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See the latest news, innovation updates, trial results, grower stories and more from Agricen. 
[Video] Understanding the Science Behind Ag Biochemicals
June 16, 2014 — Posted By Agricen

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.

field

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A Bright Future for Agriculture, Despite Challenges
May 29, 2013 — Posted By Agricen

2050 InfographicMost experts estimate that the global population will exceed 9 billion people by the year 2050. That’s over 2 billion more people on the planet than there are today. Meeting the huge increase in global demand that comes with this population growth will put a tremendous strain on agricultural production. 

In fact, it is estimated that the agriculture industry will need to increase production by over 70% to meet this demand. This is no surprise when you consider all of the things agricultural products are used for: from food and clothing to fuels, plastics and many other everyday products.

Along with the world population, median income is also growing, especially in developing countries. Think about India, many African and South American countries and, especially, China. In all of these geographies, people are making more money, and so they are spending more on clothing, automobiles, and diets that increasingly include more meats, fruits, and vegetables, rather than traditional diets based on cereals and rice.

As population increases, more and more production acres are also getting planted. However, at least in developed countries like the United States and many Western European countries, growers will have to help meet food demand on 10-15% less arable land than is currently used for production today. At the same time, growers will have to face increased regulation at the local, state, and federal levels, as well as pressure from consumer and advocacy groups who want to influence how growers produce their crops.

Although some may see this as a negative environment in which to live and work, we see the future of agriculture as one of the brightest out of all the industries out there.

Is it even possible to more than double our production per acre? Absolutely! Look at corn production over the last 40 years. With the advent of corn hybridization, optimization of fertility practices, and use of biotechnology, we have more than doubled corn production per acre. More recently, we have increased national corn production per acre by an average of 16% in just six short years.

No one sector of the agricultural industry alone will be able to take production to the levels needed to meet future food demands. It will take a combined effort, ingenuity, and the focus of all agricultural sectors to help our growers meet these demands. New plant varieties, equipment, cultural practices, and innovative technologies will help us get there.

At Agricen, we are helping growers with biochemical-based technologies that help maximize nutrient availability and plant uptake. This, in turn, helps growers increase their yields and improve their crop quality, while also addressing environmental concerns. Our relationships with growers and partnerships with both Loveland Products and Nutrien Ag Solutions help us better understand the challenges that the agricultural industry faces every day. They also provide direction for our ongoing research and development efforts, which are focused on commercializing solutions to help the industry meet the demands of a growing global population.

Yes, the challenges are big, but we believe that we have the right tools, technologies and, most importantly, the right attitude to ensure that the future is a bright one.

 

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The 1st World Congress on Biostimulants in Agriculture
December 5, 2012 — Posted By AMSPressMaster

By David G. Beaudreau, Vice President of Environmental Policy, DC Legislative and Regulatory Services

Last week, I attended the First World Congress on the Use of Biostimulants in Agriculture. Over 700 people from more than 30 countries were also in attendance, all of whom seem to have a strong interest in and energy for this emerging field. Being an attendee offered a preview into what will likely be an expanding market and larger long-term issue in the agriculture industry.

Presentations focused on the scientific, technical, and legislative issues related to the application of biostimulants in crop production. Presenters ranged from representatives of biostimulant companies to academics who have done studies on numerous materials they consider to be biostimulants, including amino acids, humic acids, microbial inoculants, plant-derived extracts, and seaweed extracts, among others.

I was particularly interested to hear from the European regulatory officials who, along with the European Biostimulants Industry Consortium, have made fairly significant progress in their efforts to define "biostimulant" in Europe. This is a model that I hope is replicated in the US. It is clear that there is an intense focus within Europe to define what biostimulants are at the governmental level, as well as for industry to provide additional research funds to continue to demonstrate the benefits of biostimulants in agriculture. Bringing this message back to the US should help those in the emerging biostimulant industry gain further attention and recognition of the benefits our products bring to U.S. agriculture.

BioStimulant Coalition logo

In my keynote, “The Legislative and Regulatory Approach to Biostimulants in the USA,” I discussed The Biostimulant Coalition, which was formed in 2011 to address the regulatory and legislative issues involving biological or naturally-derived additives and/or similar products for crop production. Agricen is one of the founding members of this effort.

We are actively working with state and federal regulators to coalesce around a definition of “biostimulant” in the US. Such a definition might include any material that, when applied to a plant, seed, soil, or growing media in conjunction with established fertilization plans, enhances the plant's nutrient use efficiency, or provides other direct or indirect benefits to plant development or stress response.

Our US regulators, which include the Association of American Plant Food Control Officials (AAPFCO), the EPA, and the USDA, are interested in learning more about this category and, we hope, in addressing the patchwork regulatory structure that currently exists. The Biostimulant Coalition will continue to work with them to establish a category that accommodates this technology.

The interest in this topic and the well-attended biostimulants conference are both indicators to me that a similar conference would be well received here by US regulators, researchers, and growers.

Crop field

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Agricen Talks to Golf Course Industry about Plant Bionutrition
May 23, 2012 — Posted By Agricen

Dr. Bob Ames, Director of Applied Sciences at Agricen, was recently interviewed by Golf Course Industry, covering topics that include plant bionutrition research, sustainability, and how soil nutrient availability can be improved by incorporating bionutrition products into existing fertility programs.

One excerpt:

GCI: What do we see in bionutrition research right now?

Dr. Ames: There is a large variety of bionutrition products out there that make a lot of claims, especially for turf applications. It is a challenge to sift through those and see who has university research to back those claims up. We have substantiated our product claims with research in agronomic crops, which is the bulk of our market. What we see with agriculture is that when our products are combined with fertilizer, we help reduce nitrogen loss through volatilization and leeching. Thus, there is also a greater retention of nitrogen fertilizer in the soil. So, we can approach turf nutrition with environmental as well as economic concerns, especially now with new regulations restricting the application of nitrogen, or in some cases phosphorus-containing fertilizers…Our approach is to make more efficient and more effective use of the fertilizer when it’s combined with the product.

You can read the full interview here.

GolfCourse Industry logo

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Biocatalyst Tools Increase Corn Nitrogen Uptake Without Additional N Application
April 6, 2012 — Posted By Agricen

corn_and_soil1In continuous no-till corn, crop residues with a high carbon-to-nitrogen (C:N) ratio (about 60:1) can build up. When this happens, the soil microorganisms responsible for decomposing crop residue compete with the plant for nitrogen. A C:N ratio of 30:1 or lower is required for the soil microorganisms to effectively decompose crop residues without immobilizing the soil nitrogen needed by the growing plants.

Some growers have tried to address this issue by applying additional nitrogen to the soil to lower the C:N ratio, minimize microbial competition for plant nitrogen, and improve corn yield.

In 2010 and 2011, agronomists from Pioneer conducted field studies on corn at five locations in Iowa to investigate whether adding an additional ~40 lbs nitrogen/acre above the grower’s standard fertility rate would reduce microbial competition for nitrogen, improve cornstalk nitrate-nitrogen levels, and increase yield.

The grower’s standard nitrogen rate was 200 lbs N/acre. Additional nitrogen (above the standard rate) was supplied using four different nitrogen-containing fertilizers. Accomplish® LM, a biochemical product that does not include nitrogen, was also included in this study, and was compared to the additional nitrogen sources. The six treatments in the studies were:

  • Grower’s standard N (200 lbs N/acre) (control)
  • Grower’s standard N + Accomplish® LM (Loveland Products) at 1.5 quarts/acre (no additional N)
  • Grower’s standard N + urea ammonium nitrate (UAN, 28-0-0) at 39 lbs/acre
  • Grower’s standard N + ammonium sulfate (AMS, 21-0-0-24S) at 41 lbs/acre
  • Grower’s standard N +  MicroEssentials® SZ (MESZ; Mosaic Company; 12-40-0-10(S)-1(Zn) analysis) at 41 lbs/acre
  • Grower’s standard N + urea (46-0-0) at 39 lbs/acre

Treatments were applied in late March of both years. In 2010, soil nitrate testing was performed in late spring and stalk nitrate evaluations were made from each treatment strip in late fall. In 2011, soil phosphate (P) availability was determined, rather than nitrate.

When soil nitrate levels were averaged across the five Iowa locations in 2010, Accomplish LM treatment was associated with the highest soil nitrate levels (20.6 ppm), indicating that more of the applied N from the grower’s standard treatment was available in the soil with Accomplish—and no additional nitrogen—compared to the other treatments where additional nitrogen was applied on top of the standard fertility rate (Fig. 1).

Soil and Stalk Nitrate Tests

Figure 1. Accomplish LM increased soil N availability without additional N application in late spring.

At the end of the 2010 season, stalk nitrate was lowest in Accomplish LM-treated plants (Fig. 1), but the average yield was highest with this treatment (Fig. 2), results that were repeated in the 2011 growing season (Fig. 2). These results indicate that more of the applied nitrogen was taken up by the crop and utilized for grain production with Accomplish LM, rather than remaining in the stalks.

Corn – Northeast IA

Figure 2. The average corn yields in the two years of the trial were highest with Accomplish LM vs additional N application.

Phosphorus analysis of the soil at five locations in 2011 indicated that, on average, more P was available to plants in the Accomplish LM-treated plots compared to the plants grown in plots with the other treatments, including those with additional N and P applications (Fig. 3). This P increase was observed with two extraction methods: Bray P1 (analyzes for readily available P) and Bray P2 (analyzes for P that is in a plant-available form, but more difficult for the plant to take up from the soil). Thus, Accomplish LM was shown to be more efficient in keeping P available to the crop.

Improved P Availability

Figure 3. Improved P availability when Accomplish LM is combined with a standard NPK fertility program.

Based on two years of field studies conducted at several locations in Iowa, Pioneer agronomists demonstrated that Accomplish LM, when combined with a grower’s standard fertility program, can increase both soil N and P availability for corn and increase crop yields.

The nutrient release technology in the original Accomplish LM formulation is today found in Accomplish MAX (for use with in-furrow liquid starter fertilizers), Titan XC (for use on dry fertilizers) and Extract PBA (for use in liquid broadcast applications).

Learn more about these technologies by downloading the biocatalyst technology booklet.

Download the Booklet

 

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