Biological companies and products are racing into the row crop marketplace at a break-neck pace. Experts agree there’s potential in the jug if used correctly and under the right expectations. Here are eight tips experts say can maximize your ROI of biologicals this growing season.
1. Have a plan. “Don’t just put something in the next pass as a trial,” says Connor Sible, postdoctoral researcher at the University of Illinois. “Ask yourself why you want to use a biological, and then go find the right tool for the job.”
2. Babysit the bacteria. “If you have kids or pets, you’re responsible to feed them, to give them shelter, right?” Sible asks. “You may be getting a microbe in a jug delivered to the farm you now have to keep alive.”
3. Focus on specific solutions. “Look at your system and define the problem you need solved,” says Patrick Brown, professor of plant sciences at University of California, Davis. “Is it cold in the spring? Am I worried about emergence? Do you often see a lack of rain in July?”
4. Mind your water. “Some biologicals are sensitive to the other components in a liquid tank, and that includes water,” Sible says. “Consider pH and even whether the source is a well or it’s city water.”
5. Time your N. “You wouldn’t fill up the pig trough in January and hope it has feed in December,” Brown explains. “Nitrogen (N) replacers can be effective at filling the N gap at flowering and seed development toward the end of the season, which may mean you can use less at the beginning.”
6. Don’t forget about lost N. “Nitrogen can leach, or it can volatilize,” Sible says. “Keep that in mind as you consider something like a biological N replacer, as these microbes stay put in the root zone fixing nitrogen throughout the season.”
7. Take a futuristic approach. “Many of these products are a prophylactic in that they’re protecting against a future event,” Brown says. “The hard part is often knowing whether an event is going to occur and for how long.”
8. Develop a system. “How many growers put in cover crops and had perfect success the first year? This is a living system being introduced into another living system and it takes time to adjust,” Sible says.
