing to achieve his high yields? He has a very detailed fertility program that includes soil and tissue testing followed by foliar sprays to alleviate macro- and micronutrient deficiencies. He also relies on a sound starter fertilizer program that includes 6-24-6 amended with Accomplish LM, a fertilizer biocatalyst, to increase plant rooting and nutrient availability.

In Dave’s own words, “With declining commodity prices, I had to cut some things out of my starter program. But the one input I will not cut is Accomplish LM.”

In 1995, Dave was injured in a car accident that paralyzed him from the waist down, but he hasn't let that slow him down or take him away from the farm. Dave does all the planting, spraying, and crop planning at the farm, and he drives a semi truck. It's another example of the hard work and drive that are helping Kolb Farms successfully meet the challenges of running a busy cropland and dairy operation.

Learn more about the Accomplish LM technology in Dave's starter program by downloading the Accomplish LM product booklet.

In 2018, no fewer than five national winners and seven state winners of the NCGA's National Corn Yield Contest used Agricen's biocatalyst technology on their winning acres. We are fortunate to be represented in the best practices of many leading growers, and humbled by the opportunity to help transform grower productivity.

Before the start of this year's harvest, we had the opportunity to meet up with some of the 2018 NCGA winners to celebrate their success last season. Here are some of the folks we are honored to say have used Accomplish LM, Titan XC or Extract PBA as part of their winning strategy. 

2018 National Winners

• Don Stall, 1st place, Irrigated Corn Category (477.69 bu/a). Don Stall started farming at age 14, when he began cultivating 31 acres for a school project. Following graduation, he served for six years in the Marines, then operated a beef and cash crop operation. Don eventually moved to an all cash crop operation, and he currently farms 2,800 acres of corn, soybeans, and wheat in Charlotte, Michigan. In his "spare time," he serves his local community, both as the Township Supervisor (as he has done for the past 24 years!) and on the board of his county's fire department.

  Don has been entering the NCGA Corn Yield Contest since 2003, when he noticed that he was already achieving yields comparable to the growers who were winning the contest. He has been the Michigan high yield champion for nine years in a row. In both 2017 and 2018, Don won first place nationally in the irrigated corn category, and his winning yield of 477.69 bu/a in 2018 also placed him as the overall yield champion in the United States.

  Don credits a systems approach to his success. "There is no one answer to achieving high yields. It is a system approach, and you must understand your soils better than anyone else."

  Don also treats all of his dry fertilizer with Titan XC to help make the most of his applied nutrition, and he has also used other biocatalyst products in his program. As he says, "Biochemistry is intriguing and interesting. I believe these products are needed in today’s farming."

• Kevin Kalb, 1st place, AA Non-Irrigated Corn (388.07 bu/a), Shawn Kalb, 1st place, AA No-Till/Strip-Till Non-Irrigated (343.0 bu/a) & Nikia Kalb, 3rd place, AA Non-Irrigated Corn (343.23 bu/a). The Kalbs and their four children (including third-place winner, Nikia) grow soybeans and corn in the small town of Dubois, Indiana. They also run a turkey operation, producing over 1.8 million tom turkeys in the last 12 years.

  Kevin and Shawn have been entering the NCGA Corn Yield Contest since 2007, winning 12 national titles in the non-irrigated division. Both Kevin and Shawn have had back-to-back, first-place national wins in their respective categories over the past two years (2017 and 2018).

  In 2018, Kevin achieved his personal best yield in the contest, achieving 388.07 bu/a in the AA Non-Irrigated Corn category.

  The Kalb family can also be seen on the farm reality television show, Corn Warriors.

• Tommy & Valerie Cartrite, 3rd place, Irrigated Corn (350.63 bu/a). Hailing from Sunray, Texas, Tommy and Valerie also won first place in their state competition.

2018 State Winners

• Stuart Askew, 1st place, A No-Till/Strip-Till Non-Irrigated, North Carolina (274.58 bu/a) 
• Connor & Kelly Garrett, 1st place, No-Till / Strip-Till Irrigated, Iowa (326.05 bu/a)
• Tommy & Valerie Cartrite, 1st place, Irrigated, Texas (350.63 bu/a)
• David Hults, 2nd place, No-Till/Strip-Till Irrigated, Idaho (299.27 bu/a) 
• Leslie Lindner, 2nd place, AA Non-Irrigated, Missouri (299.99 bu/a)
• Chris Lindner, 3rd place, AA Non-Irrigated, Missouri (294.35 bu/a)
• David Kolb, 3rd place, Irrigated, Minnesota (259.89 bu/a)

It's starting to matter not just what producers grow, but also how they grow it. Biocatalyst technologies play a role by making fertilizer applications more efficient and more cost effective, while also helping growers achieve their best yields. 

As this season's harvest comes in, we wish the best of luck to all of the growers who are competing in the 2019 corn yield contest.

(UPDATE: Learn about some of the 2019 corn yield contest winners who used biocatalyst technology.)

Learn more about biocatalyst technologies by downloading the Biocatalyst Technology FAQ.

When it comes to fall dry fertilizer applications, poor soil conditions and bad weather can significantly decrease fertilizer efficiency. Treating dry fertilizer with Titan XC before it goes out in the field can help  growers address these challenges and get the highest return on their fertilizer investment.

How Titan XC Helps Maximize Grower ROI

The concentrated biochemistry in Titan XC makes nutrients in treated phosphorus and potassium-based fertilizers available to the crop more quickly. This creates greater fertilizer efficiency in the first season after application and ensures that the crop has the necessary nutrition when it needs it most.

Titan XC also helps hold the applied nutrients in a plant-available form, protecting them from tie-up in adverse soil conditions, such as high pH or poor soil composition. As an additional benefit, Titan XC has been shown to promote greater root system development, which gives the crop better access water and nutrients. This can lead to increased nutrient uptake and better yield performance.

Recent Trials Demonstrate Increased Fertilizer Efficiency

In five recent Midwest corn trials evaluating Titan XC with a fall or spring fertilizer application, treating dry fertilizer with Titan XC led to an average yield increase of 6.8 bu/a compared to untreated fertilizer. This yield increase was achieved despite reducing the treated fertilizer rate by 10% compared to untreated fertilizer.

Getting the Most Out of a Crucial Investment

Adding the Titan XC biocatalyst to dry fertilizer is a great way to get the most out of a crucial investment this fall. With Titan XC, growers can expect to get more efficiency out of their fall-applied phosphorus and potassium fertilizer through increased nutrient availability and enhanced root development, setting the crop up for improved performance in the coming season.

Download the Titan XC corn bulletin to learn more about how Titan XC performs in fall and spring fertilizer programs. 

By Brian Cornelious, PhD, Director of Applied Sciences

The plant biostimulant industry today is improving agricultural sustainability and soil health while generating significant new economic growth. This global growth is being driven by the need to produce more food for a growing world population, and to do so more sustainably in response to demands from consumers, advocacy groups, and regulators.

Plant biostimulants can include products such as bacterial or microbial inoculants, biochemical materials, amino acids, humic acid, fulvic acid, and seaweed extracts.

As part of the Biostimulants Council, Agricen and other council members are working to advance policy and regulatory frameworks that increase biostimulant market access and encourage research and innovation in the United States. A key part of this work is to develop an industry definition of biostimulants in the U.S., similar to work done in Europe that led to the recent inclusion of plant biostimulants in the EU Fertilizing Products Regulation (FPR) that took effect in July 2019. 

Within the FPR, plant biostimulants are defined as:

"A product stimulating plant nutrition processes independently of the product’s nutrient content with the sole aim of improving one or more of the following characteristics of the plant or the plant rhizosphere:

• Nutrient use efficiency
• Tolerance to abiotic stress
• Quality traits
• Availability of confined nutrients in soil or rhizosphere."

Agricen's products, which are based on nature and built on science, are designed to give growers the tools they need to increase plant productivity, quality and sustainability by addressing these points. 

As groups across the spectrum work diligently to address the urgent issues confronting agriculture around the globe, we at Agricen are looking forward to continuing to participate in and meaningfully contribute to the search for new innovations and solutions.

You can learn more about biostimulants for agriculture by downloading our "Growing for the Future" white paper. 

We often focus on Accomplish LM in corn, soybean or wheat crops, but the benefits of Accomplish LM technology also extend to specialty crops like potatoes. A recent side by side comparison from a 2019 potato trial in Grafton, North Dakota shows earlier potato emergence and more robust plants when Accomplish LM has been added to the grower's standard potato fertilizer program. In this trial, Accomplish LM was applied at planting with 10-34-0, placed below the seed in a band.

This translates into yield benefits as well. In this 2018 potato trial from Bear Lake, Michigan, adding Accomplish LM to the grower's standard practice increased potato yield by 44.6 cwt per acre, with a return on investment of over $400 per acre to the grower. 

Other trials similarly show that Accomplish LM is a great fit for growers who want to improve their potato yields. At nine sites that trialed Accomplish LM in potato planter bands from 2008-2012, adding Accomplish LM technology to the grower's standard fertilizer program led to an average potato yield increase of 25 cwt/acre compared to the grower's standard program alone.

We've also seen excellent results on seed potatoes and processing potatoes in Australia, showing the flexibility of this nutrient availability technology in different geographies. 

For more information on Accomplish LM, contact your local Nutrien Ag Solutions location or download the Accomplish LM booklet. 

Cover crops provide many benefits that can improve the health of soil, water, and the following crop. However, they can also pose some drawbacks. In the spring at planting, cover crop skeletons can interfere with seed to soil contact. They can also stress the seedling by interfering with access to sunlight, requiring the planted crop to stretch so that it can reach above the cover crop canopy.

EXTRACT PBA provides an efficient way to manage cover crop skeletons so that growers can avoid these issues and give the coming crop a nutritional boost. These Nutrien Ag Solutions trials conducted in Ohio show how an application of EXTRACT can break down cover crop skeletons to release nutrients for the following crop. 

In the picture above, EXTRACT was applied in the fall at 1 gallon/acre. In the spring prior to emergence, the treated part of the field had better planting conditions with more available nutrients compared to the untreated part of the field. This translated into healthier soybean plants during the growing season.

In the picture below, EXTRACT was applied in the summer at 2 gallons/acre. Once again, this side by side trial shows healthier, more robust soybean plants in the EXTRACT-treated part of the field compared to no treatment.

You can learn more about EXTRACT PBA by downloading the EXTRACT PBA booklet.

A check-in on a corn trial near New Salem, Indiana, shows that Titan XC is adding value to the grower's standard corn program, resulting in bigger roots, plants and stalks where Titan XC-treated fertilizer was used.

“When we compared the plants we pulled, we consistently saw larger root masses, thicker stalks and larger plants on the treated side of the field compared to the untreated side," said Nutrien Ag Solutions' Sierra Gearhart, who is operating the trial.

In this trial, Titan XC was applied at 1 pint/ton to the grower's standard dry fertilizer, which was spread in the spring. In addition to using Titan XC to improve nutrient availability from the dry fertilizer, the trial also included a Nitrain, a nitrogen stabilizer, on the urea and ESN.

We look forward to seeing the results of this trial at harvest!

[UPDATE: Treating the grower's standard dry fertilizer with Titan XC led to a yield advantage of +17 bu/a (240 bu/acre with Titan XC vs. 223 bu/acre untreated) and a $57/acre net return to the grower.]

Learn more about using Titan XC on your acres by contacting your local Nutrien Ag Solutions location or downloading the Titan XC booklet to see how you can increase nutrient availability and improve plant performance.

Whether growers spread dry fertilizer in the fall or spring, Titan XC can help ensure that more of their applied nutrients are used by the crop to maximize yield potential.

In this Minnesota field trial, treating the grower's fall-applied dry fertilizer blend (13-60-70-20S) with Titan XC at 1 pint/ton led to an 11.22 bushel/acre corn yield increase compared to no treatment.

Prior to harvest, tissue samples showed greater uptake of key nutrients by the plant when Titan XC was used.

"We saw a 17% increase in phosphorus and potassium and a 7-8.5% increase in sulfur, zinc and boron in the plant with Titan XC," noted Mike Amundson, location manager for the MN/SD Division of Nutrien Ag Solutions, which operated the trial. 

Learn more about Titan XC by downloading the Titan XC product booklet. 

Jeff van Kalker, a tested operations and supply chain innovator, has joined Agricen as Director of Operations. In his new role, Jeff is responsible for overseeing safety, quality, capacity planning and logistics at the facilities where Agricen's biological and biochemical products are manufactured. 

Prior to joining Agricen, Jeff was director of operations at Ecolab, a global leader in water, hygiene and energy technologies and services, where he developed multiple new products and product lines that significantly increased revenue and profitability.

“Jeff has a track record of developing and managing best practices in manufacturing, supply chain, distribution and plant operations. He will be a tremendous asset to Agricen as we continue to expand our manufacturing capacity and develop new products and technology,” said John Wolf, Agricen’s Senior Director of Innovation.

Jeff earned his Bachelor of Science degree in mechanical engineering from the University of Florida and an MBA from the University of North Carolina at Greensboro. He is a certified Lean Six Sigma deployment leader.

We're happy to welcome Jeff to the team!

Explore some of Agricen's commercialized technologies by downloading the Biocatalyst Technology FAQ booklet.

We are happy to welcome Smrithi Rajagopal as Agricen's Solutions Innovation Manager. 

Smrithi will focus on determining the feasibility of commercializing new and emerging technologies, working with different stakeholders to identify customer needs and validate business and technical requirements for targeted plant health solutions. She will also manage and lead multidisciplinary project teams to advance the development and market introduction of new plant health products and technologies. 

“Smrithi brings the right balance of product marketing, project management and scientific skills to advance our processes for bringing plant health solutions to market,” said John Wolf, Agricen’s Senior Director of Innovation. “She will also play an instrumental role in developing and implementing new education programs for our client customers to help them fully understand the role and functioning of our sustainable biocatalyst technologies.”

Prior to her new appointment, Smrithi was a process engineer and research associate with Agricen Sciences, Agricen’s sister company. Previously, she was a graduate research assistant at the University of Cincinnati. She holds a Master of Science degree in Innovation and Entrepreneurship from the University of Texas, a Master of Chemical Engineering degree from the University of Cincinnati and a Bachelor of Technology degree in Chemical Engineering from Anna University in Chennai, India.

Please join us in welcoming Smrithi!

Explore some of Agricen's commercialized technologies by downloading the Biocatalyst Technology FAQ booklet.

By Maud Hinchee, PhD, Chief Science Officer, Agricen Sciences 

It’s spring, and newly germinated seedlings are revving their engines!

Once a seedling has secured a foothold with its root, it uses the power of its photosynthetic engines to drive growth. Sunlight is the fuel source, enabling the plant to produce the proteins, lipids and carbohydrates it needs to make new leaves and new roots. To create these internal building blocks, the seedling must mine and extract raw materials from the soil in the form of water, macronutrients and micronutrients.

How does a root prospect? Unlike the “49ers” who picked up their stakes and often travelled great distances to join the California Gold Rush, a plant is literally rooted to its home. Often, its immediate home is not choice real estate with plentiful water and nutrients on tap, so the plant needs to be able to find water and nutrients, sometimes at great distance, and “sluice” them back through its root system to the growing shoot.

Crop plants are lucky, as growers work to ensure that the necessary nutrients, especially nitrogen and phosphorus, are available for their germinating seeds through careful fertilization. However, added nutrients are not necessarily distributed evenly in the soil. Nitrogen, typically applied as nitrate or ammonia, tends to move relatively easily and homogenously down through the soil, while phosphorus tends to be bound up quickly with metals and is typically found in patches nearer to the soil surface.

The most productive plants are ones that can efficiently find and utilize nutrients – no matter where they might be distributed in the soil – by “sniffing” them out with their growing root tip, which has nutrient receptors that function similarly to the receptors found in our nose. These receptors can sense whether or not a nutrient is present. If a root perceives a low or high concentration of a nutrient, it responds by changing its nutrient mining strategy.

If the seedling’s growing primary root senses a low quantity of phosphorus, the seedling shifts its nutrient excavation strategy. It slows its primary root growth and produces a higher density of long, lateral roots that can better prospect for bioavailable phosphorus typically found in the topsoil. If a lucky lateral root finds a rich pocket of bioavailable phosphorus, then additional root proliferation and root hair formation may occur to fully mine that motherlode.

In the case of nitrogen, which tends to be distributed more deeply and homogenously in the soil, the primary root continues to drive down into the soil, producing lateral roots that are relatively evenly distributed along its length. If the root senses that nitrogen levels are becoming low, then it devotes energy to lateral root growth to increase its access to larger soil volumes.  

The root system doesn't find its nutrients by chance! As the seedling journeys towards its ultimate goal of reproducing, it actively modifies its root system to best drill into a rich vein of water or nutrients.

Growers can help, too, by using biocatalyst technologies that increase root mass and enhance root development, allowing plants to better mine the nutrients they need to grow and yield optimally.

Learn more about biocatalyst technologies by browsing Agricen's collection of resources, which includes product studies, videos and publications.

With plant health innovation at the core of our business, we are pleased to announce that John Wolf has been appointed as Senior Director of Innovation. In this role, John will define, identify, and lead new innovation initiatives and strategies, with a focus on developing new technologies to improve plant health in agriculture and related industries.

John rejoins Agricen after serving for four years as general manager of CH Biotech R&D Co., a developer of plant health and nutrition technologies that is also a strategic partner of Loveland Products.

“John’s recent experience running a research and development-focused company is a tremendous asset as we develop and commercialize new plant health technologies and grow into new markets and geographies,” said Michael Totora, Agricen's President and CEO.

Previously, John directed commercial development at Agricen. He has also held several management positions at Loveland Products, with responsibilities spanning sales, technical support and marketing within the company's plant nutrition business and sales and marketing of specialty agricultural chemicals in Asia. Earlier in his career, John served as general manager at Applied Spray Technologies and as product manager for the adjuvants and micronutrients business of United Agri Products.

Please join us in welcoming John!

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Learn about Agricen's innovative technologies by accessing our Biocatalyst Technology FAQ booklet.

Results of an on-farm trial in Nebraska show the ability of Accomplish LM to help corn growers maximize the yield potential of their crops. 

In the trial, which took place in Beatrice, Nebraska, adding Accomplish LM to the grower's standard fertilizer practice increased corn yield by an average of 13.16 bushels per acre, for a profit of $36.71 per acre.

The grower's standard practice was dual placement of NH₃ and 10-34-0 in a banded application.  In the treated areas, Accomplish LM was added at 1 quart/acre to the 10-34-0 during fertilizer application in the fall of 2017.

Based on the results of this trial, the grower will be using Accomplish LM on all 1,200 acres of corn in 2019.

Accomplish LM is perfect for banded and in-furrow applications, as well as for mixing with broadcast liquid blends. Learn more by downloading the Accomplish LM product booklet.

ACCOMPLISH MAX, EXTRACT PBA and TITAN XC are biocatalyst technologies available from Loveland Products through Nutrien Ag Solutions.

Powered by naturally derived biochemical technology, these products are designed to increase nutrient availability from applied fertilizers, promote nutrient mineralization in the soil to increase existing nutrient availability, and support root growth through biochemical interactions with the plant and soil. ACCOMPLISH MAX also contains a kelp-derived technology that helps increase a plant's tolerance to abiotic stresses such as cool temperatures, fertilizer salts, dry conditions or heat.

Our booklet, "Biocatalyst Technology: Frequently Asked Questions," explains:

• What ACCOMPLISH MAX, EXTRACT PBA and TITAN XC are

• How the products work

• When to use them

• How biocatalyst technology can increase nutrient use efficiency and help growers get more out of their fertilizer investment

Learn more about these products for agriculture by downloading the booklet.

Broken O Ranch in Augusta, Montana, is a farming operation that grows wheat, barley, alfalfa, flax, canola and chickpeas on about 12,000 irrigated acres.

A big concern at the ranch is how to handle crop residue without burning it. Most states around Montana have banned all burning of residue. Dale Clark, the farm manager at Broken O Ranch, feels that it's only a matter of time before the practice is banned in Montana as well. But he also has bigger issues with the practice.

“Burning residue not only takes time and labor, but it also adversely affects the availability of soil moisture because the ground becomes harder after burning," says Dale. "More than that, it negatively impacts nutrient availability. Nutrients are lost when ash is blown by the wind and redeposited or carried off.”

"At Broken O, we’ve been looking for a sustainable solution that we can implement right now,” he says.

A fall view from the farm shop at Broken O Ranch

Striving for a residue management system that dovetails with his no-till approach to farming, Dale tried EXTRACT PBA in the fall of 2017 after a large harvest, applying it on three circles of straw (one durum wheat, one spring wheat and one malt barley). Dale's durum wheat and malt barley yields that year topped 120 bu/acre, while his spring wheat reached 95-100 bu/a. On a dry matter basis, the straw in the durum wheat field alone was approximately 6 tons/acre.

With the goal of breaking down the large amount of residue from his harvest and recycling carbon and nutrients back into the soil profile*, Dale applied EXTRACT PBA at a rate of 1 gal/acre with 2 gallons of UAN 32% through a center pivot with 1-inch of moisture.

In the spring at planting, Dale's no-till drills were able to make it through the durum residue successfully. Root balls from the previous crop broke apart, and the residue was decomposed enough to allow for planting. In the spring wheat field, excessively large windrows had been created by the combine at harvest. The concentration of residue into large windrows unfortunately proved too big a challenge for the rate of EXTRACT PBA that was used, and the field was burned. The field of barley straw was also burned due to excessive residue from the large crop.

Residue management is critical for soil health, soil moisture management, and nutrient management, all of which can lead to more sustainable crop yields. Previously, Dale’s main option for residue management at Broken O Ranch was to burn the residue. He now feels like he has another option—EXTRACT PBA—which allowed him to spare one field from being burned. This not only saved time and labor, but also had soil and plant health benefits.

Dale will continue to experiment with higher rates of EXTRACT PBA to sustainably break down his large amounts of residue and mineralize nutrients produced by his high-yielding crops^†.  

Learn more about EXTRACT PBA by downloading the EXTRACT PBA booklet.

*Typically, one ton of wheat straw contains 9-12 lbs of nitrogen, 3-4 lbs of phosphorus (P₂O₅) and 25-45 lbs of potassium (K₂0). The nitrogen and phosphorus in cereal grain residue is in an organic form that is not available for plants to use as fertilizer. It must be broken down into inorganic plant-available forms: NH₄₊ (ammonium) and HPO₄ (hydrogen phosphate), respectively.

†In previous wheat residue trials where cereal grain yield topped 100 bu/acre, an application of the biocatalyst technology in Extract PBA at 3 qts/acre led to a statistically significant increase in crop yield (at .05) when applied with 1 or 2 gallons of UAN 32 %.

By Stephen Sexton (@AgricenLifer), Agricen

Yellow seedlings are a familiar sight for many corn growers. On continuous corn acres, the carbon-to-nitrogen ratio can be more than double the optimal ratio* for crop residue decomposition due to the buildup of organic matter from multiple years of corn-on-corn rotations. Even if a grower has applied nitrogen during the previous fall or around spring planting, soil microbes can out-compete seedling corn plants for nitrogen when excess carbon is present. The microbes use the nitrogen as a food source, immobilizing it as they work to degrade crop residues; the seedling corn plants, meanwhile, turn yellow due to a lack of available nitrogen.

One effective way to solve the problem of yellow corn seedlings in corn-on-corn rotations is to lower soil C:N ratios by baling corn stalks for winter cow feed. Unfortunately, this is really only practical if one has cows—and most row crop farmers do not. In addition, complete removal of corn residue also takes away a significant amount of the N, P and K that comprises corn stover (Table 1).

Table 1. Nutrient Removal Chart for 200 Bushel Corn Residue

A second option for making sure seedling corn has enough nitrogen is obvious enough: apply more nitrogen to meet the needs of both the soil microbe system and the seedling corn. A common approach in the Corn Belt is to broadcast 10-15 gallons of UAN 28% on corn residue after harvest, with the idea that the extra nitrogen will facilitate rapid decomposition of the corn residue.

But more nitrogen isn’t necessarily the best or only solution for row crop growers. Numerous field trials show that ACCOMPLISH technology, which is found in the product EXTRACT PBA, can accelerate the breakdown of crop residues, even on no-till acres. The concentrated biochemistry in the product also effectively releases nutrients tied up in the stover—with resulting yield increases at harvest time.

Research conducted at the University of Illinois illustrates the value of residue management using EXTRACT in a corn on corn system. In that trial (below), both mechanical chopping and the addition of ammonium thiosulfate (AMS), a nitrogen source, tended to increase yield through improved residue management, but only through the addition of EXTRACT did corn yield begin to exceed statistically significant levels.

The practice of using EXTRACT to increase nutrient efficiencies in high-residue fields is supported by data from numerous trials, such as the corn trial from Indiana below, where a residue management application of EXTRACT in corn on corn acres resulted in a +8.78 bu/a yield increase at harvest compared to untreated acres.

Typically, residue applications with EXTRACT are made in October, when the ambient air and soil temperatures are cooling. The concentrated biochemistry in the product will continue to decompose corn residue even in cooler soil temperatures.

For any grower, it can be a challenge to optimize nutrient release from crop residue—and to get those nutrients mineralized in time for the growing season. But “more nitrogen” isn’t always the answer. Making EXTRACT part of your program is a cost-effective way to unlock the nutrients tied up in your stover, and keeps your seedling corn green.

*A C:N ratio of 20-30:1 is optimal.

Learn more about EXTRACT PBA by downloading the Maximizing Nutrient Release from Crop Residue booklet.

David and Nicole Hults are second-generation Idaho farmers. David’s parents, Joseph and Kay, first moved to Idaho in 1971, farming just 160 acres with a Massey Ferguson Tractor and an 8’ disk. The family’s acres, equipment and practices have grown and changed significantly since then.

Today, in partnership with David’s parents, David and Nicole grow corn, alfalfa and potatoes on about 5,000 acres of land. The family also has a number of NCGA Corn Yield Contest wins under their belt—in part because of their willingness to test and adopt new approaches to maximizing production.

Adopting New Technologies to Reach Corn Yield Goals

David always fertilizes with a 300 bushel per acre corn yield goal, and his personal best is 307 bushels per acre.

Some of his current practices include spreading dairy manure at 10-20 tons per acre, depending on his soil’s nutrient analysis. Additional nitrogen is applied as liquid UAN through the center pivot as needed. The soils are tested every year, and the fields are rotated on the same schedule.

David said the NCGA Corn Yield Contest encourages entrants to adopt new technologies to increase plant health, standability and crop yields. In 2015, David’s agronomist at Nutrien Ag Solutions, Chris Smith, introduced the Hults family to Accomplish LM as an additive or catalyst to their existing in-furrow starter program to increase phosphorus availability and plant health.

The Hults Farm

After adding Accomplish LM at 2 liters per acre to their starter program, the Hults family noticed faster, more even corn germination. Plants also kept growing at a faster rate with a darker, greener color—followed by increased yields and grain test weight at the end of the season compared to their corn crops grown without Accomplish LM. 

That same year, David had the top two NCGA entries in Idaho in the No-Till/Strip Till Irrigated category (267.45 and 263.92 bu/a, respectively). In 2016, David and his family again saw success with their program in the contest, with Nicole placing first and David placing second among Idahoans in No-Till/Strip-Till Irrigated (253.83 and 246.34 bu/a, respectively) and Joe placing second in Irrigated (289.66 bu/a). And in 2017, David placed second and Joe placed third among Idaho entrants in the No-Till/Strip Till Irrigated category (266.52 and 265.76 bu/a, respectively), while Nicole placed first and Kay placed second among Idaho entrants in the Irrigated category (292.73 and 291.98 bu/a, respectively).

Each of the Hults is competing again with entries for the 2018 season and with Accomplish LM as part of their program. We hope to see their name among the winners!

(UPDATE: The Hults family took winning places again in the 2018 and 2019 contests!)

Learn more about Accomplish LM by downloading the Accomplish LM product booklet.

Using Titan XC to improve nutrient release from dry fertilizer can make a big difference when it comes to wheat germination.

In this demonstration, seventeen MESZ fertilizer prills were mixed into field soil in each tray. Prior to mixing in the fertilizer, Titan XC was sprayed on prills in the treated tray. As you can see, wheat germination is significantly advanced in the tray on the right that received the Titan XC treatment. 

You can also see a similar demo in this 10-day timelapse video, which shows a significant improvement in both wheat and corn germination with Titan XC.

Unique to Loveland Products and available from Nutrien Ag Solutions, Titan XC is powered by concentrated, naturally derived biochemistry that is created by Agricen through a proprietary fermentation process. With Titan XC technology on their dry fertilizers, growers can better ensure that their crop will make the best use of their P and K fertilizer investment.

Learn more about Titan XC by downloading the Titan XC product booklet. 

A field trial in Bermuda grass showed impressive results when Titan XC was added to the grower's standard fertilizer program. At the first cutting, the grower's hay yield was twice as high where Titan XC-treated fertilizer had been used (4,800 lbs/acre) compared to where the untreated fertilizer was used (2,400 lbs/acre).

For the trial, Titan XC was applied at 1 pint/ton to the grower's dry fertilizer blend, consisting of N-P-K with sulfur. Treated and untreated fertilizer was applied to the field, which was located near Billings, Oklahoma, on April 17, 2018 (64 acres treated and 52 acres untreated). The first cutting was taken on June 22, 2018. Yield numbers were determined by weighing bales from five windrows each in the treated and untreated areas.

Titan XC can be applied in spring or fall to help maximize nutrient release from dry fertilizers.

Learn how Titan XC can add value to your farming program by downloading the Titan XC booklet. 

This year, Agricen celebrates 20 years of agricultural technology research, discovery and innovation aimed at sustainably improving crop yields. Two decades is no small feat in the agribusiness industry, and it's an even bigger achievement in our sector, focused on agricultural biostimulants and biologicals.

This sector has made huge strides since we were founded in 1998 in Pilot Point, Texas. When we began, there was a general skepticism about biological solutions for agriculture. This was driven in part by a lack of knowledge about how the science had begun to advance—moving beyond "bathtub brews" to advanced, quality controlled products with claims that could be supported by field and university data.

After viewing this alfalfa field image, the grower, who is a dairyman, went to visit his local Nutrien Ag Solutions branch in Dassell, Minnesota with an important question: "What's wrong with the top half of the field?"

Looking back in his records, branch manager Mike Amundson saw that the only difference between the different parts of the field was that fertilizer on the top half of the field had not been treated with a biocatalyst. The fertilizer on the bottom half, where the alfalfa crop was really thriving, had been treated with Titan XC.

Both the treated and untreated fertilizer (200 lbs/acre of ammonium sulfate) had been spread on May 25, 2017. Titan XC was applied to the treated fertilizer prior to spreading. The Echelon image, seen above, was taken two months later, on July 29, 2017.

It turns out that Titan XC was the key to bringing out the best in this alfalfa field. 

Learn more about Titan XC by downloading the Titan XC booklet.

Our final winner profile from the 2017 National Corn Growers Association (NCGA) corn yield contest features Jeannie and Wally Linneweber of Vincennes, Indiana. With a yield of 347.5 bushels per acre, Jeannie earned second place nationwide in the AA non-irrigated corn category. She and Wally used Titan XC as part of their winning program.

Jeannie Linneweber: 2nd Place — AA Non-Irrigated Corn

Location: Vincennes, IN

Yield:  347.5 bu/acre

Hybrid: Pioneer

Products Used: Titan XC

Serviced by: Jeff Houchin, Branch Manager, Nutrien Ag Solutions, Decker, IN and John Wheatley, Nutrien Ag Solutions, Oaktown, IN 

Jeannie and Wally Linneweber of Vincennes, Indiana. Jeannie came in second place nationally in the AA non-irrigated corn category.

Jeannie and Wally Linneweber farm on the same land where Wally's mother and several other generations of his family were born. The Linnewebers grow a variety of row crops, typically corn, soybeans, milo (grain sorghum) and wheat. They also raise hogs on a contract basis in ten hog finishing buildings on their property.

The couple is no stranger to the NCGA corn yield contest. In 2007 and 2015, they placed first nationwide. The couple placed second in 2009 and, in 2017, Jeannie took second place nationally for AA non-irrigated corn. 

The entrance to Linneweber Farms.

"It's a great experience to participate in the contest," said Wally. "We know the seed companies personally, especially Pioneer Seed, and we have the privilege to test new genetics as they're made available first."

The field they planted for the 2017 NCGA contest has been corn on corn for 30 years. They credit some of their success in the contest to the hog manure that they obtain from their finishing buildings and use as a fertilizer. Another part of their winning program in 2017 was Titan XC, which they used on their dry fertilizer for the first time after having it recommended by their crop advisors from Nutrien Ag Solutions. 

As for trying Titan XC, Wally says, "So far, so good!"

John Wheatley, Nutrien Ag Solutions, Oaktown, Indiana (left) and Jeff Houchin, Branch Manager, Nutrien Ag Solutions, Decker, Indiana (right). 

Jeannie and Wally began the 2017 NCGA contest as entrants in the no-till non-irrigated category, but ended up competing in the AA non-irrigated category after heavy, pounding rains forced them to replant about 600 acres of corn in mid-May of that year. Interestingly, the corn they did not tear out at replanting yielded 150 bushels less than the corn they did replant.

In 2018, the couple will reduce their acres of corn planted due to prices, with more acreage devoted to soybeans. They also plan to compete in the NCGA corn yield contest again.

We wish them and all of the other growers the best of luck!

To find out more about the other winners who used a biocatalyst product like Titan XC, you can read our profile of Don Stall, national winner of the irrigated corn category, or Kevin and Shawn Kalb, who won two non-irrigated corn categories. 

You can also learn more about Titan XC by downloading the Titan XC booklet.

Today, we feature Kevin and Shawn Kalb of Dubois, Indiana, a husband and wife team who used Accomplish LM as part of their programs to win two non-irrigated categories in the 2017 National Corn Growers Association (NCGA) corn yield contest. With a yield of 386.16 bushels per acre, Kevin placed first nationwide in the AA non-irrigated corn category, while Shawn's yield of 354.13 bushels per acre put her in first place for AA no-till/strip-till non-irrigated corn. 

Kevin Kalb: 1st Place — AA Non-Irrigated Corn

Shawn Kalb: 1st Place — AA No-Till / Strip-Till Non-Irrigated Corn

Location: Dubois, IN

Yield:  386.16 bu/acre (Kevin) & 354.13 bu/acre (Shawn)

Hybrid: Dekalb

Products Used: Accomplish LM

Serviced by: Scott Brinkman, Branch Manager, Nutrien Ag Solutions, Jasper, IN

Kevin Kalb, winner of the 2017 AA non-irrigated corn category, is pictured above holding the trophies awarded by Agricen to him and his wife, Shawn. Shawn (not pictured) won the AA no-till/strip-till category.

You can also learn more about Accomplish LM by accessing our Accomplish LM booklet.

When the National Corn Growers Association (NCGA) announced the national winners of the 2017 NCGA corn yield contest earlier this year, four of these top corn producers had something big in common. It was their use of one or more biocatalyst technologies made by Agricen and available from Loveland Products. Over the next few weeks we will profile each of those top producers and talk about how they utilized Accomplish LM, Extract PBA or Titan XC as part of their winning program. This week, we start by featuring Don Stall of Charlotte, Michigan. With a yield of 407.22 bushels/acre, Don placed first in the nation for irrigated corn.

Don Stall: 1^st Place — Irrigated Corn

Location: Charlotte, MI

Yield: 407.22 bu/acre - $743.04/acre ROI

Hybrid: Pioneer

Products Used: Accomplish LM, Titan XC and Extract PBA

Serviced by: Clay Martz, Branch Manager & Consulting Agronomist, Nutrien Ag Solutions - Woodbury, MI

2017 Irrigated Corn Winner Don Stall (left) is pictured above with Clay Martz (right), Nutrien Ag Solutions Branch Manager.

Poultry manures and litters are an excellent source of crop nutrients—ones that can be more easily accessed by the crop when EXTRACT PBA, which contains ACCOMPLISH nutrient release technology, is used. In the corn trials below, this biocatalyst technology maximized nutrient release from poultry manures so that more nutrients were available to the crop, leading to higher corn yields.  

In a trial conducted in Kentucky, EXTRACT was spread with UAN over turkey manure in the fall. Soil samples from the treated and untreated plots were taken in January, and showed an increase in the availability of many nutrients with the EXTRACT application. At harvest there was a 16.9 bu/acre corn yield increase where EXTRACT had been applied. 

Research by the University of Arkansas also shows that biocatalyst technology can improve corn yields in poultry manure applications. In these replicated corn trials, ACCOMPLISH was applied over fresh and pelletized poultry manure at broadcast in the spring. At harvest, the biocatalyst treatment was associated with a corn yield increase of 30.7 bu/acre where fresh poultry manure had been used and 32.8 bu/acre where pelletized manure had been applied. Both findings were statistically significant (P≤0.1).

For convenience of application, EXTRACT can be applied with burndown herbicides or with pre-emergent herbicides in a fertility program with poultry manure or litter.

Learn more about using biocatalyst technology to release nutrition from poultry manures and litters, swine manure, and cattle manure by viewing our manure studies.

In a demonstration conducted by Nutrien Ag Solutions in Galesburg, Illinois, EXTRACT PBA was sprayed in fall on a corn field post-harvest. In the following spring, stalks were pulled and split to examine the differences in residue breakdown between treated and untreated parts of the field.

As seen in the photo, the EXTRACT-treated stalks were in a more advanced stage of decomposition than untreated stalks by early spring. 

EXTRACT was sprayed on Nov. 29, 2017. This photo shows corn stalks from treated and untreated parts of the field that were pulled and split on March 23, 2018. 

"I think this picture speaks volumes about product performance due to the fact that EXTRACT was sprayed when nozzles were almost freezing up, and the stalks were pulled when it was nearly freezing outside," says Michael Bern, the crop consultant who performed the demo. "It's a good illustration of how EXTRACT works when the soil microbes technically haven’t even woken up from hibernation."

EXTRACT can be broadcast or applied though fertigation at 1 to 2 gallons/acre, with 1 gallon of UAN/acre recommended and a minimum spray volume of 10 gallons/acre. 

Learn more by downloading the EXTRACT product booklet.

Accomplish MAX, Extract PBA, and Titan XC contain concentrated biochemistry that helps growers increase nutrient availability to their crops, enhances root growth and functioning, and improves overall plant performance. But, what exactly is biochemistry?

Biochemistry is the chemistry of life. It is created by, in, and from living organisms, such as soil microbes. A number of different biochemistries are created by soil microbes—each serving an important role in soil microbial functioning, and even in plant functioning.

Examples include:

• Enzymes to break down organic matter or transform N for energy
• Proteins to signal changes in microbe response
• Antibiotics to reduce competition
• Chelators to mobilize nutrients
• Other compounds to induce plant rooting, change physiological functions, induce immune responses, or increase salt tolerance

By controlling the flow of information between soil microorganisms, biochemistry acts to regulate their activity in everything from the breakdown of bound nutrition to the metabolism of individual microbes.

You can learn more about biochemistry and its role in plant health by downloading our booklet, Understanding Soil Microbiology & Biochemistry. 

We're happy to announce the hiring of Scott Lay as director of business development at Agricen. In his new role, Scott will focus on developing plant health technology partnerships and collaborations in emerging market segments and regions. 

Scott is a seasoned ag industry veteran. He joins Agricen from Loveland Products, where he most recently served as Midwest area sales manager for four years. Prior to that role, Scott was proprietary products manager for five divisions of Crop Production Services (CPS) in Illinois, where he was instrumental in the successful introduction and promotion of leading Loveland brands, including Accomplish LM, Titan XC, and Extract PBA. He has also served in various roles with Bayer CropScience, working with professional farm management, consultants and state commodity managers.

"Agricen’s longstanding relationship with Loveland Products has given me the opportunity to understand the company's unique plant health technology platform and its benefits for growers," said Scott. “I'm excited to be a part of the team and to help connect new markets with Agricen's proven plant health technologies.” 

Please join us in welcoming Scott as the newest member of our team!

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Learn more about Agricen's plant health technologies by accessing our Biocatalyst Technology FAQ booklet.

Results from cotton, corn and soybean trials conducted in North Carolina and Virginia show how Titan XC can optimize yield potential by enhancing the availability of applied P&K within an annual cropping cycle.

In cotton, treating dry fertilizer with Titan XC led to a yield increase of 328 lbs of lint/acre compared to untreated fertilizer, for a return on investment of over $203/acre for the grower.

Corn trials conducted at five locations in the mid-North Carolina and Virginia region showed an average yield increase of 10.4 bushels/acre with Titan XC-treated dry fertilizer compared to untreated, with an average ROI of $31.60/acre.

Finally, soybean trials conducted at six locations in North Carolina demonstrated an average yield increase of 3.98 bushels/acre when Titan XC-treated fertilizer was used, with an average ROI of $28.84/acre.

Learn more about using Titan XC as an agronomic tool in your dry fertilizer program by viewing our Titan XC featured studies. 

Agricen and Taranis, a precision agriculture company, have received a grant from the Israel-U.S. Binational Industrial Research and Development (BIRD) Foundation to collaborate on a project to advance and commercialize a new precision agriculture system for abiotic stress detection and prevention in row crops. 

Abiotic stresses are environmental or physical impacts on a plant (e.g., drought, salinity, extreme temperatures, nutrient deficiency), and result in billions of dollars of lost crop value each year. The Agricen/Taranis collaboration will address this agricultural challenge by creating a solution that merges the Taranis platform—which incorporates field imaging technology and a deep learning algorithm—with Agricen’s proven biostimulant technologies.

Once developed, the system will be able to be utilized in any geography to help detect and prevent abiotic stress in row crops, saving growers significant time and resources while increasing plant health and yield opportunities.

A simulation of the abiotic stress detection platform that will be developed is shown in the image above, with red boxes outlining the signs of drought stress in corn. Based on the stress identified, appropriate recommendations can be made—including the use of agricultural biostimulants—to both ameliorate the conditions causing stress and prevent further crop damage.  

Learn more about Agricen's biostimulant technologies by downloading our Biocatalyst Technology FAQ. 

In this corn field trial from Wood River, Nebraska, a spring application of Extract PBA led to a corn yield result that was 32 bu/a better than check at harvest. Assuming $5.80 bushel corn, the yield result from this trial translates into an ROI of $173.60 per acre.

The trial was conducted in an irrigated corn on corn plot with very high residue. The plot was minimum tilled in front of the planter. Right after planting, Extract PBA was broadcast applied at 1 gal/acre with 1 gal/acre UAN and 8 gal/acre of water. The trial was harvested at the end of October. 

Extract PBA is labeled for both spring broadcast applications and residue management applications.

Learn more about maximizing nutrient release with Extract PBA by accessing the Extract PBA information booklet.

Results from corn trials in central Indiana show the potential for big corn yield gains and ROI with fall-applied Titan XC. 

In the fall of 2016, Titan XC-treated and untreated dry fertilizer (MES10 and 0-0-60) was applied to three fields in central Indiana using a variable rate technology (VRT) system. The fields were planted with corn in the spring. In the fall of 2017, the corn crop harvested from Titan XC-treated parts of the fields demonstrated both an increased yield and an impressive ROI compared to the crops harvested from the untreated parts of the fields. 

In both the first and second trials, the yield improvement with Titan XC was 12 bu/a compared to untreated, with an ROI of more than $35 an acre. In the third trial, the yield improvement with Titan XC was even more impressive at a whopping 41 bu/a, with an ROI of more than $135/acre.

Learn more about Titan XC by watching our "Fertilizer Breakdown with Titan XC" video. 

Growers who spread dry fertilizer on corn fields going to soybeans may want to consider the results of this Titan XC trial from Cozad, Nebraska. In a test plot, treating dry fertilizer with Titan XC provided a 14 bushel/acre yield advantage in soybeans compared to the soybean plots where untreated fertilizer was applied.

Over the past few years, we've posted several agriculture-related videos that showcase the efforts growers are making to implement new products and practices that help them improve ag productivity and sustainability. If you haven't yet seen them, here are a few of the most popular and most recent.

Prove It to Me (4-min version)

"Prove It to Me" follows 5 growers in Iowa and Arkansas during the course of a growing season. See the issues they face, as well as how they approach using new products—including Accomplish and Titan—as they try to maximize their productivity and sustainability. 

Grower Stories: Chris Perkins, Otwell, Indiana

In this video, you can hear Chris Perkins, a grower and Nutrien Ag Solutions location manager in Otwell, Indiana, speak about how he uses Accomplish and Titan to tap into nutrients in his field, bring up fertility levels, and sustain a healthy soil structure under his corn on corn acres. You will also hear from Dr. Fred Below of the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, who discusses the success Chris has had raising soil fertility levels and crop productivity. 

Building Sustainable Agriculture Programs

Working together with state and local government, USDA, and others, farmers around Black Hawk Lake in Iowa are testing and implementing conservation practices to protect the lake from nitrate runoff. As part of their efforts, Jeff Frank and some other local growers are using Accomplish and other biocatalyst products to help them be even more sustainable in their agricultural practices, while also keeping their acres productive. See what they are doing by watching the video.

You can also access our biocatalyst technology FAQ to learn more about Accomplish, Titan, and other biocatalyst technologies.

As growers deal with tight budgets and carefully evaluate all of their input costs, a simple dry fertilizer demonstration shows why Titan XC is important to any operation's bottom line.

Prepared by Nutrien Ag Solutions in Cecilia, Kentucky, these jar tests shows the value that Titan XC brings when applied to dry fertilizers. As you can see in the photos, Titan XC has accelerated the breakdown of fertilizer prill in the treated jars, translating into greater nutrient release and improved fertilizer efficiency in the field. All photos were taken after three weeks.

You can see similar results in this time-lapse video of fertilizer breakdown with Titan XC on 9-23-30, 11-52-0 and MESZ fertilizers.

Download the Titan XC product booklet or contact Nutrien Ag Solutions to learn more about using this biocatalyst technology for dry fertilizers.

In this Kansas wheat trial, Titan XC provided a yield and ROI advantage when used with a banded dry fertilizer application.

Titan XC was applied at 1 pint per ton on MicroEssentials SZ (MESZ), which was placed in-furrow. Compared to the untreated MESZ, the Titan XC-treated MESZ raised wheat yields, with a 7 bu/a yield increase. With wheat prices estimated at $6.50/bu, the return on investment with Titan XC in this trial would be $43.62 per acre.

Titan XC contains concentrated biochemistry that can help growers unlock the potential of their dry fertilizer program. By accelerating prill breakdown to expedite nutrient availability and uptake, Titan XC can turn dry fertilizer into a driver of performance on your farm.

Learn more about using Titan XC to maximize the efficiency of dry fertilizers by watching a webinar.

In a Dyna-Gro corn plot harvested near Cozad, Nebraska, treating MicroEssentials SZ (MESZ) fertilizer with Titan XC led to a 14.4 bushel per acre increase in corn yield compared to untreated MESZ. The corn was harvested on September 20, 2017.

In the trial, MESZ was applied at a rate of 120 pounds per acre. In the treated rows, Titan XC had been applied to the dry fertilizer at 1 pint per ton. Corn from the eight rows fertilized with Titan XC-treated MESZ yielded 282.7 bu/acre, while the corn yield from the eight rows sown with untreated fertilizer was 268 bu/acre. The previous crop was soybean.

To learn more about Titan XC, please visit the Titan XC information hub.

Extract PBA has been making a big difference in soybean trials being conducted by Nutrien Ag Solutions Palmyra at a farm just outside of Monroe City, Missouri. Extract PBA was applied in the fall of 2016 at 1 gallon per acre on corn stalks, along with 2 gallons per acre of UAN. Soybeans were planted on May 18, 2017, and all pictures were taken approximately two months later, on July 26, 2017.

The photos show that soybeans from the Extract-treated part of the field have longer primary roots, larger leaves and stems, and more nodes and nodules compared to soybeans from the untreated parts of the field. 

"There is a significant difference in the number of nodes and nodules," says Andrea Althoff, the intern in charge of conducting the trial. "The greater number of nodules helps with nutrient absorption and the consistency of the plants allows for more even sunlight distribution, both of which can lead to higher yields."

Andrea notes that the farm, which follows a corn/soybean rotation, has clay pan soils with poor drainage. Although it is drought prone, she adds that it is capable of producing 200 bushel corn and 70 bushel soybeans when growing conditions line up.

See more Extract PBA results in soybeans by downloading our featured soybean study. 

After a fertilizer application, hungry crops must wait for nutrient mineralization to occur before the applied nutrients are available to use. To speed up and enhance this process, growers can utilize Extract PBA as a nutrient release tool to improve nutrient availability and uptake. As seen in this winter wheat trial, the result is noticeably better plant performance when compared to plants grown on untreated acres.

The trial, which was conducted in heavily manured fields in Ohio, looked at the effect of adding 1 gallon per acre of Extract PBA to a grower's existing fertilizer program of 28% UAN. Wheat plants in the untreated plot were planted on October 24, 2016, while plants in the Extract-treated plot were planted a month later, on November 25, 2016. Photos were taken in April 2017.

In the spring, wheat plants from the Extract-treated plot were much farther along than plants from the untreated plot, despite being a month behind on planting. 

This trial provides a visible demonstration of how early nutrient availability can enhance overall crop health and performance.

Learn more about the performance of Extract PBA in wheat fields by accessing our Extract wheat study. 

For the past several years, Chris Perkins, a grower and Nutrien Ag Solutions location manager in Otwell, Indiana, has been running an experimental, high management, continuous corn plot using several products in the Loveland Products portfolio, including Accomplish LM and Titan, so that he can prove the value of the products he sells to his customers.

Many of the decisions that Chris makes in the management of his plot are driven by ongoing research at the university level, primarily that of Dr. Fred Below of the Crop Physiology Laboratory at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.

We spoke to Chris to learn more about how he uses biocatalyst products to tap into nutrients in his field, bring up fertility levels, and sustain a healthy soil structure under his corn on corn acres. We also spoke to Dr. Below to hear his take on the success Chris has had raising soil fertility levels and crop productivity. Watch the video to hear from Chris and Dr. Below. 

"One of the things that Chris does exceptionally well is that he manages the residue so that it releases more nutrients in season, throughout the whole season," says Dr. Below. "Chris took that marginal field and, over the last three years, I've seen him raise yields by 60 bushels. He's done this with a combination of technologies. He's managed the nutrients that are in the residue, he's managed the nutrients that are in the soil, and he's protected the crop."

One of the key benefits Chris has noted from using Accomplish and Titan technologies is an increase in soil nutrient values.

Learn more about the work Chris has done to improve soil fertility on his continuous corn acres.

"In the past three years, we have taken a field that was in the mid-20s on phosphorus and, by running biologicals such as Accomplish and Titan with our fertilizer, we've pushed those levels to over 150 lbs per acre," says Chris. "We have all of these nutrients in the field from my dad, from my grandpa, and probably even from my great grandpa, and that's what we think has come in with the Accomplish technology, which breaks those nutrients down for us so that they can continue on through the new crop."

Find out more about the biocatalyst technologies Chris is using and how they can help your operation by accessing our biocatalyst technology FAQ.

In this field trial on corn, root digs show a more developed root system in plants fertilized with Titan XC-impregnated dry fertilizer compared to untreated dry fertilizer. The corn trial was conducted by Nutrien Ag Solutions in New Brunswick, Indiana. 

Photos from the trial also show that stalks are denser and healthier with the Titan XC biocatalyst applied to the grower's dry fertilizer.

All photos were taken in early July.

Learn more about using Titan XC to enhance your dry fertilizer application by downloading our fertilizer breakdown study.

Many technologies and practices play a role in helping farmers protect soil and improve water quality. At Black Hawk Lake in Iowa, that's making a difference. 

Watch the video to learn more, and to see how Accomplish LM is helping:

 

 

 

 

 

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Although it’s tempting for growers to put out all of their nitrogen early in the season when it’s easier to apply, splitting the application into a pre-plant and a sidedress application can be an effective way to ensure that the corn crop has enough nitrogen to meet its needs at peak demand. This can be especially beneficial in wet years where leaching of pre-plant nitrogen is likely to have occurred.

Peak nitrogen demand for corn is right before tassel and continues through grain fill, a period that corresponds with the V8 through VT/R1 corn growth stages. Generally, 1 to 1.1 lbs of nitrogen per bushel of corn is a good way to estimate total crop need for the season. However, the applied nitrogen still has to be taken up by the plant to deliver yield. Sidedressing with supplemental nitrogen by V6 (right before the crop’s nitrogen needs are greatest) allows growers to better manage this critical input. 

Growers can use Extract PBA as a supplemental technology with their sidedress nitrogen application to increase nutrient availability and facilitate uptake. This technology can be used alone or combined with a nitrogen stabilizer to help protect the applied nitrogen from denitrification and leaching.

Learn more about using biocatalyst technology to enhance a sidedress nitrogen application by downloading the Sidedressing Nitrogen for Maximum Yields booklet.

Below we answer three common questions on corn nitrogen demands and discuss ways to make the most efficient sidedress application.

When does a corn crop need most of its nitrogen?

Growers often want to put nitrogen out early in the season—when it is easier to apply—to get their corn crop “up and going.” However, actual peak nitrogen demand for corn is right before tassel (V10 – V14), continuing on through grain fill. Making a sidedress nitrogen application can be an effective way of making sure the crop has the nitrogen it needs when demand is greatest.

Scott Lay recently spoke to Hoosier Ag Today about Extract PBA and how it can help maximize soybean yield potential when used with a pre-emerge herbicide or fertilizer application this spring. 

Hoosier Ag Today: Extract is a biocatalyst that helps make nutrients in the soil available to crops. Scott Lay from Loveland Products explains. 

Lay: Really what Extract does is frees up or mineralizes nutrients that are already bound in the soil. It helps to decompose residue, which is essentially nutrients awaiting to be utilized by the plant. It simply accelerates that process that Mother Nature is already performing, by helping to decompose and mineralize more nutrients, putting them in a plant available form so that we can maximize yield in a given crop.

Hoosier Ag Today: With concerns about nutrient levels in soil this spring, this product may be helpful in improving yield, especially in soybeans. 

Lay: We're able to introduce it with a pre-plant herbicide and/or fertilizer type application. Our results have been very consistent in soybeans. We've averaged about a 4 bushel per acre response in soybeans when we've utilized Extract.

Hoosier Ag Today: Lay says the product works all season long and can help make sure that adequate nutrients are available later in the season during the critical yield determination period.

Lay: We're able to extend the nutrient mineralization process throughout the season to provide a more adequate flow of nutrients to the soybean plant during the critical yield determining time through July and even into August.

Hoosier Ag Today: Ask about Extract at your local co-op or Nutrien Ag Solutions store.

You can read the article at Hoosier Ag Today. You can also listen to the full interview in the video.

Download the Extract soybean study to see how Extract has performed in recent soybean trials across the Midwest.

One of the key ways to positively impact soybean and corn yields is by optimizing nutrient availability to the growing crop throughout the season. A number of trials conducted across the Midwest show that an application of Extract PBA is an effective and consistent way to achieve this.

By helping to mineralize soil nutrients more effectively and getting more nutrition into soybean and corn crops, Extract PBA can enhance crop vigor and yields, as seen in the soybean and corn trials shown below.

An aerial image from that same soybean trial clearly shows where an application of Extract was made.

Nutrien Ag Solutions crop consultants note that, on average and under current market conditions, it requires only a 1.2 bushel yield increase in soybeans and a 3.5 bushel yield increase in corn to make an Extract investment break even. As you can see from the trials above and additional trials in soybeans and corn, there is a high probability of positive net return. 

Learn more about using Extract PBA to enhance nutrient release in your fields by accessing the Extract PBA booklet.

What can Midwest growers do to ensure they will get good performance from their soybeans? Scott Lay recently discussed this issue with RFD IL Radio Network, including how a spring application of Loveland’s Extract PBA biocatalyst can help optimize soybean yield potential.

RFD: How do we get the best performance out of soybeans? The product that we’re talking about is Extract. First things first, Scott, what is Extract?

Scott Lay: Extract is a fertilizer biocatalyst that we are positioning in soybeans, and it is unique to Nutrien Ag Solutions/Loveland Products. Extract is designed to help speed up nutrient mineralization and free up additional fertility for the growing crop so it can realize its full yield potential.

RFD: Interesting that it’s a fertilizer biocatalyst, but it’s not applied with fertilizer. How does that work?

Scott: It is often applied with liquid fertilizers, particularly in corn and wheat. But in this instance, we are applying it with soybean herbicides. This is simply because across Illinois and the greater part of the Midwest, fertilizing for a soybean crop isn’t an established practice. The presence of Extract allows growers to mineralize more nutrients, pulling in more of the nutrients from the soil that already exist there.

RFD: So Extract is in a liquid form?

Scott: It is in a liquid form, so it’s very easy to use, and it can be tank-mixed with virtually any combination of herbicides and/or liquid fertilizers.

RFD: So if I’m about to perform my burndown as I anticipate planting, I can tank mix it and be off and running?

Scott: That’s correct. It’s best use in terms of timing in soybeans is early season, either prior to planting the crop or, in some instances, immediately after planting the crop, but prior to emergence.

RFD: Sometimes just getting soybeans to emerge can be a challenge, so I assume this helps with that?

Scott: Very much so, and I think you hit it right on the head. Soybeans are a little more of a fragile crop relative to corn, particularly early season. Getting that even and consistent emergence–that early season vigor and plant health–is very critical, not just in terms of establishing stand count, but also in allowing each and every plant to realize more of its yield potential come September and October.

RFD: I was looking at some notes here about Extract delivering nutrients to the plant when yield is determined. 

Scott: Soybeans are a complex biological bean. While early season emergence is critical, nutrient availability is key in terms of determining the yield of that soybean crop. Ninety percent of all nutrients consumed in a soybean plant are taken up from bloom through physiological maturity. When we utilize Extract, we've found that there are more nutrients in a plant-available form throughout the season, including into that July/August timeframe when most nutrients are consumed.

RFD: So we put it in now, and later we have those nutrients available. The nutrients are already in that soil, so it’s just a matter of getting them into that crop?

Scott: That’s very true. Step one, of course, is applying nutrients. Certainly a number of dollars are expended in that effort. But that’s not always a guarantee that the nutrients find themselves in a plant-available form that the crop can utilize. Extract, while it’s not magic, simply accelerates that process of releasing nutrients that are otherwise bound up by metals and calcium, and perhaps limited by pH or weather. It helps make the plant more efficient in its end result.

RFD: You have done trials?

Scott: We have a lot of trials. Over the last several years, a number of land grant institutions across the Midwest, other third-parties and our folks at Nutrien Ag Solutions Services have conducted probably in the range of 100 to 150 trials so far. We’ve seen some very consistent results when we’ve used Extract.

RFD:  What about return on investment? Would this lead to an increased yield bump? Because it is still an input, so we would need to cover that input.

Scott: Well said, it's absolutely an input. We recognize that the name of the game is return on investment. What we’ve found across our trials and from in-field use is that the positive yield result has averaged right at about 4.5 bushels per acre of increased soybean yield. It’s a very consistent return on investment given the minimal cost for Extract. In relative terms, it costs about 1.2 bushels of increased yield to pay for the Extract application.

RFD: Where does one find Extract?

Scott: You can find the product at any Nutrien Ag Solutions retail store across the Midwest, and our local sales representatives and agronomists would be happy to have a discussion about Extract and how it may potentially fit into a particular farmer’s operation.