Do Your Spring Cleaning This Fall
Posted on September 26, 2018
Did you know a 200 bu/A corn crop can leave up to 5 tons/A of residue in the field?
Stalk degradation is an essential part of field management. As harvest nears, the question of what to do with corn residue will arise. That residue is an excellent source of nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium, magnesium, and sulfur.
Your best ally in the residue battle is right beneath your feet – your soil! A healthy soil has a plethora of beneficial microorganisms (microbes) that are ready to get to work degrading the residue your crops have left behind. You don’t have to be a passive bystander, however.
Don’t Let Your Soil Fight Alone
What if you were able to provide your soil a boost in the fight against residue? An application of humic acid supports microorganisms by giving them food to eat and a place to live. When you support the microbes, they’ll support you by degrading residue and harvesting the nutrients from it.
In addition to its impacts on microbes, humic acid is highly interactive with nutrients in the soil. It reacts with nutrients through chelation and complexation, which keeps nutrients in the soil and reduces loss by leaching. Humic acids also physically modify soil structure by binding soil particles together, which increases soil aggregate stability, improves water infiltration and aeration, and increases nutrient holding capacity.
How Much of an Impact Can You Have?
The research below illustrates the difference the fall application of a residue management product can make on yields.
A 2015 residue management study revealed a 6 bu/A increase in soybean yield on corn stalk acres receiving an application of 28% UAN + UltraMate LQ.
Treatments were applied to corn stalks the previous fall, allowing for nutrient release and a better seed bed. The carbon in UltraMate LQ liquid humate helped to stabilize the 28% UAN application, and jumpstarted microbial activity to degrade corn fodder. The study took place in Walton, IN.
Find the Right Product
The Andersons provides a full line of specialty products to fit your needs, including products specially-formulated for stalk degradation such as UltraMate® LQ, Humic DG™, and The Andersons new microbial package for fall application.
0-0-2 + 1.0 S
12% HUMIC ACID
UltraMate® LQ is a sulfonated potassium humate liquid. It completely mixes when added directly to liquid fertilizer, micronutrient, or pesticide formulations over a wide range of pH values. The compatibility of UltraMate LQ allows the user to apply this humate using application methods which are unacceptable for conventional products—directly into tank mixes, drip irrigation and onto acid soils. UltraMate LQ allows plants to utilize applied N, P, and micronutrients more efficiently, reducing leaching and improving soil structure.
For residue management applications, UltraMate LQ should be applied 1 gal/A, and can be mixed with UAN.
UltraMate LQ
70% HUMIC ACID
10% HUMIC ACID PRECURSOR
Humic DG features DG Technology, which creates a dust-free, spherical, ultra-dry particle that rapidly disperses into thousands of microparticles upon contact with moisture. Humic DG’s increased surface area, when compared to screened humate, creates greater availability to the plant. It performs in a wide range of conditions and soil types, independent of application method and features dual carbon sources, which are unique to The Andersons Humic Products. Humic DG contains the full spectrum of humic substances: humic acid, fulvic acid and humin.
For residue management applications, Humic DG should be broadcast-applied at 40 lb/A.
Humic DG
The Andersons new MICROBIAL PACKAGE for fall application is a specialized blend of bacteria designed to degrade and compost post-harvest residue and promote nutrient recycling.
FOR MORE INFORMATION:
Please complete the form, and we’ll get you in touch with your Territory Manager from The Andersons.
UltraMate is a registered trademark of The Andersons, Inc. Humic DG and Eezy are trademarks of The Andersons, Inc.
