Tag Archive for: crops

Consider Implementing SeedMaxx® Into Your Management Program

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With the start of the 2021 season rapidly getting closer, it brings to question, what steps will you take to maximize production and protect your crops.  Seed treatments have been shown to play a critical role in providing protection for the seed and seedlings against pressure from outside stressors such as insects and diseases from the moment that they are planted.

For the majority of growers, seed treatments have become an important part of their standard management practices to enhance stand establishments and get the seedlings off to a strong, healthy start. Seed treatments have shown to control early-season pathogens such as seed rots, blights, and even help prevent irreversible damage from numerous early-season insect pests.

With all this being said, all seed treatments are not created equal, with some treatments only protecting against fungal diseases, others provide early protection from insects and larvae, while others protect from certain environmental conditions such as cold and wet growing conditions.

AgriGro’s® SeedMaxx® represents a new generation of prebiotic nutrition in a convenient, seed safe formulation. SeedMaxx® technology not only improves germination rate and early plant development but has a targeted effect on the soil’s native microbial populations in the rhizosphere, therefore, causing an increase in biological activity and breaking down any insoluble nutrients that the seedling can absorb and create a stress-free growing environment.  With the increase in microbial populations and activity, crops will be better suited to push through yield dragging challenges such as cool, damp growing conditions, better drought tolerance, and nutrient shortages all while reaching their genetic yield potential.  

Multiple studies performed by KMR Research has proven that SeedMaxx® produces higher yields when combined with other seed treatments than those treatments would produce on their own. Check out our 2018 SeedMaxx trial and our 2019 SeedMaxx trial and see the results for yourself.

SeedMaxx® Benefits:

  • Encourages better germination.
  • Produces more even emergence.
  • Increases seedling vigor and improves plant structure.
  • Develops larger, better root systems.
  • Supports nature’s “Web of Protection” in the rhizosphere.
  • Delivers consistent yield performance, better test weights and improved crop quality over a wide range of growing conditions.
  • Offers soil mobility to improve fertilizer efficiency and nutrient uptake.

2020 Research:

In a study performed by KMR Research across multiple corn varieties, SeedMaxx was evaluated in 6 different locations:

  • Arcadia, IA
  • Buffalo Center, IA
  • Dickens, IA
  • Storm Lake, IA
  • Elizabeth, IL
  • Round Lake, MN

SeedMaxx® applications were as follows: 6oz of SeedMaxx® / 100 lbs of seed.
(IBG is a seed treatment with the active fungi Beauveria Bassiana, meant to reduce insect and disease attacking the plant)

Overall, SeedMaxx® alone averaged a 14.4 bushel per acre increase over the control.

SeedMaxx® alone averaged a 14.4 bushel per acre increase over the control.


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Elements of Crop Production

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The elements of crop production can be dissected into three distinct yet overlapping sectors:
(i) Chemical (crop protection and nutrition)
(ii) Physical (mechanical activity)
(iii) Biological (seed and plant physiology; microbiology)

Addressing these components in a holistic fashion is crucial to ensure plant vigor and to maximize economic yield. However, production practices are oftentimes negligent and/or detrimental to one biological element – the plant/soil microbiome. 

Microbes (e.g., bacteria and fungi) are ubiquitous in nature – there are more microorganisms in one-gram of soil than there are humans on Earth [1]. Many of these soil-colonizing microbes have a mutualistic symbiotic relationship with their host plant, meaning both organisms benefit from the interaction. In the context of agriculture, an abundant, diverse microbiome has been demonstrated to affect crop health in the following ways:

  • Enhanced nutrient mineralization and uptake
  • Resilience against biotic (living) and abiotic (non-living) stress
  • Boosted plant immunity
  • Production of hormones and other signaling molecules (by both the plant and microbe)
  • More robust germination 
  • Stimulated plant growth 
  • Improved soil health

AgriGro® is a leader in prebiotic technology for agricultural use, providing a line of products that boost the soil’s native biological activity up to 5,000% within 72-hours of application. As a result, plants treated with FoliarBlend®, IgniteS2®, and other prebiotic formulations reap the benefits of a healthy microbiome and are able to allocate more energy to primary metabolic processes (e.g., photosynthesis and reproduction). This phenomenon is studied extensively from the molecular level to field-scale, and consistently demonstrates healthier soils, higher-yielding crops, and enhanced plant-microbe symbiosis following treatment with AgriGro®  technology. Research on specific crops and/or products can be found here.

According to a recent publication from the Council for Agricultural Science and Technology, many within the scientific community believe that the next Agricultural Revolution will entail the usage of microbiomes to improve plant growth and development. At AgriGro®, we are helping initiate that revolution by employing cutting-edge scientific tools to boost crop yield in an all-natural, sustainable manner. Environmental stewardship in this fashion benefits not only the present-day grower but protects the livelihood of future generations.

To learn more about AgriGro®, click here.



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SOURCES:  Dindal, D. L. 1990. Soil Biology Guide. New York. & Council for Agricultural Science and Technology (CAST). 2020. Agriculture and the Microbiome. CAST, Issue Paper 68. Ames, Iowa.

Steps To Understanding A Soil Report And How To Use That Information To Take Corrective Action

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Now before we begin, we need to clarify the scope and type of soil report we are using today. 

The sample report we are using will be reflecting values in parts per million (ppm) derived from a Mehlich 3 (M3) extraction process. We are assuming we are utilizing AgriGro’s prebiotic technology to get maximum nutrient efficiency from those results. 

A good comprehensive soil report will have results for the macronutrients phosphorus (P) and potassium (K), the secondary macronutrients calcium(Ca), magnesium (Mg), sodium (Na), sulfur (S), and also essential micronutrients such as boron(B), copper (Cu), iron (Fe), manganese (Mn), and zinc (Zn). Some additional nutrients you may want to check as you get more thorough are chloride, cobalt, moly, nickel, and silica. 

Let’s start with one of the most confusing or misunderstood numbers on this report. The CEC, which is the Cation Exchange Capacity (CEC) that was either measured, calculated or estimated for the soil being tested. Sometimes it is shown as ECEC for estimated CEC or CCEC for Calculated Cation Exchange Capacity. Regardless, the number represents the total milliequivalents (meq) or positively charged cations that 100-grams of this soil can hold. In other words, you could say it reflects how big of a sponge your soil has. The more clay in your soil the bigger your sponge. The higher the CEC number the more nutrients are retained on a soil particle. 

There is not necessarily a good or bad CEC reading, it just tells you what type of soil you have and will indicate how much material will be required to add or remove to balance the soil based on its holding capacity for cations. 

The primary cations are hydrogen, calcium, magnesium, potassium, and sodium.

This chart copied from an agronomy handbook produced by A & L Labs shows the desired levels of three of these cations in balanced soil. To compute the desired balanced level of sodium you can multiply the CEC by 3.42 to give you the ppm desired. To convert ppm to lbs./acre, multiply by two. 

You may have noticed that hydrogen is also missing from this chart. Hydrogen can be looked at like a placeholder on the soil. When calcium, magnesium, sodium, or potassium are missing, hydrogen takes its place on the soil particle. The more hydrogen on the soil particle the lower the pH . As you replace hydrogen with a missing cation like potassium or calcium the pH will move up. When the pH is at 7 you will not have any hydrogen showing on your soil report. It is desirable to have 10 to 15% hydrogen for good exchange and availability of phosphorus and micronutrients.

The next section of the soil report we want to observe that will quickly tell you the condition of the soil will be the area that summarizes the percentage of saturation of each of the five main cations: Potassium, Calcium, Magnesium, Hydrogen and Sodium. 

If your CEC is showing higher than eight then you will want calcium percentages to be around 70% and magnesium around 10%, followed by potassium above 2% and sodium less than potassium. 

If your CEC is below eight then you can have adequate calcium around 60% and magnesium around 20% with a minimum of 3% potassium and sodium less than potassium. 

After these percentages are investigated and you have determined what cations are deficient or in excess you then can look at the extraction results to determine quantities needed to correct the soil. 

Phosphorus is not a cation. On an M3 test for adequate amounts, it should be around a minimum of 25-ppm or if we multiply by 2, 50 lbs./acre and remember these figures are only valid when utilizing IgniteS2® or SeedMaxx® prebiotic technology. There is virtually no return from pushing P levels higher than 30-ppm. 

Next if we have potassium less than 2% on a CEC 14 soil, we need to look at our results and then check the chart to see what level the potassium should be in order to be balanced. For example, our chart shows 164-ppm for a normal 2-5% range on a 14-CEC. Our results indicate we have extracted 132-ppm. 164 minus 132 = 32-ppm of Potassium deficient. 32-ppm x 2 = 64 lbs/acre of lacking potassium (K). 

We now have to decide how we are going to add this 64-lbs. of potassium. There are many options for adding potassium either liquid or dry to the soil and you could also decide to just feed the plant now that you know it is deficient and yield-limiting nutrients in this soil. 

The same determination and method should be followed for all the nutrients that have been tested. 

For an M3 extraction process, you should use these values for a minimum desired level of all elements that are not shown in the cation percentages… 

Sulfur: 24-ppm 

Boron: 0.8-ppm 

Copper: 2.0-ppm 

Iron: 45-ppm 

Manganese: 40-ppm and less than Iron 

Zinc: 6-ppm 

Molybdenum: 1-ppm 

Cobalt: 1-ppm 

This information should put you well on your way to becoming proficient at analyzing a soil report and putting a plan in motion to improve or maintain your soil when paired with AgriGro’s prebiotic program.



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22% Increase in Watermelon Yields using AgriGro®

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Researcher Fertilizantes Tepeyac produced a 22% increase in total tons / acre for watermelon using AgriGro®.