Agronomy Update March 2018
Posted on March 15, 2018
MANAGEMENT
By David Dyson, Agronomist
Starter Additives Add Up
If we want to bring our yields up to the next level, we need to take a serious look at starter additives. I’d like to talk about two additives which contain fulvic acid and potassium that I saw perform very consistently over many test plots last season. These products, MicroCarb ZMB™ and Korrect™, have proven to provide a good return on investment.
Fulvic acids are short chains of immediately-available carbon molecules that last up to 30 days in the soil, depending on weather conditions. This makes fulvic acid ideal for enhancing an in-furrow row starter. MicroCarb ZMB’s fulvic acid originates from vegetables and is a concentrated product with very high solubility. This product has been tested by third parties for the last several years and has consistently provided a nice return on investment. Field studies have been very favorable toward the addition of MicroCarb ZMB. In a recent trial, when MicroCarb ZMB was combined with PureGrade low-salt starter with an in-furrow application, yields were increased over the check and many other starter additives (Figure 1). In another trial in Illinois and Ohio, MicroCarb ZMB showed very favorable results, with an increase in corn yields of 3.6 bushels (Figure 2).
For more information about MicroCarb ZMB, click here.
Figure 1: 2017 Clunette Elevator Starter Trial showing yield increases resulting from an application of MicroCarb ZMB.
Figure 2: 2017 Beck’s Hybrids starter additive study showing the effects of MicroCarb ZMB.
Potassium can be a little fickle, as trying to get enough potash close to the seed can be a little dangerous. The high salt content in potash would negate most of the benefits we could see with a banded application close to the seed. The Andersons offers Korrect, a high-quality, safe potassium product. Korrect is a highly-available, mild form of potassium which is particularly well suited for in-furrow application. Since the pH is 7.3 and the salt index is 26, there is reduced danger of burn to the seed or plant roots. Korrect is a clear, true solution with no particulate matter. The natural organic carrier enhances its receptivity by plants.
For more information about Korrect, click here.
In conclusion, the MicroCarb ZMB and Korrect additive trials were very successful this past cropping season and The Andersons will be replicating these studies during the cropping year.
RESEARCH
By Dani Kusner, Agronomist
As warm weather draws near, it’s time to make decisions to maximize the benefit of adding micronutrients to your starter fertilizers. In this third-party trial performed in Colorado on irrigated plots in 2017, replications received micronutrients either in-furrow or as a foliar. All additions of micronutrients outperformed the control of row-starter (6-24-6 PureGrade GoldStart at 5 gallons/acre) alone. The biggest increase in yield came from Microcarb ZMB added in-furrow, which resulted in a 12 bushel/acre yield increase. When adding micronutrients, either in-furrow or as a foliar, yield increases were seen from 2-12 bushel/acre.
Trials with “Includes Foliar App” callout received micronutrients as a foliar.
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