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The right nutrient source!
It may have been one of the longest planting seasons. We were able to start in early April due to dry soil conditions and warm temperatures. Then, there was rain delay after rain delay, extending the planting season until mid-June. Even though the excess rain has caused challenges, it has also improved our soil moisture conditions over the previous year. Our corn and soybean crop conditions are ranked higher in the good to excellent category compared to last season. I would have to say I'm more optimistic about a great crop this season, knowing that we have subsoil moisture going into the summer.
Fungicide application will be fast approaching, and I wanted to share some tips on how to increase fungicide uptake.
For a crop to absorb a pesticide or nutrients that are foliar applied, two things need to happen. First, the spray droplet needs to be in solution for the crop to absorb. As soon as the droplet dries on the leaf surface, absorption stops until a weather event occurs, such as dew or high humidity, bringing that droplet back into solution. Secondly, the spray droplet must penetrate the leaf surface, known as the epidermis, through the cuticle or stomata.
The best tank mix partner for your fungicide is NACHURS NocKout, a Nitrogen, Potassium, and Boron foliar product with an analysis of 10-0-10-.25B. It is formulated with two key ingredients, Urea-triazone and NACHURS Bio-K which are known for their unique characteristics that increase the plant's ability to absorb solutions through the leaf surface. If you are unfamiliar with urea-triazone it is a slow-release nitrogen (SRN) source that mixes well with other products, is crop-safe, and is known for its humectant characteristic of keeping the spray droplet in solution longer. When NACHURS Bio-K is applied to the leaf surface, it is absorbed faster because it contains a natural plant metabolite, the acetate molecule, and it takes less relative humidity to keep it in solution. Both of these nutrient sources are ways you can improve your fungicide pass by increasing absorption.
Adding the right foliar nutrition product to your fungicide application not only gives your crops the key nutrients they are demanding but also increases the effectiveness of the application by getting every spray droplet absorbed by the plant.
When you get ready to spray fungicide this season make sure to add NACHURS NocKout to the tank mix to get the most out of your fungicide.
Chad Smith, Sales Agronomist US North