Blog

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

Read More
ACCOMPLISH MAX Performs in Illinois Corn Starter Trial
January 31, 2025 — Posted By Agricen

ACCOMPLISH MAX is a fantastic tool for corn growers who apply liquid starter fertilizers and want to maximize nutrient availability for their crop while reducing the impact of early season abiotic stresses, such as cool temperatures and salinity from applied fertilizers.

In this corn trial led by Nutrien Ag Solutions in Ferris, Illinois, ACCOMPLISH MAX was used in-furrow with the grower's standard practice (GSP) liquid starter program and compared to the GSP alone. The same corn hybrid was used in both parts of the field.

01-25 Accomplish Max_Corn_Ferris, IL-600px

At harvest, the corn yield was 219.8 bu/acre where ACCOMPLISH MAX had been added to the GSP, as compared to 211.1 bu/acre where the GSP was used alone, for a corn yield advantage of +8.7 bu/acre with ACCOMPLISH MAX.

ACCOMPLISH MAX is a proven nutrient use efficiency and stress tolerance product that offers concentrated biochemistry in an easy-to-handle, liquid form. Formulated for use in furrow or 2x2 with liquid starter fertilizers, it helps growers get the most out of their crop fertility programs by improving nutrient availability and uptake from liquid starters and residual nutrition in the application zone while also increasing crop tolerance to environmental stresses like cold temperatures and saline soils.

ACCOMPLISH MAX can be used in liquid starter programs for a variety of crops, including corn, soybeans, wheat, cotton and more.

See more ACCOMPLISH MAX results by viewing our featured studies, or download the ACCOMPLISH MAX booklet to learn more.

Access the Booklet

Read More
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

 

Read More
[Trial] Impressive Yield Results with ACCOMPLISH MAX in Irrigated Corn
April 12, 2023 — Posted By Agricen

In an irrigated corn trial conducted in Benzie county, Michigan in 2022, adding ACCOMPLISH MAX to the grower's standard practice (GSP) starter fertilizer led to impressive yield results. 

ACCOMPLISH MAX was added to the GSP starter fertilizer at two different rates (1 pint/acre and 1 quart/acre, the recommended rate) and then compared to the GSP alone. The GSP 2x2 starter fertilizer blend consisted of UAN 28% (7.5 gal/acre), ammonium thiosulfate (ATS, 3 gal/acre), 10-34-0 (7.25 gal/acre), and Pro Zinc 10+ (0.25 gal/acre). The grower's fertility program also included a dry fertilizer broadcast application of 46-0-0 (300 lbs/acre) plus 0-0-60 (100 lbs/acre) applied over corn stubble. The field was no-till, corn on corn.

Adding ACCOMPLISH MAX at either rate provided both a yield advantage and a return on investment (ROI) for the grower.

AccomplishMAX-irrigated-corn

At harvest, the average corn yield with the GSP starter fertilizer alone was 165.0 bu/acre.

Where ACCOMPLISH MAX had been added at the 1 pint rate to the GSP, the average corn yield was 176.0 bu/acre, for a yield advantage of +11.9 bu/acre equating to an ROI of 6:1 compared to the GSP.

Most impressively, where ACCOMPLISH MAX was added to the GSP at the recommended 1 quart rate, the average corn yield was 185.8 bu/acre, for a yield advantage of +20.8 bu/acre over the GSP alone. At the time this trial was conducted, that yield advantage equated to a grower ROI of 12:1.

At planting, row crops are up against environmental challenges that include cold temperatures, fertilizer salts and more. ACCOMPLISH MAX can be used with liquid in-furrow starter fertilizers to help crops better tolerate these stresses while also increasing nutrient uptake, so that growers can help their crops live up to their full potential while also pushing their yields to the next level.

Learn more about ACCOMPLISH MAX by downloading the ACCOMPLISH MAX product booklet.

Download the Accomplish MAX Product Booklet

Read More
Loveland Products Launches Accomplish MAX for Row Crops
January 3, 2022 — Posted By Agricen

Accomplish MAXAccomplish MAX, a next-generation biocatalyst that provides nutrient efficiency and crop stress tolerance benefits, is now available from Loveland Products through Nutrien Ag Solutions retail locations. It is designed for use with in-furrow starters, 2x2 placement of liquid fertilizers, and liquid sidedress applications.

Accomplish MAX is a proprietary combination of proven Accomplish biocatalyst technology, which growers have used for over a decade to improve nutrient mineralization and uptake on millions of acres across the United States, and cutting-edge kelp technology designed to enhance crop tolerance to abiotic stressors such as cold temperatures, drought and fertilizer salts. 

Key benefits of Accomplish MAX:

  • Increases nutrient availability and uptake by mineralizing nutrients in the soil
  • Improves plant tolerance to abiotic stresses such as cold temperatures and salinity from commercial fertilizers
  • Enhances overall plant performance to help growers reach their yield potential

Common stressors like cold temperatures, drought and fertilizer salts can slow early-season plant growth, robbing growers of yield. By incorporating Accomplish MAX into their existing fertility programs, growers can help their crops better endure some of these environmental stresses, ultimately leading to better results at harvest time.

“For years we’ve been driving crop yields with Accomplish LM. In Accomplish MAX, we’ve combined that proven biocatalyst technology with powerful kelp technology to both enhance nutrient use efficiency and improve abiotic stress tolerance, providing a significant agronomic advantage,” says Taylor Ivy, Senior Product Marketing Manager, Plant Nutrition, Loveland Products.

Accomplish MAX was extensively validated in corn, cotton, and soybean crops during the 2021 growing season, both at the Loveland Products Research farms in Kentucky and in 60 replicated on-farm trials and 20 replicated trials at third-party cooperators and university sites.

Accomplish MAX is manufactured by Agricen.

Learn more about Accomplish MAX by downloading the Accomplish MAX booklet.

Download the Booklet

Read More
Starter Program with Accomplish LM Key Part of Farmer's Success
September 30, 2019 — Posted By Agricen

kolb farm minnesotaFifth-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.

Download the Accomplish LM Booklet

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.

Download the Accomplish LM Booklet

 

Read More
Making the Case for In-Furrow Applications
April 11, 2016 — Posted By Agricen

By Jeremiah Butler

As we enter planting time and growers make final decisions for the coming crop year, many growers will consider using in-furrow products. There are several reasons why they should research and consider in-furrow applications.  

Many of you have heard Dr. Fred Below of the University of Illinois talk about his “Seven Wonders of the Corn Yield World.” As we look at the factors below, we can see that there is no silver bullet. Attaining a high yield truly takes a systems approach!

Seven Wonders of the Corn Yield World and Their Potential Impact on Yield

table_-_7_wonders.png

The value of each factor is presented in bushels/acre as well as a percentage of the total (260 bushels/acre). Source: U Illinois Crop Physiology Lab

Although in-furrow products are not included on his list of major factors that impact corn yield, Dr. Below was recently asked whether in-furrow products are important in an interview with Farm Industry News. Here is his answer:

"We are starting to see synergistic advantages of in-furrow technologies, where a fungicide is applied with an insecticide along with a starter fertilizer. These products enhance and protect the plant or seedling, and by having the nutrients alongside them, can start the plant off to a faster growth trajectory. Ultimately, I think we will have other growth-enhancing technologies that can go in-furrow. I think it is one of the next new things in agriculture."

So, when should growers consider a starter fertilizer? There are several scenarios in which an in-furrow product can make a lot of sense:

  • When cultural practices such as no-till or minimum tillage are utilized
  • On coarse textured or low organic matter soils
  • On poorly drained or cold soils
  • On low testing P and K soils
  • When nodal root systems are severally impeded by challenging growing conditions
  • When soil pH is unusually high or low
  • When substantial drought stress is likely

Loveland Products has a variety of in-furrow technologies that can be used as part of a systems approach to obtaining a healthy, high yielding crop. In addition to the starter fertilizers Levitate and Riser, these include:

  • ACCOMPLISH MAX, a biochemical technology that improves nutrient availability and uptake for better plant performance
  • Radiate, a growth regulator that can be used to promote a larger root mass for more water and nutrient interception
  • Organic acid technologies including Black Label Zn and BlackMax 22
  • Satori fungicide
  • Sniper LFR insecticide 

We wish you the best of luck as you get growing this season.

Learn more about ACCOMPLISH MAX by downloading the Accomplish MAX booklet.

 

 

Read More
How to Get More Uniform Corn Emergence This Spring
December 21, 2015 — Posted By Agricen

Growers know that uniform corn emergence is a must for achieving great yields. Recent research shows that a delay in emergence of just 12 to 14 hours can affect yield potential.

In side by side field trials at three different locations led by North Carolina State University cropping systems specialist Dr. Ron Heiniger, an in-furrow application of Accomplish LM promoted uniform corn emergence, increased row and kernel number, and increased ear weight by 1/8 lb compared to check (10-27-0 applied in a 2x2 band). Uniform emergence was associated with higher yields: Accomplish LM increased the average yield by +11.5 bushels per acre.

Corn NCSU 2014

Accomplish LM is a nutrient use efficiency product that offers concentrated biochemistry tin an easy-to-handle liquid form.  Formulated for broadcast and starter fertilizer applications, it helps growers get the most out of their crop fertility programs by increasing nutrient availability and uptake and by promoting root growth and development. 

Use Accomplish LM this spring for more uniform crop emergence and the potential for higher yields at harvest.

Interested in more information on Accomplish LM in corn starter programs? Read our starter booklet.

Access the Booklet  

Read More
Starter Fertilizer Paying Off This Year
August 4, 2015 — Posted By Agricen

This year, many parts of the country dealt with above-average to excessive spring rains. Wet conditions set the stage for denitrification (converting nitrogen in the soil system into N2 gas) and nitrate leaching, which may explain some of the yellowing growers have observed in fields where there has been a lot of moisture.  

Starter fertilizer use can help to overcome some of this nitrogen loss by adding nitrogen back into the system. Other crop inputs can also pay off. Accomplish LM can be used in a starter blend to ensure that more of the applied nitrogen or nitrogen in the soil system is in a form that is readily available for plant uptake.   

In the field trials we’ve seen this season, the difference between starter and no starter was very obvious. Starter applications that included Accomplish LM have been giving a very strong performance, as seen in these corn trials from Wheatland, Indiana. 

Corn - Wheatland, Indiana (2015)

starter_vs_nostarter

Starter vs. no starter fertilizer; Photo taken May 27, 2015

 

Corn - Wheatland, IN (2015)

corn_wheatland_IN-2

Accomplish LM applied at 1 qt/acre; RiseR FA applied at 2.5 gals/acre; Sniper LFR applied at 3.2 oz/acre

 

Corn - Wheatland, IN (2015)

corn_wheatland_IN-3

Accomplish LM applied at 1 qt/acre; Black Label Zn applied at 3 gals/acre; Sniper LFR applied at 3.2 oz/acre

 

Learn more about starter fertilizers and how Accomplish LM can enhance corn starter programs. Download “Improving Crop Yields with Starter Fertilizers.”

Read More
[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 28th, 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.

Download the Soybean StartUp Booklet

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.

 

Read More
<< Prev
1 2
Next >>