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See the latest news, innovation updates, trial results, grower stories and more from Agricen. 
PROLOGUE Applied 2x2 at Planting Yields Excellent Corn Response
March 11, 2025 — Posted By Agricen

Achieving the proper balance of phosphorus and zinc in the soil is critical to early crop growth and development, setting the crop up for optimal yield potential later in the growing season. PROLOGUE is a unique biological product that enhances phosphorus and zinc nutrition in a variety of crops when used at planting in either an in-furrow or 2x2 banded application with any liquid fertilizer blend. PROLOGUE can help ensure that these nutrients are in the right balance for the crop.

In 2024, the Nutrien Ag Solutions Innovation Farm in Hopkinsville, KY conducted a replicated strip trial to evaluate the benefit of adding PROLOGUE to UAN 32% in a 2x2 application at planting in corn, which requires a 10:1 ratio of phosphorus to zinc for optimal zinc availability.

The check treatment was 10 gallons per acre of UAN 32% banded 2x2 at planting, which was compared against the same rate of nitrogen with the addition of PROLOGUE at 2 quarts per acre, also applied 2x2. There were two replications per treatment. All other crop management practices were the same for both treatments.

Adding PROLOGUE to the UAN 32% fertilizer at planting led to a yield advantage of +14 bu/acre (6.3%) over the check, with an ROI of nearly 4:1. At harvest, the corn yield was 237 bu/acre with the PROLOGUE treatment, compared to 223 bu/acre with the check.

03-25-Prologue-Corn_Chart

PROLOGUE contains two components that directly improve phosphate availability for corn root absorption:

  • A biochemical component that increases phosphorus solubility and immediate availability of this essential nutrient early in the growing season. This component enhances the phosphate fertilizer PROLOGUE is applied with, as well as any phosphorus already residing in the soil of the application zone.
  • A beneficial bacterium species in PROLOGUE colonizes the corn root rhizosphere upon seed germination, then continues to multiply and live in association with the root system for the majority of the growing season. During this time, the bacteria solubilizes more tightly bound forms of soil phosphorus in the rhizosphere and makes this soil phosphorus plant-available.

PROLOGUE also contains EDTA-chelated zinc, which both directly helps meet the plant's zinc nutrition needs and boosts the efficiency of applied and existing phosphorus.

PROLOGUE has an analysis of 5-0-0 6.3% Zn and can be applied in a range of crops, especially those that do best with an early season application of liquid phosphate near the developing root system.

Learn more about PROLOGUE by downloading the PROLOGUE booklet.

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Liquid Starter Fertilizer Programs: Four Common Questions
February 6, 2025 — Posted By Agricen

starter_cornWhy use a liquid starter fertilizer, and how can you make sure your applied nutrients don’t get tied up in the soil chemistry? Here you'll find the answers to these and other common questions about liquid starters.

Why should I consider a liquid starter fertilizer?

Ensuring that seedlings have the nutrients they need for early growth is key to a good crop. The primary benefit of applying starter fertilizer is to enable more rapid growth early in the growing season. This can be viewed as an insurance policy, ensuring that plants reach critical growth periods faster.

By placing starter fertilizers in-furrow with the seed or in a 2x2 band near the seed, the plant has an accessible supply of phosphorus and other nutrients during germination and early development, which can increase growth early in the season, speed development and, for corn, decrease the time to silking.

Why is phosphorus important, and how do starter fertilizers impact the plant's access to phosphorus?

Phosphorus is a critical nutrient for early seedling vigor and root development, stimulating both root development and early shoot growth.

Application of low rates of phosphorus in a starter fertilizer can significantly increase the amount of early plant growth, even in fields where soil phosphorus test levels are high.

Further, in soils that are near or below 50°F, native soil microbes are not very active and are not producing the biochemistry that solubilizes soil phosphorus. Starter fertilizers can therefore provide needed phosphorus when planting in cooler soil temperatures.

Are most liquid starter fertilizers the same?

Not quite. There are two main types of phosphate found in starter fertilizers. They may be present as the sole form of phosphate in the fertilizer or found in combination with the other:

  • Polyphosphates have a higher salt content and must be converted to orthophosphate before plants can utilize the phosphorous.
    • Example: The phosphate in 10-34-0 liquid starter fertilizer is primarily polyphosphate, although some orthophosphate is present.

  • Orthophosphates are low in salt and can be placed right on the seed. Although orthophosphates are readily available, they are easily tied up by soil chemistry.
    • Examples: Liquid starter fertilizers like 7-17-3 and 9-18-9 contain only the orthophosphate form of phosphate. The majority of phosphate in 6-24-6 is in the orthophosphate form, although some polyphosphate is present.

Liquid starter fertilizers might also be formulated with different technologies or with micronutrients to enhance early season crop performance. Loveland Products' RISER (7-17-3 with Zn, Mn, Cu & Fe) is one example. In addition, fertilizer enhancement technologies can also be added to the program.

The trial data below shows one example of how pairing a starter with fertilizer enhancer technology can make a big impact. The average yield advantage gained by using a liquid starter fertilizer enhanced with ACCOMPLISH MAX technology was +13.6 bu/a compared to check (no starter). These results represent two years of Nutrien Ag Solutions trial data from research plots in northeast South Dakota, with 23 locations and a total of 92 replications.

01-25 Accomplish Max_Corn_Northville, SD_600px

How can I stop applied phosphorus from being tied up by the soil chemistry?

Whatever the liquid starter fertilizer you are using, adding a product like ACCOMPLISH MAX or PROLOGUE can make it go farther by enhancing nutrient mineralization—including mineralization of phosphorus—and facilitating nutrient uptake by the crop. (When applying dry starter fertilizers, TITAN XC can be used as an enhancement technology to improve nutrient mineralization and enhance nutrient availability to the growing crop.)

ACCOMPLISH MAX is specifically designed for use with liquid starter fertilizers in furrow or 2x2 to improve the mineralization of phosphorus and other nutrients while also improving the plant's tolerance to early season abiotic stresses like cool temperatures and salinity from applied fertilizers.

PROLOGUE (5-0-0 6.3% Zn) combines zinc, a critical early season micronutrient, with unique nutrient solubilizing technology that increases the efficiency of both applied phosphate and existing phosphate bound in the soil. It fits any banded liquid phosphorus-based fertilizer program requiring supplemental zinc for optimal plant growth.

These plant nutrition technologies can help your crops utilize more applied nutrients, which can lead to an increased yield while also improving the return on investment for your growing program.

Learn more about these products and other plant health technologies by accessing the Sustainable Plant Health Technology Overview.

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Creating a More Efficient Liquid Starter Program for Corn
April 29, 2024 — Posted By Agricen

By Brian Cornelious, PhD, Agricen

corn soil sky-1

The use of starter fertilizer, aimed at getting plant nutrients in a concentrated zone close to the point of seed placement, is a common practice in some parts of the country.

A standard starter program for corn in the U.S. Corn Belt is 3-5 gallons of ammonium polyphosphate (10-34-0) plus 1 quart of zinc per acre. More progressive growers have gravitated towards readily available orthosphosphate blends containing micronutrients or other enhancements like biostimulants. Regardless of the rate, timing, source and amount (the “4Rs”) of the practice, the goal is the same: Get the most out of every nutrient applied for better early growth and development.

Conversion from polyphosphate to plant-available orthophosphate takes place in the soil, where microbes and soil chemistry both play a role in making the applied and existing soil nutrients available to the plant, as well as in the timing of nutrient release into the soil solution. For any liquid starter program to be successful, growers must consider several key factors like soil test values, crop yield goals, field conditions and potential for nutrient release when the crop needs them most.

Thankfully, growers don’t have to leave it all up to nature. By enhancing liquid starter programs with ACCOMPLISH MAX or PROLOGUE, growers can speed up the conversion process in the soil and facilitate plant nutrient uptake by providing highly available forms of nutrients. The outcome is improved plant performance, as demonstrated in the trials below.

ACCOMPLISH MAX

ACCOMPLISH MAX is specifically formulated for use with liquid starter fertilizers. It contains diverse biochemicals (e.g., organic acids, enzymes) that interact with liquid fertilizers and soil chemistry to improve nutrient availability and facilitate nutrient uptake by the crop. It also contains a kelp-based technology that helps crops better tolerate potentially yield-robbing stresses like cold temperatures, saline soil, heat or dry conditions.

In the corn trial below from Ohio, the grower standard practice (GSP) was an in-furrow program consisting of NPK, a micronutrient starter and Proven 40 (a microbial nitrogen-fixing product from Pivot Bio). This was compared to GSP plus 1 quart/acre of ACCOMPLISH MAX over three fields.

The results? Adding ACCOMPLISH MAX to the grower's standard in-furrow program led to a yield advantage of +6 bu/acre over the GSP alone.

Corn_Ottawa_Ohio_Accomplish_Max

In another example, a corn trial in Nebraska looked at the impact of adding ACCOMPLISH MAX at 1 quart/acre to a starter program consisting of Loveland Products’ Riser (2 gals/acre) and Black Label Zn (1 gal/acre).

The results? A visual difference with ACCOMPLISH MAX earlier in the season, including thicker stalks and healthier plants above ground, with deeper, more developed roots below. The early, healthier start resulted in a +4.5 bu/acre yield advantage at harvest compared to the starter program that did not include this technology.

corn_Curtis_Nebraska_Accomplish_Max

PROLOGUE

PROLOGUE (5-0-0 6.3% Zn) is a combination of highly plant available zinc and nutrient solubilizing technology comprised of microbial metabolites (biochemicals) and active, phosphorus-scavenging microbes that colonize within the root system.

PROLOGUE fits any banded liquid phosphorus-based fertilizer program requiring supplemental zinc for optimal plant growth. It is formulated to increase the efficiency of both applied phosphate and existing phosphate bound in the soil, as well as balance the P:Zn uptake ratio. (For every 10 units of phosphorus, a plant needs 1 unit of zinc.)

In this corn trial from Kentucky, PROLOGUE was applied 2x2 with 10 gals/acre of 10-34-0.

The results? A yield advantage of +7.15 bu/acre with PROLOGUE in the starter program compared to the 10-34-0 starter alone.

Prologue_Corn_KY

Crops that get off to a good start often maintain an advantage during the growing season over those that struggle to get going. As these studies show, growers that include a technology such as ACCOMPLISH MAX or PROLOGUE in their starter programs—whether a polyphosphate, an orthophosphate/polyphosphate blend or other liquid starter—can maximize the efficiency of applied nutrients and improve crop performance.

Learn more about starter fertilizer programs by downloading our booklet, Improving Crop Yields with Starter Fertilizers.

Download the Booklet

 

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Biocatalyst Technology Helps 2023 Corn Yield Contest Winners Succeed
April 15, 2024 — Posted By Agricen

More than three dozen farmers in the 2023 National Corn Growers Association (NCGA) Corn Yield Contest used Agricen's biocatalyst technologies in their winning programs. They include four farmers who took top places at the national level and 34 who took top places in their states. 🏆

NCGA_social-2023

The winning growers used one or more of the following products in their corn fertility programs: Accomplish MAX, Ensurgo, Extract PBA, Levitate, Maritime, Prologue, Terramar and Titan XC. All of these products are exclusively available from our partner, Loveland Products, through Nutrien Ag Solutions.

Corn Yield Winners

The 2023 national corn yield winners again included Virginia farmer Heath Cutrell, who earned first place in the "Conventional Non-Irrigated" category (396.12 bu/a yield). You can learn more about Heath in our short video, Striving for Record Corn Yields.

Other national winners who used Agricen's technology were:

  • Maryland farmer Temple Rhodes, winner of the "Conventional Irrigated" category (375.67 bu/a yield)

  • Ohio's Corey Farrens, winner of the "Conventional Non-Irrigated - Corn Belt States" category (340.46 bu/a yield)

  • New Jersey's Scott Truszkowski, who earned second place nationally in the "Strip, Min, Mulch, Ridge-Till Non-Irrigated" category (323.75 bu/a yield)

We are proud to be a part of these growers' winning programs and wish them the best of luck as we begin the 2024 growing season.

Learn more about some of the technologies used in the winning programs by downloading the Sustainable Technology Overview.

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How Does PROLOGUE Enhance Phosphate Performance?
March 29, 2024 — Posted By Agricen

By Ronald Calhoun, PhD, Loveland Products

Crops need phosphorus (P) early in their development to help them get off to a good start. This important macronutrient not only helps them capture and convert sunlight into useful plant compounds, it also assists with plant growth, stalk strength and early root growth and development.

One challenge that growers need to think about each season is that phosphorus availability can be limited by soil fixation, poor root growth and cold temperatures that limit microbial activity. Much of the phosphorus that is applied each season is at risk of fixation with elements in the soil like iron (Fe), aluminum (Al) and calcium (Ca). Once those bonds have formed, the bound phosphate becomes essentially unavailable to the growing crop. For these reasons, it is difficult to access phosphate in the soil bank, making applied phosphate relatively inefficient.

Along with phosphorus, plants also need zinc (Zn). Zinc plays a role in the manufacturing of plant hormones that help drive root growth. It also has a unique relationship with phosphorus, interacting with phosphate to influence root growth. These two nutrients work best when they are available in a ratio in which neither one is limiting the other. Unfortunately, prevailing spring conditions, like cool temperatures and waterlogged soils, can limit the availability of zinc.

PROLOGUE (5-0-0 6.3% Zn) is a unique technology designed to enhance phosphate nutrition for a higher performing and more sustainable approach to crop nutrition. In the trial below, adding PROLOGUE to 10-34-0 starter led to an average yield increase of +8.9 bushels per acre across six sites.

04-24_Prologue-corn

PROLOGUE combines the critical early season micronutrient, zinc, with unique nutrient solubilizing technology that increases the efficiency of both applied phosphate and existing phosphate bound in the soil. Working together, these components enhance early germination and crop growth, helping crops better absorb both applied nutrition and soil bank nutrition:

  • Nutrient solubilizing technology - Microbial metabolites (biochemicals) and active, phosphorus-scavenging microbes that colonize within the root system to keep more applied nutrition available to the crop. They also help loosen the bonds of recalcitrant phosphorus in the soil to improve phosphorus availability during the growing season.

  • Chelated zinc - A plant-available form of zinc.

Many crops can benefit from PROLOGUE, especially those that do best with an early season application of liquid phosphate (including ammonium polyphosphate or liquid phosphate containing blends) near the developing root system.

With technology that drives more phosphorus into a developing crop, PROLOGUE can help growers realize big dividends at the end of the season.

Learn more by downloading the PROLOGUE booklet.

Download the Booklet

 

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Congratulating the 2021 NCGA National Corn Yield Contest Winners
March 22, 2022 — Posted By Agricen

With the recent conclusion of the awards ceremony for winners of the NCGA National Corn Yield Contest at Commodity Classic, we wanted to take the time to congratulate all of the 2021 contest winners, with special thanks and recognition to those who used Agricen's biocatalyst technology in their winning programs.

In 2021, five farmers who came in top place nationally and 23 who won an award in their state incorporated one or more of the following products in their programs: Accomplish LM, Extract PBA, Levitate, Prologue, Maritime, and Titan XC.

NCGA_social-2021

National winners included Michigan farmer Don Stall, who took first place in the "Conventional Irrigated" category with a corn yield of 465.77 bushels per acre, and Virginia farmer Heath Cutrell, who took first place in the "Conventional Non-Irrigated" category with a yield of 391.31 bushels per acre. Both growers may be familiar to you from our Last Stand feature-length film and related short films.

All of the Agricen technologies used in the winning programs are available from our partner, Loveland Products, through Nutrien Ag Solutions.

We are very proud to be part of these growers' winning corn nutrition programs and wish them all the best this season.

Learn more about some of the winning growers who use our technologies by watching Last Stand. 

Watch Last Stand

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