Soil Additives to Consider

New, successful technologies that are developed for agriculture can produce benefits that include a more favorable environmental footprint, increased yield or quality of marketable product, and greater net returns because of a greater yield and/or reduced costs associated with reduced inputs.

Nitrogen (N) fixation is a natural biological process where atmospheric N is converted into a form of N that can be used by plants. However, this process is generally limited to legume species where N-fixing bacteria convert atmospheric N to a form used by plants. The majority of the world’s crop plants obtain the N needed for growth and development from the soil. However, the soil-N reservoir is not sufficient to supply the amount of N needed to produce an amount of crop that is above a subsistence level. Therefore, the N needed for the vast majority of crops is or should be supplemented with added N fertilizer. The economic and environmental ramifications of N fertilizer production and use are well-documented.

Source from Sound Agriculture is promoted to reactivate nutrient cycling in the soil by mimicking a critical signaling molecule that plants naturally release through their roots. It can be applied as a foliar spray to both corn and soybeans, and will be translocated through the plant to the soil. Source is promoted to make already-present nitrogen-fixing bacteria and phosphate-solubilizing microbes in the soil more active.

Azotic Technologies Ltd. has developed Envita (Click here for label), which is a microbial inoculant that is applied either as an in-furrow or seed treatment. The company states that it quickly establishes itself within the plant and grows with the plant as it grows, starts to fix N very quickly, and lasts all season long. The company is also testing a new nitrogen-fixing technology termed N-Fix® that is based on a food-grade bacteria (Gluconacetobacter diazotrophicus) that is derived from sugar cane. N-Fix can be applied as an inoculant or as a seed coating. Azotic states that N-Fix, which is neither a genetically modified nor a bio-engineered organism, can result in the replacement of up to 50% of a plant’s nitrogen needs. This can result in a significant reduction in the use of synthetic N fertilizers, which in turn will result in a significant cost savings to growers and improved nitrogen use efficiency. N-Fix has been tested on myriad crops, including corn, wheat, and rice that are often grown in rotation with soybean in Midsouth cropping systems.

Pivot Bio produces PROVEN® 40, a product that contains naturally occurring soil bacteria that form a symbiotic relationship with the corn plant and take N from the air to create the N form that the plant can use. It must be applied as a liquid in-furrow treatment as the corn crop is planted. Its life cycle mirrors that of corn, and it is promoted to replace up to 40 lb. of synthetic N fertilizer per acre.

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The benefits of returning crop residue to the soil have been detailed in a White Paper on this website. The following products are touted to aid in the management of that residue, especially in situations where its excess or non-degraded form may pose a problem for the establishment of a following crop.

MicroChop from SPNC is a live biostimulant/microbial product that is applied to crop residues to enhance their degradation and release of entrapped nutrients.

MeltDown by Biodyne is a product that contains natural residue-digesting microbes that will enhance degradation of complex polymers such as cellulose and lignin that are contained in myriad crop residues. It is promoted for use to optimize the return of micro- and macro-nutrients contained in crop residue back to the soil. Click here for label.

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The above narrative in no way intends to endorse any of the mentioned technologies. Rather, it is an attempt to provide producers with insight into how these new developments might be used to improve production agriculture and/or production efficiency. Progress with the above and other forthcoming developments should be followed by producers so that those that are truly worthwhile can be adopted in Midsouth crop production systems. Their successful application in today’s production environment is especially pertinent given the current supply, cost, and environmental issues associated with use of synthetic fertilizers.

Composed by Larry G. Heatherly, July 2022, larryh91745@gmail.com