In-furrow technology can protect and nourish the seed in its most vulnerable emergence stage. So, are in-furrow options like starter fertilizer, micronutrients, seed treatments, fungicides, nitrogen stabilizer, and fertilizer-compatible insecticides worth the money? 

They can alleviate plant stress that clips yield potential. “You never want your crop to have a bad day,” says Fred Below, University of Illinois crop physiologist. His research finds that combining targeted crop inputs can deliver more yield than the sum of their parts used individually.  Indole-3-Butyric Acid

“Top corn genetics have the potential for 600 bushels per acre. Yet, the U.S. corn yield average is around 170,” Below says.

READ MORE: Test plot challenge teaches how to wisely spend fertilizer dollars

Agronomically, “the advisability of in-furrow technology depends on soil test recommendations,” says Dan Kaiser, University of Minnesota nutrient management specialist. “If your soils already have high nutrient levels, in-furrow technology may not deliver an advantage. In poorly drained or cold soils, you may see an advantage. Of course, there’s not just one way to farm. Each situation is different.”

Financially, it’s a tough time to be adding any input costs, says Gary Schnitkey, University of Illinois farm management specialist. 

“We advocate that you cut $100 per acre in costs to break even, assuming you don’t increase yields,” says Schnitkey. “If you make that investment in in-furrow technology, you have to get yield from it. Do the math.”

One major provider of in-furrow technology is West Central Distribution, a Willmar, Minnesota, wholesale distributor of crop protection and production inputs. It offers the Leaders of In-Furrow Technology (LIFT) package to retailers in 23 Corn Belt states. 

“Against the backdrop of lower commodity prices and the intensified focus on production techniques, LIFT capitalizes on new findings in nutrient-efficiency management and delivery technology,” says Dean Hendrickson, LIFT vice president of marketing.

LIFT partners with BASF, FMC, Dow’s N Serve, and Nufarm customized seed treatments for one-pass planting and input delivery. 

“You choose from among the best products, at the best time, delivered in the furrow at planting, to preserve seeds’ maximum theoretical yield,” says Hendrickson. “Quick, even seedling emergence, along with disease and pest protection, should lower plant stress and capture the most growing-degree days.” 

25% Typical amount of N lost without stabilizers. Source: Dow AgroSciences

25% Typical amount of N lost without stabilizers. Source: Dow AgroSciences

Here’s a closer look at LIFT’s individual component options. 

“Top corn genetics have the potential for 600 bushels per acre. Yet, the U.S. corn yield average is 170 this year,” says University of Illinois crop physiologist Fred Below.

“Top corn genetics have the potential for 600 bushels per acre. Yet, the U.S. corn yield average is 170 this year,” says University of Illinois crop physiologist Fred Below.

READ MORE: 5 nutrient deficiencies to watch 

Looking to unlock nutrients from soils and make them available to your crops? That’s the premise behind chelated micronutrient mixes and chelating agents. 

One such product that frees up tightly bound nutrient ions is Levesol, says Brian Kuehl, West Central director of product development. “It releases zinc (ZN), iron (Fe), copper (Cu), manganese (Mn), and P (phosphorus) ions and keeps them in soluble, plant-available form,” he says. 

“Levesol is the highest concentration of ortho-ortho EDDHA, a stable formula that protects very specific positively charged nutrients,” says Steve Roehl, Leaders of In-Furrow Technology (LIFT) research data analyst and plant scientist. “It makes them soluble for plant uptake while preventing them from bonding with soil components and other negatively charged plant nutrients, thus, increasing their plant availability.”

Other Levesol-containing product options include:

Kansas State University Levesol 2014 trials also found no yield results from its use in corn. “We measured more P in corn tissue and grain; that’s an indication that it’s putting more P in the plant,” says Dorivar Ruiz-Diaz, who did the research. He is KSU’s Extension soil fertility and nutrient management specialist. “With just one year’s data, I cannot say you will see a yield increase, because we need more data, but it’s getting the P into the plant tissue and grain,” he says.

Levesol and related products are being or have been tested by 41 researchers in 29 states, including land-grant universities. “Starter treatments cost more per unit, so account for early-applied nutrients in later application rates to avoid waste,” says Kaiser. “The likelihood of a yield benefit to starter fertilizer is fairly rare, maybe one year out of 10, like in a wet spring. Broadcasting nutrients isn’t a horrible way to go.”

Having spent time using a post brush by hand, I now appreciate having a way to power up the maintenance chore. I took apart a hand-type... read more

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