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.

CHECK OUT ALL OF OUR RESEARCH!

Comparing Phosphorus Fertilizers for Potatoes

Effective management of nutrients is critical for potato production, as tuber yield and 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.

Due to Nutriq Technology, the phosphorus in Pro-Germinator is protected from tie-up (fixation) and is released to the roots over an extended period of time. Thus, the rate of application is lower than that of 10-34-0.

Pro-Germinator out yielded 10-34-0 even though a lower gallon per acre rate was applied (8 gal/A vs 20 gal/A) The AgroLiquid treatment had 62% of the potatoes being A’s and 24% of total were B’s whereas the 10-34-0 had 57% of the total being A’s and 28% of the total being B’s.

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