The way farmers approach raising high-yield crops is changing. Progressive growers realize the old routine of applying fertilizer and crop protection products, planting crops and harvesting with minimal effort no longer maximizes ROI year after year. However, experimenting with every new technology, trait or product that promises productivity rarely maximizes ROI either.
What’s the most beneficial way to maximize yields, plant health and profits? For Ohio farmers, it starts with understanding the nutritional needs of crops and how biologicals, fertilizers and micronutrients work together to keep crops growing strong throughout the season. From there, it takes examining field data with a PCT | Sunrise® agronomic expert to outline an action plan for healthy crops with high yield potential to aid in maximizing ROI.
Though a full-season approach is best, there’s something for every farm business in the PCT product line-up. Let’s take a look.
StandUp® Starter Fertilizers
StandUp® fertilizers are the first step in nutrient management for corn, soybeans and wheat. Unique formulations supply nutrition to newly planted seed including necessary elements like nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium so plants stand strong against adverse soil and weather conditions. Fertizol™ is an especially exciting chelating product that protects nutrients already in the soil and makes them more available to plants.
Benefits: StandUp® starter blends initiate early-season growth for quick, uniform emergence and maximum plant stands. For Ohio farmers and livestock producers living near watersheds, Fertizol™ offers an additional benefit. Since increased regulation may restrict phosphorus application, chelation can help crops utilize and uptake soil available and unavailable phosphorus.
BioBuild™ Biologicals and Biostimulants
BioBuild™ biological products use multiple modes of action and bacteria strains to promote plant growth and overall health. These products can be used throughout the season to develop robust plant roots, mitigate plant stress and break down crop residue to return nutrients to the soil.
Benefits: The fulvic acid and bacteria in BioBuild™ BioComplete create a shield around the root systems for more robust growth and better nutrient uptake. It also boosts flower production in soybeans. BioBuild™ C-Green uses a seaweed extract and organic acids to mitigate plant stress. BioBuild™ Digester is a concentrated blend of microorganisms that break down cellulose, proteins, lipids, starches and chitins in heavy no-till crop residue to release nutrients and build soil health.
FolrFeed® Foliar Enhancement
FolrFeed® products offer solutions for correcting nutrient deficiencies during V2-V8 stages and early protection from pests and diseases. Think of plants in this stage as “teenagers” who need to get vitamins and nutrients to keep them healthy and developing to maturity.
Benefits: Blends of nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium and other micronutrients ensure young corn and soybean plants resist adverse conditions for continued development and achieve high yield potential.
GrainMakerTM Grain Production
GrainMaker™ finishers are effective at helping crops combat heat, diseases and stress typically associated with the dog days of summer. These products are the final step to ensuring maximum yields during R1-R3 in soybeans and VT-R1 in corn. They are easy to blend with fungicides and insecticides for convenient application.
Benefits: Products specially formulated for corn and soybeans contain plant growth regulators to enhance the division of cells as well as leaf and root growth. Soybeans receive boron and sugar to move nutrients throughout the plant, retain flowers and fill pods. For corn, the added sugar promotes pollen tube growth and fertilization to fill out kernels on each ear of corn.
NutraBurstTM Micronutrients
The NutraBurst product family consists of individual micronutrients, including calcium, boron, manganese, copper, zinc and sulfur that provide plants specific benefits throughout the growing season. Micronutrients can either be applied as seed treatments, in-furrow or through foliar applications.
Benefits: Each micronutrient boosts plant health in different ways. For example, boron aids in silking in corn reproduction and boosts flower retention and production in soybeans. Calcium helps plants heal and recover after an environmental incident e.g., a hail storm, and sugar in NutraBurst™ Sugarshot AG protect the plants from drying out in severe heat, as pure cane sugar acts a humectant. See full list of micronutrients.
Get Started
In addition to providing comprehensive crop nutrition, PCT offers a variety of AdjutecTM adjuvants with low use rates to enhance crop protection efficacy, maintain uniform spray patterns and reduce drift. The best part of all this progressive crop technology is that products require minimal to no equipment updates and blend well with others.
Sunrise Cooperative offers a variety of services and programs to help progressive farmers get started with a custom approach to boosting crop nutrition and yields. Contact us to learn more and get started.
Written By: Jonah Johnson, PCT sales agronomist
