AS THE USE AND PROMOTION OF BIOLOGICALS – OR NATURALS, AS WE CALL THEM – CONTINUES TO GROW, SO DOES THE CONFUSION AROUND WHAT THEY ARE AND WHAT THEY DO…
Some biologicals have been registered through the EPA for control of diseases or insects, while others are bio-stimulants that help a plant through abiotic stress events. Biologicals can be living or non-living. They can help a plant with nutrient availability or with nutrient movement throughout the plant. Some bio-stimulants can even help the plant with heat or cold stresses.
The biggest issue many growers have with the biological market is it’s not always clear how to use these products to maximize production.
That’s why Hefty Seed Company created its Hefty Naturals line – to simply give you the best options available.
Many of these biological products are not crop specific, and they have many potential uses. Generally, Naturals products fall within one or more of these five categories: living microorganisms, amino acids, organic acids and polymers, plant growth hormones, and water treatments. I will detail these categories further in this article.
LIVING MICROBES
Living microbes are the most commonly available category of Naturals. They are naturally derived, living organisms and are either bacterial or fungal in nature. These species are likely already found in your environment, but products in this category allow you to use them in a higher concentration.
For the most part, living microbial products help with nutrient use efficiency. Normally, when you apply a fertilizer product, that product is in an unusable form for the plant to bring in. If you incorporate living biology into the soil around the seed, the living strains of bacteria will colonize along the root system and create a symbiotic relationship with the plant. The plant will exchange sugars through the root exudates to keep the bacteria alive, and the bacteria will help break down the mineral fertilizer into a plant-available nutrient form and return that fertility back to the root system. In the Hefty Naturals portfolio, NUTRI-CYCLE is a product that does exactly that. NUTRI-CYCLE helps with nutrient availability as a seed treatment, planter box product, or as an in-furrow product.
Other strains of bacteria can create a living protection zone around the root system to fend off diseases like pythium and rhizoctonia. Ethos XB from FMC is an EPA-registered bio-fungicide that aids in protection of the root system against soil borne diseases. On the other hand, Bio-Wake Prime is an EPA-registered bio-insecticide that helps protect against rootworm feeding by repelling rootworm larvae.
AMINO ACIDS
In order for plants to grow and reproduce, protein synthesis must occur. That process starts with amino acid production, which happens with photosynthesis. Amino acids are critical to how plants survive abiotic stresses throughout the season, and they help the plant with nitrogen efficiency, as well as storage of sugar and carbohydrates. Products in the Naturals portfolio like BOOST 10 are great tools to use in-season to help plants become more efficient with photosynthesis. With more potential for sugar and carbohydrate availability, plants can use more of their energy consumption later in the season for reproduction.
ORGANIC ACIDS AND POLYMERS
What’s interesting about this category is nearly all of these products are non-living and aid with nutrients in the soil or within the plant. As your soil organic matter breaks down and cycles nutrients, it creates organic acids. These acids can aid in nutrient retention, as well as nutrient mobility within plants. Humic and fulvic acids are naturally produced by your soil and used throughout the season. Humic acid products can be applied to low CEC soils to help increase soil nutrient storage capabilities. Polymer products like NUTRICHARGE can help break phosphorus away from the calcium in your soil so plants can more easily access that nutrient. NUTRICHARGE is especially helpful for growers in the northern plains, where high calcium soils often tie up phosphorus.
PLANT GROWTH HORMONES
Often referred to as PGRs, plant growth hormones might be the category in the Naturals portfolio covering the most acres. As plants grow from germination all the way through reproduction, hormones and their balance within the plant dictate how the plant consumes its energy. When herbicides are sprayed in-season, the plant has to spend energy deciding if the herbicide is a toxin that will kill it or not. By adding a plant growth hormone to the tank, you can speed up this process for plants to more quickly metabolize the herbicide, meaning significant ROI for you. For example, MEGAGRO is a glyphosate safener and is one of the most important products in our portfolio.
Other areas where we can influence plant hormone levels is during reproduction. Kinetin is made in the plant and is a key driver for how a plant goes through reproduction. AMASS is a kinetin hormone product that helps keep the plant focused on using its energy for making a harvestable crop.
WATER TREATMENT
This may be the most important category within the Naturals portfolio, as products in this area ensure the water is correct and will carry the biological products to the plant in an available form. If you have a living organism and you mix that product into a chlorinated water source, your product is likely dead within an hour after entering the water. Products like BIO-PREP convert chlorine to chloride, making the water safe for your biology. Water as a carrier for these applications is a critical step in the process.
By no means is this a complete list of everything in the biological space. This market is extensive, with a wide array of options.
If you raise crops, there are almost certainly a handful of Hefty Naturals products that will work well on your farm. Our job is to help you identify which ones provide a great return on investment in various field situations in your operation. Then, it comes down to spray timing, beneficial tankmix partners, and ensuring living products stay alive as keys for success when using biologicals.
Reach out to us, and we’ll help you find the placement for greatest success when bringing Naturals to your farm.