About five years ago, Chad Henderson, a corn and soybean farmer from Madison, AL, was following a standard practice of strip-tilling his fields in the fall and applying 200 pounds per acre of P and K fertilizer. Looking to improve fertilizer efficiency, he began treating his dry fertilizer with the biocatalyst TITAN XC to enhance nutrient availability and uptake.
"I'm a data-driven farmer," Chad explains. "I applied my typical fertilizer amounts and replicated the treatment six times across two different hybrids, in both irrigated and non-irrigated fields. Where TITAN XC was applied with my dry fertilizer, the corn yields consistently averaged +15 bushels more per acre compared to where my untreated fertilizer was applied."
In addition to the immediate increase in phosphorus and potassium uptake—and the corresponding yield gains—Chad observed a significant improvement in his soil nutrient profile. Year-over-year on-farm data confirmed that soil nutrient levels began improving almost immediately. The use of TITAN XC accelerated the release of existing nutrition, while also increasing the availability of nutrients that would typically remain tied up in the soil. Increased fertilizer efficiency as a result of TITAN XC treatment allows growers to realize higher yields and lower production costs per bushel.
"I've reduced my P and K application down to 100 pounds per acre and still see the same results, which is hard for some people to believe," Chad says. "I'm getting more availability while using 50% less fertilizer by treating it with TITAN XC. It improves my soil and allows me to apply less fertilizer while still achieving maximum results. It's a no-brainer in any economic situation."
Dry fertilizer is considered a standard input for corn production, but only 20-30% of applied phosphate and 20-60% of applied potash is typically available to the corn crop in the first year of application. One thing that sets TITAN XC apart is the rapid improvement in the availability and uptake of applied nutrients when TITAN XC is used to treat dry P and K fertilizers.
"We learned that we don't have to wait for warmer soils and perfect conditions for microbial functioning to increase and nutrient mineralization to occur. The production process of TITAN XC does that for us," says Chad. "So we are starting immediately with nutrient mineralization, which increases everything that follows."
TITAN XC is part of a nutrient efficiency line of products from Agricen that is available through Loveland Products and Nutrien Ag Solutions.
"At first, I didn't know what to look for. The yield increase got my attention," says Chad. "But what I discovered next was even more important: TITAN XC helped produce a stronger, more robust crop overall."
Learn more about TITAN XC by downloading the TITAN Booklet.
(This story was also featured in a recent article in Agronomy Magazine.)
