With the goal of increasing potato yield and quality, AgroLiquid has been conducting research in the potato growing regions of southern Manitoba and Alberta since 2020. This research has included a 3rd party independent research firm, on-farm trials, and Independent Crop Inputs.

The almost universal planter applied starter for potatoes in this region is 10-34-0 at 20 gal/A, usually in addition to broadcast 11-52-0. Why such a high P rate? First, potatoes love phosphorus, often responding to phosphorus fertilizer even on fields testing high for P. Secondly, much of the P in 10-34-0 is rapidly tied-up in these higher pH soils, requiring potato growers to apply high rates to achieve their potato yield goals. In these trials over a two-year period a 9 gallon rate of Pro-Germinator® has out-yielded 20 gallons of 10-34-0 nearly every time, usually with better tuber quality as well.

Independent Crop Inputs is a full service farm supply retailer with two locations located in southern Alberta. They are a major supplier for potato farmers in the southern Alberta irrigated potato growing region. In 2021, they conducted a replicated research trial comparing 9 gallons/A of Pro-Germinator against the typical rate of 20 gallons/A of 10-34-0.

Key findings from this research:

• 9 gal/A of Pro-Germinator yielded 564.38 cwt sacks/A vs the 20 gal/A of 10-34-0 that yielded 548.9 cwt sacks.
• That’s 1,543.35 pounds/acre in favor of Pro-Germinator – despite the substantially lower amount of actual P applied.

In the quality testing (standard panel size), the Pro-Germinator treatment resulted in 20.25 tubers of 10 oz or greater while the 10-34-0 treatment resulted in 17.0 tubers >10 oz.

Pro-Germinator has been AgroLiquid’s premier phosphorus fertilizer for decades. It is especially popular on the higher pH soils that are prevalent in the US and Canadian great plains – and for good reason. Conventional phosphorus fertilizers are rapidly fixed, or tie-up, by the abundant calcium in these soils. Pro-Germinator’s unique flavonol chemistry protects the phosphorus in Pro-Germinator from being tie-up, leaving it available for root uptake for up to 60 days after application. This excellent protection enables AgroLiquid to recommend lower application rates than conventional liquid phosphorus, yet still achieve equal or better crop yields – a feature we call “performance equivalency”.

Pro-Germinator® increases yield and profits!

By Abe Isaak, Regional Agronomy Manager

Effective management of nutrients is critical for potato production, as tuber yield and tuber quality are directly impacted by source, quantity, and timing of nutrient applications. Growing healthy potato crops must also be balanced with an economical fertilizer program.

A 2021 potato research trial in Idaho Falls, ID demonstrates once again that using Pro-Germinator at planting makes for a higher yield and higher profits.

Key findings from this research:

• A combination of Pro-Germinator + High NRG-N, Kalibrate, Micro 500 and accesS outperforms the grower standard of 24-80-0.
• A reduced rate of 8 gal/A Pro-Germinator out produces the grower standard of 24-80-0.

A $6 per sack investment in AgroLiquid crop nutrition returns back to the grower $150-$600 per acre.

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Just 3 gal/A at planting nets more than 3.5 bu/A increase at harvest!

Planter-time phosphate sources like springuP can supply a young crop’s immediate needs, while slow release sources of P, such as Pro-Germinator®, sustain a season-long feeding.

With adequate phosphate levels in the soil, highly available early season ortho-phosphate sources can start a crop on the right path.

As evidenced in this trial, with plenty of phosphorus and potassium already applied (all treatments included 100 lbs/A DAP and 100 lbs/A 0-0-60), all the crop needed was a product with readily available orthophosphate to get ahead. In fact, the stand count on the plot treated with springuP and Micro 500® had nearly 6,000 more plants per acre than the plot that received only DAP and 0-0-60. This was reflected in the additional 3.7 bu/A yield.

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SpringuP is a liquid phosphorus fertilizer starter designed to give plants a jump-start on the growing season. The combination of phosphorus, nitrogen and potash sets the stage for strong, early growth. SpringuP liquid phosphorus fertilizer can help plants emerge faster, giving them an early start on the growing season.

 

Pro-Germinator uses a blend of phosphate, nitrogen, potash, and iron to maximize crop response at critical growth stages. The combination of quick-release phosphates with slow-release, carbon-protected, polymer phosphates, promotes exceptional growth early on, and plants continue flourishing through reproductive stages.

 

AgroLiquid has been working in partnership with Precision Planting to evaluate the use of our fertilizer products through their FurrowJet and Conceal application technology. This project was conducted at the Precision Technology Institute (PTI) in Pontiac, IL. This trial demonstrated the ability to apply phosphorus, potassium, and micronutrients through the FurrowJet®, and nitrogen plus sulfur through the Conceal® to provide an excellent crop nutrition foundation for corn production and positive economic return.

The AgroLiquid crop nutrition program achieved an excellent average yield gain of +14.6 bu/A over the control, which equaled a positive return on investment of +$18.95/A*.

*Net return is based on yield increase compared to the control minus the cost of the fertilizer. Corn price used for this calculation was $3.75/bu and fertilizer prices were estimated average retail prices.

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Phosphorus and micronutrients are vital to improved winter wheat yields. Supplying adequate phosphorus (P) can help improve tillering, reduce winter-kill, maximize water-use efficiency, hasten maturity, and lower grain moisture at harvest. While N-P-K will always get top billing, several micronutrients are also important to seed set, flowering and stem strength, not to mention aiding the overall synergy of nutrient interactions in the plant.

Applied through a grain drill, Pro-Germinator and Micro 500 improved crop yield by nearly 10 bu/acre.

Pre-emergence, foliar, or top dress applications of AgroLiquid products can also provide excellent yield response if a producer does not have application equipment on the drill.

 

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PrimAgro P combines the proven performance of AgroLiquid phosphorus crop nutrition with select bacteria species.

Corn grown using PrimAgro P at 2.5 gal/A yielded better than corn grown using competitive products at 5 gal/A.

Corn grown using PrimAgro P at 2.5 gal/A yielded 14 bu/A higher than corn grown with no phosphorus fertilizer, even in a high phosphorus environment (soil test P level = 83 ppm).

 

All planter fertilizer treatments applied in-furrow and included PrimAgro K (5 GPA) + Micro 500 (0.5 GPA) + Iron (0.25 GPA) + Boron (4 oz/A). All treatments received 200 lb N.

Trial conducted by Mulford Agronomics, Hebron, MD.

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