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See the latest news, innovation updates, trial results, grower stories and more from Agricen.

Minimizing Early Season Challenges with Extract PBA & Accomplish MAX

March 15, 2023 — Posted By Agricen

Wity-radio-down on farm 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.

ACCOMPLISH MAX Helps Soybeans Overcome Fertilizer Salt Stress

March 8, 2023 — Posted By Agricen

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.

Soils that are high in salts, whether from irrigation waters or from commercial fertilizers, can negatively affect seed germination and plant development. ACCOMPLISH MAX contains kelp technology that can help mitigate salt and sodium stress in several ways, including by freeing calcium from the soil chemistry (which allows sodium to be flushed from the root zone), encouraging plants to take up additional potassium to offset the toxic effects of sodium, and breaking soluble salts apart.

This trial, which used 10-27-0 to intentionally induce salt stress in soybeans, demonstrates that ACCOMPLISH MAX can be an important addition to fertility or management programs for crops that may be affected by salinity.

Learn more by downloading the ACCOMPLISH MAX salt stress bulletin.

[Watch] Early Season Opportunities to Enhance Plant Nutrition & Health

January 30, 2023 — Posted By Agricen

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.

Wheat Crop Benefits from Early Nutrient Availability with EXTRACT PBA

December 16, 2022 — Posted By Agricen

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, "Maximizing Nutrient Release from Crop Residue."

Using EXTRACT PBA for Strategic Residue & Nutrient Management

November 29, 2022 — Posted By Agricen

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).

Pounds of Nutrients per Ton of Residue

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.

Extract-residue-mgmt-U Ill 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.

Alabama Grower Sees Impressive Corn Yield Gains in TITAN XC Trial

October 25, 2022 — Posted By Agricen

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.

TitanXC-irrigated-corn-IL-01

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.

TitanXC-dryland-corn-IL-02

"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.

[Watch] How to Make Your Dry Fertilizer Work Harder & Go Farther

October 3, 2022 — Posted By Agricen

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.

A Cutting-Edge Technology for Fall Dry Fertilizer

September 13, 2022 — Posted By Agricen

Wity-radio-down on farm 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 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.

Improvement in Sugar Beet Quality with Foliar-Applied MARITIME

August 18, 2022 — Posted By Agricen

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.

Canadian Grower Impressed by Root Growth with TITAN XC Technology

August 16, 2022 — Posted By Agricen

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

Kurtis started out by trialing Atlas XC in peas several years ago, and he now uses it across his entire farm.

“We started out just putting it on peas the first year. We did a trial that year, half and half,” says Kurtis. “The next year, between the folks and I, we split the acres in half on a trial, and for the last two years, we’ve been doing all Atlas.”

Grower Kurtis Wandler SK Atlas XC Kurtis Wandler, Grower from Western Saskatchewan, Canada

One of the big benefits Kurtis has seen with using Atlas XC-treated dry fertilizer has been improved root growth in his crops.

“We see tremendous root growth and breakdown of the fertilizer we’re putting down,” he says. “You can just tell from the trials we’ve done on some of the stands how Atlas has helped improve the crop and break through some of the conditions that we’ve had with the environment.”

“Even last year with the drought we had, you could tell that the roots were there,” he adds. “We ran out of moisture, but you could tell with the roots. They’re just going to keeping fighting for that moisture.”

Atlas XC can be applied to dry fertilizers such as MAP, potash or elemental sulfur to help improve nutrient availability, so that the crop has access to more of the applied nutrients in the season they are applied, and even beyond.

When Shelby LaRose, Proprietary Representative from Nutrien Ag Solutions’ South Saskatchewan – East location, trialed Atlas XC in yellow peas on her farm, she saw both her yield and her soil phosphorus levels go up.

“The last five seasons of Atlas XC have shown me a lot,” she says. “One of those things is that no matter the crop, if you are putting down MAP, potash or elemental sulfur, you can benefit from Atlas XC. It not only increases yield, but also increases soil-available phosphorus year over year.”

Contact your local Nutrien Ag Solutions representative for more information about ATLAS XC (Canada) or TITAN XC (USA). You can also learn more by downloading the TITAN XC educator.

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