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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 a 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.

You can learn more about these products for agriculture by downloading our booklet, "Biocatalyst Technology: Frequently Asked Questions."

The booklet explains:

• What the products are, how they work and when to use them

• How biocatalyst technology can help growers increase nutrient use efficiency and get more out of their fertilizer investment

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

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 PBA 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 PBA did corn yield begin to exceed statistically significant levels. 

The practice of using Extract PBA 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 PBA 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 PBA 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 PBA 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.