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.

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?

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."

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:

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—one that is approaching soon—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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.