SO FAR THIS SEASON,

we’ve seen farms everywhere making adjustments from their ‘NORMAL’ plan to the point where I have to wonder what even counts as ‘NORMAL’ anymore…

Some were able to plant in early April, while most are just finishing up now. Crops that have been in the ground for more than 30 days are just emerging, while others have come up at a near-record pace.

How do we compensate for all these new challenges?

The question I’ve heard most this season is,

Opinions vary widely on this topic. My belief is that the seed contains enough energy to keep critical plant functions going until you accumulate enough Growing Degree Days for emergence. In corn, plants rely on seed energy until around V3 when nodal roots begin to take over the rooting system’s responsibility of providing water and nutrients to the plant. In soybeans, once the hypocotyl arch launches the dicot above the ground, the seed has done its job. From there, the rooting system will provide enough water and nutrients to progress the soybean plant through the season.

In either case, since our goal is to maximize yield, plants shouldn’t be put under stress for an extended amount of time.

If variable conditions have caused your crops to struggle, you have a few early-season foliar options that can reinvigorate them and help them shake off early season stresses:

These products help to kick off photosynthesis and plant growth hormone production in the early season when temperatures are regularly below daytime highs of 70 degrees.

LET’S BREAK DOWN HOW EACH OF THESE PRODUCTS WORKS.

MEGAGRO

MegaGro is a powerful plant growth hormone product. It can be mixed with the foliar herbicide pass and can be run on any crop. Although patented as a glyphosate safener, MegaGro excels as an additive to early season applications. To achieve the safening effect, MegaGro shifts auxin production within the plant into overdrive, which stimulates root growth and brings in additional water and nutrients. This helps the plant grow through herbicide applications while minimizing stresses, generating a positive yield response. Data from fields and trials throughout the past 10 years show that adding MegaGro to the foliar herbicide pass leads to an average yield increase in corn and soybeans representing a return on investment of greater than 5:1.

AC-97

AC-97 is a key micronutrient product 3-0-4 combined with sulfur, boron, manganese, molybdenum, and zinc. If you have had a crop in the ground for an extended amount of time and it’s just beginning to emerge, AC-97 has been highly successful in minimizing early season stresses when applied early in the season on young crops. By providing key micronutrients plants need, AC-97 allows treated plants to exhibit fewer signs of stress in tough, early-season conditions.

BOOST 10

Finally, Boost 10 is a product loaded with the essential amino acids a plant needs throughout the season. These amino acids are especially important early in the season when plants transition from relying on seed energy to creating their own energy from photosynthesis – this is the timing in which plants most struggle to make enough amino acids for themselves. Remember, amino acids are needed for protein synthesis. Without amino acids, plants don’t survive. Getting a jumpstart on photosynthesis early is extremely important, and that’s why an application of a product like Boost 10 can make a huge difference. Sun and heat are important for a growing crop, and when one is minimized, plants are directly affected. The more proper amino acids we can feed to plants early in the season, the less the plants need to spend energy to produce their own during minimal sunny days, which occur more commonly in that critical timing early in the season.

As challenges present themselves each cropping season, we must be vigilant and prepared to adapt.

Fortunately, we can reach for quite a few tools in our toolbox that can make a difference when Mother Nature throws us a curveball. These products and more in the Hefty Naturals portfolio can help jumpstart your crops when stresses threaten to overwhelm small plants early in the season. Continue to stay agile in your decision-making throughout the season, as the year is just beginning, and there will be more opportunities to minimize stresses and maximize your potential bushels come harvest.

Talk with your local Hefty Agronomist to learn more about how Naturals can help reduce early-season foliar stresses and improve yield results on your farm.