When I used to talk to my dad about biological products years ago, he would often use phrases like “foo-foo dust” and “snake oil”. Maybe that’s your perception of biologicals, as well, but here are some things I want you to consider.
Since many synthetic chemistries are getting banned throughout the world, including Lorsban/chlorpyrifos here in the U.S. just in the last couple of months, the world’s major research companies and the traditional ag chemical manufacturers are now pouring billions of dollars into finding “natural” alternatives to increasing crop yields. Here at Hefty’s, we’ve been working on this, as well, in conjunction with a number of different scientists and research organizations and companies.
The results are encouraging…
If you believe that biologicals – or Naturals, as we call them – never pan out, consider these examples.
- In 1977, a Syngenta scientist noticed there were weeds in his yard everywhere but around his Callistemon tree. The tree was then analyzed for weed-killing properties, and sure enough, a natural pesticide was found. That became the basis for Callisto (mesotrione) herbicide, which is now one of the most popular weed-killers in the world.
- Since the 1950s, pyrethrins have been registered as insecticides in the U.S. after they were discovered in chrysanthemum flowers. You have undoubtedly used Silencer, Capture, Serpent, Asana, Warrior, or a similar pyrethroid on your farm. These products are inexpensive, effective, and have a low toxicity rating toward mammals.
- Soybean inoculation is the process of adding natural rhizobia bacteria to seed. The bacteria feed on plant sugars and, in exchange, pull nitrogen from the air and turn it into a form the plant can use.
- A few years ago, corn plants that could produce some of their own nitrogen were discovered in South America. This type of nitrogen-fixing microbe is the basis for the Hefty Naturals product, N-Hydro, which we are now using with great success in corn and soybeans.
- Many years ago, researchers found plants able to survive the intense heat of the soils around the geysers in Yellowstone National Park. What they discovered were fungal endophytes keeping the plants alive. It seems crazy, but a fungus lives inside the plant, feeding off the plant yet helping it thrive. Heat Shield is a Hefty Naturals product containing fungal endophytes. We have seen Heat Shield help plants produce higher yields despite extremes including drought, high salt levels, excess rainfall, or blistering heat.
- D-Comp is a blend of 70 different microbes that can dramatically speed the process of residue breakdown for very little money. With faster decomposition, planting in the spring is easier, seed-to-soil contact is better, emergence is faster, and nutrients held within that residue are released for plant uptake sooner.
- Hefty Complete Soybean Seed Treatment now contains 70 components! Between amino acids, nutrient solubilizers, and the microbes from Heat Shield, we are typically seeing 10% to 20% faster emergence, as well as better stands and healthier plants early in the season. We can’t promise this will always translate to more yield, but when you have 70 chances to win (thanks to 70 components), your odds are pretty good. Hefty Complete Corn Seed Treatment has also been delivering much faster emergence in everything we’ve seen, which helps explain why our corn has been winning so many yield trials.
As time goes on, you will see more Natural products and fewer synthetic chemistries. Our advice is to start experimenting now to see which products are “foo-foo dust”/“snake oil” and which ones will give you a great return on investment. In our Hefty Naturals lineup, we now have dozens of products to fit a wide variety of needs. Every Hefty Naturals product has been thoroughly tested and will on average provide a great ROI when you put it in the right situation.