Maximizing Your Crop Vitality With a Biological Solution In-Season
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Getting your crops the right amount of nitrogen when they need it is crucial for growing a good yield. And, while you may have already made your primary fertilizer application for the year, you might decide more nitrogen is needed later in the season.
If you’re thinking about options for nitrogen management during the growing season, you may want to consider adding a biological solution to your sidedress strategy. Utrisha™ N nutrient efficiency optimizer is a biostimulant that sustainably captures nitrogen from the atmosphere for crops to use to enhance plant vitality and optimize yield potential.
A Biological for Nitrogen Management
Utrisha N is part of the Nutrient Maximizers portfolio from Corteva Agriscience. It can be used with a variety of crops, but let’s look at how it works on a corn farming operation
“We see Utrisha N as an additional product today on top of current nitrogen programs. This helps ensure the plant has nitrogen accessible during critical periods of crop development,” says William Wynn, U.S. product manager, Nutrient Maximizers, Corteva Agriscience.
Wynn says Utrisha N is not meant to replace a traditional nitrogen fertilizer application or traditional nitrogen stabilizers. It’s meant as a complement to your overall nutrient management strategy.
“As a microbial nitrogen fixation solution, Utrisha N brings versatility to nutrient management. The live bacteria in Utrisha N will colonize the corn plant, pulling nitrogen from the air for the plant to use,” Wynn says. “Once colonized, the bacteria stay in the plant for the season, serving as a backup generator, if you will, for the plant from a nitrogen perspective.”
“Once colonized, the bacteria stay in the plant for the season, serving as a backup generator, if you will, for the plant from a nitrogen perspective.”
Maximizing Your Biological Use
In order to get the best results from Utrisha N, Wynn says there are a few steps to take when applying the product.
“Utrisha N should be foliar-applied on corn during the V4-V8 stage. We prefer the V4-V8 timeframe as rapid nitrogen uptake and crop demand starts toward the later end of this window,” Wynn says. “The bacteria in the solution enter the plant through the stomata, so the ideal timing of application is early in the morning when a greater number of the plant stomata are open. Utrisha N is also rain-fast in about one hour, so I do not recommend applying during a rain event.”
Wynn says it also is necessary to apply Utrisha N to an actively growing crop for two reasons: “No. 1 is to ensure the stomata will open to allow the bacteria into the plant. No. 2 is due to the fact the bacteria live on methanol and other compounds, which are biproducts of cell division and expansion in actively growing plants.
And while the preferred application timing is that V4-V8 window, Wynn says Utrisha N can still be useful up to the corn tasseling phase: “tassel time frame — we are seeing some positive results. With a corn plant needing a third of its nitrogen post-tassel, there is still a great need for nitrogen to finish the crop. This also results in better standability and sometimes stay-green benefits, depending on the environment.”
“At tassel time frame — we are seeing some positive results. With a corn plant needing a third of its nitrogen post-tassel, there is still a great need for nitrogen to finish the crop.”
Once applied, it takes about a week for the bacteria in Utrisha N to colonize in the corn plant and begin supplying nitrogen. And once colonization takes place, the bacteria cannot be removed or washed away. So they will continuously provide a steady stream of nitrogen to the corn.
“It’s especially useful to have this reliable nitrogen source at a time when fertilizer prices remain incredibly high. Utrisha N is another tool to ensure your corn crop gets the proper nutrition,” Wynn says. “Even if you typically struggle with nitrogen loss due to heavy rains or light sandy soils, this tool can help make up for some of those losses.”
Utrisha N can be used on other crops in addition to corn, such as soybeans, wheat and rice, for example. To find the full list, visit the product website for Utrisha N on Corteva.us.
Utrisha™ N nutrient efficiency optimizer is not registered for sale or use in all states. Contact your state pesticide regulatory agency to determine if a product is registered for sale or use in your state. Always read and follow label directions.
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