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Policymakers, growers, non-profits and industry today devote an enormous amount of time planning and innovating new ways to improve crop yields so that we will be able to meet future food needs for a growing world population.

At the same time, growers are faced with increasing demands to incorporate more sustainable practices. These demands come from wide-ranging interests––from consumers and advocacy groups, to regulators and large companies that are increasingly evaluating sustainability practices among their produce suppliers.

An Increasing Population Means an Increasing Need for Food and Resources

Figure 1. Crop production will need to significantly increase to meet the future food demands of a growing world population.

Industry Calls for Efficient Nutrient Use

Industry is also calling for efficient nutrient use, in the form of enhanced efficiency fertilizers that allow growers to increase yields while reducing inputs.

We are already making progress. A report from Field to Market shows that production agriculture has become increasingly efficient. For example, per bushel of corn productivity (crop yield per acre) increased by 64 percent from 1980 to 2011, while land use per bushel, soil loss and energy use all decreased by 30 percent or more. 

Making Progress, But There’s Still More Work to Do

Figure 2. Over the past 30 years, corn yields have increased, while agricultural energy use, land use per bushel and soil loss have decreased. However, more production and efficiency gains are still needed to meet future food needs.

However, although impressive, those gains alone will not meet the escalating demand for global human nutrition. We must do more to meet the demands of the world’s growing population.

In our next blog post, we’ll explore sustainable growing practices that make sense economically and help maintain the environment.

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This is Part 1 in our five-part series (Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, Part 4, Part 5) about sustainable growing practices. To learn more about Agricen and our contributions to sustainable growing practices, subscribe to our blog.

The soil is a living environment, full of microorganisms that create biochemical compounds that influence plant growth. At Agricen, we take this biochemistry and make it work even better for the grower, with benefits that include improved plant performance and increased nutrient availability.

In this short video, Agricen’s Director of Applied Sciences, Dr. Brian Cornelious, explains how the biochemistry in Accomplish LM and Titan PBA works to make the difference between having a good growing season and having a great growing season.

 

 
Dr. Brian Cornelious: Everybody knows where our food comes from. It’s right here on the farm. But do we really understand what it takes for a grower to get the most out of every acre he plants? In the next couple of minutes, I’m going to show you how a grower can use the biochemistry in Accomplish LM and Titan PBA to feed our growing population.

[Onscreen: “Agricen. Based on Nature Built on Science.” Then: “The Science Behind It All”]

Brian: The soil is a living environment, full of organisms producing biochemical compounds that influence plant growth. I’m holding just a couple grams of soil. Each gram of soil contains as many as 1 billion bacteria. At Agricen, we have a team of scientists working to make this biochemistry work even better for the grower.

[Onscreen: “The Lab: Where It All Starts”]

Brian: We’re here in the lab, and this is where we really get to understand how the biochemistry in Accomplish LM and Titan PBA actually help to improve our plant performance and increase our nutrient availability.

So, there are key nutrients we’re going to talk about today: nitrogen, phosphorous and potassium.

For nitrogen – the most abundant gas in the atmosphere – we have to have nitrogen to breathe; plants have to have nitrogen to grow. If you want that dark green color, add more nitrogen to the plant. Nitrogen, for the most part in the soil profile, is organic. We have to convert organic nitrogen—which is crop residues, manures, litters, composts, any of those organic sources—into ammonium or nitrate or inorganic forms the plant can use. It’s called the mineralization process. Biochemistry is the only thing in the soil profile that actually helps to mineralize organic nitrogen into an inorganic form that the plants can use.

What about phosphorous? If you really want to get that plant going, it’s just like lighting a match. We have to have red phosphate on that match to get that thing going. The phosphorous in the plant really helps with the establishment and getting that plant going and off to a good start. Again, we’re dealing with mineralization. Lots of phosphorous in the soil profile is inorganic. We have to get it into H₂PO₄ or HPO₄, plant available forms of phosphorous.

What about potassium? Now, you’re probably familiar with this. If you eat bananas, you’re consuming potassium. Potassium helps the plant with regulation of water through the plant. You have to have potassium. It’s a little bit different from nitrogen and phosphorous. We’re not talking about mineralization of organic nutrients. We’re talking about release of nutrients that are in the profile. It gets locked in between the soil layers and it’s not available to the plant. The biochemistry in Accomplish LM can actually help improve that soil structure that helps improve that plant’s ability to take up that potassium.

There’s one more way that Accomplish LM and Titan PBA work to improve crop growth. Titan and Accomplish make the underground transportation system of nutrients much more efficient. It’s the difference between this [Points to slow traffic] and this [Traffic speeds up].

[Onscreen: “Dr. Pepper Ballpark: Home of the Frisco Rough Riders”]

Brian: To further explain the benefits of adding the biochemistry in Accomplish LM and Titan PBA to a grower’s fertility program, we’re here at the ballpark. So, let’s play ball.

The initial fertilizer application – that puts us at home plate. There’s several things that have to happen in order for us to score that run. First, the soil temperatures have to increase. That gets us to first base.

After those temperatures increase, microbes start to function. They’re producing biochemistry now. That gets us to second base. There’s something important about second base in a game of baseball. That’s having a runner in scoring position. With the biochemistry in Accomplish LM and Titan PBA, we start at second base.

Brian: Once the biochemistry helps to mineralize the nutrients, that gets us to third base. The plants are actually taking those nutrients up. Now the plants can actually utilize those nutrients for functioning and yield. And that scores that run. But, with the biochemistry in Accomplish LM and Titan, we’ve got that advantage. We’re scoring two runs with the same process.

As growers know, things are tight. Adding the biochemistry in Accomplish LM and Titan PBA can be the difference in just having a good season, and having a great season.

Brian: At Agricen, it’s important for us to deliver new technology options to allow the grower to get the most out of every acre he plants. The biochemistry in Accomplish LM and Titan PBA improve access of nutrients to the plant, more flow of nutrients in the plant, and also increases the efficiency of utilization of nutrients by the plant.

At Agricen, our technology truly is based on nature and built on science. I’m Brian Cornelious. Thank you for watching.

With limited rainfall to help flush salts or to irrigate the crops in summer months, growers need help to obtain quality yields. Incorporating Accomplish LM into a standard fertility program can really assist here.

Accomplish LM mineralizes nutrients and increases root size and branching so that more of the root system can take up nutrients and water. For specialty crops like tomatoes, the result is better plant performance and higher potential tomato yields (Figures 1 & 2).

Figure 1. Yield increase with Accomplish LM in a split application trial on tomatoes conducted by the University of California Cooperative Extension. Accomplish LM was applied at 2 quarts/acre at transplanting and at 2 quarts/acre 30 days later along with standard fertility and management practices.

Figure 2. Yield increase with Accomplish LM in a split field trial on tomatoes conducted by the University of Florida. Accomplish LM was applied at 3 quarts/acre at transplanting and 3 quarts/acre two weeks later along with standard fertility and management practices.

In a year like we are having, these benefits will be a key part of making sure growers get the ROI they need to stay in business.

By Daniel Kaiser, PhD, University of Minnesota

In areas where spring is cool and wet, banding fertilizer with the planter can benefit corn crops. Although application of dry fertilizer with the corn planter has played an important role historically, it has become less common with increasing acreages and planter sizes. Instead, liquid fertilizers have steadily replaced dry for supplying nutrients to the corn plant early in the growing season.

The primary benefit of applying low rates of fertilizer directly on the corn seed is more rapid growth early in the growing season. Increased early growth can be viewed as an insurance policy, ensuring that plants reach critical periods of growth faster. Low rates of phosphorus can significantly increase the amount of growth, even in fields where soil phosphorous test levels are high. Our research in Minnesota has demonstrated that as little at 10 lbs P₂O₅ applied with the planter can produce sizeable increases in plant mass early in the growing season. This increase has been shown to speed development and decrease the time to silking by one to two days.

Despite large increases in early plant mass, the probability of an increase in grain yield when using traditional starter sources is low in our experience in Minnesota, occurring roughly 10-15% of the time in soils testing high in phosphorus. And, once soils warm, the potential yield benefits of banded nutrients can decrease. At this time, the potential for an increase in yield is typically dictated by the presence or absence of a deficiency in one or more nutrients. Trials conducted over three years in Southern Minnesota that utilized a starter containing nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium (and compared to potassium alone), clearly showed the benefits of starter phosphorus for increasing early plant mass, but also demonstrated that increases in grain yield were due to elements such as potassium or sulfur. The magnitude of yield response was not related to the magnitude of increased early plant growth, reinforcing the disconnect between responses early in the growing season and potential increases in corn grain yield. In other words, a 50% increase in biomass does not necessarily translate into a 50% increase in yield.

Due to the added cost of fertilizer, producers that use starter must weigh all options when deciding where money should be spent. Current Minnesota fertilizer guidelines indicate that small rates of nutrients applied in a starter can supply crop needs when soils test high for phosphorous or potassium. However, if soils test low, the amount of fertilizer that can safely be applied with the seed may be too low to match crop needs. In these situations, additional broadcast phosphorous or potassium is warranted. If broadcast phosphorous or potassium is applied at high enough rates, there is little benefit of additional nutrients applied in a starter fertilizer, but what has not yet been addressed is whether broadcast phosphorous or potassium rates can be reduced sufficiently to make the cost more economical. However, since other benefits of starter include reduced grain moisture—which can range from an average decrease of 0.5% to as much 1.0-1.5% in extreme circumstances—this alone can be enough to pay for the cost of some fertilizer sources, especially in years when grain is wetter in the fall.

Over time, we have learned what to expect when banding nutrients with corn seed. Our experience in Minnesota shows that while a grain yield response is possible when banding nutrients with corn seed, a grain moisture response is much more likely. In addition, while starter (banded) potassium can provide a higher chance of return, it simply may not be economical compared to broadcast applications.

After a career in finance made him realize he didn’t want to spend his days sitting behind a desk, Chad Wetzel of Wetzel Farms in Grayson County, Texas, returned to his farming roots. Today, this third-generation family farmer has approximately 7,000 acres in a corn and wheat rotation.

Hear how using Accomplish LM has helped him gain a corn yield advantage in the challenging Texas dryland environment, and learn why he’s planning on using this product on additional acres.

Watch the video:

In this short video, Steve Sexton and Dr. Brian Cornelious of Agricen discuss the use of starter fertilizer, the importance of phosphorus for early plant growth, and the need make sure nutrient availability and uptake are optimized for maximum starter program impact.

Watch the video below:

It requires a lot of fertilizer and water to maintain a healthy almond tree throughout the year and to prepare for–and optimize–production the following year. Those requirements present some very specific challenges.

One of the most important issues is water scarcity. California is now in the midst of one of the worst droughts in the state’s history, leading some almond farmers to let their trees dry up, or even have them torn out of the ground. Another issue—although one that might feel less pressing given the current water problems—is the implementation of fertilizer regulations in California, which means that some growers will need to make changes to their fertility practices.

Almond growers have little choice except to find the most effective way to deal with both of these issues, and I am working with many California growers to incorporate Accomplish LM into their fertilizer programs to help mitigate both concerns.

Using Accomplish LM, growers can utilize fertilizer inputs more effectively and efficiently (as seen in this study of the base product technology), as well as improve their water efficiency (in a Wasco, CA irrigation response study, water got into the soil profile faster, went deeper, and stayed longer with Accomplish LM).

Accomplish LM can also boost almond yields. In a recent almond trial in Merced County, California, adding Accomplish LM to an almond fertility program increased the harvest by 212-303 lbs. per acre (Figure 1).

Almond Trial- Merced County, CA (2013)

Figure 1. Yield increase with Accomplish LM in a California almond fertility program. The grower’s standard practice was compost applied at 5 tons/acre. Accomplish LM was applied at 4 quarts/acre, and 7% zinc was applied at 1 gallon/acre.

Even though it may seem like almonds are everywhere in California, there are a few problems that must be effectively addressed to protect the current crop and ensure an abundant future for California almonds. Accomplish LM helps growers more efficiently utilize fertilizer and water—two very important inputs—and typically delivers a positive impact on yields. It is also very easy to use: you can simply add it to your current fertilizer mix. For California almond growers, Accomplish LM can play a key part in addressing today’s needs while also preparing for tomorrow.

Accomplish technology can be used to help release and mineralize nutrients in high residue fields. Given the high potassium levels in corn stover and the high potassium demand for a soybean crop, this is a perfect situation for using a residue application of Accomplish technology to improve plant performance (Figures 1-3) and gain a yield advantage in the coming soybean crop (Figure 4).

Figure 1. Soybeans, Wimbledon, ND (2011). Improved nutrient uptake in soybean treated with fall-applied Accomplish LM (right) compared to check (left). Accomplish LM was applied in the fall of 2010 at 2 quarts/acre with 1 gallon of 28% UAN and 10 gallons of water per acre**.

Figure 2. Soybeans, Wimbledon, ND (2011). Improved nutrient uptake and root growth during the growing season with a fall residue application of Accomplish LM (right) compared to check (left). Accomplish LM was applied in the fall of 2010 at 2 quarts/acre with 1 gallon of 28% UAN and 10 gallons of water per acre**.

Figure 3. Soybeans, Wimbledon, ND (2011).Improved nutrient uptake with a fall residue application of Accomplish LM (right) compared to check (left). Accomplish LM was applied in the fall of 2010 at 2 quarts/acre with 1 gallon of 28% UAN and 10 gallons of water per acre**.

Figure 4. Soybean yield results, Wall Lake, Iowa (2008). Accomplish LM was associated with the highest yield compared to check (average yield from two check strips adjacent to the Accomplish LM-treated strip) in this trial of soybean grown on corn residue.

Residue applications can be made in the fall, winter, or spring. By using Accomplish technology in their nutrient mineralization programs, growers can speed residue breakdown and release valuable nutrients for a top soybean yield next season.

**Extract PBA, which combines Accomplish LM and ammonium thiosulfate, has been launched since the writing of this blog article. It is now the recommended residue treatment from Agricen.**

By Stephen Sexton, Director of Technical Sales (@AgricenLifer), Agricen

This season, with high corn yields and a late harvest in many places, it will be critical to take steps to maximize residue decomposition and nutrient release for the benefit of next seasons’ crops. It’s important to keep in mind that the primary limiting factor for residue decomposition is cooler temperatures, which reduce the microbial activity required for residue breakdown. Given the late harvest, that means there's only been a short window for natural decomposition processes to take place. In addition, larger yields produce more residue, which requires more time and energy to properly break down.

We’ve previously discussed just how inefficient applied NPK fertilizers can be in the first year after application, a problem that is compounded in high-residue fields.

Corn residue from a 200 bushel crop contains approximately 116 units of nitrogen (N), 27 units of phosphorous (P) and 209 units of potassium (K). Nutrients in the residue are not in a plant-available form, and mineralization must occur prior to plant utilization. Meanwhile, as soil microbes digest crop residues, they can tie up applied N, making it unavailable for plant growth in the spring. In corn, the lack of N causes corn seedlings (emergence to V3-V4) to turn yellow, also known as “ugly corn syndrome.”

To increase the efficiency of their applied fertilizer in high-residue conditions, many growers are now using Accomplish LM (a biochemical fertilizer catalyst that is not dependent on soil microbial activity) in their nutrient release programs—and are seeing higher yields as a result. Applied in the fall (preferably) or even along with a grower’s standard spring N application, Accomplish LM hastens residue decomposition and mineralization of applied nutrients. This practice is supported by data that includes the findings from a large corn trial conducted in five Northeast Iowa locations in 2010 and 2011.

Iowa Corn Trial: More Nutrient Availability and Uptake, Higher Yields with Accomplish LM

The trial examined the effects of using additional spring-applied N or Accomplish LM (which does not contain N) to address ugly corn syndrome. Four different N sources were used*, and were applied at 40 units of N per acre in late March, 30 days prior to planting. The Accomplish LM treatment was applied at 3 pints per acre with water and no additional N. These applications were in addition to the grower’s standard N application (200 units of N as anhydrous ammonia [NH₃]) that had been applied in the fall.

Soil nitrate levels were recorded for each treatment 60 days after planting, and stalk nitrate levels were taken after harvest. The soil nitrate concentration of Accomplish LM (20.6 ppm) was almost three times that of the grower standard (7 ppm). In addition, the Accomplish LM treatment was associated with the lowest stalk nitrate reading of all the treatments (Table 1).

Those two data points, coupled with the Accomplish LM treatment having the highest yield, tell a compelling story that the application of Accomplish LM on the residue created more available N (higher soil nitrate) than applying 40 additional units of N–resulting in improved mineralization of nutrients–and that it delivered that N to the grain (lower stalk nitrate and higher yield).

Table 1. By late spring, Accomplish LM increased soil N availability without additional N application.

In 2010, Accomplish LM had the highest yield (221 bushels per acre) over all treatments, with an 12 bushel per acre increase compared to the check (Figure 1). In 2011, Accomplish LM again had the highest yield (255 bushels per acre, a 15 bushel/acre increase vs. check). Moreover, while nitrogen use efficiency (units of N/yield in bushels) was not improved for the additive fertilizer applications versus grower standard (0.96 units N/bushel in 2010 and 0.83 units in 2011), it was increased with Accomplish LM (0.90 units N/bushel in 2010 and 0.78 units in 2011).

Figure 1. Corn yield results in 2010 (left bars) and 2011 (right bars). Accomplish LM was associated with the highest average yields in both years. The grower’s standard practice was 200 units of N as fall-applied NH₃. Accomplish LM was applied at 1.5 quarts/acre. Abbreviations: GSP, grower’s standard practice; MESZ, MicroEssentials® SZ (Mosaic Company); UAN, urea ammonium nitrate; AMS, ammonium sulfate.

In 2011, soil phosphorous levels (P1 & P2) were examined (Table 2).

Table 2. Improved P availability when Accomplish LM is combined with a standard fertility program.

Just 60 days after application, all of the Accomplish LM treated blocks showed increased soil phosphorous levels. On average, P1 levels increased by 18% and P2 levels by 31% compared to the check. It requires 8-10 pounds of P₂O₅ to raise a P1 soil analysis 1 ppm; a 13 ppm increase, which was achieved with the Accomplish LM treatment, is equal to applying 100 - 130 lbs of P₂O₅.

To summarize, Accomplish LM can be used to help mineralize and release nutrients in high residue fields. Over all five Iowa locations, adding just three pints of this biochemical additive 30 days prior to spring planting increased the efficiencies of soil N and soil P, resulting in the highest overall corn yields both years.

* The four N sources were: urea ammonium nitrate (UAN), 28-0-0; ammonium sulfate (AMS), 21-0-0-24S; MicroEssentials® SZ (MESZ), 12-40-0-10(S)-1(Zn) (Mosaic Company); urea, 46-0-0.

**The recommended Accomplish LM residue treatment application is: Accomplish LM at 2 quarts/acre (+1-2 gallons of 28% or 32% UAN + 8.5 gallons of water).

By Brian Cornelious, PhD, Director of Applied Sciences (@BrianNPK), Agricen

Agriculture is my passion, and I like to share that passion with others, especially with young adults who are contemplating possible career choices. My grandfather and father were farmers, so I grew up with agriculture in my blood. This led me to major in agronomy in college, which I followed up by pursuing a master’s degree and PhD in plant breeding and genetics. I have been working in private industry since then.

I have frequently had the pleasure of speaking at career orientation days to junior high students. One of my first questions to any group of young people is, “What comes to your mind when you hear the word agriculture?” In agriculture-based communities, farming is often the main answer. Many children there understand that it’s an important profession and calling.

Another question I like to ask is, “What do these careers – doctor, lawyer, farmer and dentist – have in common?” The answer, of course, is that students who major in agriculture as college undergraduates can move into any of these other fields, since many of the necessary college courses, especially chemistry and biology, are relevant to all. This answer surprises some people, who perhaps don’t realize the level of scientific and technical knowledge that farmers have and use daily.

In agriculture, we are facing the growing need to produce more to meet demands for food and fuel. We need farmers, educators, researchers, and scientists to make it happen. What do your children want to be when they grow up? I encourage you to talk to them about the importance of agriculture and the many opportunities they have to make a difference in this field.