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[Corn Trial] Lower Canopy Temperatures & Greater Nutrient Uptake with TERRAMAR

May 20, 2024 — Posted By Agricen

By Jeremiah Butler, Agricen

Early in the summer of 2023, widespread nutrient deficiencies were observed in the Corn Belt, particularly potassium (K) deficiency in corn. Due in large part to drier-than-average early season growing conditions, abiotic stress—or stress from environmental conditions—was more prevalent, impacting crop physiological development and reducing nutrient uptake during a critical phase.

Beginning in mid-June, a number of crop consultants were reporting an interesting phenomenon. Corn fields treated with a foliar application of TERRAMAR in the V3-V7 growth stage visually appeared to be healthier and were not exhibiting the same level of K deficiency symptoms as untreated corn.

As a result of these observations, trials were conducted on later-planted corn in Minnesota and Michigan, and on a soybean field in Indiana to evaluate the impact of a V4 application of TERRAMAR on nutrient uptake and abiotic stress reduction. Corn nutrient demand significantly increases after the V4 window to produce a healthy, high-yielding crop.

In the Minnesota trial, a foliar application of TERRAMAR (1 quart/acre) was made at V4, followed by rigorous tissue sampling to determine nutrient uptake levels of treated versus untreated plants. A total of 135 tissue samples were taken at the V9 growth stage (10 days after application) hourly over a 12-hour period (7 am to 7 pm). In addition, leaf surface temperature readings of treated and untreated plants were taken to evaluate canopy temperatures. Higher ambient air temperatures during the trial period were an indication that the corn crop was experiencing moderate heat stress.

Compared to the untreated corn, TERRAMAR increased the uptake of the majority of nutrients into the corn leaf tissue (Fig. 1). Potassium uptake was particularly notable, showing a 38% increase compared to the untreated corn.

Fig. 1. Percent increase in micro- and macronutrients in corn tissue with TERRAMAR treatment versus untreated. Samples taken 10 days after foliar application of TERRAMAR.

Leaf canopy temperature was also notably reduced in corn that had been sprayed with TERRAMAR compared to the untreated corn (Fig. 2). Lower leaf temperatures indicate that the plants were under less stress and were therefore able to more efficiently perform physiologic functions such as transpiration and photosynthesis.

Fig. 2. Tissue temperature in the leaf canopy of corn plants treated with TERRAMAR versus untreated. Temperatures taken using thermal camera 10 days after foliar application of TERRAMAR.

At harvest, the TERRAMAR treatment was associated with a yield advantage of +11.2 bushels/acre compared to the untreated corn (165.8 bu/a vs 154.6 bu/a, respectively).

These results are in line with prior research demonstrating TERRAMAR’s consistency in reducing stress from abiotic factors (e.g., heat, drought, salinity, wind, hail and wet environments) at any given time in the growing season following a foliar application.

While stress mitigation significantly contributes to the product’s performance, more recent research indicates that a foliar application of TERRAMAR also increases nutrient uptake (documented by leaf tissue tests in both stressed and non-stressed environments), nitrate assimilation, carbon fixation, and photosynthetic capacity. These benefits add value by providing more efficient nutrient uptake during the crop’s critical demand windows.

Every growing season creates a different set of challenges, but some things remain constant. Globally, 50% to 70% of crop yield is lost to abiotic stress factors. Taking measures to reduce the impact of abiotic stress and increase nutrient uptake throughout the growing season with new technologies like TERRAMAR provides growers a fighting chance to add more to their bottom line across a range of crops.

Learn more about TERRAMAR by accessing the Minnesota corn trial bulletin.

[Interview] Addressing Weather-Induced Crop Stress

May 13, 2024 — Posted By Agricen

Wity-radio-down on farm As growers finish putting this year’s crop in the ground, Agricen’s Scott Lay spoke with WITY Radio’s Dennis Michelsen about TERRAMAR, a foliar product designed to help crops increase nutrient uptake and better tolerate weather-induced stress.

Dennis - WITY Radio: It’s impossible to predict the weather long term, but we know that something will always put our crop under stress every growing season. Would it be fair to say that the main reason a producer would want to add TERRAMAR to their lineup is to reduce stress?

Scott - Agricen: That is the essence of it. Weather-induced stress is one of the greatest yield robbers that farmers face. Up until this point, short of going to church on Sunday and praying for more moderate temperatures and rain, there's not been a heck of a lot we could do to address stress.

TERRAMAR was new to the row crop market last year, during which nearly 2M acres were treated. It does two things. One, it has a biologically extracted kelp component that minimizes the effects of weather-related stress, such as heat, drought or early season cold. Secondly, it has a biologically extracted carbon component that stimulates the plant to pull in more nutrients to aid in chlorophyll production and photosynthetic capacity, as well as increase carbon fixation in the plant. In this way, TERRAMAR provides a one-two punch that equals a better chance for yield at harvest time.

Dennis - WITY Radio: How and when is this product applied?

Scott - Agricen: TERRAMAR is designed for post-emergent foliar application throughout the growing season. It can go out early in the vegetative stages with a post-emergent herbicide in advance of the stresses that will present themselves to the crop. Then, as we get into the reproductive stages where a fungicide is often applied for the purpose of minimizing the impact of disease, a dose of TERRAMAR at that time will carry on for at least two to four weeks to minimize the impact of weather-induced stress.

We can measure this by canopy temperature. Last year, we did a number of trials across Indiana, Michigan and Minnesota to quantify the impact of TERRAMAR on canopy temperature in both corn and soybeans. Throughout the course of a July day, we saw that the canopy temperature of plants treated with TERRAMAR was 3°F to 5°F lower compared to untreated.

If you can lower the canopy temperature, that plant will be more efficient in reproducing and filling.

Dennis - WITY Radio: That's the key, Scott, because we always think about drought as a big stressor of crops, but we also get those hot nights where the temperature doesn't drop much below 75°F. That plant needs all the help it can get to stay out of stress, or we're losing bushels.

Scott - Agricen: That is absolutely correct. Heat happens in every zip code and every crop, every year. If we can moderate the temperature of the canopy, we're minimizing the impact of heat. It's not a replacement for a 60° F night. But if we can minimize the impact of those warm July and August evenings and give that plant a better chance to photosynthesize and to transpire water and nutrients, again that correlates very nicely to better yield potential.

Dennis - WITY Radio: What's the ROI that we can expect?

Scott - Agricen: In third-party university trials and farmer-conducted side by sides, we’ve found that the average response is 7 to 10 bushels in corn, 4 to 7 bushels in soybeans and 5 to 8 bushels in wheat. All told, regardless of crop, the average is a 3 or 4:1 return on investment. So for every dollar invested in TERRAMAR, a farmer could expect a $3 to $4 return as a result of an increased yield result.

TERRAMAR is 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.

Enhancing Fall Dry Fertilizer Efficiency and Grower ROI with TITAN XC

August 24, 2023 — Posted By Agricen

Fall can be a good time to apply dry phosphorus (P) and potassium (K) fertilizers because of lower workloads and drier soils. A fall dry fertilizer application can also increase P and K availability for crops planted in the spring by giving the fertilizer prill more time to undergo natural weathering and breakdown in the soil compared to spring applications.

However, just because you apply 300 pounds of P and K this fall, it doesn’t mean that all 300 pounds will be available to next season's crop. Soil physical, chemical and biological properties combined with weather conditions all play a role in fertilizer availability. Even under the best conditions, an application of dry fertilizer on its own is usually not very efficient. In the first season after application, only about 10-30% of applied P and 20-60% of applied K is typically available for use by the growing crop.

For a higher rate of fertilizer efficiency, TITAN XC can be applied to dry fertilizer blends, increasing the efficiency of applied P and K fertilizers by an estimated 30%. This contributes to a number of benefits, including improved plant performance (as seen in the photos below from Dassel, Minnesota), as well as a positive yield response.

In the corn trial below from Ohio, a fall application of TITAN XC-treated dry fertilizer led to an average yield increase of +8.3 bushels per acre over 6 replications as compared to untreated dry fertilizer.

In a corn trial from Nutrien Ag Solutions’ Hopkinsville, Kentucky research farm, treating dry fertilizer with TITAN XC led to a yield increase of 6 bushels or more per acre compared to untreated fertilizer. This was true whether the fertilizer was applied at the full rate (300 lbs/acres) or the reduced rate (270 lbs/acre). What is most notable here is that there was no real difference in corn yield between the two different rates of untreated fertilizer (270 or 300 lbs/acre).

Sometimes the answer is not more fertilizer, but rather greater efficiency. By employing TITAN XC to increase the breakdown or mineralization of the P and K nutrients spread in fall, more will be available to the crop next year when it needs it, which can lead to better yield results.

Learn more about TITAN XC by downloading the TITAN XC fall fertilizer booklet.

Terramar: Top 10 Field Performance Photos of 2023

July 5, 2023 — Posted By Agricen

Terramar Top 10 Many agricultural areas across the United States are facing weather-related challenges, but there are still opportunities to make the most out of what Mother Nature is dishing out.

Terramar, a new product for row crops, is formulated to help crops stand up to abiotic stresses (such as heat and dry conditions) while also increasing nutrient uptake for better plant growth.

The photos below document the performance of Terramar applications made on corn, soybeans and wheat earlier this season, and they show some very strong visual results.

With another opportunity to apply Terramar now here (this time with fungicide or plant nutrition products on reproductive-stage corn and soybeans), we wanted to share these images as a reminder of the potential in this year's crop.

Here are the top 10 Terramar field pictures of 2023, so far:

1. Terramar on Corn – Ferris, Illinois

Dry conditions (No rain for 11-12 days). Terramar was applied at 1 pint/acre. Photos taken May 26, 2023, 8 days after application. 15 plants per bundle.

2. Terramar on Corn – Muscoda, Wisconsin

Corn crop planted April 29, 2023. Dry conditions (2.2” precipitation since planting). Terramar was applied at 1 quart/acre at V5. Photo taken June 21, 2023, two weeks after Terramar application.

3. Terramar on Soybeans – Farmington, Illinois

Terramar was applied at 1 pint/acre on May 29, 2023. Photo taken 16 days after Terramar application.

4. Terramar on Soybeans – East Chain, Minnesota

Terramar was applied at 1 quart/acre. Photos taken 5 days after Terramar application.

5. Terramar on Wheat – Kentucky

Terramar was applied twice, each time at 1 pint/acre prior to a sub-freezing event. Joint (head) was above ground. Photos taken mid-May.

6. Terramar on Wheat – Oberlin, Kansas

Terramar was applied at 1 quart/acre on March 24, 2023. Very dry conditions. Photos taken May 4, 2023, 53 days after Terramar application.

7. Terramar on Corn – Fairview, Illinois

Terramar applied at 1 pint/acre at V4 (left) & at 1pint vs 1 quart (right).

8. Terramar on Corn – Bennet, Nebraska

Terramar was applied at 1 pint/acre on May 30, 2023. Photo taken June 20, 2023, 21 days after Terramar application. Some leaf rolling observed on untreated corn. 86 degrees Fahrenheit.

9. Terramar on Corn – Ferris, Illinois

Terramar was applied at 1 quart/acre on on June 3, 2023. Photos taken 5 days after Terramar application. Plants taken 20 rows into each block; 1 plant every 20 steps. 5 plants per bundle.

10. Terramar on Corn – Parker, South Dakota

Terramar was applied at 1 quart/acre at V4 on June 7, 2023. Photos taken 8 days after Terramar application.

*Bonus Photo* Terramar on Corn – Arcadia, Indiana

Terramar was applied at 1 quart/acre at V4-5.

*Bonus Photo* Terramar on Wheat – Western Kansas

Terramar was applied at 1 quart/acre at first green-up (Feekes 3-4) on March 21, 2023. Cold and dry conditions. Photo taken 54 days after application.

Learn more about Terramar by downloading the Terramar row crop bulletin.

Making Better Use of Dry Fertilizer Nutrients

September 27, 2021 — Posted By Agricen

Grower Wade Hoffman of Dassel, Minnesota has used TITAN XC on his dry fertilizer for the last eight years. One of the reasons he keeps coming back to Titan XC is because it helps him make better use of the nutrients in his dry fertilizer, which he typically applies in the fall.

"It gives me more use of the fertilizer and a little more even emergence," says Wade. "It seems like the crops really take the fertilizer up better. We've used it for over eight years now, and it's just real consistent."

Mike Amundson of Nutrien Ag Solutions explains that applying TITAN XC to dry fertilizer helps to better break down the dry fertilizer prills for Wade's corn plants. This provides a big advantage for Wade and other growers who use TITAN XC on their dry fertilizer by giving them greater utilization of their applied nutrients.

Wade has seen other benefits, too. When asked if he has observed any soil health advantages, he says that he thinks his soil tilth is better since using TITAN XC. He also has noticed overall good plant performance, even when conditions have been dry in his area.

"It's been really dry up here, and I think the TITAN has worked well in these conditions," says Wade. "I can see the benefits of it. Year after year, it really feels like I'm getting a lot of fertilizer out of it. For the dollars I spend, the plants are getting a lot of use out of the dry fertilizer."

Wade is planning on using TITAN XC on his dry fertilizer again this fall. You can hear more about his experience in this short clip.

Learn more about TITAN XC by downloading the TITAN XC fall fertilizer booklet.

Starter Program with Accomplish LM Key Part of Farmer's Success

September 30, 2019 — Posted By Agricen

kolb farm minnesota Fifth-generation farmer, Dave Kolb, of Kolb Farms near Paynesville, Minnesota, is one of 11 children who grew up working on a dairy farm with his siblings and parents. The Kolbs have been in this area since their ancestors arrived to homestead in 1861.

Today, Dave farms and dairies with three of his brothers and his mother. They employ a corn, oat, alfalfa and wheat rotation to produce forage and grain for the 500 cows that they milk. They also raise their own replacement heifers. It is a very busy operation, but Dave and his family members have seen their hard work pay off, including as entrants in the National Corn Growers Association (NCGA) Corn Yield Contest.

In the 2018 contest, the Kolb Farms plot yielded 259.8895 bu/a, placing third in the Minnesota irrigated division (and just missing first place in the state by 3.73 bushels).

dave kolb minnesota NCGA winner

Gabe Kjellsen of Loveland Products (right) presenting an achievement award to Kolb Farms'
Dave Kolb (left) for his success in the NCGA corn yield contest using Accomplish LM technology.

What is Dave doing to achieve his high yields? He has a very detailed fertility program that includes soil and tissue testing followed by foliar sprays to alleviate macro- and micronutrient deficiencies. He also relies on a sound starter fertilizer program that includes 6-24-6 amended with Accomplish LM, a fertilizer biocatalyst, to increase plant rooting and nutrient availability.

In Dave’s own words, “With declining commodity prices, I had to cut some things out of my starter program. But the one input I will not cut is Accomplish LM.”

car kolb farm

In 1995, Dave was injured in a car accident that paralyzed him from the waist down, but he hasn't let that slow him down or take him away from the farm. Dave does all the planting, spraying, and crop planning at the farm, and he drives a semi truck. It's another example of the hard work and drive that are helping Kolb Farms successfully meet the challenges of running a busy cropland and dairy operation.

Learn more about the Accomplish LM technology in Dave's starter program by downloading the Accomplish LM product booklet.

Biocatalyst Technologies Are Helping to Transform Grower Productivity

September 26, 2019 — Posted By Agricen

NCGA 2018 accomplish technologies In 2018, no fewer than five national winners and seven state winners of the NCGA's National Corn Yield Contest used Agricen's biocatalyst technology on their winning acres. We are fortunate to be represented in the best practices of many leading growers, and humbled by the opportunity to help transform grower productivity.

Before the start of this year's harvest, we had the opportunity to meet up with some of the 2018 NCGA winners to celebrate their success last season. Here are some of the folks we are honored to say have used Accomplish LM, Titan XC or Extract PBA as part of their winning strategy.

2018 National Winners

Don Stall, 1st place, Irrigated Corn Category (477.69 bu/a). Don Stall started farming at age 14, when he began cultivating 31 acres for a school project. Following graduation, he served for six years in the Marines, then operated a beef and cash crop operation. Don eventually moved to an all cash crop operation, and he currently farms 2,800 acres of corn, soybeans, and wheat in Charlotte, Michigan. In his "spare time," he serves his local community, both as the Township Supervisor (as he has done for the past 24 years!) and on the board of his county's fire department.
Don has been entering the NCGA Corn Yield Contest since 2003, when he noticed that he was already achieving yields comparable to the growers who were winning the contest. He has been the Michigan high yield champion for nine years in a row. In both 2017 and 2018, Don won first place nationally in the irrigated corn category, and his winning yield of 477.69 bu/a in 2018 also placed him as the overall yield champion in the United States.

Don credits a systems approach to his success. "There is no one answer to achieving high yields. It is a system approach, and you must understand your soils better than anyone else."

Don also treats all of his dry fertilizer with Titan XC to help make the most of his applied nutrition, and he has also used other biocatalyst products in his program. As he says, "Biochemistry is intriguing and interesting. I believe these products are needed in today’s farming."
Kevin Kalb, 1st place, AA Non-Irrigated Corn (388.07 bu/a), Shawn Kalb, 1st place, AA No-Till/Strip-Till Non-Irrigated (343.0 bu/a) & Nikia Kalb, 3rd place, AA Non-Irrigated Corn (343.23 bu/a). The Kalbs and their four children (including third-place winner, Nikia) grow soybeans and corn in the small town of Dubois, Indiana. They also run a turkey operation, producing over 1.8 million tom turkeys in the last 12 years.
Kevin and Shawn have been entering the NCGA Corn Yield Contest since 2007, winning 12 national titles in the non-irrigated division. Both Kevin and Shawn have had back-to-back, first-place national wins in their respective categories over the past two years (2017 and 2018).

In 2018, Kevin achieved his personal best yield in the contest, achieving 388.07 bu/a in the AA Non-Irrigated Corn category.

The Kalb family can also be seen on the farm reality television show, Corn Warriors.
Tommy & Valerie Cartrite, 3rd place, Irrigated Corn (350.63 bu/a). Hailing from Sunray, Texas, Tommy and Valerie also won first place in their state competition.

2018 State Winners

Stuart Askew, 1st place, A No-Till/Strip-Till Non-Irrigated, North Carolina (274.58 bu/a)
Connor & Kelly Garrett, 1st place, No-Till / Strip-Till Irrigated, Iowa (326.05 bu/a)
Tommy & Valerie Cartrite, 1st place, Irrigated, Texas (350.63 bu/a)
David Hults, 2nd place, No-Till/Strip-Till Irrigated, Idaho (299.27 bu/a)
Leslie Lindner, 2nd place, AA Non-Irrigated, Missouri (299.99 bu/a)
Chris Lindner, 3rd place, AA Non-Irrigated, Missouri (294.35 bu/a)
David Kolb, 3rd place, Irrigated, Minnesota (259.89 bu/a)

It's starting to matter not just what producers grow, but also how they grow it. Biocatalyst technologies play a role by making fertilizer applications more efficient and more cost effective, while also helping growers achieve their best yields.

As this season's harvest comes in, we wish the best of luck to all of the growers who are competing in the 2019 corn yield contest.

(UPDATE: Learn about some of the 2019 corn yield contest winners who used biocatalyst technology.)

Learn more about biocatalyst technologies by downloading the Biocatalyst Technology FAQ.

Increase in Corn Yield, Nutrient Uptake with Fall-Applied Titan XC

July 15, 2019 — Posted By Agricen

Whether growers spread dry fertilizer in the fall or spring, Titan XC can help ensure that more of their applied nutrients are used by the crop to maximize yield potential.

In this Minnesota field trial, treating the grower's fall-applied dry fertilizer blend (13-60-70-20S) with Titan XC at 1 pint/ton led to an 11.22 bushel/acre corn yield increase compared to no treatment.

Prior to harvest, tissue samples showed greater uptake of key nutrients by the plant when Titan XC was used.

"We saw a 17% increase in phosphorus and potassium and a 7-8.5% increase in sulfur, zinc and boron in the plant with Titan XC," noted Mike Amundson, location manager for the MN/SD Division of Nutrien Ag Solutions, which operated the trial.

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

Titan XC Brings Out the Best in Alfalfa Field

August 7, 2018 — Posted By Agricen

After viewing this alfalfa field image, the grower, who is a dairyman, went to visit his local Nutrien Ag Solutions branch in Dassell, Minnesota with an important question: "What's wrong with the top half of the field?"

Looking back in his records, branch manager Mike Amundson saw that the only difference between the different parts of the field was that fertilizer on the top half of the field had not been treated with a biocatalyst. The fertilizer on the bottom half, where the alfalfa crop was really thriving, had been treated with Titan XC.

Both the treated and untreated fertilizer (200 lbs/acre of ammonium sulfate) had been spread on May 25, 2017. Titan XC was applied to the treated fertilizer prior to spreading. The Echelon image, seen above, was taken two months later, on July 29, 2017.

It turns out that Titan XC was the key to bringing out the best in this alfalfa field.

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

Don’t Short Next Year’s Crop

September 22, 2014 — Posted By Agricen

By John Wolf, Director of Commercial Development, Agricen

Across most of the corn production area, 2014 has the potential be a banner year for yield. Given that higher average yields increase supply, economics dictate that prices will be somewhat lower without an accompanying increase in demand. This poses a dilemma for growers as they plan for next year’s crop.

With many growers producing more corn than usual (and probably more than they fertilized for), overall soil nutrient levels are likely to drop as nutrient removal rates surpass what was applied ahead of the crop. Faced with commodity price pressures, growers are unlikely to increase their traditional dry fertilizer rates, even though they will probably need more nutrition to overcome high nutrient removal rates from this year’s excellent yields. This means there is a great risk that growers won’t supply next year’s crops with enough nutrients.

The best choice for growers is to apply the appropriate fertilizer rate to maintain adequate soil nutrition levels as indicated by a soil test. For growers who simply don’t want to bear the added cost of increased fertilizer rates, increasing the first-year recovery rates of the fertilizers they do apply may be a cost-effective alternative.

First-year recovery rates for applied dry N,P & K are generally accepted to be:

•   N +/-50%
•   P +/- 25%
•   K +/- 50%

By including a cost-effective biochemical product like Titan PBA—which increases the rate at which applied dry nutrients are converted to inorganic forms (N&P) that can be utilized by growing crops—growers can improve their first-year nutrient recovery rates and ensure that next year’s crop has the potential for another banner harvest.

corn_milroy

This corn trial from Minnesota is a good example of the benefits Titan PBA can bring to growers when applied in the fall along with dry fertilizer.

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[Interview] Every Dollar Counts on the Farm

[Interview] Protecting Existing Crop Yield Potential from Heat Stress

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