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

TITAN XC Raises Phosphorus Levels in Depleted Soil

September 30, 2020 — Posted By Agricen

At the Nutrien Ag Solutions branch in Manlius, Illinois, farmer and crop consultant Chad Taylor has been witness to many TITAN XC success stories. One that particularly stands out in his mind is the effect that TITAN XC has had on one of his grower client's fields, helping to transform farmland that was largely phosphorus deficient into land with optimal soil phosphorus levels.

"The farm was quite run down when he purchased it, and we've been pretty amazed with the activity of TITAN XC in just a short time," says Chad.

When the grower first took over the field in 2012, soil tests taken in fall showed that phosphorus levels were very low throughout the field, with an average soil phosphorus level of just 41.5 lbs/acre. Five years later, after applying TITAN XC-treated phosphorus and potassium fertilizers every fall, soil phosphorus levels were excellent. In 2017, the date of the most recent soil tests (taken in spring), the average soil phosphorus level had increased to 122.5 lbs/acre.

The grower has been similarly satisfied with the corn and soybean yields on his acres.

"We treat both the phosphorus and potassium with TITAN for all of his acres and we definitely plan to continue," says Chad. "He's a believer in this technology."

As seen in this and other trials, the biocatalyst technology in TITAN can help growers maintain or build soil nutrient levels by increasing the availability of nutrients from applied phosphorus and potassium fertilizers. This can lead to increased nutrient use efficiency while also driving yield and ROI.

Learn more about TITAN XC, including how it helps drive yield and sustainability, by downloading the Titan XC booklet.

Addressing the Challenge of Dry Fertilizer Efficiency

September 24, 2020 — Posted By Agricen

Growers make nutrient management decisions all season long. This includes the period just before and after harvest, when they need to decide whether a fall dry fertilizer application makes sense.

Growers who do decide to make a fall application face a significant challenge when it comes to dry fertilizer efficiency. This is because applied phosphorus and potassium fertilizers can be easily tied up by the soil chemistry. Even with the best program, only an estimated 10-30% of applied phosphorus and 20-60% of applied potassium will be available to their crop in the spring. This level of inefficiency is not good for the grower or the crop.

One way growers can better ensure that they are getting more out of the nutrition they apply is by treating their dry fertilizer with Titan XC, a biocatalyst technology that is specifically formulated to increase nutrient availability from dry fertilizers. This can have a positive impact on a grower’s yield, as seen in the summary of corn, soybean and wheat trials from 2010-2019 below.

Proven on millions of acres across the country, Titan XC helps growers address the challenges related to dry fertilizer efficiency. Here's what some growers are saying:

"Every pound of potash that we put on, we also apply Titan XC with it...The biochemistry of Titan is the best choice for us to help solubilize the potassium and help get it into the corn plant." - Kelly Garrett, Iowa. Hear more from Kelly.

"I use Titan XC on my fertilizer since noticing a better root system and color on my crops versus the untreated fertilized acres." - Matt Minnix, Indiana. Hear more from Matt.

"I really like the biochemistry that Titan XC offers because I love the fact that I'm getting more out of my fertilizer and putting money in my pocket." - Allen Ehrman, Nebraska. Hear more from Allen.

An application of Titan XC on fall dry fertilizer is a great investment in the next season. Ask for it on your dry fertilizer today!

Learn more about using Titan XC to maximize the efficiency of dry fertilizer applications by downloading our booklet, "How to Get Better First-Year Nutrient Recovery Out of Fall Dry Fertilizer Applications."

Loveland Research Farm Trial Demonstrates How Titan XC Drives Yield

September 18, 2020 — Posted By Agricen

As manager of the Loveland Research Farm in Owensboro, Kentucky, Tim Sickman is well acquainted with the benefits of applying Titan XC on dry fertilizer. One of the trials that nicely highlights the advantages of Titan XC on dry fertilizer was conducted by his group during the 2015 and 2016 growing seasons in corn and soybean.

"In 2015, we initiated a study in corn on a site that already had a very respectable P and K soil test level," he says. "We took 150 lbs of a 9-23-30 fertilizer blend. In one of the treatments, we impregnated the 9-23-30 with the standard rate of Titan XC of 1 pint per ton of fertilizer. In the other treatment, we simply left that 150 lbs of 9-23-30 untreated."

Tim and his group then monitored the growth and development of the corn throughout the growing season, and harvested at the end of the year.

"When we ran the plot combine, what we saw was an 18 bushel per acre yield increase where Titan XC had been used on the dry fertilizer versus where we had not used the Titan XC," he says.

The team carried the trial forward into 2016, planting soybeans where the corn had been the previous season. However, they did not add any additional dry fertilizer at that time.

"At the end of the season when we harvested the beans...the soybeans actually yielded 5 bushels per acre better where we had used Titan the prior year versus where we had not used Titan on the dry fertilizer," Tim says.

Tim notes that this trial illustrates a few very important things. First, it shows that Titan XC improves the solubility of the dry fertilizer prill at the time that the initial application is made. It also shows that Titan XC is helping to make applied nutrients available over the long haul.

"Not only did it make those nutrients more available on the soil exchange site and in the soil solution in 2015 when corn was in the field, but it continued to offer good availability of those nutrients to the soybean crop in the subsequent year," he says.

Tim adds that his group also observed an additional benefit.

"At the end of 2016 after soybean harvest, we went out and did an intensive soil sampling of the trial area. What we saw is that the P and K soil test levels were actually higher where we had used Titan XC the prior spring," he says. "So not only did we harvest 18 more bushels of corn and 5 more bushels of soybean where we used the Titan XC, but we actually saw soil test levels climb in that same environment versus where we had used the fertilizer without Titan XC."

Watch this video to hear Tim discuss the trial in his own words.

You can learn more about Titan XC by downloading the Titan XC Drives booklet.

Titan XC Proves Worth & Increases Corn Yield in VRT Fertilizer Program

May 21, 2020 — Posted By Agricen

corn tassel In the fall of 2017, Benjamin Rice, a crop consultant for Nutrien Ag Solutions in Sidney, Illinois, was faced with a challenge.

He typically recommended Titan XC to his grower customers as a treatment for applied dry phosphorus and potassium fertilizers to help increase yield and profitability. Making the case for using this fertilizer biocatalyst was easy with growers who were blanket spreading dry fertilizers, but demonstrating the value of Titan XC was more complicated with a customer who used variable rate (VRT) applied fertilizer and did not want to pay more for the Titan XC technology. Benjamin needed to figure out a way to prove that Titan XC could have a nutrient efficiency and yield benefit when used with his customer's VRT fertilizer.

Benjamin and his grower devised a large, split-field trial consisting of 320 acres over five fields. Half of the acres would be treated with the grower's standard program (100% VRT-applied P & K), and the other half treated with Ben's program (90% VRT-applied P & K plus Titan XC). The trial was designed so that both programs were identical in cost to the grower.

Two of the fields were spread with each fertilizer program in the fall of 2017, and the remaining three fields were spread with each program the following spring, in 2018, with no additional applications planned for the trial period. Corn was planted in the spring of 2018.

Yield Results in Corn

At harvest, Titan XC proved its worth. Compared to the grower's standard VRT program, the VRT program with Titan XC-treated fertilizer resulted in an average corn yield increase of +6.8 bu/acre over the five fields, for a net revenue of $23.80/acre (based on corn at $3.50/bu).

One Application, Two Years of ROI

No additional fertilizer was spread in the fall of 2018 or spring of 2019 for the 2019 soybean crop planted in the trial fields. Even so, Ben’s customer recorded a +2.6 bu/acre soybean yield increase where the Titan XC program had been applied the previous year, for an added return on investment of $22.10/acre (based on soybeans at $8.50/bu).

Summary

In this split-field trial, one application of Titan XC-treated VRT fertilizer resulted in increased yields and profit for the grower over two seasons. The two-year total ROI with VRT fertilizer spread with Titan XC was ~$45.90/acre in this corn/soybean program, with no cost to the grower for the Titan XC technology. With a planned trial period of four years, Ben and his customer continue to analyze the potential for greater nutrient efficiency and higher yields with Titan XC, and the grower is eager to try this biocatalyst technology on his untreated fields at the trial's end.

Learn more about Titan XC by downloading the Titan XC product booklet.

Obtaining the Highest ROI on Fall Fertilizer Applications

September 4, 2019 — Posted By Agricen

titan-fall-fertilizer When it comes to fall dry fertilizer applications, poor soil conditions and bad weather can significantly decrease fertilizer efficiency. Treating dry fertilizer with Titan XC before it goes out in the field can help growers address these challenges and get the highest return on their fertilizer investment.

How Titan XC Helps Maximize Grower ROI

The concentrated biochemistry in Titan XC makes nutrients in treated phosphorus and potassium-based fertilizers available to the crop more quickly. This creates greater fertilizer efficiency in the first season after application and ensures that the crop has the necessary nutrition when it needs it most.

Titan XC also helps hold the applied nutrients in a plant-available form, protecting them from tie-up in adverse soil conditions, such as high pH or poor soil composition. As an additional benefit, Titan XC has been shown to promote greater root system development, which gives the crop better access water and nutrients. This can lead to increased nutrient uptake and better yield performance.

Recent Trials Demonstrate Increased Fertilizer Efficiency

In five recent Midwest corn trials evaluating Titan XC with a fall or spring fertilizer application, treating dry fertilizer with Titan XC led to an average yield increase of 6.8 bu/a compared to untreated fertilizer. This yield increase was achieved despite reducing the treated fertilizer rate by 10% compared to untreated fertilizer.

Getting the Most Out of a Crucial Investment

Adding the Titan XC biocatalyst to dry fertilizer is a great way to get the most out of a crucial investment this fall. With Titan XC, growers can expect to get more efficiency out of their fall-applied phosphorus and potassium fertilizer through increased nutrient availability and enhanced root development, setting the crop up for improved performance in the coming season.

Download the Titan XC corn bulletin to learn more about how Titan XC performs in fall and spring fertilizer programs.

Titan XC Adding Value to Indiana Corn Program

July 24, 2019 — Posted By Agricen

A check-in on a corn trial near New Salem, Indiana, shows that Titan XC is adding value to the grower's standard corn program, resulting in bigger roots, plants and stalks where Titan XC-treated fertilizer was used.

“When we compared the plants we pulled, we consistently saw larger root masses, thicker stalks and larger plants on the treated side of the field compared to the untreated side," said Nutrien Ag Solutions' Sierra Gearhart, who is operating the trial.

In this trial, Titan XC was applied at 1 pint/ton to the grower's standard dry fertilizer, which was spread in the spring. In addition to using Titan XC to improve nutrient availability from the dry fertilizer, the trial also included a Nitrain, a nitrogen stabilizer, on the urea and ESN.

We look forward to seeing the results of this trial at harvest!

[UPDATE: Treating the grower's standard dry fertilizer with Titan XC led to a yield advantage of +17 bu/a (240 bu/acre with Titan XC vs. 223 bu/acre untreated) and a $57/acre net return to the grower.]

Learn more about using Titan XC on your acres by contacting your local Nutrien Ag Solutions location or downloading the Titan XC booklet to see how you can increase nutrient availability and improve plant performance.

[Data] Titan XC Proves Agronomic Benefit in Cotton, Corn & Soybeans

March 27, 2018 — Posted By Agricen

Results from cotton, corn and soybean trials conducted in North Carolina and Virginia show how Titan XC can optimize yield potential by enhancing the availability of applied P&K within an annual cropping cycle.

In cotton, treating dry fertilizer with Titan XC led to a yield increase of 328 lbs of lint/acre compared to untreated fertilizer, for a return on investment of over $203/acre for the grower.

Corn trials conducted at five locations in the mid-North Carolina and Virginia region showed an average yield increase of 10.4 bushels/acre with Titan XC-treated dry fertilizer compared to untreated, with an average ROI of $31.60/acre.

Finally, soybean trials conducted at six locations in North Carolina demonstrated an average yield increase of 3.98 bushels/acre when Titan XC-treated fertilizer was used, with an average ROI of $28.84/acre.

Learn more about using Titan XC as an agronomic tool in your dry fertilizer program by viewing our Titan XC featured studies.

Corn Yields Take Off with Titan XC in Midwest Trials

December 12, 2017 — Posted By Agricen

Results from corn trials in central Indiana show the potential for big corn yield gains and ROI with fall-applied Titan XC.

In the fall of 2016, Titan XC-treated and untreated dry fertilizer (MES10 and 0-0-60) was applied to three fields in central Indiana using a variable rate technology (VRT) system. The fields were planted with corn in the spring. In the fall of 2017, the corn crop harvested from Titan XC-treated parts of the fields demonstrated both an increased yield and an impressive ROI compared to the crops harvested from the untreated parts of the fields.

In both the first and second trials, the yield improvement with Titan XC was 12 bu/a compared to untreated, with an ROI of more than $35 an acre. In the third trial, the yield improvement with Titan XC was even more impressive at a whopping 41 bu/a, with an ROI of more than $135/acre.

Learn more about Titan XC by watching our "Fertilizer Breakdown with Titan XC" video.

[Trial] Titan XC Provides 14 Bushel Yield Advantage in Soybeans

November 30, 2017 — Posted By Agricen

Growers who spread dry fertilizer on corn fields going to soybeans may want to consider the results of this Titan XC trial from Cozad, Nebraska. In a test plot, treating dry fertilizer with Titan XC provided a 14 bushel/acre yield advantage in soybeans compared to the soybean plots where untreated fertilizer was applied.

By accelerating the breakdown of treated dry fertilizers, Titan XC makes nutrients more available for plant uptake and utilization, which can benefit every crop. Learn more by watching a Titan XC webinar.

Dry Fertilizer Demo: More Breakdown with Titan XC

November 15, 2017 — Posted By Agricen

As growers deal with tight budgets and carefully evaluate all of their input costs, a simple dry fertilizer demonstration shows why Titan XC is important to any operation's bottom line.

Prepared by Nutrien Ag Solutions in Cecilia, Kentucky, these jar tests shows the value that Titan XC brings when applied to dry fertilizers. As you can see in the photos, Titan XC has accelerated the breakdown of fertilizer prill in the treated jars, translating into greater nutrient release and improved fertilizer efficiency in the field. All photos were taken after three weeks.