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  Biologicals may be the next revolution in farming. Biologicals are natural products, either living or chemical by-products, that benefit crop production. Chemical by-products include minerals, organic materials, and plant extracts. Many snake oil type products exist on the market and it is difficult to separate out good products from bad. Dr. Jane Fife, 3 Bar Biologics outlined the use of biologics at the Conservation Tillage Conference. A number of bio-stimulants and bio-fertilizers decrease many environmental stresses like drought, high or low temperatures, and soils with high salts. Many products also improve the plant’s ability to recycle soil nutrients and speed up biological processes. The problem with many biologicals is that they are not highly regulated yet but bioinsecticides are regulated. A common example is Bt (Bacillus thuringiensis) which is a registered and regulated bioinsecticide. Other substances can be living or nonliving and have been harder to regulate. Most pro

Farmers use corn starter fertilizer to increase corn yields? True but the 25-36% increased growth at V6 (young corn, six true leaves) may only increase corn yield 2-3%. Weather and soil conditions after planting often have a greater influence on crop yield than starter fertilizer. However, farmers want to get their corn crop off to a great start so they have a chance at achieving those higher corn yields. Where do farmers get a big boost from corn starter fertilizer? Generally, soils that are low in nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P), and potassium (K) respond the most to N-P-K starter. Corn after corn responds to added N. No-till fields with cover crops respond to early applied N due to a higher carbon: nitrogen (C:N) ratio in the soil. In no-till fields, 40-60# of N is suggested at planting to overcome the N deficient. Soil microbes need the N to break down cover crop roots and possibly higher crop residue. Poorly drained soils that are cold and wet also respond to starter fertilizer becau

  A new study by Purdue University, Dr. Bill Johnson shows the benefits of cover crops for weed control. Cover crops are known to control grasses and marestail, but Dr. Johnson wanted to document other weed control benefits. For example, can you control weeds with out residual herbicides? What other weeds do cover crops control? Dr. Johnson found residual herbicides may not be needed if crop residue is high enough to suppress marestail and annual grasses weeds. For other broadleaf weeds, the cover crop residue was not enough to suppress broadleaf weeds. The cover crops plus residual herbicides were 100% effective at controlling weeds in his trials. Cocklebur was a problem weed which required the full rate of herbicide plus the cover crop residue to control it. Dr. Johnson discovered several other important weed facts about cover crops. Planting green or planting soybeans into cereal rye later had a much higher success rate than terminating the cover crop early. The Purdue research team

General Observations: *The longer the wait to apply any fungicide after mycorrhizal fungi inoculation, the better for the mycorrhizal fungi development. **Most foliar sprays of any fungicide (except systemics such as Bayleton) have little effect on mycorrhizal fungi. This chart is updated periodically, as new products are added, and results of new trials are published. Please visit  www.mycorrhizae.com or contact your Mycorrhizal Applications Representative for the latest version of this chart.