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See the latest news, innovation updates, trial results, grower stories and more from Agricen. 
Maximizing Residue Breakdown and Nutrient Release After a Late Harvest
December 19, 2013 — Posted By 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).

stalk_tests

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).

residue-blog-1

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).

soil_ppm

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).

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Maximizing Dry Fertilizer Programs with Titan
September 24, 2013 — Posted By Agricen

spreader-1

As summer fades, many growers around the country are starting to think about how to best implement and manage their fall dry fertilizer programs. Before the spreaders take to the field, growers will need to answer a number of important questions, from “What type of fertilizer to choose?” to “Am I trying to maintain or build nutrient levels in the soil?”

The majority of growers who apply dry phosphorus (P) and potassium (K) fertilizers in the fall will also have two other major concerns:

  • What amount of applied fertilizer will become or remain available to the crop in the following growing season?
  • How can I get better first-year recovery out of my fall dry fertilizer application?

One way for growers to answer these questions and make management decisions is by understanding the efficiency of P and K fertilizers. In this blog, we will talk more about P and K fertilizer efficiency and about some ways to help growers get better first-year nutrient recovery.

Satisfying the Nutrient Demands of Hybrid Corn: Are We Doing Enough?

Even though the use of commercial inorganic fertilizers has risen dramatically in the past 50 years to try to meet the nutrient demands of hybrid corn, soil test information from the International Plant Nutrition Institute (IPNI) suggests that growers are not keeping up with P and K demands of new high-yielding corn varieties.

Today, a 200-bushel corn crop requires 256 units of nitrogen (N), 103 units of P, and 263 units of K (these units take into account NPK in corn residue).1 But as grain production increases, the demand for NPK also increases. In spring and summer seasons with ample moisture, corn yields can surpass the 200 bushel/acre mark by as much as 20-50 bushels/acre, leading to a drawdown of soil P and K levels because the fertilizer application was calculated and applied for the 200 bushel/acre yield.

To illustrate this phenomenon, Figure 1 below shows the changes in P and K levels in the Corn Belt from 2005-2010.2 All of the Corn Belt states experienced a reduction in soil P levels from 2005 compared to 2010, and most states declined in soil K levels as well.

median_soil_levels

Figure 1. Median soil P and K levels (50 percent of samples are above and below these levels) for the Corn Belt states and Ontario. The lower numbers in the maps are the changes from 2005. (Source: IPNI Corn Belt Fertility Study: 2010)

Another alarming issue is the inefficiency of our applied P and K fertilizers. Figure 2 below reveals the stark inefficiency of applied P fertilizers and the wide range of efficiencies for applied K fertilizers.

table

Figure 2. First-year nutrient efficiency/recovery. (Source: IPNI)

Many US growers make a dry application of P and K fertilizer in the spring or fall.

Unfortunately, because of the circumstances described above, many of these growers are not going to get the first-year P and K efficiency and recovery they need.

How can growers increase the availability of applied P and K to meet crop demands?

The Answer May Be in the Soil Chemistry and Biochemistry

To help answer that question, there are a few important points to remember about interactions that occur in the soil-plant system when dry fertilizers are applied:

  • Essential crop nutrients are taken up into plant roots as positively charged cations or negatively charged anions (e.g., Ca+2, NO3-).
  • The soil itself has a net negative charge and attracts or holds positively charged cations on cation exchange sites (cation exchange capacity, CEC).
  • Negatively charged anions like nitrate have a high propensity to move below the plant root zone if excessive soil moisture is present.
  • Chemical reactions (soil chemistry) also play an important role in the formation of compounds that are vital to plant growth.
  • Strong attractions among cations, anions, and other compounds can prevent plants from accessing essential nutrients (e.g., when Ca+2 & Fe+2 bind to PO4).

When faced with these interactions, we must rely on the biochemical compounds produced by microorganisms to react with and release the bound nutrients, making them available for plant uptake and utilization.

Titan, a biochemical fertilizer catalyst, can be incorporated into a grower's existing dry fertilizer program to increase P and K availability and improve plant uptake. The concentrated biochemistry in Titan works in the soil profile to aid the mineralization of organic nitrogen and phosphorus into inorganic forms plants use. It also helps to improve soil issues to allow the release of bound potassium from the soil layers. This means that more of the applied fertilizer will become or remain available to the crop in the following growing season, helping growers answer a crucial management question. Figure 3 shows some examples of the results of using Titan with dry P and K blends.

charts

Figure 3. Results with Titan impregnated on dry fertilizer.

Conclusions

The days may be getting shorter, but with some simple planning, it’s easy to get more nutrient recovery from any fall dry fertilizer application. The end result is increased crop yields and total economic return from your growing program.

References:

  1. Sutch R. (2011). The Impact of 1936 Corn Belt Drought on American Farmers’ Adoption of Hybrid Corn. In: Libecap GD and Steckel RH, eds. The Economics of Climate Change: Adaptations Past and Present (p. 195 - 223) Chicago, Illinois: University of Chicago Press.
  2. Mosaic Company's Nutrient Removal App. Available at: http://www.agprofessional.com/news/Mosaic-introduces-new-nutrient-removal-data-app-135169923.html.
  3. IPNI Corn Belt Fertility Study: 2010

 

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How Can We Access More Nutrients from Crop Residue?
November 19, 2012 — Posted By AMSPressMaster

Residue field

by Steve Sexton, Director, Eastern Region, Agricen

There has been a lot of discussion with respect to nutrient utilization (or lack thereof) during the drought this past summer and the amount of nutrients that are tied up or bound in crop residue. What percentage of these nutrients will be available for next season's crop growth?

Below is a nutrient removal chart for 200 bushel corn, tracking what is removed by the grain and what is left behind in the stalk/residue. Typically, there’s a great deal of potassium (about 80% of the applied K) left in the crop residue after harvest, along with 40% of the applied nitrogen and 25% of the applied phosphorous. At today's prices, these tied-up nutrients have a value of over $125 per acre!

Corn at 200 Bushels

Corn at 200 bushels

Chart produced using The Mosaic Company’s Nutrient Removal App.
For more information and resources, please visit their “Back to Basics” soil fertility site.

What options are available to growers who want to access these nutrients?

One accepted practice has been to apply 10-15 gallons of UAN after harvest in the fall to assist with microbial decomposition of crop residue and to accelerate nutrient release. The downfall of this approach is that microbial decomposition slows and eventually stops as soil temperatures drop below 40° F.

Today, we also have a biochemical fertilizer catalyst, Accomplish® LM, which works to release tied-up nutrients (regardless of soil temperatures) and increase crop yields—all for a lower price than a fall UAN application. (See 2012 Jacksonville, Illinois Corn on Corn Trial).

Mid-Vegetation Stages – 2012 Jacksonville, IL Continuous Corn Trial

Residue - Treated vs. Untreated

Please call your Crop Production Service (CPS) retail representative or Loveland Products representative for more information on Accomplish LM.

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Agricen Presents Corn Microbiome Research at ASA-CSSA-SSSA Joint Meeting
October 17, 2012 — Posted By Agricen

 

View of corn fields and farms in Southern York County, Pennsylvania.Scientists from Agricen and the University of North Texas researchers analyzed soil associated with corn roots collected from a field study of corn conducted at the University of Arkansas, where plots had received a range of fertilizer types and application rates.

They then compared bacterial biomass and diversity in the rhizosphere (e.g., in soil loosely associated with the root ball) and the rhizoplane (e.g., in soil washed from root surfaces) – areas where plants and soil microbes interact.

By applying next-generation sequencing to characterize the bacterial community, they found that bacterial biodiversity varied with the different fertility regimens and between the rhizosphere and rhizoplane.

This work provides one of the first comprehensive studies of the corn microbiome. The microbiome appears important in stimulating plant growth and protecting the crop from pathogens and environmental stressors. Understanding the controls of this important system could lead to new approaches to improve productivity and maintain soil health.

The work was presented as a poster at the ASA, CSSA and SSSA International Annual Meetings: Bacterial Diversity in Rhizosphere and Rhizoplane of Field Corn Grown with Different Fertilization Regimes (Poster presentation; Abstract #128-5).

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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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Treating MicroEssentials SZ Fertilizer with Titan Improves Crop Growth
November 2, 2011 — Posted By Agricen

This summer, Agricen conducted a rhizobox study near our Texas headquarters to evaluate the effects of treating MicroEssentials® SZ, the Mosaic Company’s 12-40-0-10(S)-1(Zn) fertilizer, with Titan Powered by Accomplish (Titan PBA), a fertilizer catalyst from Loveland Products.

Corn, wheat and soybean seeds were planted in rhizoboxes in field soil with either MicroEssentials SZ fertilizer treated with Titan PBA (treated) or a standard monoammonium phosphate (MAP) 11-52-0 fertilizer (control). Root and shoot growth were observed over a four-week period. This was during a particularly hot time in the Texas summer, with temperatures regularly exceeding 100 degrees.

As you can see from the comparisons at Day 24, treated crops had noticeably better lateral root development and shoot growth compared to controls:


Corn

Improved lateral root development
Improved lateral root development at Day 24 for
treated vs. untreated.
 
Improved shoot growth
Improved shoot growth at Day 24 for treated vs.
untreated.

Wheat

Improved lateral root development (2)
Improved lateral root development at Day 24 for
treated vs. untreated.
 
Improved shoot growth (2)
Improved shoot growth at Day 24 for treated vs.
untreated.

Soybean

Improved lateral root development (3)
Improved lateral root development at Day 24 for
treated vs. untreated.
 
Improved shoot growth (3)
Improved shoot growth at Day 24 for treated vs.
untreated.

Plants in the treated boxes also had earlier lateral root development compared to controls throughout the four-week growing period. Watch the root growth day-by-day in our video, below:

Titan makes use of Agricen’s biologically sourced technology to increase fertilizer availability and improve overall plant health. 

Learn more by downloading the Titan product booklet.

Download the Titan XC Booklet

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Agricen Presents Data on Nitrogen Use Efficiency at ASA-CSSA-SSSA Joint Meeting
October 14, 2011 — Posted By Agricen

Low-angle view of corn fieldAgricen presented data on SoilBuilder at the 2011 ASA, CSSA and SSSA International Annual Meetings. SoilBuilder is Agricen’s base biochemical fertilizer catalyst technology for the agriculture industry.

In a 3-year field study conducted at Arise Research and Discovery (Martinsville, IL), SoilBuilder reduced nitrate leaching from soil applications of urea ammonium nitrate (UAN) – in addition to improving nitrogen use efficiency and corn yields – when incorporated into an integrated nutrient management program on corn. The data was discussed during an oral presentation: Increased Nitrogen Use Efficiency and Reduced Nitrate Leaching Using SoilBuilder AF in an Integrated Nutrient Management Program on Corn (Abstract #387-3).

Data from a separate study on SoilBuilder, conducted by researchers from Auburn University, was also presented: Microbial Inoculants as Tools for Reducing Nitrous Oxide Emissions from Soil (Oral presentation; Abstract #288-4).

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Reducing Nitrate Leaching to Improve Crop Yields & Protect Resources
September 13, 2011 — Posted By Agricen

Reducing a fertilizer’s leachable nitrates allows the fertilizer to act more efficiently. It also helps protect our water resources.

In a three-year lysimeter study, we evaluated the ability of SoilBuilder™, our base fertilizer catalyst platform, to increase corn yields by converting fertilizer nitrogen (N) into a less leachable form. The study was conducted at the field research facilities of Arise Research & Discovery, Inc., in Illinois.

SoilBuilder-treated fertilizer was compared to untreated fertilizer (control) over three growing seasons. Corn yield and nitrate leaching were evaluated. Each treated area (SoilBuilder vs. control) included four rows of field corn (row length: 30 ft; row spacing: 30 in; seed rate: 30,000/acre. The volume of leachable water and nitrate-nitrogen (NO3-N) concentrations in the water were determined six times during each season following pumping of the lysimeter wells.

In each of the three seasons, adding SoilBuilder to fertilizer increased yields over the control (Table 1). It was also associated with a significant reduction in nitrate leaching compared to the control (Table 2).

SoilBuilder - Fertilizer Increased Yields

The average rate of nitrate leaching during the 2008 growing season is shown in Figure 1.

Average rate of nitrate leaching

Overall, this field trial shows the ability of SoilBuilder to convert fertilizer nitrogen into a less leachable form that is more available for crop nutrition.

It is just one of the many projects we do at Agricen to demonstrate that our biologically sourced tools can effectively increase crop yields.

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