Blog

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

More Robust Soybean Plants, Higher Pod Counts with Extract PBA

November 21, 2016 — Posted By Agricen

In Northern Ohio, Nutrien Ag Solutions conducted trials to evaluate the benefits of making a fall residue or spring pre-emerge application of Extract PBA (1 gallon per acre). In these trials, Extract was applied on corn stalks in fields where soybeans would be planted as the next crop. The data shows great potential for a growers' return on investment, with healthier plants and higher pod counts when Extract PBA was used.

In the trial results shown below, the plants from the treated areas have a more robust structure to support higher yields. Pod clusters are also tighter, with more per node compared to plants from untreated strips in the test plots.

When the pods were counted from the plants above, there were 16 more pods from the plants grown in the Extract PBA-treated area compared to the untreated controls.

Similar results were also seen in a Nutrien Ag Solutions trial conducted in Iowa, where Extract PBA was applied with pre-emerge herbicide. Soybean plants in the Extract PBA-treated areas were greener, more robust and had higher pod counts (shown below) compared to the untreated controls.

These results are a good demonstration of how powerfully Extract PBA releases nutrients to feed a soybean crop.

Use Extract PBA the the fall or spring for benefits that include:

Release of nutrients trapped in residue or bound in soil
Extension of existing nutrient availability later into the season
Optimization of plantability in the spring
More even crop emergence
Improved yield potential

Learn more by downloading the Extract PBA product booklet.

Extract PBA with Fall Burndown Leads to Soybean Yield Increase

November 7, 2016 — Posted By Agricen

A proactive fall herbicide program can help growers get ahead of next season's weed pressure by controlling difficult weeds, allowing them to start out the spring with cleaner fields and setting the stage for better spring herbicide performance. By adding Extract PBA to a fall burndown package, growers can also gain the benefits of increased yield and ROI.

In this trial, which was conducted in West Lebanon, Indiana, Extract PBA was applied with fall burndown in 2015 to release nutrients in the soil and residue for the next season's crop. Soybeans were planted in the spring of 2016. At harvest, Extract PBA treatment was associated with a 5.1 bu/a yield advantage and a return on investment for the grower (ROI of $37/acre compared to the untreated soybean yield; ROI calculation for that time period assumes $9.50 cash beans.).

Extract PBA is not limited to use with fall burndown herbicides. It is also effective when used in the spring with pre-emergence herbicides. With either application, this biocatalyst can help growers mine nutrients out of both soil and crop residue to feed the next crop.

Learn more about Extract PBA by downloading one of our Extract PBA publications.

Why Soybean Growers Should Apply Extract PBA This Spring

April 28, 2016 — Posted By Agricen

By Randy Stockhorst, Loveland Products, Ohio

For soybean plants, R3 is a critical growth stage during which the plant's nutrient needs rise to support pod growth and development. By applying Extract PBA with a soybean pre-emerge herbicide, growers can ensure their plants will have the nutrition they need at this critical growth period, which will position them for an excellent yield outcome.

In our area of northwest Ohio, potassium deficiency is the most prevalent deficiency that we've seen in R3 soybean tissue samples over the past several years. The amount of potassium stored in corn stalks is a little more than a 1-to-1 ratio on yield. That means that in a 200 bushel corn crop, for example, there are approximately 205 lbs of potassium locked in the stalks.

By applying Extract PBA on corn residue now, growers can accelerate nutrient release and mineralization so that more nutrients–including potassium–are available to their soybean crop at the reproductive stages.

Farmers in our area who utilized this product last fall are indeed impressed with the activity on corn stalks, and those who utilize it this spring can expect similar results. As you can see below, the concentrated biochemistry in an application of Extract PBA breaks down the stalk, releasing nutrients for the next crop.

Untreated (left) vs Extract PBA-treated (right) corn stalks. Extract PBA was applied in the fall of 2015. Photo taken in March 2016 in Carey, Ohio.

In addition to nutrient release, other benefits of adding Extract PBA to a spring pre-emergence soybean herbicide application include:

An easier tillage pass on soybean stubble this fall
Soil that will be drier and warm up faster for the next year's corn planting
Less disease pressure from the stalks

I encourage anyone who is planting soybeans this spring to consider applying Extract PBA as part of their pre-emerge plan.

Learn more about using Extract PBA in the spring or fall by watching a webinar.

Prove It to Me [Film]: Follow 5 Farmers Through the Growing Season

March 14, 2016 — Posted By Agricen

We are very excited to introduce “Prove It to Me,” a new film that follows five farmers through the 2015 growing season—from planning and planting to growth and harvest.

Each of the farmers featured in the film used Accomplish, Titan or both technologies as part of their program, and all speak about the results they achieved with our biocatalyst technology (Hint: It’s pretty darn good news!). We invite you to watch a “Prove It to Me” online today.

None of the farmer testimonials were scripted or coached. Their thoughts on the products and practices are simply in their own words and, as you’ll see, a great testimony to using Accomplish and Titan as part of any growing program.

We hope you enjoy the film, and we would be happy to hear any feedback you might have.

[Trial Results] Soybean Startup Program Is a Standout in the Field

June 23, 2015 — Posted By Agricen

Soybean Startup is a tank mix of Accomplish^® MAX and Radiate^® applied in-furrow at planting. The goal is to get soybean plants off to a better, faster start and enhance productivity. In trial after trial, this program keeps giving a standout performance in the field.

The soybean plants in the pictures below were planted on May 28^th, 2015 in Greensburg, Kansas, by a grower who had trialed the Soybean Startup program on half of his acres. The beans on the left were treated 2x2 with 10 gallons of 16-0-16-5 alone, while the beans on the right were treated 2x2 with 10 gallons of 16-0-16-5 and plus the Soybean Startup in furrow. Pictures were taken mid-June.

With Soybean Startup, the plants are bigger and healthier, and they have larger, better developed root systems compared to untreated plants.

soybean_startup_1

soybean_startup_2

soybean_startup_3

After seeing the difference between the treated and untreated soybeans, the grower of these beans is now going to use a Soybean Startup program on all of his double crop acres.

Learn more about this innovative starter program for soybean by downloading the Soybean Startup booklet.

Q&A: Should Soybean Growers Consider a Starter Program?

February 12, 2015 — Posted By Agricen

I’ve never used a starter program for my soybean plants. Nutrient deficiencies are not as common as they are in corn, and the salt in traditional fertilizers can harm the seedlings. Why would I consider a soybean starter program now?

It’s true that traditional starter fertilizers are not typically used for soybean crops, for both of the reasons that you’ve pointed out. However, like growers of other crops, soybean growers can benefit from tools that help improve plant health and yields. Accomplish^® MAX and Radiate^® are plant health products that can be used together as a “starter program” for soybean. They contain no salt and provide a cost effective way for growers to improve plant vigor, reduce plant stress and increase productivity. With an early application of these plant health technologies, growers can improve the health of soybean plants from emergence through yield, all while maximizing the efficiency of their total plant nutrition program.

If soybean prices are low, does it make economic sense to use a starter program?

When soybeans sell at a low price, some growers may be inclined to reduce total input costs. But, by using proven technologies to get their crop off to a faster, more vigorous start, soybean growers can have a very successful year. Accomplish MAX and Radiate are proven plant health technologies that work together to help optimize yield potential and return on total program investment when used as a soybean starter.

If my soybean plants need the nutrition, aren’t broadcast applications better at improving yields?

We recommend that soybean growers employ soil testing to determine the nutrient needs of their crops. Accomplish MAX and Radiate are plant health technologies, not plant nutrition products. Accomplish MAX increases the availability and uptake of nutrients in the soil (both applied nutrients and native nutrients) and mitigates the effect of abiotic stress, while Radiate contains plant hormones that drive root development and plant vigor. Both can help optimize soybean yield potential when used together as a starter application, maximizing a grower’s nutrient use efficiency and plant performance all season long.

Radiate is not registered in California, and is not approved or intended to be used or sold in California.

What Is the Value of Your Crop Residue?

November 18, 2014 — Posted By Agricen

snow_residue Here we discuss why your crop residue is valuable and how your farm can benefit from a post-harvest application of EXTRACT.

Q: I mostly consider my residue to be a nuisance. Do I need to rethink that view?

A: Given where prices are, growers are really going to have to focus to make money next year. Residue can play an important role in helping to achieve that. Residue doesn't have to be just another obstacle to deal with when you're trying to get your crop planted. By releasing the nutrients locked up in your crop stubble, you get more ROI out of your original nutrient investment by benefitting next season's crop. We recommend that you rethink your residue as an important component of the planning process for next year's crop.

Q: What is the value of my residue?

A: Here's a great example of the value of residue. If you're a corn producer, for every bushel of corn you grow, your residue contains an average of 0.45 lbs of N, 0.16 lbs of P, and 1.1 lbs of K. If you had a 200-bushel crop in 2014, that's an NPK value of 90-32-220. Think about how valuable those nutrients can be if you can release them in time for spring planting.

Q: With a big harvest, how should I deal with all of my post-harvest residue? What's a good way to speed residue breakdown and access the nutrients in my stubble?

A: Many growers turn to fall tillage or a fall nitrogen application to help them speed residue breakdown. Although tillage does a good job of physically breaking up the residue and increasing the surface area that microbes have to work on, it has little direct influence on the mineralization of nutrients trapped in residue. Nitrogen can provide some benefits, but lack of sufficient N is not the main limiting factor for residue breakdown–soil temperatures are, since microbial activity, which is what produces the biochemistry needed to break down crop residue, drastically drops off below 50 degrees F. This is why we recommend a post-harvest application of EXTRACT – which contains biochemistry that enhances residue breakdown, nutrient release and nutrient mineralization, even at lower temperatures – to help you capture the value of your residue.

Learn more about the benefits of a residue application of EXTRACT by reading the our crop residue booklet.

Growing a Better Soybean Crop in a Corn-Soybean Rotation

December 22, 2013 — Posted By Agricen

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

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

residue-blog-3

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

residue-blog-4

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

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

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

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

Treating MicroEssentials SZ Fertilizer with Titan Improves Crop Growth

November 2, 2011 — Posted By Agricen

This summer, Agricen conducted a rhizobox study near our Texas headquarters to evaluate the effects of treating MicroEssentials® SZ, the Mosaic Company’s 12-40-0-10(S)-1(Zn) fertilizer, with Titan Powered by Accomplish (Titan PBA), a fertilizer catalyst from Loveland Products.

Corn, wheat and soybean seeds were planted in rhizoboxes in field soil with either MicroEssentials SZ fertilizer treated with Titan PBA (treated) or a standard monoammonium phosphate (MAP) 11-52-0 fertilizer (control). Root and shoot growth were observed over a four-week period. This was during a particularly hot time in the Texas summer, with temperatures regularly exceeding 100 degrees.

As you can see from the comparisons at Day 24, treated crops had noticeably better lateral root development and shoot growth compared to controls:

Corn

Improved lateral root development at Day 24 for
treated vs. untreated.

Improved shoot growth at Day 24 for treated vs.
untreated.

Wheat

Improved lateral root development at Day 24 for
treated vs. untreated.

Improved shoot growth at Day 24 for treated vs.
untreated.

Soybean

Improved lateral root development at Day 24 for
treated vs. untreated.

Improved shoot growth at Day 24 for treated vs.
untreated.

Plants in the treated boxes also had earlier lateral root development compared to controls throughout the four-week growing period. Watch the root growth day-by-day in our video, below: