Value Add Products: Why Should I Care About Them This Year?

This is a year like no other. Increased seed, fertilizer and chemical costs, along with supply issues have become the norm. The question now becomes, “how do we get the most out of every dollar spent?” The answer is yes!  We have invested a lot of our time this winter investigating new ways to maximize nutrient efficiencies and ensure weed control, all while getting the ROI that is needed.

This is the year where just adding more is not the answer. Looking after your investment to get the most out of every dollar is the true solution! G-Mac’s AgTeam offers value added products that we believe can help to maximize efficiencies for nutrients, herbicides and fungicides applied.

Fertilizer: Maximizing nutrient efficiencies using nitrogen stablizers and phosphate enhancers can reduce the risk of loss in favourable environments and soil conditions. Biologicals also play an important role in nutrient efficiency uses. See Biological section of this document for more information.

Anvol - Koch: NBPT Nitrogen Stabilizer for Urea & UAN

• Next generation nitrogen stabilizer that features Duromide, a patented active ingredient that delivers longer lasting protection from nitrogen volatilization

Avail - Verdesian: Phosphate Fertilizer Enhancer

• Polymer technology in Avail reduces phosphorus fertilizer fixation in soils to form positively charged elements like calcium, magnesium, aluminum and iron, keeping more of the applied phosphorus plant available. 

Avail agPROVE trials were conducted in 2016, 2017, and 2018 showing an increase in ROI for 2017 and 2018. Contact your local G-Mac’s AgTeam retail for more information on these trials.

Glyphosate: Is a precious commodity and managing applications is critical. There are two ways to maximize weed control, adding tank mix partners and conditioning hard water. Getting as much of the active into the plant as possible will be important, as this is not the year to simply add more glyphosate.

Crimson NG - WinField United: Water Conditioner
TEST YOUR WATER!

• Cations in hard water bind to glyphosate molecules which make it unavailable to enter the plant and control the weeds.
• Crimson NG is AMS (34%) and a proprietary blend of water conditioning, coupling, and antifoam agents that help to stop this interaction in hard water.

Why not just use more glyphosate? The cost!

Water test shows 1.25% v/v Crimson NG is needed to reduce tie up from water hardness.
Crimson NG (5 USG)
1.25% v/v = 237 ml/ac = $0.88/ac*
0.33 L Transorb HC = $5.16/ac
Total = $6.04
vs 
0.5L Transorb HC = $7.74/ac

*Pricing may vary

Pre-Seed Tank Mix Partners - Stop Resistance and Control Your Weeds!

• FMC P-PAC Blends - customize package size based on acres
  •     SZ-75 (Authority 480 - Sulfentrazone)
  •     CF-09, CF-14, or CF-18 (AIM EC - Carfentrazone)
  •     NC-00439 (Express Pro - Tribenuron/Metsulfuron)
  •     DB-878 (Tribenuron/Dicamba)
• Authority 480 - Sulfentrazone
• AIM EC - Carfentrazone
• Express Pro - Tribenuron/Metsulfuron
• Focus - Carfentrazon-ethyl/Pyroxasulfone
• PrePass, Priority - Florasulam
• Korrex II - Florasulam/Dicamba
• Certitude - Bromoxynil/Topramezone
• Prospect - Halauxifen/Carfentraxone
• Voraxor - Saflufenacil/Trifludimoxazin
• Smoulder - Metsulfuron-methyl/Saflufenacil
• Fierce - Flumioxazin/Pyrozasulfone
• Conquer II - Carfentrazone/Bromoxynil
• GoldWing - Pyraflufen-ethyl/MCPA Ester
• Valtera - Flumioxazin
• BlackHawk - Pyraflufen-ethyl/2,4-D Ester
• Pardner/Bromotril II - Bromoxynil
• Inferno Trio - Florasulam, Flucarbazone/Carfentrazon-ethyl

Talk to your local retailer to discuss which tank mix partners are needed for your individual farm needs!

Biologicals: Biologicals are used to stimulate the natural processes of the plants, benefitting nutrient efficiencies, crop quality and help during times of abiotic stress like cold and hot environments.

Seed Treatments:
BioniQ (JumpStart + QuickRoots) NexusBioAg: Inoculant for cereals and canola that combines 3 biological actives to aid in nutrient availability and uptake:

• Penicillium bilaiae fungus (JumpStart), helps release bound mineral forms of soil and fertilizer phosphate, making it more available for the plants.
• Biologicals Bacillus amyloliquefaciens and Trichoderma virens (QuickRoots) help increase availability and uptake of nitrogen, phosphate, and potassium to support root and shoot growth.

QuickRoots agPROVE Trials:
2017: 9 trials - results found an average yield increase.
2018: 14 trials - Overall results found more plants, longer roots in QR strip and average yield increase depending on soil nutrient levels

Soil Health Biologicals:
PhycoTerra - Heliae Agriculture

• Derived from microalgae, PhycoTerra is a soil microbe food that invigorates the growth of beneficial soil microbes required for optimum soil health. As the soil microbes, attracted to the microbiome by PhycoTerra, intake and expel the superfood, plant-available nutrients are added to the microbiome.

2021: 36 trials conducted - contact your local G-Mac’s AgTeam retail for more information. 

Nitrogen Fixing Foliar Biologicals:
Envita - Nexus BioAg

• Naturally ocurring, food grade bacteria (Gluconacetobacter diazotrophicus) that uses atmospheric N, providing the plant with an additional source of nitrogen.

The Envita agPROVE trials in 2021 showed varying results with some positive returns and gains in protein when applied at a later crop stage.

Utrisha N - Corteva

• The natural bacteria, methylobacterium symbioticum, fixes nitrogen from the air and converts it into a usable form for the plant.

There were two Utrisha N trials conducted in 2021, looking at yield and measuring any increases in protein levels in wheat. 

Contact your local G-Mac’s AgTeam retail for more details on the 2021 agPROVE results. Envita and Utrisha N will be in our agPROVE Trial Program again for 2022! We will be measuring nutrient efficiencies with treated checks and reduced fertility rates against grower standard fertility rates.

In Crop:
Crop input costs continue to rise! Contact herbicides like glufosinate (Liberty), fungicides, and desiccants need good coverage to increase control. Using utility modifiers such as a drift and deposition aid will assist in getting the coverage needed.

InterLock - WinField United
3D’s

• Reduces drift up to 70%, with more droplets in the ideal droplet diameter spectrum.
• Improved deposition and coverage. Right sized droplet size for greater leaf coverage.
• Increased canopy depth gets active ingredient deeper into plant canopy for better uptake.

InterLock has shown constant results across the G-Mac’s AgTeam trading area.

InterLock agPROVE Trial Results:
2018-2017 Trials

• Overall, we saw 16% more coverage at the top of plants and 7% more coverage in the bottom of the canopy.

In this article, I have provided a brief summary of ways in which you can add value to your dollars spent this year. If you would like to learn more about how we can help you this season, please contact your local G-Mac’s AgTeam representative and we will be happy to help you.