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See the latest news, innovation updates, trial results, grower stories and more from Agricen. 
[Interview] Every Dollar Counts on the Farm
December 5, 2024 — Posted By Agricen

Wity-radio-down-on-farmAgricen’s Scott Lay sat with Dennis Michelsen of WITY Radio to discuss where TITAN XC and EXTRACT PBA fit into fall practices, and how they can help farmers ensure that every dollar they spend on fertility inputs makes a bigger impact.

Dennis - WITY Radio: With the excellent yields that we've had the last few years, agronomists I’ve talked to say that we've taken more nutrients out of the soil than ever before, and that it's important to recharge those nutrients this fall.

Scott - Agricen: When yields are removed, nutrients are also removed from the soil profile, so it's important to replenish those. It also makes sense to utilize technologies that increase the availability of the nutrients that you've paid for. In a year like this one, with commodity prices diminished 15 to 20% relative to a year ago, every dollar counts. Given the economic scenario, the question of how to increase the amount of nutrients available to the crop next spring and summer becomes even more important.

Dennis - WITY Radio: Some local producers have told me “The only way I can make money this year is by growing more bushels.” So it doesn't really pay to cut back on your dry fertilizer game plan unless you can use a technology like TITAN XC to help you get more out of the dry fertilizers you're already applying.

Scott - Agricen: That's correct. We've had TITAN XC on the market since 2013. It’s a complement to traditional fertility practices. This fall, TITAN XC was applied on its 100 millionth-acre since introduction. With TITAN XC on dry fertilizer, we have a number of university studies that indicate we're increasing the first-year availability of phosphorus by 15 to 20% and potash by about 10%. So the value is there.

When you treat dry fertilizer with TITAN XC, the average yield response in corn is just over 10 bushels per acre, and the average yield response in soybeans is four bushels. So the economics are very consistent. TITAN XC proves itself again and again.

Dennis - WITY Radio: Tell folks how EXTRACT works.

Scott - Agricen: EXTRACT is a liquid product combining the power of our biochemistry components and ammonium thiosulfate. We created it to accelerate nutrient mineralization and release in the soil—release of those nutrients that are already there, perhaps bound to the soil colloid—and also to enhance crop residue breakdown.

If we are applying EXTRACT in a broadcast application with a fall herbicide or in the spring with a broadcast application of a pre herbicide, we're able to increase the mineralization or release of nutrients in the soil while also, if it's in a minimum till situation, enhancing the breakdown of crop residue and getting that residue into more of a plant-available form more quickly.

Initially EXTRACT was targeted more towards the corn acre. We've had great success with it on corn, but as time has passed, we probably treat almost as many acres of soybeans with EXTRACT as we do corn.

Dennis - WITY Radio: When I look at data on TITAN XC and EXTRACT, I see a lot of the third-party and university data from Illinois.

Scott - Agricen: We’ve worked with the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign since 2012, and have done trials with Purdue and many other institutions as well as on-farm split-field trials where we can evaluate how the technology performs in a range of conditions. Whether we're talking about EXTRACT as a broadcast application or TITAN XC impregnated on dry fertilizer, those yield results have been pretty consistent.

TITAN XC 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.

 

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Lifelong Friendship Leads to Advice a Grower Continues to Count On
November 6, 2023 — Posted By Agricen

Jason Jaggers Illinois - Doing More with LessJason Jaggers is a third-generation corn and soybean farmer in Wyanet, Illinois. When it comes to getting advice from his Nutrien Ag Solutions agronomist, Chad Taylor, he knows he has someone he can count on. Chad is not only his agronomist, but also his childhood friend. 

"Chad and I grew up together. Now he's my Nutrien agronomist. If he brings a product to me, he knows it better perform," says Jason. "He's also a grower himself, so he understands that."

Two of the products that Chad has introduced to Jason are Titan XC and Extract PBA. They are biocatalyst technologies that help growers "do more with less" by enhancing nutrient use efficiency. 

"As he's brought Titan, Extract and multiple other products to the table, they've all performed very, very well," says Jason. 

In the fall, Titan XC on dry fertilizer is a particularly important part of the equation. 

"If you're making a fall application of fertilizer, it needs Titan XC," say Chad. "Titan brings multiple levels of benefit...being able to take a grower's fertilizer dollar and increase it by upwards of 20 percent."

On Chad's recommendation, Jason has used Titan XC on his fall dry fertilizer for the past decade.

"We've used it for probably the last 10 years in the fall," says Jason. "We tried it on a couple of farms the first year and instantly saw good results. Now I use it on 100 percent of my acres."

Titan XC fall fertilizerGetting ready to spread Titan XC-treated dry fertilizer.

Extract PBA is another product that Chad commonly recommends for corn and soybean producers. He has seen some outstanding results.

"I had a couple of growers say 'I can't raise beans on this farm.' We started utilizing Extract on the solution for corn years and on the residue for bean years. Now they're like, 'Wow, I never thought I would take 80+ bushel beans off this farm.' It's just been a tremendous turnaround in farm production," explains Chad.

On Jason's farm, Extract PBA is being used as a residue management tool on his corn stubble prior to planting soybeans.  

"We're going to apply it on standing corn stalks that are going to go to soybeans next spring just to try to break down the massive amount of residue that we have," Jason says. "It seems that the residue is tying up more and more nutrients, so we're trying to get it to breakdown to get them into the soil profile for next spring."

One of the newer products that Chad is able to bring to the table for his grower customers is Accomplish MAX, which is designed for use with liquid starter fertilizer programs and combines the nutrient availability technology found in products like Titan XC and Extract PBA with a marine-based technology for stress mitigation.

"Everyone who's used it that I've talked to is seeing results. The stress mitigation factor of the kelp extract paired with the Accomplish technology has been a tremendous fit. Now you are getting a healthier, stronger seedling that's encountering less stress— whether it be from cold weather, starter fertilizer salt or salinity within the soil profile," Chad says. "There couldn't be a better coupling of what a new planted seedling needs trying to get up and out of the ground fast and uniform."

You can watch the video below, here or on our YouTube channel, to hear more from Chad and Jason.

Learn more about Accomplish MAX, Extract PBA and Titan XC by downloading the Frequently Asked Questions booklet.

Download the Booklet

 

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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. 

Extract wheat Western KS

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."

Get the Booklet

 

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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 IllThe 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.

Download the Booklet

 

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Illinois Farm Family Benefits from Earlier Planting with EXTRACT PBA
April 19, 2021 — Posted By Agricen

Along with raising cattle, the DeBaillie family has been growing corn and soybeans in northwestern Illinois for over 65 years. Today, Randy, Rob and Russell DeBaillie, who are the third-generation of farmers in their family, farm around 6,000 acres of land in a longstanding no-till farming practice. EXTRACT PBA is one of the products they rely on to help them run a successful operation.

Like other growers, the DeBaillies like to get their crops in as early as possible, usually in the last week in April. They typically plant corn at 36,000 seeds per acre in their highly productive rolling clay hills. Given their northern location in Orion, Illinois, harvest ordinarily ends around Thanksgiving.

DeBaillie FarmRob, Russell and Randy DeBaillie of Orion, Illinois - on the farm and ready to plant in an Extract-treated field.

Mike Roegiers, a crop consultant with Nutrien Ag Solutions who has been the DeBaillie family's advisor for over 25 years, says that with their high yields and today's genetics, the DeBaillies needed an effective way to manage their corn residue so that they could get in their fields earlier than in the past.

"We don't have enough heat in the fall and early spring to rely on the residue from the high-yielding, fuller season hybrids naturally breaking down in time for that early planting window," says Mike.

About six years ago, the DeBaillies started a trial with EXTRACT to try to address this challenge, and today they spray it on all of their corn stalks. Bean stubble gets a vertical tillage tool in the fall. They also use TITAN XC to treat their dry fertilizer on most acres. 

"With EXTRACT, the residue in between the corn stalk rows turns to dust now when the planter's residue managers hit them," say the DeBaillies. "We also get in the fields at least a week earlier than in the past." 

This, in turn, helps them achieve an earlier harvest date.

When they look at their neighbors' fields, the DeBaillies have said they can see a difference in the amount of crop residue compared to their own fields, with corn stalk rows from two years prior still visible in the neighbors' bean stubble. They've also seen a yield impact in their soybeans planted after corn. 

"Our soybean yields were rather flat before," they say. "Since we started using EXTRACT, we see our yield averages constantly on an upward trend."

They believe a lot of this success is from earlier planting in drier and warmer soil conditions due to using EXTRACT.

Mike adds that EXTRACT has also made a significant overall improvement in the DeBaillies' farming operation by allowing earlier application of herbicide in the spring. They are now looking into applying EXTRACT with fall herbicide for soybeans to make early spring more efficient. 

"In the old days, they may have had to let a field sit an extra couple days to dry," he remarks. "Now they have that little edge with EXTRACT to make the field work earlier and much profitably all year." 

Learn more about using EXTRACT PBA to help manage crop residue by downloading the crop residue booklet.

Download the Booklet

 

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Continuous Corn Growers See Yield Benefit with EXTRACT PBA
March 30, 2021 — Posted By Agricen

Crop residue left on the soil surface after harvest can present both challenges and opportunities going into the next planting season. Potential tie-up of important nutrients, delayed nutrient recycling, and difficulty getting pre- and post-applied weed control coverage are some challenges growers may face. However, if crop residues are properly managed, there are great opportunities for nutrient release, improvement in soil organic matter, and soil moisture preservation.

Harvest and tillage equipment that mechanically break down residue are useful management tools, but adding a biochemical tool in the form of EXTRACT PBA can also help growers manage and even benefit from surface crop residue, regardless of their tillage practices.

"Whether you want to release nutrients from the soil or break down your crop residue, EXTRACT does all the heavy lifting, delivering consistent ROI to the farmer," says Michael Bern, Nutrien Ag Solutions Location Manager in Galesberg, Illinois.

Applied in spring or fall, EXTRACT helps to speed nutrient recycling by accelerating the breakdown of organic matter on the soil surface using microbial-derived biochemistry, which allows growers to recapture more of their original fertilizer investment. By helping to decompose crop residue, EXTRACT can also facilitate more effective tillage and better seedbeds, with improved seed-to-soil contact at planting and better crop stands.

On-Farm Studies

In a trial near Edgar, Nebraska, EXTRACT was applied at 1 gal/acre in the spring with pre-emergent herbicide to assess its impact on dryland corn in a corn-on-corn rotation. Both the treated and the untreated parts of the field also had UAN 32 applied at 9 gal/acre. The photo below powerfully illustrates how this treatment can release nitrogen tied up in crop residue.

Extract Corn – Edgar NE

On the untreated side, not only is more residue present on the soil surface, but the lower leaves of the plant are also firing, a sign that the plant is nitrogen deficient. On the EXTRACT-treated side, there is less residue present on the soil and the lower leaves are still green and healthy. In this trial, the EXTRACT treatment led to a yield increase of +15 bu/acre compared to untreated.

In Essex, Iowa, the addition of EXTRACT (2 gal/acre rate) to the grower's standard program of UAN 32 (applied at 7 gal/acre) also had a big yield impact in continuous corn, with larger corn ears (seen below) and a yield increase of +22 bu/acre where EXTRACT had been used.

Extract Corn Ears Iowa

In another example, adding EXTRACT (1 gal/acre rate) to the grower's standard program led to corn yield increases of more than +8 bu/acre in the two fields shown below near Greensburg, Indiana. These fields had been continuous corn for roughly six years.

Extract Greensburg IN 1Extract Greensburg IN 2

Compatible with Both Spring and Fall Applications

For those considering a spring or fall application, EXTRACT can be tank mixed with herbicides, including glyphosate, and applied with burndown. It can also be broadcast with liquid fertilizers.

By using EXTRACT to increase nutrient release from crop residues and the soil, growers will be set up for greater success in the coming season.

Learn more about the benefits of using EXTRACT PBA in a corn program by downloading the Extract Makes Corn bulletin.

Download the Bulletin

 

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Yield Success with EXTRACT PBA in Mississippi Corn Trial
October 29, 2020 — Posted By Agricen

Yield success for a grower near Macon, Mississippi started in the fall when he applied 1 gallon per acre of EXTRACT PBA (with 1 gallon/acre of UAN 32 +15 gallons/acre of water) on cotton residue from his harvested crop.

The grower planted corn the following spring. Where EXTRACT had been used, he realized a yield increase of +11.47 bushels per acre compared to the check, as well as a net ROI of over $30 per acre with his EXTRACT application.

10-20-Extract-corn-01

The NDVI shows the greater vegetation density and crop health where EXTRACT was applied on the cotton residue.

10-20-extract-cornExtract PBA was applied in early October 2019 with 15 gallons of water per acre.

EXTRACT is a mineralization technology that converts organic nutrients into plant-available, inorganic forms that the plant can take up and use for nutrition. For example, an application of EXTRACT can help convert organic nitrogen into plant-available ammonium (NH4+) and convert organic phosphorus into plant-available hydrogen phosphate (HPO42-). In addition, potassium and micronutrients are mineralized and released back into the soil solution when EXTRACT is applied.

EXTRACT combines the concentrated biochemistry of ACCOMPLISH nutrient release technology with ammonium thiosulfate (ATS) to help growers easily and effectively manage nutrients tied up in the soil, in crop residues and in animal manures and poultry litters. The biochemistry in EXTRACT increases nutrient release and accelerates residue and manure/litter decomposition for rapid nutrient recycling, while ATS promotes an optimal carbon to nitrogen ratio to enhance soil microbial activity, further expediting nutrient return to the soil profile.

For growers, increased mineralization with EXTRACT can equate to greater nutrient availability for the next crop and an increase in crop yield.

Learn more about the mineralization technology in EXTRACT by downloading the Frequently Asked Questions booklet.

Download the Booklet

 

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How Do EXTRACT PBA & TITAN XC Enhance Fall Crop Nutrition Programs?
October 13, 2020 — Posted By Agricen

Steve Sexton Crop ResidueAlready a busy period, harvest is also the time for growers to begin planning for next season's crop. Fall planning can be critical to having a less stressful planting season in the spring. Incorporating TITAN XC and EXTRACT PBA into fall plans is one way that growers can set themselves up for success in the season ahead.

Agricen's Stephen Sexton breaks down the benefits of these biocatalyst products and explains where they fit into fall programs.

TITAN XC for Dry Fertilizer

Steve says that two key processes occur when TITAN XC is applied to dry phosphorus and potassium fertilizer blends and spread in the fall.

First, he notes that the phosphorus and potassium prills are broken down much faster compared to waiting for Mother Nature.

"Remember that phosphorus and potassium fertilizers may have received multiple applications of petroleum-based or vegetable-based oils to reduce dust and maintain prill integrity," he says. "Oil applied to dry fertilizer can delay the breakdown of the prill when soil applied, since oil repels soil moisture. This is not the case when Titan XC is applied to the dry fertilizer."

Then, there are the benefits related to root growth.

"In the spring, the biochemistry in TITAN XC can signal to the plant that nutrition is nearby, which stimulates root growth and feeder tip roots or root hairs, which are the ports of entry for water and nutrition into the plant," says Steve.

Download the Titan XC Corn Bulletin

EXTRACT PBA for Crop Residue, Broadcast Liquid Fertilizers, Manures & Poultry Litter

When it comes to crop residues, broadcast liquid fertilizers, manures, and poultry litter, that's where the innovative mineralization technology in EXTRACT PBA comes into play.

"EXTRACT PBA can be applied with burndown applications or alone on crop residues, manures, or litter to mineralize the organic nitrogen and phosphorus into inorganic, plant-available forms," Steve says.

Plants do not use organic forms of nitrogen or phosphorus. Rather, they can only take up these nutrients when they are in inorganic, plant-available forms. The plant-available forms of nitrogen are nitrate (NO3) and ammonium (NH4+), while the plant-available forms of phosphorus are hydrogen phosphate (HPO4) and dihydrogen phosphate (H2PO4).

"Both of these key macronutrients are mineralized, or converted from an organic form into a plant-available, inorganic form, by the biochemistry in EXTRACT PBA," he explains.

See the Extract PBA Trial Summary

The Last Word

By contributing to increased nutrient availability and an improved root system, TITAN XC on dry fertilizers and EXTRACT PBA on crop residues, manures or litter can lead to enhanced nutrient uptake, better crop performance, and higher crop yields. 

Learn more about these biocatalyst technologies by downloading the Biocatalyst Technology Booklet.

Download the Booklet

 

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Grower Story: Implementing Sustainable Residue Management Practices
January 23, 2019 — Posted By Agricen

wheat after harvestBroken O Ranch in Augusta, Montana, is a farming operation that grows wheat, barley, alfalfa, flax, canola and chickpeas on about 12,000 irrigated acres.

A big concern at the ranch is how to handle crop residue without burning it. Most states around Montana have banned all burning of residue. Dale Clark, the farm manager at Broken O Ranch, feels that it's only a matter of time before the practice is banned in Montana as well. But he also has bigger issues with the practice.

“Burning residue not only takes time and labor, but it also adversely affects the availability of soil moisture because the ground becomes harder after burning," says Dale. "More than that, it negatively impacts nutrient availability. Nutrients are lost when ash is blown by the wind and redeposited or carried off.”

"At Broken O, we’ve been looking for a sustainable solution that we can implement right now,” he says.

Broken O Ranch Montana

A fall view from the farm shop at Broken O Ranch

Striving for a residue management system that dovetails with his no-till approach to farming, Dale tried EXTRACT PBA in the fall of 2017 after a large harvest, applying it on three circles of straw (one durum wheat, one spring wheat and one malt barley). Dale's durum wheat and malt barley yields that year topped 120 bu/acre, while his spring wheat reached 95-100 bu/a. On a dry matter basis, the straw in the durum wheat field alone was approximately 6 tons/acre.

With the goal of breaking down the large amount of residue from his harvest and recycling carbon and nutrients back into the soil profile*, Dale applied EXTRACT PBA at a rate of 1 gal/acre with 2 gallons of UAN 32% through a center pivot with 1-inch of moisture.

Learn more about Extract PBA

In the spring at planting, Dale's no-till drills were able to make it through the durum residue successfully. Root balls from the previous crop broke apart, and the residue was decomposed enough to allow for planting. In the spring wheat field, excessively large windrows had been created by the combine at harvest. The concentration of residue into large windrows unfortunately proved too big a challenge for the rate of EXTRACT PBA that was used, and the field was burned. The field of barley straw was also burned due to excessive residue from the large crop.

Residue management is critical for soil health, soil moisture management, and nutrient management, all of which can lead to more sustainable crop yields. Previously, Dale’s main option for residue management at Broken O Ranch was to burn the residue. He now feels like he has another option—EXTRACT PBA—which allowed him to spare one field from being burned. This not only saved time and labor, but also had soil and plant health benefits.

Dale will continue to experiment with higher rates of EXTRACT PBA to sustainably break down his large amounts of residue and mineralize nutrients produced by his high-yielding crops†.  

Learn more about EXTRACT PBA by downloading the EXTRACT PBA booklet.

Download the Booklet

*Typically, one ton of wheat straw contains 9-12 lbs of nitrogen, 3-4 lbs of phosphorus (P2O5) and 25-45 lbs of potassium (K20). The nitrogen and phosphorus in cereal grain residue is in an organic form that is not available for plants to use as fertilizer. It must be broken down into inorganic plant-available forms: NH4+ (ammonium) and HPO4 (hydrogen phosphate), respectively.

†In previous wheat residue trials where cereal grain yield topped 100 bu/acre, an application of the biocatalyst technology in Extract PBA at 3 qts/acre led to a statistically significant increase in crop yield (at .05) when applied with 1 or 2 gallons of UAN 32 %.

 

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Effective Residue Decomposition – Is More Nitrogen the Answer?
January 14, 2019 — Posted By Agricen

By Stephen Sexton (@AgricenLifer), Agricen

Yellow seedlings are a familiar sight for many corn growers. On continuous corn acres, the carbon-to-nitrogen ratio can be more than double the optimal ratio* for crop residue decomposition due to the buildup of organic matter from multiple years of corn-on-corn rotations. Even if a grower has applied nitrogen during the previous fall or around spring planting, soil microbes can out-compete seedling corn plants for nitrogen when excess carbon is present. The microbes use the nitrogen as a food source, immobilizing it as they work to degrade crop residues; the seedling corn plants, meanwhile, turn yellow due to a lack of available nitrogen.

One effective way to solve the problem of yellow corn seedlings in corn-on-corn rotations is to lower soil C:N ratios by baling corn stalks for winter cow feed. Unfortunately, this is really only practical if one has cows—and most row crop farmers do not. In addition, complete removal of corn residue also takes away a significant amount of the N, P and K that comprises corn stover (Table 1).

Table 1. Nutrient Removal Chart for 200 Bushel Corn Residue

residue_table1-1

A second option for making sure seedling corn has enough nitrogen is obvious enough: apply more nitrogen to meet the needs of both the soil microbe system and the seedling corn. A common approach in the Corn Belt is to broadcast 10-15 gallons of UAN 28% on corn residue after harvest, with the idea that the extra nitrogen will facilitate rapid decomposition of the corn residue.

But more nitrogen isn’t necessarily the best or only solution for row crop growers. Numerous field trials show that ACCOMPLISH technology, which is found in the product EXTRACT PBA, can accelerate the breakdown of crop residues, even on no-till acres. The concentrated biochemistry in the product also effectively releases nutrients tied up in the stover—with resulting yield increases at harvest time.

Extract residue decomposition

Research conducted at the University of Illinois illustrates the value of residue management using EXTRACT in a corn on corn system. In that trial (below), both mechanical chopping and the addition of ammonium thiosulfate (AMS), a nitrogen source, tended to increase yield through improved residue management, but only through the addition of EXTRACT did corn yield begin to exceed statistically significant levels.

U of Illinois Residue Management Trial Extract

The practice of using EXTRACT to increase nutrient efficiencies in high-residue fields is supported by data from numerous trials, such as the corn trial from Indiana below, where a residue management application of EXTRACT in corn on corn acres resulted in a +8.78 bu/a yield increase at harvest compared to untreated acres.

Extract corn on corn residue trial Indiana

Typically, residue applications with EXTRACT are made in October, when the ambient air and soil temperatures are cooling. The concentrated biochemistry in the product will continue to decompose corn residue even in cooler soil temperatures.

For any grower, it can be a challenge to optimize nutrient release from crop residue—and to get those nutrients mineralized in time for the growing season. But “more nitrogen” isn’t always the answer. Making EXTRACT part of your program is a cost-effective way to unlock the nutrients tied up in your stover, and keeps your seedling corn green.

*A C:N ratio of 20-30:1 is optimal.

Learn more about EXTRACT PBA by downloading the Maximizing Nutrient Release from Crop Residue booklet.

Download the Booklet

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