Cold, wet and compacted spring soils can potentially restrict access to critical nutrients necessary for successful emergence. These factors can impact healthy root and crop growth, limiting yield potential.
Give crops the boost they need with PROTIVATE™️ nutritional seed treatment from Koch Agronomic Services (KAS). PROTIVATE is a line of concentrated nutritional seed treatments for young crops — meaning your crop or plant receives essential early-season nutrition during a difficult, yet critical, time of year.
By providing the right nutrients earlier on, plants can better withstand early-season cold and water stress. A recent study across four locations shows the full nutritional package offered in PROTIVATE NU4-DRI gives growers a 4 bu/acre yield advantage over talc and graphite (fig. 1)1.
Develop a Deeper Root System
While also mitigating early-season stressors, PROTIVATE allows you to apply nutrition at the right time in the right place. A closer root zone application can create a deeper, more developed root system. In a root growth mass study, this nutritional seed treatment resulted in root growth two times larger than the untreated control (fig. 2)2. With a more developed root system, crops are better set to withstand yield-limiting weather conditions.
A Talc Alternative
PROTIVATE is designed to offer operational benefits that lend itself as a flow and drying agent. By applying PROTIVATE at the end of the seed treatment process, your seeds get the necessary flowability needed to help avoid clumping and bridging.
Serving as a dual purpose solution — both as a nutritional seed treatment and talc alternative — PROTIVATE encourages better singulation so only individual seeds get picked up and fed to the planter. This helps reduce the number of skips and can improve seed flow without any additional required steps or handling practices. When looking at singulation, a recent study revealed that PROTIVATE performed on par with solutions such as talc and graphite. But unlike talc and graphite, PROTIVATE offers the added benefit of seed nutrition.
Fits Within the 4R Nutrient Stewardship Framework
Seed is one of your most valuable inputs, and is often the largest investment in your operation. Because of this investment, it's critical to consider the 4R Nutrient Stewardship Framework when evaluating your seed treatment plan. With the 4Rs, you can ensure you’re getting the most efficient nutrient uptake and the best chance at reaching optimal yields.
- Delivering essential nutrients during early-season growth, PROTIVATE allows you to apply nutrition at the Right Time.
- Application directly on the seed and near the root zone ensures crop nutrition is in the Right Place.
- It provides an available balanced nutritional package to deliver the Right Source of nutrition to young crops.
- To effectively combat early-season stressors, it’s important to remember that the Right Rate of the nutritional seed treatment must be added.
You’ve perfected your macronutrients — now it’s time to take your yield to the next level. No matter your nutrient management plan, it’s critical to first ensure your seed is set for success from the moment it’s planted. Contact a KAS representative today to learn more about this nutritional seed treatment and to start boosting your bottom line.
1 The underlying data was provided by AgRevival. Agrithority and Michigan Ag Commodities. Neither the organization nor the individual researchers referenced, endorse or recommend any product or service.
2 Based on internal data generated by Compass Minerals R&D, Stillwell KS, 2019.