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

Download the Overview

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TERRAMAR Helps Grower Hold on to Corn Yield in Tough Conditions
July 10, 2023 — Posted By Agricen

Lee Lubbers Terramar TrialLee Lubbers, an XtremeAg grower in Gregory, South Dakota, tried TERRAMAR for the first time in 2022, testing it across fields with different yield environments.

"We were very intrigued by TERRAMAR being a stress mitigation product," says Lee. "We ended up applying about 4,000 acres worth of TERRAMAR on corn."

His first trial was in a field that was traditionally in the bottom one-third when it comes to yield.

"It ended up showing that the TERRAMAR is 7% better than the untreated," he says. "In our yield environment this year, to get a piece of ground to do this, and then to see a 7% increase...If we take that times 120 bushel, that's going to be about $60 an acre to our pocket. I'll take that all day long."

Lee speaks about that experience below.

A trial in a different field also showed him how well TERRAMAR can help growers hold on to yield under tough conditions.

"I was driving by a corn field where we applied TERRAMAR on our side of the road. On the other side of the section line, the neighbor did not," he says. "When we planted we were looking at each other, the neighbor and I, and when we sprayed we were looking at each other. But we...went with stress mitigation with TERRAMAR."

The day Lee checked in on that trial, the wind was blowing 25 to 30 miles per hour, the temperature was 105 degrees Fahrenheit and there had been little precipitation since planting.

"On our side of the section line, the leaves were green and erect. The plant was still functioning," says Lee. "I walked 40 feet across, and the neighbor’s field looked like a field of green onions. The corn leaves were just rolled up tight."

That fall, Lee cut 150- to 160-bushel corn, while the neighboring field got chopped for silage. Based on the strips left for the adjuster, Lee estimates that his neighbor had 40-bushel corn.

"We had to do fertility and our management practices to get to that point, but I know, in that third quarter going into the fourth, TERRAMAR helped us preserve that yield," he says. "Where the neighbor lost, we held what we had."

You can hear about it in Lee's own words below.

Learn more about TERRAMAR by downloading the TERRAMAR booklet.

Access the Booklet

 

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Terramar: Top 10 Field Performance Photos of 2023
July 5, 2023 — Posted By Agricen

Terramar Top 10Many 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

Terramar 1 Corn Ferris IL 2023 -1Dry 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

Terramar 2 Muscoda WI Corn 2023 -1Corn 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 3 Farmington IL Soybeans 2023Terramar 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 4 East Chain MN Soybeans 2023Terramar was applied at 1 quart/acre. Photos taken 5 days after Terramar application. 

5. Terramar on Wheat – Kentucky

Terramar 5 Kentucky Wheat 2023

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 6 Kansas Wheat 2023Terramar 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 7 Illinois Corn 2023-1

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

8. Terramar on Corn – Bennet, NebraskaTerramar 8 Nebraska Corn 2023

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 9 Illinois Corn 2023Terramar 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 10 South Dakota Corn 2023

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 11 Arcadia Indiana Corn 2023Terramar was applied at 1 quart/acre at V4-5.

*Bonus Photo* Terramar on Wheat – Western Kansas

Terramar 12 Western Kansas Wheat 2023Terramar 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.

Access the Bulletin

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How to Be Profitable Despite Lower Corn Prices
September 25, 2014 — Posted By Agricen

By Brian Cornelious, PhD, Director of Applied Sciences 

corn_header-1

Everyone has a favorite ride at the amusement park. Some treasure the predictability of the carousel, while others seek the thrill of the rollercoaster.

The more I ponder on this analogy, the more I begin to think of farming. 

Some very traditional farmers live by the philosophy of “If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it,” while others ascribe to a more progressive approach of “It’s working pretty well, but I think I can make it even better.” Both ways of thinking have their benefits, but I speculate that we’ll need more of the latter philosophy as we move forward, especially in light of current conditions facing the modern farming industry.

Has Farming Been More Like a Carousel Ride or a Rollercoaster?

Let’s get back to the amusement park analogy for a moment and compare riding on the carousel versus rollercoaster from my own experiences with each:

carousel_table

I’m sure there are other things that you would add to the list, but, in the sense of what the farmer is facing today, I would bet the ride is more like the rollercoaster that the carousel, especially when you look at some of the major factors influencing crop production decisions:

  • Commodity prices
  • Fertilizer costs
  • Seed costs
  • Land cost
  • Equipment costs
  • Financing/operating capital
  • Weather patterns

We could go into great detail about each of these factors, but let’s focus on the impact that commodity prices have on fertility practices. Let’s also look at how some of the management decisions based on this single factor might affect the productivity and profitability of today’s farmer.

Saying Goodbye to $7/Bushel Corn

The years of $7/bushel corn have passed, and when they’ll return is anyone’s guess.  While the US farmer’s ability to produce record amounts of corn has been proven once again with the amazing 2014 crop, this record crop is placing pricing pressure on December new crop corn. Growers are now facing corn that’s under $4/bushel, and it may seem almost impossible to make a profit at this rate after figuring in production costs. This is giving many growers pause when it comes to any additional inputs beyond crop protection and their liquid or dry fertilizers. Some might even be thinking of scaling back on their fertility. What can growers do to stay profitable?

Nutrient Use Efficiency Is Key for Profitability

During periods of declining prices, it is critical to increase yields in order to lower the cost of production per bushel. That means increasing the efficiency of fertilizer inputs in the face of lower corn prices. This process will allow the grower to produce more bushels at a lower cost.

Most growers will apply dry phosphate (P) and potash (K) as a blend after harvest this fall.  Dry fertilizer is considered a standard input for corn production, even though only 20-30% of the phosphate and 20-60% of the potash is available to next spring’s corn crop.  The inefficiency of applied P & K isn’t really acceptable, but what can be done to improve nutrient use efficiency by releasing the P & K that get tied-up in the soil? 

Titan PBA Can Help Growers Get the Most Out of Their Dry Fertilizer Inputs

The answer is to add biochemical fertilizer catalyst technology found in Titan PBA.  In combination with a dry fertility program, Titan PBA increases the availability of applied nutrients and improves plant uptake and utilization.  The increased efficiency of the fertilizer as a result of the Titan PBA allows growers to realize higher yields—as seen in the data below—and lower production costs per bushel. 

corn_SDSU

corn_NorthSalem

corn_Bradford

corn_Stronghurst

I think most growers would agree that the past several years have been more like a rollercoaster ride than a carousel ride. However, uncertainty about commodity prices should not affect the attitudes towards using sound fertility programs to maintain or even increase yields. Adding biochemical technology to a dry fertility program can enhance nutrient use efficiency and increase yield potential—helping growers cope with the ups and downs of today’s rollercoaster ride.

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