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See the latest news, innovation updates, trial results, grower stories and more from Agricen. 
[Interview] Protecting Existing Crop Yield Potential from Heat Stress
July 31, 2024 — Posted By Agricen

Wity-radio-down-on-farmAs we progress through the reproductive stage of the growing season, many growers have reason for optimism in terms of yield. But, even for those who are having a good year so far, stress from excess heat can have a negative impact on the crop. Agricen’s Scott Lay sat with Dennis Michelsen of WITY Radio to discuss how TERRAMAR can be applied with fungicide to help protect existing yield potential from heat and other weather-related stress.

Dennis - WITY Radio: It’s been a weird year with the weather. I believe all of those different weather factors are adding to crop stress, and we've already had a prolonged period of hot nights.

Scott - Agricen: In the summer months, heat will happen in every zip code, in every crop. It's a matter of trying to protect the yield potential that exists. With TERRAMAR, we have a technology that can help minimize the impact of heat stress on a crop. It’s a good day for a crop if you can minimize the temperature within the crop canopy. What we're seeing in a number of replicated trials is that we can reduce the crop canopy temperature by two to four degrees Fahrenheit with TERRAMAR.

Dennis - WITY Radio: We know we're going to get more heat going forward. How much benefit is there to applying TERRAMAR with fungicides?

Scott - Agricen: Let's review the negative detriments of heat on a crop. We know it impacts the ability of that plant to photosynthesize and to transpire water, and we know that it affects the plant's ability to mobilize nutrients into the plant and fill grain. So, if we can minimize that canopy temperature by two to four degrees with TERRAMAR, that's a positive. Secondarily, if we can increase the amount of nutrient uptake or movement in that plant, that's also a positive. We have documented a nutrient increase in tissue samples in the range of 10 to 15% with TERRAMAR.

Dennis - WITY Radio: Does that translate to yield?

Scott - Agricen: More often than not, it does. But more importantly, at each stage of the game, including the reproductive stage where we are today, we're attempting to increase the amount of nutrients available for that plant—to move starches and sugars to form that grain. If we can do that, we have a better opportunity to yield.

Dennis - WITY Radio: If you look at our weather this year, we had a lot of different weather conditions – from really wet to really dry, and with wind and hail damage in some parts. Now we take that already stressed-out corn, and we add more heat. Is there a cumulative effect of stress on a plant?

Scott - Agricen: I think there is a compounding effect. As we reach the critical reproductive stage, whether it be in corn, soybeans or perhaps other crops, fungicides are often applied to minimize the impact of disease, and that's a step in the right direction. But for factors brought about by the weather, TERRAMAR, in concert with a fungicide, provides a synergistic effect. If we can minimize the impact of a disease like tar spot, gray leaf spot or northern corn leaf blight with a fungicide, while also minimizing the canopy temperature of the crop with TERRAMAR to increase photosynthesis and nutrient uptake, the cumulative effect is positive. We're attempting to preserve yield potential, and we believe that's our best opportunity to do so.

Dennis - WITY Radio: With grain prices where they are, a producer I spoke to recently said he is changing his strategy this year to ensure he can get every additional bushel, because he needs that to make money this year.

Scott - Agricen: Corn and soybean commodity prices are not what they were a year ago, and certainly not what we would like them to be. The only other lever that can be pulled to impact net farm income is the yield. Again, we're not going to increase yield at this point. We're simply trying to preserve what yield potential exists. So if the crop is worth investing in to preserve yield potential, fungicide plus TERRAMAR gives a very consistent payback in terms of return on investment.

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.

 

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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.Terramar-tissue-samples-1200px

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.

Terramar-tissue-temp-1200pxFig. 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. 

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[Interview] Addressing Weather-Induced Crop Stress
May 13, 2024 — Posted By Agricen

Wity-radio-down on farmAs 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.

 

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[Watch] Opportunities for Enhancing Nutrient Availability with Extract
March 11, 2024 — Posted By Agricen

03-24-extract-webinar-archive

How can growers get the maximum benefit from existing and applied nutrition to maximize their yield and return on investment?

Watch our on-demand webinar, "Early Season Opportunities to Enhance Nutrient Availability with EXTRACT PBA," to see:

  • How Extract helps unlock the nutrition crops need from the soil, organic and inorganic nutrient applications and the previous season's crop residue for maximum yield

  • How to get the most utilization out of applied and residual nutrition with Extract

  • Results from corn, soybean and wheat trials

Extract enhances nutrient release and mineralization from the soil, liquid fertilizers and crop residues, which promotes nutrient availability and uptake. It can be used with pre-plant liquid fertilizers, pre-emergent herbicides, UAN sidedress applications or fall burndown chemistries to unlock more nutrition for crops.  

In an analysis of 105 third-party and side-by-side trials conducted over the past decade, the average yield increase gained by utilizing Extract was +10.3 bu/a in corn (53 trials), +3.7 bu/a in soybeans (47 trials) and +5.5 bu/a in wheat (5 trials) as compared to no Extract treatment.

By giving crops greater access to the nutrition they need, Extract can help boost crop yields and increase a grower's return on investment.

Extract is exclusively available from Nutrien Ag Solutions.

Watch the webinar today to learn how to maximize nutrient availability for your crops with Extract.

Watch the Webinar

 

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Frequently Asked Questions About Using TERRAMAR in Row Crop Programs
March 5, 2024 — Posted By Agricen

Last season, TERRAMAR was applied on over 2.7 million acres of row crops, including corn, soybeans, wheat and cotton. In this blog, we answer common questions about using TERRMAR in row crop programs.

What is TERRAMAR?
TERRAMAR is a breakthrough product that combines a biologically converted kelp source and biologically converted leonardite, which is a carbon source. It is intended for foliar applications in row crops at vegetative and reproductive stages. TERRAMAR supplements a balanced crop nutrition system by helping to maximize plant performance and yield across any type of growing condition.

Why use TERRAMAR in row crops?
TERRAMAR is formulated to increase nutrient uptake and enhance stress mitigation, which can optimize plant health and contribute to enhanced yield. In 76 trials conducted from 2019 to 2023 across corn, soybeans, wheat and grain sorghum, TERRAMAR offered an average yield advantage of +7.12 bu/acre compared to untreated check.

Terramar-piano_graph 2019-2023

 

What are the key benefits of TERRAMAR for row crops?
TERRAMAR sets a new standard in stress mitigation and plant performance. Foliar application of TERRAMAR improves abiotic stress tolerance (e.g. heat, cold, drought) at various stages of plant growth. Visible improvements in stressed crops can often be observed several days after application. Additionally, increased nutrient use efficiency has been documented when TERRAMAR is applied in conjunction with a foliar nutrition program.

How is TERRAMAR applied?
TERRAMAR is recommended for liquid foliar applications in row crops to enhance plant performance while minimizing weather-induced stress. Foliar applications deliver TERRAMAR's unique set of highly active, metabolite-based compounds for quicker absorption through the plant leaf tissue. The recommended rate for TERRAMAR is 1 quart per acre. It is compatible with a broad range of liquid fertilizers, insecticides, herbicides and fungicides for maximum application flexibility.

When should TERRAMAR be applied?
TERRAMAR can be applied in early post-emergent applications as well as mid- to late-season fungicide applications.

Should I apply TERRAMAR even if I am not anticipating severe crop stress?
Yes. TERRAMAR can optimize plant performance in all growing conditions, whether they are stressful conditions in which crop development could be impacted or average to ideal conditions in which crops have the best chance of reaching their yield potential.

Learn more by downloading the TERRAMAR Frequently Asked Questions bulletin.

Download the Bulletin

 

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Interview: Get More from Your Crop Fertility Program with Extract PBA
February 20, 2024 — Posted By Agricen

Wity-radio-down on farmAgricen's Scott Lay recently spoke with WITY Radio’s Dennis Michelsen about why pairing EXTRACT PBA with crop fertility programs makes sense.

Dennis - WITY Radio: Before you know it, it will be time to get the 2024 planting season going, and if you want to get the most out of your fertility program, you really need to find out more about EXTRACT.

Scott - Agricen: Applying nutrients is simply step one. The next question is, “What can you do as a farm operation to enhance the availability of those nutrients that you’ve applied?”

Dennis - WITY Radio: The key is not to reduce what you're putting down. It's just to get more value out of every dollar from your fertilizer program.

Scott - Agricen: That's right. EXTRACT is not a replacement for fertility or nutrients. But it is a technology that is available today to aid in the mineralization of nutrients in the soil profile and in the release of nutrients bound by calcium, magnesium or other components in the soil, so that they can be available for your crop.

Dennis - WITY Radio: Like all of your products, EXTRACT has been tested extensively both in the field and by university researchers.

Scott - Agricen:  Ultimately, the end result that any farmer wants is an increase in yield. We've done extensive research with land grant universities across the Midwest—Purdue University, University of Illinois, University of Nebraska, Iowa State and others—to validate what Extract is doing in the soil profile to hopefully give that plant a better chance to yield.

There are two things in particular we can point to when EXTRACT is applied in a broadcast fashion on the soil. The first is we're able to increase the amount of phosphorus available to the plant, more specifically P1, by 10 to 15%. Secondly, both the nitrate and soil ammonium forms of nitrogen are increased by 15 to 20%. That's not a guarantee of greater yield, but we do know that there's a high correlation between having greater amounts of soil nitrogen and phosphorus and increased yields.

Dennis - WITY Radio: EXTRACT offers a way to make sure that every nutrient you're putting down goes to good use.

Scott - Agricen: That's true. The term that's becoming more popular is “nutrient cycling.” In broad terms, it’s simply the ability to take nutrients that are applied or in the soil profile and convert them more readily to a plant-available form. EXTRACT can increase the level of nutrient cycling, which can lead to greater yield results.

Dennis - WITY Radio: It all comes down to the bottom line. What kinds of ROI have you seen with EXTRACT?

Scott - Agricen: EXTRACT has been available on the market since 2017, and this past year we treated a little over 2 million acres across the United States. With EXTRACT, the average yield increase for corn over years of trials is 10.2 bushels per acre. For soybeans, it’s 4.2 bushels per acre. For wheat, it’s a shade over 5 bushels per acre. The number of additional bushels needed to pay for that EXTRACT investment is very minimal. In corn, it's less than 2 bushels. In soybeans, it’s about 0.4 bushels to break even.

Our objective with any farmer, anywhere is to help them lower their production cost per bushel or unit of output. We believe that the economics with EXTRACT stack up very favorably. It’s also very consistent in terms of return on investment and, in the longer-term, positively impacting that soil health, which is any farm’s number-one asset.

EXTRACT PBA 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.

Learn more about EXTRACT PBA, a biocatalyst specifically formulated to maximize nutrient release from the soil and crop residues, by downloading the EXTRACT PBA booklet.

 

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Lifelong Friendship Leads to Advice a Grower Continues to Count On
November 6, 2023 — Posted By Agricen

Jason Jaggers Illinois - Doing More with LessJason Jaggers is a third-generation corn and soybean farmer in Wyanet, Illinois. When it comes to getting advice from his Nutrien Ag Solutions agronomist, Chad Taylor, he knows he has someone he can count on. Chad is not only his agronomist, but also his childhood friend. 

"Chad and I grew up together. Now he's my Nutrien agronomist. If he brings a product to me, he knows it better perform," says Jason. "He's also a grower himself, so he understands that."

Two of the products that Chad has introduced to Jason are Titan XC and Extract PBA. They are biocatalyst technologies that help growers "do more with less" by enhancing nutrient use efficiency. 

"As he's brought Titan, Extract and multiple other products to the table, they've all performed very, very well," says Jason. 

In the fall, Titan XC on dry fertilizer is a particularly important part of the equation. 

"If you're making a fall application of fertilizer, it needs Titan XC," say Chad. "Titan brings multiple levels of benefit...being able to take a grower's fertilizer dollar and increase it by upwards of 20 percent."

On Chad's recommendation, Jason has used Titan XC on his fall dry fertilizer for the past decade.

"We've used it for probably the last 10 years in the fall," says Jason. "We tried it on a couple of farms the first year and instantly saw good results. Now I use it on 100 percent of my acres."

Titan XC fall fertilizerGetting ready to spread Titan XC-treated dry fertilizer.

Extract PBA is another product that Chad commonly recommends for corn and soybean producers. He has seen some outstanding results.

"I had a couple of growers say 'I can't raise beans on this farm.' We started utilizing Extract on the solution for corn years and on the residue for bean years. Now they're like, 'Wow, I never thought I would take 80+ bushel beans off this farm.' It's just been a tremendous turnaround in farm production," explains Chad.

On Jason's farm, Extract PBA is being used as a residue management tool on his corn stubble prior to planting soybeans.  

"We're going to apply it on standing corn stalks that are going to go to soybeans next spring just to try to break down the massive amount of residue that we have," Jason says. "It seems that the residue is tying up more and more nutrients, so we're trying to get it to breakdown to get them into the soil profile for next spring."

One of the newer products that Chad is able to bring to the table for his grower customers is Accomplish MAX, which is designed for use with liquid starter fertilizer programs and combines the nutrient availability technology found in products like Titan XC and Extract PBA with a marine-based technology for stress mitigation.

"Everyone who's used it that I've talked to is seeing results. The stress mitigation factor of the kelp extract paired with the Accomplish technology has been a tremendous fit. Now you are getting a healthier, stronger seedling that's encountering less stress— whether it be from cold weather, starter fertilizer salt or salinity within the soil profile," Chad says. "There couldn't be a better coupling of what a new planted seedling needs trying to get up and out of the ground fast and uniform."

You can watch the video below, here or on our YouTube channel, to hear more from Chad and Jason.

Learn more about Accomplish MAX, Extract PBA and Titan XC by downloading the Frequently Asked Questions booklet.

Download the Booklet

 

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[Interview] Put Your Chips on Titan XC This Fall
October 18, 2023 — Posted By Agricen

Wity-radio-down on farmAgricen's Scott Lay recently spoke with Dennis Michelsen of WITY Radio about using Titan XC on fall-applied dry fertilizer blends.

Dennis - WITY Radio: In the fall season, we always talk about Titan XC. Talk a little bit about how it helps growers get the most out of fall fertilizer applications.

Scott - Agricen: Titan XC is applied on dry phosphorus and potash to help mineralize and break down those fertilizer prills, making them more available for next year's crop.

Dennis - WITY Radio: Ag producers don't want to have an extra trip across that field because that's money that they're spending. Titan XC does not require an extra pass.

Scott - Agricen: Titan XC is applied on the dry fertilizer. So whether the local Nutrien retail facility is applying the dry fertilizer or the farmer himself is applying it, putting on the Titan XC doesn't make that job any more difficult, and it also provides a benefit. In terms of a yield impact, we're looking at about an +11-bushel average yield response in corn and about a +4.2-bushel average response in soybeans. So the economics stack up very favorably.

Dennis - WITY Radio:  We're talking more than a 7 to 1 ROI when you add the cost of the product.

Scott - Agricen: That's correct. Farmers are obviously interested in the potential for yield response. But they also ask, "How many additional bushels do I need to produce to pay for that additional input?” In soybeans, a farmer would only need 0.6 additional bushels to pay for Titan XC. In corn, it’s a bushel and a half. Farmers are all riverboat gamblers at heart, and they put their chips behind reasonable propositions. With a high probability of payback, Titan XC is one of them.

Dennis - WITY Radio: Lab tests have shown a 22% increase for the first year use as far as available nutrients in those soils. That's a huge advantage.

Scott - Agricen: It is. If we think about a dry fertilizer prill, we're applying rocks to the surface of the ground, albeit small rocks. So the objective is to mineralize those fertilizer prills into a plant-usable form. If we can increase that rate of mineralization by 22%, that translates to a benefit in next year's crop, and that translates to yield.

Titan XC 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.

 

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[Watch] Enhance Dry Fertilizer Efficiency to Maximize Yield & ROI
September 27, 2023 — Posted By Agricen

09-23-Dry-Fertilizer-Webinar-archive

How can growers enhance the efficiency of their fall-applied dry fertilizer blends to maximize yield and return on investment? 

Watch our on-demand webinar, "How to Enhance Dry Fertilizer Efficiency to Maximize Yield & ROI," to hear:

  • How to enhance the efficiency of your fall dry fertilizer application

  • What you can do to improve nutrient recovery after applying dry fertilizer blends

  • How to increase yield and return on investment in any crop production system with Titan XC on your dry fertilizer blend

The nutrients in dry fertilizer prills are not highly available to the crop as applied. To become available for crop use, they must first be converted into a plant-available form. 

Titan XC is a fertilizer biocatalyst designed to expedite this process and unlock the potential of dry fertilizer programs. When applied to fall- or spring-applied dry fertilizer blends, Titan XC can expedite nutrient availability and uptake, enhance nutrient use efficiency and improve nutrient recovery from the applied fertilizer and from the soil. 

In an analysis of 125 third-party and side-by-side trials conducted over the past decade, the average yield increase gained by treating dry fertilizer blends with Titan XC was +10.9 bu/a in corn (73 trials), +3.9 bu/a in soybeans (30 trials) and +4.0 bu/a in wheat (22 trials) as compared to yields with untreated dry fertilizer.

By giving crops greater access to the nutrition they need, Titan XC can help boost crop yields and increase a grower's return on investment.

Titan XC is exclusively available from Nutrien Ag Solutions.

Watch the webinar today to learn how to maximize dry fertilizer efficiency this fall with Titan XC.

Watch the Webinar

 

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[Interview] Taking a Bite Out of Drought & Heat Stress in Agriculture
July 17, 2023 — Posted By Agricen

Wity-radio-down on farmWith dry, hot weather having impacted many areas of the country, Agricen's Scott Lay spoke with Dennis Michelsen of WITY Radio to discuss how Terramar is helping corn and soybean growers minimize the effect of drought and heat stress on their crops.

Dennis - WITY Radio: After a long duration of dry weather that we had during this growing season, we're getting a great chance to see just how much Terramar is helping reduce some of that drought stress we saw.

Scott - Agricen: Terramar is a new product to the Midwest and row crops. More importantly, it's a new practice. We now have a technology available to us in our arsenal that will help minimize stress.

Dennis - WITY Radio: This product is all about standing up to stress.

Scott - Agricen: We know that if the nighttime low does not get below 70 degrees Fahrenheit, that's a bad day for the corn plant. That impacts yield. We also know from our replicated studies with Terramar that we're able to decrease the crop canopy temperature by a measure of three to five degrees Fahrenheit for a period of three to four weeks. Again, that's not going to eliminate the negative impact of extremely hot temperatures, but it sure takes a bite out of it.

Dennis - WITY Radio: How is Terramar working on soybeans this year across the Midwest?

Scott - Agricen: Regardless of zip code and regardless of crop, minimizing heat and drought stress while increasing the amount of nutrients that the carbon component in Terramar can bring into that plant is a good transaction.

With respect to soybeans specifically, we're entering a critical stage, and that is the reproductive stages. That's when 90% of all nutrients are consumed by the plant. That's when yield is determined.

Again, we can't control what Mother Nature brings our way in terms of precipitation, but if we can increase the amount of nutrients flowing into that plant by virtue of stimulating that plant with our Terramar product, we've got a better chance to preserve yield potential.

Dennis - WITY Radio: Whether it's corn or soybeans, Scott, you guys have done a lot of testing of this product on acres that, quite frankly, are more susceptible to drought than we usually see here in Central Illinois.

Scott - Agricen: When we started to look at this on crops in tough growing conditions, like grain sorghum and dryland corn in western Kansas early on, we started to detect not only a positive yield impact, but also better plant health that maintained throughout the growing season. We knew at that point that we needed to get this more widely across the Midwest in corn and soybean growing areas. As a result, this year we'll approach about 2.5 million acres treated with Terramar.

Dennis - WITY Radio: I understand this product is working good as a tank mix companion with a lot of different materials, whether early in the season as you're doing an extra fertilizer run or when you're applying a fungicide. 

Scott - Agricen: That’s correct. As we look out over the month of July, any farmer of corn, soybeans or cotton is looking to preserve yield potential. Fungicides are a key part of that equation.

We're able to pair Terramar with fungicide and see a favorable impact in terms of minimizing the effect of drought and heat, which is a result of the kelp component, while also pulling more nutrients into that plant as a result of the carbon component.

Plants enjoy carbon and, when in abundant supply, it provides needed energy to produce a more robust root system that is able to pull more water and nutrients into the plant. That often leads to a more consistent yield result.

Dennis - WITY Radio: Whether it's corn or soybeans, Terramar can help you stand up to stress.

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.

Learn more about Terramar by downloading the Terramar product booklet.

Access the Booklet

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