Save more dollars and grow more bushels. This simple phrase is a common goal across many farms. The idea of reducing costs and maximizing production is often key to greater profitability. In recent years, higher input costs have tightened farm profit margins. Although fertilizer prices have softened some in 2023, nitrogen (N) fertilizer prices increased nearly 150% in 2022 as compared to 2020. These price increases have been a major factor in lower farm profits leading many farms to look for alternative options to supplement nutrient management. One option is biological products that may contain N-fixing bacteria. These products are marketed to reduce supplemental fertilizer N by a certain percentage or quantity depending on the cropping system.
Biological products with asymbiotic N-fixing bacteria claim to fix N in similar fashion as symbiotic Rhizobia in legumes. Products operate by infecting the seed or the soil adjacent to plant roots and fix N from the air. In soil, these bacteria receive energy from root exudates including organic matter or residue decay compounds. In the plant, these organisms receive energy from within the plant in which they reside. Products containing asymbiotic bacteria are one of the latest marketing trends to enhance crop production. Some products claim replacement values of up to 50 pounds of applied N per acre. In 2022 when nitrogen reached prices of $1 per pound, cost savings would have been up to $50 per acre. At current 2023 pricing, $35 per acre would be a potential savings target.
With the potential for cost savings, universities across the North Central Region sought to determine the value these products may bring to growers. Tests focused on a broad array of biological products, with 61 site-years of testing completed in 2022 alone. Application methods included in-furrow, foliar spray, and seed treatments. Michigan State University was one participating university conducting research on corn in 2022.
Source: msu.edu
Photo Credit: GettyImages-fotokostic
Categories: Michigan, Crops, Energy