By Darren Hefty
Do you think the general public would be scared of farmers using “natural” products for crop protection? Highly unlikely, right? What about “biological” products? There’s a little more skepticism with that word. The terminology we use in agriculture is so important because well over 99 percent of the population has no idea what we’re doing, and a large share of those people are very concerned about the production and safety of their food supply.
One of the great things about this time in agriculture is that science has never been better. We are learning more about how soils and plants interact with living organisms like bacteria and fungi, as well as how plant hormones and plant growth regulators work. The technology exists to safely and effectively manage our crops in ways previous generations never could. Here are just a few examples of some of the biological or “natural” products you may use this season to help your crops in a variety of ways.
D7 – Bacteria for use in wheat that secretes chemicals to suppress cheatgrass. Can be applied on the seed, in the furrow, or over the top.
QuickRoots – Seed treatment containing beneficial bacteria and beneficial fungi that enhance root hair development and improve nutrient uptake in many crops.
ROOTastic Soybean Inoculant – Rhizobia bacteria used to promote nodulation of soybean roots and production of nitrogen to help meet the high demand for nutrients in soybean plants.
Xanthion – Premix of the popular fungicide Headline with Integral bio-fungicide (bacteria) for use in-furrow in corn. Testing has shown enhanced residual control of rhizoctonia, fusarium, and more, leading to better stands and healthier early season plants.
Zolera – Premix using the active ingredient in Domark fungicide plus alphaBeta proteins for control of white mold and other diseases in addition to added plant health benefits.
MegaGro – In addition to being the only patented safener for glyphosate, MegaGro contains two plant growth regulators known to improve root and plant growth. It is for foliar use in almost any crop and can be included in most tankmixes.
Clariva Complete – CruiserMaxx with Vibrance is now available with the addition of a spore-producing bacterial seed treatment called Clariva. The Clariva portion actually infects soybean cyst nematodes, kills them, and then produces more spores to continue killing nematodes throughout the season.