One of the main reasons growers use Titan XC is to speed the breakdown of dry fertilizer prills, which makes nutrients more quickly available for crop uptake. Loveland Products recently conducted a quick demonstration to quantify the rate of enhanced fertilizer breakdown with Titan XC. The results show that Titan XC does what it says.
The demo compared Titan XC-treated versus untreated 6-6-18 fertilizer. The starting weight of each of the 8 samples tested in this demo (4 untreated and 4 treated) was 15 grams. All samples were submerged in distilled water for 72 hours, then screened off and weighed.
In every case, more Titan XC-treated fertilizer was dissolved compared to untreated fertilizer. Overall, Titan XC increased fertilizer breakdown by an average of 32%.
Untreated fertilizer prills (top row) vs prills treated with Titan XC (bottom row).
The average final weight of the Titan XC-treated samples was 2.32 grams, compared to 6.99 grams for the untreated samples.
In addition, analysis of the distilled water after the fertilizer was screened off showed a 25-83% increase in nutrient content (depending on the nutrient) in favor of Titan XC versus untreated fertilizer.
Although there are many different variables at play when it comes to prill breakdown (e.g., things such as application timing, rainfall/soil moisture, or incorporated vs. no-till practices), this quick demonstration shows that incorporating Titan XC into a dry fertilizer application speeds prill breakdown and rapidly releases nutrients for plant uptake.
Titan XC is now available from Loveland Products! Designed to improve dry fertilizer efficiency, Titan XC is a new, next-generation biocatalyst for dry fertilizers that ‘unlocks’ applied nutrients, making them available more quickly so that more of them are taken up by plant roots. It is extra concentrated for easier application and superior impregnation onto fertilizer prill.
“For a grower’s dry fertilizer program, Titan XC is the key to quick release and uptake of a broad range of vital plant nutrients. This can really maximize the return on a grower’s dry fertilizer investment,” says John Oesch, Marketing Manager for the Southern Ohio division of Crop Production Services (CPS).
Titan XC offers growers benefits that include:
Increased nutrient availability and uptake
Enhanced nutrient use efficiency
Better root growth and development
Improved plant performance
Optimized yield potential
The recommended rate for impregnation on dry fertilizers is 1 to 2 pints of Titan XC per ton of dry fertilizer.
Titan XC is manufactured for Loveland Products by Agricen.
Chris Perkins, a Nutrien Ag Solutions location manager in Otwell, Indiana, likes to practice what he preaches when it comes to the products he recommends to growers. If he’s not familiar with something, he tests it on his own family farm and carefully evaluates the data to make sure the product is living up to its claims.
“My dad lets me have 17 acres for a community plot where we’re doing corn on corn,” says Chris. “I want to show guys ‘Hey, this is what we’re doing, and this is what we’re seeing because of this product, management practice or hybrid.’”
Over the past few years, Chris has been evaluating Accomplish and Titan on his 17 acres, and he’s seen both his yields and his soil nutrient values rise. Along with the fertility added by the continuous corn, he credits the Accomplish and Titan technologies for contributing to a good portion of those increases.
“These acres have received moderate fertilizer levels, but not enough to support the rise in soil nutrient values we’re seeing, much less the yields being attained,” says Chris. “We’re testing soil from the same spot in the same way and at the same lab, and that’s how we noticed something big going on with potassium and phosphorus. There’s something happening in the soil. And even when I work the ground, it has more tilth to it than I’ve seen in years.”
As part of Chris’s program, he has been applying Titan on dry fertilizer before planting, then running Accomplish with starter in furrow. In the fall, he runs Accomplish with nitrogen and works the ground. Chris recognizes that continuous corn contributes to the fertility in the field by moving minerals to the surface through residue. But his other corn on corn acres aren’t doing as well as those where he uses Titan and Accomplish.
“In fall 2013, we were in the low- to mid-100s [lbs per acre] on potassium and low- to high-20s for phosphorus. From a fertility standpoint, there were really no available nutrients there for the crop,” says Chris. “Then, when you look at the soil samples from January 2015, we’re at the mid-60s for P and over 300 for potassium, and that’s after we took off a 230 bushel corn crop. By February 2016, my potassium was in the 400s and phosphorus continues to rise, right on the heels of the fall harvest of a 260 bushel corn crop in 2015. At the fertility rates being run, that’s just not what I’m expecting to see.”
Abbreviations: BpH=buffer pH; OM=organic matter. Nutrient values reported as lbs/acre unless otherwise specified; averages are taken from 2.5-acre grid samples.
“Putting it another way, over the course of three years, I’ve put on 500 lbs of DAP—about 230 lbs of phosphate—and harvested three corn crops. Technically, there wasn’t enough fertilizer in there to have the soil test at 96 lbs per acre this February from the 20s back in 2013,” says Chris. “When you calculate what we took away with the grain, it’s about 235 lbs of phosphate. Those three crops only got 230 lbs and we went up almost 70 lbs in the ground.”
To check how much nutrient release he might be getting from stover, Chris compared nutrient values with his other fields in corn on corn production.
“Where I just work the ground and don’t apply Accomplish in the fall, my potassium levels increased by about 30-50 lbs per acre in corn on corn rotations. But where I run Accomplish with nitrogen, the levels have increased over 100 lbs per acre,” explains Chris. “My soil nutrient levels speak for themselves. I keep doing the math and looking for explanations on why our fertility rates are getting better, and I really think it has something to do with these products.”
Download ourbiocatalyst technology FAQ to learn more about Accomplish and other biocatalyst technologies.
Growers today are confronted with a large number of fertilizer additive options, including agricultural biostimulants. Too often, some of these products are lumped into the same category, despite different modes of action and varying impacts on crop yields and return on investment (ROI).
Humic Acid Products
Humic acid products are biostimulant products derived from leonardite (low grade coal) that is reacted with potassium hydroxide (KOH) to create a black liquid containing organic acids—primarily fulvic and humic. These organic acids are either long- chained molecules (humic acid) or short-chained molecules (fulvic acid) that contain sites carrying a negative charge. When a grower adds humic acid to a production program, it acts like a bucket—it will hold positively charged nutrients by attracting them to the negatively charged sites on its molecules. However, humic acid cannot fill the bucket with the nutrients the plant needs. This is where biochemical or biostimulant products play a critical role.
Biochemical Products
Biochemical products for agriculture contain biochemical compounds—things like organic acids, chelators, and enzymes—as their primary functioning component. Released by natural microbial processes in the soil or by the addition of biochemical products such as Accomplish or Titan XC to existing fertilizer programs, biochemicals play a critical role in plant nutrition. Primarily, they act upon chemical compounds in the soil (e.g., calcium or iron phosphate) to separate cations (e.g., calcium, magnesium) from anions (e.g., nitrates, phosphates), thereby releasing nutrients into the soil solution. In essence, the biochemistry is like a water valve or tap— by releasing nutrients so that they can find locations on exchange sites or be utilized by plants, it fills the empty bucket created by an application of humic acid.
Humic acid products create a reservoir for nutrients; Agricen's biochemical catalyst technologies release nutrients from chemical compounds in the soil, filling the reservoir and increasing the flow of available nutrients.
The biochemical components in Accomplish and Titan XC are derived through a proprietary fermentation process and then concentrated to provide a highly consistent, efficacious fertilizer catalyst that improves plant performance and increases crop yields, positively impacting the ROI of a grower’s total fertilizer program.
Summary
In summary, both humic acid and biochemical products are biostimulants that can play a role in a larger plant nutrition program. However, each acts very differently in the soil, with humic acid holding nutrients in place, while biochemical products break apart chemical compounds in the soil, making nutrients more available for the plant. Growers who want to maximize their fertility program may want to first apply Accomplish or Titan XC with their standard program before considering the addition of any straight humic or organic acid products.
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.
Brandon Burkhart is a fourth-generation farmer from Oto, Iowa. Varying soils on his family's 2500-acre corn and soybean operation used to mean it was difficult to get a good, efficient use out of their applied nutrients. Today, Brandon and his family use Accomplish LM and Titan PBA to maximize their fertilizer efficiency, with excellent returns from the accompanying gains in yield.
“When using our Accomplish LM and Titan PBA combination on corn, it’s been [a yield increase] upwards of 10 bushels or more,” says Brandon. “On our bean operations with just Titan PBA, we’ve seen jumps of 10 bushels per acre.”
“It’s been a great investment for us. It’s been a great return on investment also.”
See how Accomplish LM and Titan PBA are paying off for Brandon and his family.
Norman McPherson and M.H. Bitely are growers in Grady, Arkansas, who incorporated both Accomplish LM and Titan PBA into their fertility program for this year’s corn. Both growers applied Titan PBA on their dry fertilizer in the fall, and included Accomplish LM with their standard liquid starter fertilizers at planting.
The results so far are impressive.
Growers Norman McPhersonand M.H. Bitely in Grady, Arkansas.
In fields where Accomplish LM and Titan PBA were added to the standard fertility program, corn had much smaller dents compared to corn from a nearby field they farm where Accomplish LM and Titan PBA weren’t used.
Smaller dents will add up to a lot more yield, says Norman.
With Accomplish LM and Titan PBA, corn ears show less denting.
Root digs reveal that the addition of Accomplish LM and Titan PBA also leads to significant improvements in root mass.
Significant gains in root mass with Accomplish LM and Titan PBA.
From these mid-season results, we expect to continue to see great things, as we have seen in other trials incorporating both Accomplish LM and Titan PBA into fertility programs on corn, soybeans, rice, and wheat.
We’ll follow up again with Norman and M.H. later in the season to share more details about their crops’ performance.
Third-generation farmer Carl Lamb grows corn and soybeans in Dixon County, Nebraska. He farms nearly 3,000 acres on an operation started by his wife’s grandfather.
“It’s a challenging time to be a grower right now,” says Carl. “The inherent cost of putting a crop in today is huge.”
Carl tried Titan to increase the nutrient availability in his soil and improve the health of his crops. He was impressed with both the results and the ROI.
“Agriculture is changing in a big way, and it’s changing very rapidly. If you’re not able to be more efficient with what you’re doing, you will fall behind,” says Carl. “With today’s marketplace the way it is, you need to get every bushel that you can from this crop.”
Hear how Titan is helping Carl get more bushels out of his acres.
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:
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.
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.
The soil is a living environment, full of microorganisms that create biochemical compounds that influence plant growth. At Agricen, we take this biochemistry and make it work even better for the grower, with benefits that include improved plant performance and increased nutrient availability.
In this short video, Agricen’s Director of Applied Sciences, Dr. Brian Cornelious, explains how the biochemistry in Accomplish LM and Titan PBA works to make the difference between having a good growing season and having a great growing season.
Dr. Brian Cornelious: Everybody knows where our food comes from. It’s right here on the farm. But do we really understand what it takes for a grower to get the most out of every acre he plants? In the next couple of minutes, I’m going to show you how a grower can use the biochemistry in Accomplish LM and Titan PBA to feed our growing population.
[Onscreen: “Agricen. Based on Nature Built on Science.” Then: “The Science Behind It All”]
Brian: The soil is a living environment, full of organisms producing biochemical compounds that influence plant growth. I’m holding just a couple grams of soil. Each gram of soil contains as many as 1 billion bacteria. At Agricen, we have a team of scientists working to make this biochemistry work even better for the grower.
[Onscreen: “The Lab: Where It All Starts”]
Brian: We’re here in the lab, and this is where we really get to understand how the biochemistry in Accomplish LM and Titan PBA actually help to improve our plant performance and increase our nutrient availability.
So, there are key nutrients we’re going to talk about today: nitrogen, phosphorous and potassium.
For nitrogen – the most abundant gas in the atmosphere – we have to have nitrogen to breathe; plants have to have nitrogen to grow. If you want that dark green color, add more nitrogen to the plant. Nitrogen, for the most part in the soil profile, is organic. We have to convert organic nitrogen—which is crop residues, manures, litters, composts, any of those organic sources—into ammonium or nitrate or inorganic forms the plant can use. It’s called the mineralization process. Biochemistry is the only thing in the soil profile that actually helps to mineralize organic nitrogen into an inorganic form that the plants can use.
What about phosphorous? If you really want to get that plant going, it’s just like lighting a match. We have to have red phosphate on that match to get that thing going. The phosphorous in the plant really helps with the establishment and getting that plant going and off to a good start. Again, we’re dealing with mineralization. Lots of phosphorous in the soil profile is inorganic. We have to get it into H2PO4 or HPO4, plant available forms of phosphorous.
What about potassium? Now, you’re probably familiar with this. If you eat bananas, you’re consuming potassium. Potassium helps the plant with regulation of water through the plant. You have to have potassium. It’s a little bit different from nitrogen and phosphorous. We’re not talking about mineralization of organic nutrients. We’re talking about release of nutrients that are in the profile. It gets locked in between the soil layers and it’s not available to the plant. The biochemistry in Accomplish LM can actually help improve that soil structure that helps improve that plant’s ability to take up that potassium.
There’s one more way that Accomplish LM and Titan PBA work to improve crop growth. Titan and Accomplish make the underground transportation system of nutrients much more efficient. It’s the difference between this [Points to slow traffic] and this [Traffic speeds up].
[Onscreen: “Dr. Pepper Ballpark: Home of the Frisco Rough Riders”]
Brian: To further explain the benefits of adding the biochemistry in Accomplish LM and Titan PBA to a grower’s fertility program, we’re here at the ballpark. So, let’s play ball.
The initial fertilizer application – that puts us at home plate. There’s several things that have to happen in order for us to score that run. First, the soil temperatures have to increase. That gets us to first base.
After those temperatures increase, microbes start to function. They’re producing biochemistry now. That gets us to second base. There’s something important about second base in a game of baseball. That’s having a runner in scoring position. With the biochemistry in Accomplish LM and Titan PBA, we start at second base.
Brian: Once the biochemistry helps to mineralize the nutrients, that gets us to third base. The plants are actually taking those nutrients up. Now the plants can actually utilize those nutrients for functioning and yield. And that scores that run. But, with the biochemistry in Accomplish LM and Titan, we’ve got that advantage. We’re scoring two runs with the same process.
As growers know, things are tight. Adding the biochemistry in Accomplish LM and Titan PBA can be the difference in just having a good season, and having a great season.
Brian: At Agricen, it’s important for us to deliver new technology options to allow the grower to get the most out of every acre he plants. The biochemistry in Accomplish LM and Titan PBA improve access of nutrients to the plant, more flow of nutrients in the plant, and also increases the efficiency of utilization of nutrients by the plant.
At Agricen, our technology truly is based on nature and built on science. I’m Brian Cornelious. Thank you for watching.
![Prove It to Me [Film]: Follow 5 Farmers Through the Growing Season](http://www.agricen.com/hubfs/ProveItSmall.png)
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