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See the latest news, innovation updates, trial results, grower stories and more from Agricen. 
August 10, 2016 — Posted By Agricen

Jeff_Frank_Iowa_Farmer.pngJeff Frank, a fourth generation farmer from Auburn, Iowa, grows corn and soybeans on a 1,200-acre century farm that he and his wife operate. He is an avid drone enthusiast and dealer (hear him speak more about drones and farming in this video), sits on the board of directors of his local Farm Bureau, is currently a candidate for the Iowa Soybean Association board of directors, and recently converted his barn over to a new coffee roasting endeavor. You may also remember Jeff from last year’s farming film, Prove It to Me.

Like other growers across the country, Jeff is concerned about sustainability on his farm.

“When you think about what you’re putting on the field, you have to think about the future,” he says. “You try to do things to make the land better, so we leave it in better condition than when we got it.”

Enhancing Water Quality

Jeff is participating in the Elk Run Watershed Water Quality Initiative, a program promoting the implementation of in-field and edge-of-field practices that reduce nutrient loss to surface waters, all while maintaining the productive capability of cropland and providing farmers with a cost share benefit.

“Water quality is a big issue in our county,” says Jeff. “Because my ground water drains into Elk Run but is not in the watershed, I’ll be doing a cover crop project, and we’ll monitor my water to see what nitrates and phosphorus come out of the tile on the farm.”

 

There are several reasons why this type of project is appealing to Jeff. Not only is clean water a worthy goal for everyone—farmers included—but Jeff also hopes that finding effective, voluntary solutions can help prevent a level of regulation that might hurt farmers’ livelihoods.

“We all want clean water. Farmers are no different than anyone else,” says Jeff. “But if we can clean up the water voluntarily, that’s much better than being forced to. Certain regulations on nitrogen runoff could affect our yields and our profitability. One regulation doesn’t fit every operation.”

Understanding the Consumer Perspective

Another concern Jeff has is the misperceptions consumers have about farmers and farming. There’s a lot that consumers should know, and it’s something he feels farmers need to address.

“Farmers tend to be a tight-lipped bunch and we don’t like to brag, but we need to get out there and talk to consumers,” says Jeff. “We’re trying to produce as much as we can as cost-effectively as we can, and we’re also producing a safe product. I don’t think consumers understand that, and it's our responsibility to educate them.”

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In the past year, Jeff converted his barn over to coffee roasting. Interestingly, his new endeavor has made him more understanding of the consumer perspective and the disconnect between consumers and farmers.

“The coffee roasting business my wife, son and I started this past year really opened my eyes,” says Jeff. “It was the first time I really understood why some people think meat comes from a grocery store. I thought the same thing about coffee! It’s simply not true. There’s a lot to coffee production. All of the things that make quality beans–the growing elevation, the volcanic soils, building trusting relationships with growers and their familiesare really important.”

Reaching Out 

For his part, Jeff reaches out to consumers through his local Farm Bureau, including talking about farming and farm technologies through the Bureau’s “Agriculture in the Classroom” program and volunteering at the Iowa State Fair booths sponsored by the Farm Bureau and Iowa Food and Family to help promote consumer education.

“Our profession has grown and changed immensely in the last 20 years. For the kids, technology is a big thing,” says Jeff. “They are amazed that a farmer would be using the technology that we’re using today – things like autosteer in the tractors, remote sensing and drones. Those things are really phenomenal to them, and are becoming the standard in the industry.”

Social media is another way he reaches out, and hopes that other farmers will, too. 

“Social media is something a lot of farmers really aren’t accustomed to, but we need to use it,” says Jeff. “I tweet and my wife knows social media is a must in today’s retail world. We hope other farmers will be encouraged to be more comfortable with new ways of communication to help promote the diligence and integrity of today’s farmers.”

If you would like to see more of Jeff on his farm and hear more about his experiences, we invite you to watch the film "Prove it to Me".

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October 6, 2015 — Posted By Agricen

Grower Stories Brandon BurkhartBrandon Burkhart is a fourth-generation farmer from Oto, Iowa. Varying soils on his family's 2500-acre corn and soybean operation used to mean it was difficult to get a good, efficient use out of their applied nutrients. Today, Brandon and his family use Accomplish LM and Titan PBA to maximize their fertilizer efficiency, with excellent returns from the accompanying gains in yield. 

“When using our Accomplish LM and Titan PBA combination on corn, it’s been [a yield increase] upwards of 10 bushels or more,” says Brandon. “On our bean operations with just Titan PBA, we’ve seen jumps of 10 bushels per acre.”

“It’s been a great investment for us. It’s been a great return on investment also.”

See how Accomplish LM and Titan PBA are paying off for Brandon and his family. 

Watch the video: 

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August 27, 2015 — Posted By Agricen

Farming corn and soybeans in Breda, Iowa, Cory Uhlenkamp and his family use Accomplish LM on every acre to help with soil health and crop productivity.

Cory_Uhlenkamp_Iowa_Farmer

“Yield-wise I’d say we’re getting at least 10 bushels [increase per acre] or better,” says Cory.

“We only use products that we truly do believe work. Accomplish LM is one of those products that we’ve added to our normal lineup,” he adds. “It’s a product that every year, year in and year out, you can always count on.”

Hear more of what Cory has to say about Accomplish LM.

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March 14, 2015 — Posted By Agricen

In a previous post, we got to know Jim and Janet Orr, fourth generation farmers from Iowa. In this blog post, we meet their sons, Jamie and Jason, who continue the family tradition in farming and agriculture.

 Jason_Orr_Acreage

 

Jamie and Jason Orr grew up on their parents’ Century Farm near Rowley, Iowa. Growing up in a farming family instilled a strong work ethic and respect for the land.

“I can’t remember a time when I wasn’t outside helping my folks,” says Jamie. “There were chores before and after school. I fed the hogs, helped pick rocks out of fields, and ran equipment pretty early on.”

“We were always working,” Jason adds. “I even slept on the floor of my dad’s combine when he drove it. Farming is in our blood.”

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Farming Inspires Ag Careers

Although both men grew up helping their parents on the farm, they would end up working in different sectors of agriculture.

Jamie first worked at AgVantage FS, an agriculture and energy supplier. He then joined Crop Production Services (CPS) in 2005, where he is currently the General Manager of the Western Illinois Division.

“I enjoy talking to growers, finding out what makes them successful and bring them new ideas to make them even more profitable” says Jamie.

Jason, meanwhile, completed a college program in agriculture, then began farming land located two miles from his parents’ farm. He now grows continuous corn on 375 acres and manages three hog buildings, each with 2400 hogs.

Science and Technology Drive Farming

“These days, you can’t grow without science and technology,” says Jason. “I plant disease-resistant seeds and use GPS mapping and a yield monitor to observe field conditions. I also use the Internet to stay up to date on the latest technologies, trends and opportunities. These are the tools that help me make better decisions and be a better grower.”

Jason was introduced to the biochemical technology in Accomplish LM by Jamie, who saw the first-hand benefits in CPS trials throughout Illinois and Wisconsin.

“I first tried Accomplish LM in 2013, applying it on 182 acres of corn. I left 30 acres untreated,” says Jason. “We harvested five bushels more per acre on the treated acres. Based on those results, I’ve continued to use it.”

“All farmers value quality products and healthy crops, and they’re looking for ways to be as efficient and profitable as possible,” says Jamie. “It’s not just for the money, although we all know that’s important. It’s also to feed the hungry world.”

Learn more about Accomplish LM and how it benefits farming operations by downloading the Accomplish LM booklet

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January 23, 2015 — Posted By Agricen

In the past 50 years, science, technology and economics have dramatically changed family farming. But the connection to the land and the choice to farm still passes from generation to generation. In this blog series, we’ll feature two generations of the Orr family, who maintain a strong connection to the land their relatives first began to farm over a century ago in Iowa.

Meet the Orrs: Farming the Land for Five Generations

The Orr farm - from the air.

Jim and Janet Orr are proud Iowans who run a Century Farm—a rare and officially recognized entity that has been continuously owned and farmed by the same family for at least 100 years. They are joined by their son, Jason, who works on the farm and manages a nearby livestock operation. Their other son, Jamie, also remains connected to agriculture and his farming roots, working as a Division Manager for Crop Production Services (CPS) (now Nutrien Ag Solutions).

“My great-grandfather purchased the land and started farming it in 1897,” says Jim. “Today, Janet and I own 40 of the original acres, rent the remaining original acres from my dad, and farm an additional 2500 acres, growing all corn. We also raised hogs and cattle in the past, but now are strictly grain.”

Like most family farmers, Janet helped Jim do everything in the beginning, from driving the tractor to operating the grain cart in the fall. Today, Janet handles the bookkeeping for the farm and family, while Jim focuses on operations, production, and ways to make their business more efficient. 

“The way we farm has changed a lot since I started. Now, technology and new products allow us to increase production and efficiency, while maintaining and even improving the condition of the soil,” says Jim. “To learn about new ways to grow, we used to just read magazines and talk to friends and other farmers. Today, we still talk to other growers, but we also need to attend meetings and spend time doing research on the Internet just to keep up.”

As Jim mentions, one of the keys to their success on the Orr farm has been the application of new technologies as they become available. The family began computerizing their bookkeeping in the 1980s and have used a yield monitor in their combine since 1996. GPS steering systems, variable rate planting and mapping are now standard. Starting in 2009, the Orrs began using Accomplish LM, Agricen’s liquid fertilizer catalyst. They use Accomplish LM for corn-on-corn residue, yield benefits and overall nitrogen management. 

“We first tried Accomplish LM on a small test plot to see whether it would make a difference,” says Jim. “We liked the results and started applying it to the entire corn crop, where we saw increases in yield. We also noticed it had a positive effect on water quality, meaning there isn’t as much nitrogen runoff. Last year, we banded two quarts of Accomplish LM with UAN 32%, Thio-sul, and BlackLabelZn over the row post-plant, and we used Accomplish LM on our corn residue in the late fall.”

Find out in part two of this series how Jim and Janet’s sons, Jason and Jamie, have continued the family tradition of farming and agriculture, and how they are using new technologies to increase the efficiency of farm inputs and improve the soil for future generations.

Learn more about Accomplish LM by downloading the Accomplish LM product booklet.

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December 22, 2013 — Posted By Agricen

Accomplish technology can be used to help release and mineralize nutrients in high residue fields. Given the high potassium levels in corn stover and the high potassium demand for a soybean crop, this is a perfect situation for using a residue application of Accomplish technology to improve plant performance (Figures 1-3) and gain a yield advantage in the coming soybean crop (Figure 4).

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Figure 1. Soybeans, Wimbledon, ND (2011). Improved nutrient uptake in soybean treated with fall-applied Accomplish LM (right) compared to check (left). Accomplish LM was applied in the fall of 2010 at 2 quarts/acre with 1 gallon of 28% UAN and 10 gallons of water per acre**.

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Figure 2. Soybeans, Wimbledon, ND (2011). Improved nutrient uptake and root growth during the growing season with a fall residue application of Accomplish LM (right) compared to check (left). Accomplish LM was applied in the fall of 2010 at 2 quarts/acre with 1 gallon of 28% UAN and 10 gallons of water per acre**.

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Figure 3. Soybeans, Wimbledon, ND (2011).Improved nutrient uptake with a fall residue application of Accomplish LM (right) compared to check (left). Accomplish LM was applied in the fall of 2010 at 2 quarts/acre with 1 gallon of 28% UAN and 10 gallons of water per acre**.

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Figure 4. Soybean yield results, Wall Lake, Iowa (2008). Accomplish LM was associated with the highest yield compared to check (average yield from two check strips adjacent to the Accomplish LM-treated strip) in this trial of soybean grown on corn residue.

Residue applications can be made in the fall, winter, or spring. By using Accomplish technology in their nutrient mineralization programs, growers can speed residue breakdown and release valuable nutrients for a top soybean yield next season.

**Extract PBA, which combines Accomplish LM and ammonium thiosulfate, has been launched since the writing of this blog article. It is now the recommended residue treatment from Agricen.**

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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).

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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).

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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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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.

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