Pivot Bio

More Proof. More Confidence. Pivot Bio PROVEN® 40 Does It Again.

Thu, 10 Feb 2022 13:57:09 GMT

For further evidence Pivot Bio PROVEN^® 40 offers growers a truly predictable performance—an additional study covering the 2021 growing season looked at 344 farmer demonstration locations across 24 states. It found, with a 35-pound reduction of synthetic nitrogen vs. an untreated check, plants treated with Pivot Bio PROVEN^®40 had a 5.5% greater nitrogen uptake, resulting in a 7% plant material increase.

Pound-for-pound, growers found they got more from Pivot Bio PROVEN^® 40 than from any synthetic source.

How is Pivot Bio PROVEN^® 40 predictable?

Doesn’t leach or denitrify
Offers a locked-in price
Proven performance in multiple studies

Nebraska silage grower Jaycob O’Hanlon had this to say, “I’m using Pivot Bio PROVEN^® 40 to create a better way to use nitrogen and produce a more profitable crop.”

Bottom Line: Pivot Bio PROVEN^®40 is a more profitable and predictable nitrogen source.

For more information about “the better nitrogen,” call your local representative or visit https://www.pivotbio.com/product-proven.

Sponsored by Pivot Bio

A Better Nitrogen is PROVEN

Fri, 21 Jan 2022 14:26:56 GMT

Form a symbiotic relationship with the corn plant by adhering directly to the root
Take nitrogen from the air to create the ammonia plants need to grow and thrive
Supply nitrogen to the corn plants throughout the most critical growth stages
Will not run off during weather events
A more reliable and consistent method for delivering nitrogen

What silage growers are saying

“I’m getting a better ROI because pound-for-pound, there is more nitrogen available to my crop.” — Silage Grower Brian Renelt, South Dakota “Pivot Bio PROVEN® 40 has been working excellent for us. We’ve been seeing more biomass. When we can get more tonnage over less acres, that’s a win for us.” — Silage Grower Tony Domnick, Minnesota

For more information about Pivot Bio PROVEN^® 40, call your local representative or visit https://www.pivotbio.com/product-proven.

Sponsored by Pivot Bio

Get PROVEN Results Per Acre

Tue, 18 Jan 2022 17:00:00 GMT

“I’ve seen positive results every year I’ve used Pivot Bio; that’s why we’re now using it on all our acres.” — Grower Jeff Stensland, Iowa

With the help of Dairyland Labs, Pivot Bio conducted a silage study in a dozen demonstration plots across six silage-producing states. The study revealed corn silage treated with Pivot Bio PROVEN^® 40 provides farmers with exactly the protein levels they would expect: an average crude protein level of 7.69%. There was no statistical difference between the Pivot Bio PROVEN^® 40 protein levels and the untreated check (7.76%), meaning growers can get more tonnage per acre with Pivot Bio PROVEN^®40 without sacrificing quality. The increase in silage means roughly a 2.6 to 1 return on investment on the product. The only question remaining is: Does that biomass have the same quality? The feed quality studies show it absolutely does.

While there is no statistical difference between the amount of milk and the amount of beef produced per ton of dry matter when comparing Pivot Bio PROVEN^®40 to the untreated check, on a per-acre basis, Pivot Bio PROVEN^® 40 is giving silage growers more dry matter. This equates to more beef and more milk per acre when applying Pivot Bio PROVEN^® 40 on silage at planting.

Further proof of a more profitable and predictable nitrogen source

An additional study covering the 2021 growing season looked at 344 farmer demonstration locations across 24 states. It found, with a 35-pound reduction of synthetic nitrogen vs. an untreated check, plants treated with Pivot Bio PROVEN^® 40had a 5.5% greater nitrogen uptake, resulting in a 7% plant material increase.

Pound-for-pound, growers found they got more from Pivot Bio PROVEN^®40 than from any synthetic source. With synthetic nitrogen, a high percentage is lost through leaching or to the atmosphere. Pivot Bio PROVEN^® 40 doesn’t leach or denitrify. It offers growers truly predictable performance.

Another important aspect of predictability that growers appreciate is Pivot Bio PROVEN^® 40’s locked-in price. Growers know costs for other nitrogen sources have recently soared because they’re linked to petroleum prices. With Pivot Bio PROVEN^® 40, the price is predictable, just like the performance.

The forecast calls for confidence

Pivot Bio PROVEN^® 40 microbes form a symbiotic relationship with a corn plant, using nitrogen from the air to create the ammonia plants need to thrive. Because the microbes adhere directly to the plant’s roots, they don’t run off during stormy weather — meaning farmers have a more reliable method for delivering nutrition to their crops.

“Pivot Bio solved one of the toughest challenges facing modern agriculture — how to replace synthetic nitrogen with something better,” says Karsten Temme, Pivot Bio CEO and co-founder. “Our microbes empower the world’s farmers to be more productive, pro table and sustainable.”

Simply put, Pivot Bio PROVEN^®40 has made agriculture a little less unpredictable, no matter what Mother Nature has in store.

For more information about Pivot Bio PROVEN^® 40, call your local representative or visit https://www.pivotbio.com/product-proven.

Sponsored by Pivot Bio

Increasing Yields and Decreasing Input Costs

Tue, 04 Jan 2022 22:14:08 GMT

by Andrew McCrea - Farmer/rancher and Farm Journal TV and radio personality and a master storyteller

Editor’s note: This article is the third in a series by Andrew McCrea chronicling the corn demonstration plots he planted on his Missouri farm in May 2021.

Rising input prices, especially nitrogen, have been on the minds of many corn producers as they look ahead to the 2022 growing season. We have weighed several options for products and timing on our farm to see what our best answer will be for the upcoming year.

I’ve been looking at a promising opportunity to increase yields and decrease input costs simultaneously for the past two years. Higher nitrogen prices, combined with the desire to produce more bushels with more sustainable farming methods, led me to conduct field trials for the past two years using Pivot Bio PROVEN^® 40.

Pivot Bio PROVEN^® 40 adheres to the root of the corn plant, turning atmospheric nitrogen into a usable form for the corn plant.

Last year, our corn with Pivot Bio PROVEN^® showed a yield increase of about five bushels per acre. This year, I conducted a more extensive field trial and found a seven-bushel increase over the control plot.

The yield boost was certainly welcome; however, Pivot Bio’s work is about a much bigger picture than corn yields. Because Pivot Bio PROVEN^® 40’s microbes produce up to the equivalent of 40 pounds of synthetic nitrogen, this provides an excellent opportunity to reduce the amount we are spending on top-dress nitrogen that we would typically apply in the spring.

Ernie Sanders is the vice president of Product Development at Pivot Bio, and I always enjoy the chance to visit with him about what he sees in his on-farm visits across the nation. He says many farmers are also looking at the possibilities Pivot Bio PROVEN^® 40 provides for their corn acres.

“A lot of growers have used our product for two or three years now, and they’ve even modified over the years how they use it,” says Sanders. “Some are replacing 30 or 40 pounds of nitrogen at side-dress. Some are not going over the field and making a Y-drop application later.”

There are many options Sanders has found that corn growers use to best fit their fields.

Another important factor for us using Pivot Bio PROVEN^® 40 is that it is a “proven” source of nitrogen because the microbes attach to the root of the corn plant and cannot be washed away in heavy rain events.

Sanders says, “We firmly believe it’s our company’s mission to reduce applied nitrogen and to replace it with biological nitrogen. It’s good for a farmer. It has a good ROI, and it’s good for the planet.”

Our field trials show an opportunity for a better ROI, the reduction of synthetic nitrogen and nitrogen loss. These are key factors for us to consider, especially when farmers are looking to implement more sustainable farming practices.

Many companies are offering programs that incentivize more sustainable farming practices. Sanders says it’s a perfect time to look at how Pivot Bio PROVEN^®40 can be a part of that process.

“It’s important to review your system on your farm and determine what’s the best way you can use this Pivot Bio PROVEN^®40 to farm more sustainably or regeneratively.”

Sponsored by Pivot Bio

Reevaluating Nitrogen as Input Prices Rise

Wed, 06 Oct 2021 15:39:35 GMT

Andrew McCrea - Farmer/rancher and Farm Journal TV and radio personality and a master storyteller

(Editor’s note: This article is the second in a series by Andrew McCrea chronicling the corn demonstration plots he planted on his Missouri farm in May 2021.)

The 2021 and 2022 growing seasons have provided marketing opportunities for corn growers with prices in the mid-$5 range and upward. While margins on the 2021 corn crop have been good for most, higher crop input prices will begin to shrink that margin moving forward. Some of the largest percentage gains in input prices have been for fertilizer, nitrogen specifically.

In the area of our farm, anhydrous ammonia prices are currently about 50% higher than the previous season. These higher prices, combined with the desire to produce more bushels with more sustainable farming methods, led me to conduct field trials for the past two years using Pivot Bio PROVEN^®.

Pivot Bio PROVEN^® 40 microbes adhere to the root of the corn, turning atmospheric nitrogen into the nutrients the plant needs. Last year, our corn with Pivot Bio PROVEN^® showed a yield increase of about five bushels per acre. However, Pivot Bio’s work is really about a much bigger picture than corn yields.

Ernie Sanders is the vice president of Product Development at Pivot Bio. I’ve visited with Ernie several times, both on our farm and at field days throughout the nation. Sanders says, “We firmly believe it’s a mission from our company to reduce applied nitrogen and to replace it with biological nitrogen.

It’s good for a farmer. It returns good ROI, and it’s good for the planet.”

These field trials are causing us to reevaluate the way we use nitrogen.

With this in mind, we reduced the amount of synthetic nitrogen on our corn with Pivot Bio PROVEN^®. We believe that Pivot Bio PROVEN^® can “replace” some of the synthetic nitrogen we currently apply, giving us the same or better. We will soon have that harvest data.

“A lot of times you apply a lot of nitrogen at one time, and it either washes away or degrades, and you hope you have enough there when you need it. Ours is there every day,” says Sanders.

When Sanders says Pivot Bio PROVEN^® is “there every day,” he’s referring to the fact that the biological adheres to the roots of the corn plant. That means it can’t be washed away, and it provides a constant supply of nitrogen throughout the season. Pivot Bio PROVEN^® replaces about 25 pounds of applied nitrogen per acre, but Pivot Bio PROVEN^® 40, the company’s new offering, can replace about 40 pounds of nitrogen.

Our field trials show an opportunity for a better ROI, a reduced need for synthetic nitrogen and the mitigation of nitrogen loss. These are key factors for us to consider, especially in a time when farmers are looking to implement more sustainable farming practices.

“Sustainable farming is going to be more than a buzzword,” says Sanders. “It’s going to be something where people think about what’s the most efficient use of all of my resources.”

For more information on Pivot Bio PROVEN^®, go to https://www.agweb.com/topics/pivot-bio.

Sponsored by Pivot Bio

Finding a Sure Source of Nitrogen

Mon, 02 Aug 2021 17:58:50 GMT

Andrew McCrea Farmer/rancher and Farm Journal TV and radio personality and a master storyteller

Editor’s note: This article is the first in a series by Andrew McCrea chronicling the corn demonstration plots he planted on his Missouri farm in May 2021.

In 2020, I planted a small demonstration plot on my farm to look at the opportunities presented by Pivot Bio PROVEN^®. After a successful evaluation last year, I expanded our trial this year and have added some new variables to test the impact Pivot Bio PROVEN^® can have on our farm.

If you are not familiar with Pivot Bio PROVEN^®, it is a microbial that can supply corn with nitrogen throughout the growing season. Pivot Bio PROVEN^® is often applied with starter fertilizer at the time of planting. The microbes attach to the roots of the corn plant and turn atmospheric nitrogen into ammonia that the crop can use throughout the season. Because the microbes are attached to the corn’s roots, it cannot be lost due to weather conditions. This means that Pivot Bio PROVEN^® becomes a proven source of nitrogen.

One of the key factors that corn producers use to evaluate products is the impact on yield. In many farm and university trials, Pivot Bio PROVEN^® provided a yield bump of about five bushels per acre. I saw a similar yield bump last year.

However, I believe the real game-changer is Pivot Bio PROVEN^®’s ability to reduce nitrogen applications and provide season-long nutrition to the plant. On our farm, we use anhydrous ammonia in the fall and then apply about 40 pounds of top dress nitrogen early in the growing season. In this year’s trial, I will not be applying top dress nitrogen on a portion of the corn that has Pivot Bio PROVEN^®. I want to see if this corn can match, or surpass, the corn receiving the extra 40 pounds of nitrogen.

Based on other national field trials, Pivot Bio PROVEN^® should be able to match the impact of corn that receives the extra nitrogen. I believe this to be the biggest opportunity with the product. Input costs are rising, especially synthetic fertilizer. If I can save some of the money I normally spend on top dress nitrogen and achieve the same or better yields, that provides a big boost to our margins.

In addition, because the microbes attach to the corn roots, I do not have to worry about weather conditions that might cause nitrogen loss. This becomes a more sustainable and more environmentally friendly way to get nutrients to the corn.

I’m looking forward to sharing more results during the growing season.

More information on Pivot Bio PROVEN® can be found online at https://www.agweb.com/topics/pivot-bio

Sponsored by Pivot Bio

Why Pivot Bio PROVEN™ is a Big Game Changer

Mon, 19 Jul 2021 20:15:58 GMT

Find out why farmer/rancher and Farm Journal TV and radio personality, Andrew McCrea, considers Pivot Bio PROVEN™ to be a big game changer for growers. In this video, Andrew explains how adding the right nitrogen product to your fields can minimize the negative impact of Mother Nature. Spoiler Alert: It’s the nitrogen that stays put, weather or not.

Sponsored by Pivot Bio

Partners in the Cornfield

Fri, 26 Feb 2021 20:33:01 GMT

When it comes to nutrient applications, producers are looking for a proven partner in the field. One that has both science and a history of success to back it up. And one that also brings an innovative approach with it.

When it comes to withstanding extremely wet and rainy seasons, Pivot Bio PROVEN™ is what you want as your right-hand nutrient application. This innovative application takes nitrogen out of the air and, through the use of microbes, makes ammonia. Microbes live on the roots of corn and feed a daily dose of ammonia that’s equivalent to about 25 pounds of nitrogen per acre.

You want that partner to work, weather or not.

In 2019, finding a nitrogen source that would remain stable throughout the season was important, yet hard to find. “You needed something that would stay put, weather or not,” says Ernie Sanders, vice-president of product development for Pivot Bio. Sanders spent 37 years at Monsanto with positions in technology and research. He came to Pivot Bio because of the great promise he saw in the technology the company is bringing to farm fields.

Sanders says he truly sees his work as a “partnership” between Pivot Bio and each farmer. “We have been on the farm with every producer that has used our product,” he says. By talking with growers, he’s seen several ways Pivot Bio PROVEN™ has been incorporated into corn systems. “There’s a set of growers that have reduced their synthetic nitrogen by 25 pounds and they are yielding just as much with our product as if they had applied an additional 25 [pounds of nitrogen].”

Pivot Bio PROVEN™ is a relatively new product in the field, but its impact has already been noticed. It represents new technology allowing corn plants to produce nitrogen on their roots during the growing season. Find out more about Pivot Bio PROVEN™ at https://www.agweb.com/article/proven-nitrogen-source-no-matter-weather.

Sponsored by Pivot Bio

Bring on the rain. A nitrogen application that can battle through.

Fri, 26 Feb 2021 20:31:45 GMT

The 2019 planting season saw growers burdened with challenging weather conditions, delayed starts and nutrient applications lost due to the heavy rainfall. “You needed something that would stay put, weather or not,” says Ernie Sanders, vice-president of product development for Pivot Bio. Sanders spent 37 years at Monsanto with positions in technology and research. He came to Pivot Bio because of the great promise he saw in the technology the company is bringing to farm fields.

So, what is this product changing the way nitrogen is applied to corn?

The promising product Sanders refers to is Pivot Bio PROVEN™. This innovative application takes nitrogen out of the air and, through the use of microbes, makes ammonia. These microbes colonize and live on the roots of corn and apply a daily dose of ammonia that’s equivalent to about 25 pounds of nitrogen per acre.

The process sounds similar to how nodules on soybean plants put nitrogen into the soil. While the end result may be similar, Pivot Bio PROVEN™ uses a different process. “This is not the same system as soybeans,” explains Sanders. “Because the bacteria live on the roots, no matter how much it rains, our product stays on the root system.” Regardless of the exact method Pivot Bio PROVEN™ uses, it’s an exciting new technology that keeps the microbes on the roots, no matter how much it rains. Now that’s a smart supplement.

For additional information about innovative nitrogen applications, visit https://www.agweb.com/article/proven-nitrogen-source-no-matter-weather.

Sponsored by Pivot Bio

Weather or Not: An Overview Nitrogen that Withstands Mother Nature

Fri, 26 Feb 2021 20:26:13 GMT

Watch as Andrew McCrea, a farmer/rancher and a Farm Journal TV and radio personality, interviews Ernie Sanders, vice-president of product development for Pivot Bio. Sanders gives an overview on how Pivot Bio PROVEN™ adds nitrogen to your corn and the best way to use it for your operation. Pivot Bio PROVEN™ … a winner … weather or not.

Sponsored by Pivot Bio

Meet The Nitrogen That Won’t Leave You — Rain or Shine.

Fri, 26 Feb 2021 20:22:43 GMT

There’s a new nitrogen application available that touts the slogan, “The nitrogen that stays put, weather or not.” It’s called Pivot Bio PROVEN™ and it proved its worth by powering through the 2019 growing season.

How?

It takes nitrogen out of the air and, through the use of microbes, makes ammonia.
Microbes live on the roots of corn and feed a daily dose of ammonia that’s equivalent to about 25 pounds of nitrogen per acre.
Microbes stay on the root system, no matter how much it rains.

More proof for Pivot Bio PROVEN™

Kevin Poppel farms in Blue Earth County, Minn. He says, “We’ve had an opportunity to test a lot of different products from many different companies and this product is by far, over the last five years, the largest net return on investment that we’ve seen.”
Poppel has noticed a yield boost due to the extra nitrogen Pivot Bio PROVEN™ is supplying to the corn plant throughout the season. “We know that we’re going to get that nitrogen throughout the season and that’s something we cannot say with any other product we use currently on our farm today,” he says with confidence.
Another grower, Bryan Tomm, who farms near Carmi, Ill., witnessed the strength of the Pivot Bio PROVEN™ nitrogen source first-hand in the 2019 growing season. Despite the setbacks, he was amazed at the results at harvest and confident this was the solution he’d been looking for. “We saw greater than a 30 bushel per acre response from the Pivot Bio PROVEN™ product,” he says. “In a lot of fields, nitrogen was definitely our limiting factor but the product stayed put and provided that extra nitrogen. It gives you that peace of mind that you’re going to have 25 to 40 pounds of nitrogen that’s there and safe.”

For additional information about this innovative nitrogen application visit https://www.agweb.com/article/proven-nitrogen-source-no-matter-weather

Agronomic Practices and Emerging Technology -A Farmer’s Perspective

Fri, 26 Feb 2021 15:26:45 GMT

Based on excerpts from the article, Proof of Pivot Bio PROVEN™, by Andrew McCrea; Farmer/rancher and Farm Journal TV and radio personality and A Master Storyteller

Farmers have certain agronomic practices we use year after year. Those ways of farming bring value to us on a consistent basis. We also pride ourselves, however, on keeping our minds open to emerging technology and new, more efficient ways to grow crops.
One item that has been of interest to me over the last year is the use of nitrogen-producing microbes in corn. We use a corn-soybean rotation in a no-till system on our acres in northwest Missouri. We, like almost every corn farmer, are always looking for ways to economically get the corn crop the nitrogen it needs throughout the season.

Ideally, I’d like some way to consistently deliver nitrogen to the crop throughout the growing season. That’s why I started investigating Pivot Bio PROVEN™. This is a new nitrogen application that’s delivered with starter fertilizer at the time of planting. The microbes in Pivot Bio PROVEN™ attach to the roots of the corn plant and turn atmospheric nitrogen into ammonia for the crop to use throughout the season. Because the microbes attach directly to the corn’s roots, weather conditions do not affect it.

I have to say, it’s an amazing new technology that fits right in with my tried and true agronomic practices. This type of technology provides exciting opportunities for my operation. The nitrogen-producing microbes in Pivot Bio PROVEN™ offer us a way to assure the delivery of nutrients to our corn throughout the season without fear of loss due to weather.

Read more about Andrew McCrea’s personal experience with the test plots here.

Sponsored by Pivot Bio

Healthy Soil. Healthy Yield.

Fri, 26 Feb 2021 15:16:07 GMT

When it comes down to best agronomic practices, four basics seem to always top the list:

Soil health and seeding rates
Narrow rows
Hybrid maturities
Starter fertilizer

Maintaining ideal soil health is key to crop success. In fact, according to the USDA, “Managing soil fertility is essential for obtaining and sustaining high yields and making crop production profitable. Determining soil nutrient needs, selecting the right fertilizer material, and deciding when and how to apply are important decisions for profitable crop production.”

Drilling down even farther on soil health will reveal the importance of nitrogen. Adequate nitrogen is essential for optimum crop production, which makes finding a reliable source for it key. You need to find a product that stays where it’s put and delivers what it should. Fortunately, there are excellent options for nitrogen application. One such product is Pivot Bio PROVEN^™. Find out how the nitrogen delivery system of Pivot Bio PROVEN^™ can optimize your crop production here .

Sponsored by Pivot Bio

How Pivot Bio PROVEN™ Works

Fri, 26 Feb 2021 15:07:12 GMT

For decades, farmers have applied nitrogen to their fields as a critical part of their crop nutrition program. Enter Pivot Bio PROVEN™, the first commercially available microbial product that captures nitrogen from the air, converts it to a form corn can use and applies it to the corn plant directly, every day of the growing season.

Sponsored by Pivot Bio

Proof of Pivot Bio PROVEN™

Fri, 26 Feb 2021 15:06:34 GMT

by Andrew McCrea
Farmer/rancher and Farm Journal TV and radio personality and A Master Storyteller

As a farmer, I have certain agronomic practices that I use year after year. Those ways of farming bring value to us on a consistent basis. We also pride ourselves, however, on keeping our minds open to emerging technology and new, more efficient ways to grow crops and raise livestock.

One item that has been of interest to me over the last year is the use of nitrogen-producing microbes in corn. We use a corn-soybean rotation in a no-till system on our acres in northwest Missouri. We, like almost every corn farmer, are always looking for ways to economically get the corn crop the nitrogen it needs throughout the season.

I’ve found two challenges, however, in accomplishing that goal. First, applying nitrogen throughout the season is not practical. We use anhydrous ammonia in the fall or spring and then top-dress nitrogen over the crop in the late spring or early summer. Ideally, I’d like some way to consistently deliver nitrogen to the crop throughout the growing season.

Weather conditions present the other challenge. Although we do everything possible to prevent nitrogen loss, we cannot prevent some losses each year. That costs me part of my initial input investment, but also results in diminished potential in the field at the end of the season.

These factors led to my interest in Pivot Bio PROVEN™, which you apply with starter fertilizer at the time of planting. The microbes in Pivot Bio PROVEN™ attach to the roots of the corn plant and turn atmospheric nitrogen into ammonia for the crop to use throughout the season. Because the microbes attach directly to the corn’s roots, weather conditions do not affect it.

I decided to plant a Pivot Bio PROVEN™ test plot this year. Our operation, however, does not currently use starter fertilizer, so lack of the necessary equipment on our planter to apply Pivot Bio PROVEN™ became one hurdle we needed to address. So, to do this product evaluation, I asked my neighbor, who has starter-fertilizer tanks on his planter, to come and put in our plot.

Our test plot contains three sets of trial conditions to watch, one of which includes Pivot Bio PROVEN™. The entire test plot (all three trial conditions) received 125 pounds of anhydrous ammonia last fall. For the first trial, we planted corn with no other inputs. Second, we planted corn with seven gallons per acre of 10-34-0 starter fertilizer, in-furrow (which our neighbor planted for us). Finally, we have the third trial using Pivot Bio PROVEN™, which was applied in-furrow with the 10-34-0 starter fertilizer.

We planted the corn in the test plot on May 9th. The Pivot Bio PROVEN™ slogan — “The nitrogen that stays put, weather or not.” — was put to the test six days after planting when we received 3 1/2 inches of rain in a two-hour period. Root digs and aerial imagery from a drone will assist our in-season decision-making. I am eager to see how Pivot Bio PROVEN™ performs alongside our other corn.

Some have asked for my early evaluation of using Pivot Bio PROVEN™. At this point, my observations only include product application, but I can share a few important points that I have already learned. First, those who do not have a way to apply starter fertilizer will need to install the equipment on their planters. You can use Pivot Bio PROVEN™ without using starter fertilizer, but application requires that equipment. Pivot Bio has a new NLighten system that is custom designed to apply Pivot Bio PROVEN™. The NLighten system is a special-purpose tank that can be mounted on the existing equipment a grower uses in their operation. You can read more about it here .

And second, the product is very easy to handle and use. Rates call for around 15 ounces per acre depending on corn-seeding populations. So, you don’t need a lot of Pivot Bio PROVEN™ to cover many acres. Just pour Pivot Bio PROVEN™ into your liquid nitrogen tanks.

I plan to observe plant health throughout the growing cycle. We can’t irrigate our fields, so we often encounter periods of weather stress during the season. Will the plants in the Pivot Bio PROVEN™ plot show better color and growth because of the steady supply of nitrogen provided by the microbes on the corn’s roots? We’ll evaluate this visually, by drone imagery and also by doing a root dig. We will monitor yields at harvest, as well.

Some corn growers who used Pivot Bio PROVEN™ in previous years reduced the amount of synthetic fertilizer used on their crops, allowing them to achieve the same or better yields while reducing the cost of nitrogen. Some others used Pivot Bio PROVEN™ in addition to the nitrogen they already applied and found a yield increase that more than paid for the product. We’ll also evaluate these decisions during the growing season.

This type of technology provides exciting opportunities for my operation. The nitrogen-producing microbes in Pivot Bio PROVEN™ offer us a way to assure the delivery of nutrients to our corn throughout the season without fear of loss due to weather. If you have an interest in following our trial, I post notes about our test plot on the Farming the Countryside page on Facebook, where you can see photos and updates.

Sponsored by Pivot Bio

Real-life experience with Pivot Bio PROVEN™

Fri, 26 Feb 2021 15:06:03 GMT

Based on excerpts from the article, Proof of Pivot Bio PROVEN™, by Andrew McCrea; Farmer/rancher and Farm Journal TV and radio personality and A Master Storyteller

Pivot Bio PROVEN^™ has been used and tested throughout the Midwest. Some corn growers who used Pivot Bio PROVEN^™ in previous years reduced the amount of synthetic fertilizer used on their crops, allowing them to achieve the same or better yields while reducing the cost of nitrogen. Some others used Pivot Bio PROVEN^™ in addition to the nitrogen they already applied and found a yield increase that more than paid for the product.

I’m currently putting Pivot Bio PROVEN^™ to the test on my own plot and plan to observe plant health throughout the growing cycle. We can’t irrigate our fields, so we often encounter periods of weather stress during the season. This brings up the clear question of: Will the plants in the Pivot Bio PROVEN^™ plot show better color and growth because of the steady supply of nitrogen provided by the microbes on the corn’s roots? We’ll evaluate this visually, by drone imagery and also by doing a root dig. We will monitor yields at harvest, as well.

We’re excited to see the end results and look forward to sharing everything we find. If you have an interest in following our trial, I post notes about our test plot on the Farming the Countryside page on Facebook, where you can see photos and updates. You can also read more about my Pivot Bio PROVEN^™ test plots here.

Sponsored by Pivot Bio

Putting Pivot Bio PROVEN™ to the Test

Fri, 26 Feb 2021 15:05:27 GMT

Based on excerpts from the article, Proof of Pivot Bio PROVEN^™, by Andrew McCrea; Farmer/rancher and Farm Journal TV and radio personality and A Master Storyteller

As a farmer who’s interested in emerging technology, I decided to plant a Pivot Bio PROVEN^™ test plot this year on my northwest Missouri farmland. Our operation, however, does not currently use starter fertilizer, so lack of the necessary equipment on our planter to apply Pivot Bio PROVEN^™ became one hurdle we needed to address. So, to do this product evaluation, I asked my neighbor, who has starter-fertilizer tanks on his planter, to come and put in our plot.

Our test plot contains three sets of trial conditions to watch, one of which includes Pivot Bio PROVEN^™. The entire test plot (all three trial conditions) received 125 pounds of anhydrous ammonia.

First trial: We planted corn with no other inputs or amendments.
Second trial: We planted corn, which also received seven gallons per acre of 10-34-0 starter fertilizer, in-furrow (which our neighbor planted for us).
Third trial: Pivot Bio PROVEN™ was applied in-furrow with the 10-34-0 starter fertilizer.

We planted the corn in the test plot on May 9th. The Pivot Bio PROVEN^™ slogan — “The nitrogen that stays put, weather or not”— was put to the test six days after planting when we received 3 1/2 inches of rain in a two-hour period. Root digs and aerial imagery from a drone will assist our in-season decision-making. I am eager to see how Pivot Bio PROVEN^™ performs alongside our other corn.

If you’re interested in our progress and results, we invite you to follow along on our Farming the Countryside page on Facebook. You can also find out more about my test plots using Pivot Bio PROVEN^™ by clicking here.

Sponsored by Pivot Bio

Evaluating Pivot Bio PROVEN™

Fri, 26 Feb 2021 15:04:30 GMT

by Andrew McCrea
Farmer/rancher and Farm Journal TV and radio personality and a Master Storyteller

(Editor’s Note: This is third in a series of articles on the corn test plots planted by Andrew McCrea in early May at his northwest Missouri farm. In his own words, McCrea gives an overview of his crops’ progress.)

This year, I’ve conducted my own on-farm trial of Pivot Bio PROVEN^™. I had heard about the product, which has nitrogen-producing microbes that attach to the corn’s root system and produce nitrogen throughout the growing season. The opportunity to have a constant source of nitrogen was something I wanted to try for myself.

Ernie Sanders, vice president of product development for Pivot Bio, helped me with setting up the trial and came to our farm during the growing season to see how our corn was performing. While there, Sanders explained how Pivot Bio PROVEN^™ works: “It takes nitrogen out of the air, and through the use of a bacteria, it makes ammonia. That bacteria lives on the roots of corn and it feeds that ammonia to the corn plant.” This process provides a constant source of nitrogen for the plant during the growing season, no matter the weather.

We conducted three trials on our farm. The entire test plot (all three trial conditions) received 125 pounds of anhydrous ammonia last fall. For the first trial, we planted corn with no other inputs. Second, we planted corn with seven gallons per acre of 10-34-0 starter fertilizer, in-furrow (which our neighbor planted for us as I do not have the equipment to apply in-furrow fertilizer). Finally, we had the third trial using Pivot Bio PROVEN^™, which was applied in-furrow with the 10-34-0 starter fertilizer.

Sanders makes many stops across the country each year to go into the fields of farmers using Pivot Bio PROVEN^™. One of those stops was at our farm, where we went into the test plots in late July to evaluate the crop. His evaluation was invaluable since he had seen so many other fields throughout the country that were using the product.

From the road, you might not be able to tell much difference between the plots. However, when Sanders and I stepped into the field and took samples from each plot, we saw a contrast between trials that he said was common across fields he had viewed this year.

We first measured stalk height. The untreated stalks averaged 98 inches in height and the stalks with Pivot Bio PROVEN™ measured 105 inches. Sanders noted this is common in the fields he has seen. “We’re seeing a consistently taller plant. The stalk diameter is also bigger,” he said. Both factors should show the plant is
healthier and has the capability of producing more corn.

Perhaps the biggest indicator of plant health was what we noticed at the bottom of the plant. Sanders pointed out, “We’re starting to see some firing and dying off of these lower leaves. The plant starts to cannibalize all of the nutrients in these lower leaves and shoves it all up into the ear so it can improve yield.”

The firing on the lower leaves was consistent across the plants in the untreated plot. However, the plants in the Pivot Bio PROVEN^™ plot showed little, if any, firing. A few plants had yellowing at the tips of bottom leaves, far different than the plants in the adjacent untreated plot.

“We’ve seen this pretty consistently too, where it stays green longer: it stays healthier longer, and you don’t lose those lower leaves as quickly,” Sanders said of the corn treated with Pivot Bio PROVEN^™. “You’re making a bigger factory [in the corn plant] to give you the chance for better yields.”

There’s another interesting observation in the corn treated with Pivot Bio PROVEN^™. According to Sanders, “We have tillering in about four out of seven plants in the Pivot Bio PROVEN^™plot. I didn’t see any tillering at all in the untreated.” In our comparison, just over half of the corn plants with Pivot Bio PROVEN^™ showed tillering. In the plot that had starter fertilizer but no Pivot Bio PROVEN™, there were about 30% of the plants showing tillering. In the untreated plot, there was no tillering.

As Sanders explained, “Tillering in corn is a really positive thing. It shows good nutrition in that V6 to V12 window. That’s also a really good sign.” All of this visual evidence should point to increased yields at harvest time. I am looking forward to seeing the difference and sharing those results.

Sanders said that using Pivot Bio PROVEN^™ is not just about achieving higher yields. It’s also about better management of the nitrogen applied to the corn crop. Some corn growers who used Pivot Bio PROVEN™ in previous years reduced the amount of synthetic fertilizer used on their crops, allowing them to achieve the same or better yields while reducing the cost of nitrogen. Others used Pivot Bio PROVEN^™ in addition to the nitrogen they already applied and found a yield increase that more than paid for the product.

We, like other growers who have used Pivot Bio PROVEN^™, will need to evaluate how the product best fits into our overall nutrient management plan, and what makes the most sense economically. As we have moved through the season this year, I’ve kept in mind a quote from Kevin Poppel, who farms in Blue Earth County, Minnesota. He said, “We’ve had an opportunity to test a lot of different products from many different companies and this product [Pivot Bio PROVEN^™] is by far, over the last five years, the largest net return on investment that we’ve seen.”

So far, our test has shown visible results in the field. We’re now ready to collect harvest data and see how Pivot Bio PROVEN^™ best fits into our plans for 2021.

Sponsored by Pivot Bio

A Proven Nitrogen Source, No Matter the Weather

Thu, 14 Jan 2021 18:12:27 GMT

The nitrogen that stays put. The innovation farmers have been waiting for.

The planting season of 2019 was one most farmers want to forget. Wet conditions delayed or prevented planting in many areas. Nitrogen applications were also subject to the weather. In some cases, the nitrogen applied to fields was partially lost due to heavy rainfall.

Finding a nitrogen source that would remain stable throughout the season was important, yet hard to find. “You needed something that would stay put, weather or not,” says Ernie Sanders, vice-president of product development for Pivot Bio. Sanders spent 37 years at Monsanto with positions in technology and research. He came to Pivot Bio because of the great promise he saw in the technology the company is bringing to farm fields.

The company’s product, Pivot Bio PROVEN^™, is known by the slogan, “The nitrogen that stays put, weather or not.” The 2019 growing season was one that proved the product’s worth.

To understand why the nitrogen supplied from Pivot Bio PROVEN^™ can withstand Mother Nature, it’s important to first understand the science behind it. Sanders explains, “It takes nitrogen out of the air and through the use of a bacteria, it makes ammonia. That bacteria lives on the roots of corn and it feeds a daily dose of ammonia that’s equivalent of about 25 pounds of nitrogen per acre.”

The process sounds similar to how nodules on soybean plants put nitrogen into the soil. While the end result may be similar, Pivot Bio PROVEN^™ uses a different process. “This is not the same system as soybeans,” explains Sanders. “Because the bacteria live on the roots, no matter how much it rains, our product stays on the root system.”

Proven, in the field

Kevin Poppel farms in Blue Earth County, Minn. He says, “We’ve had an opportunity to test a lot of different products from many different companies and this product is by far, over the last five years, the largest net return on investment that we’ve seen.”

Poppel has noticed a yield boost due to the extra nitrogen Pivot Bio PROVEN^™ is supplying to the corn plant throughout the season. “We know that we’re going to get that nitrogen throughout the season and that’s something we cannot say with any other product we use currently on our farm today,” he says with confidence.

Zack Rendel farms in Ottawa County, Okla. He noticed the ability of Pivot Bio PROVEN™ to supply nitrogen to the crop, replacing his need to put on as much side-dress nitrogen during the season. “The average across the whole field was about a 5 to 6 bushel an acre benefit having the PROVEN^™ out there,” he says. “Not only is that more money in my pocket with bushels per acre, it was less money I had to spend on fertilizer up-front … and wear and tear on my side-dressing sprayer going across those fields.”

Because the bacteria attach to the roots as root growth begins, growers are assured that this source of nitrogen will remain right where it was planted throughout the season. Bryan Tomm, who farms near Carmi, Ill., witnessed the power of that nitrogen source first-hand in the 2019 growing season. Despite the setbacks, he was amazed at the Pivot Bio PROVEN^™ results at harvest. “We saw greater than a 30 bushel per acre response from the Pivot Bio PROVEN^™ product,” he says. “In a lot of fields, nitrogen was definitely our limiting factor but the product stayed put and provided that extra nitrogen. It gives you that peace of mind that you’re going to have 25 to 40 pounds of nitrogen that’s there and safe.”

Partners in the Field

Sanders says he truly sees his work as a “partnership” between Pivot Bio and each farmer. “We have been on the farm with every producer that has used our product,” he says. By talking with growers, he’s seen several ways Pivot Bio PROVEN™ has been incorporated into corn systems. “There’s a set of growers that have reduced their synthetic nitrogen by 25 pounds and they are yielding just as much with our product as if they had applied an additional 25 [pounds of nitrogen].”

In other cases, producers have continued to apply the same amount of synthetic nitrogen but also used Pivot Bio PROVEN^™, in-furrow at planting. In those situations, Sanders says, “They’ve seen an average of 6 bushels per acre increase when they do that.” A Winner. Weather or Not. Pivot Bio PROVEN^™ is a relatively new product in the field, but its impact has already been noticed. It represents new technology allowing corn plants to produce nitrogen on their roots during the growing season. The importance of what is taking place in Kevin Poppel’s cornfields is not lost on him. “It’s an innovation that I never thought I’d see. It’s been awesome for our operation.”

Partners in the Field

Sanders says he truly sees his work as a “partnership” between Pivot Bio and each farmer. “We have been on the farm with every producer that has used our product,” he says. By talking with growers, he’s seen several ways Pivot Bio PROVEN has been incorporated into corn systems. “There’s a set of growers that have reduced their synthetic nitrogen by 25 pounds and they are yielding just as much with our product as if they had applied an additional 25 [pounds of nitrogen].”

In other cases, producers have continued to apply the same amount of synthetic nitrogen but also used Pivot Bio PROVEN, in-furrow at planting. In those situations, Sanders says, “They’ve seen an average six bushels per acre increase when they do that.”

A Winner. Weather or Not.

Pivot Bio PROVEN is a relatively new product in the field, but its impact has already been noticed. It represents new technology allowing corn plants to produce nitrogen on their roots during the growing season. The importance of what is taking place in Kevin Poppel’s cornfields is not lost on him. “It’s an innovation that I never thought I’d see. It’s been awesome for our operation.”

How Pivot Bio PROVEN^™ Works

For decades, farmers have applied nitrogen to their fields as a critical part of their crop nutrition program. Enter Pivot Bio PROVEN™, the first commercially available microbial product that captures nitrogen from the air, converts it to a form corn can use and applies it to the corn plant directly, every day of the growing season.

Weather or Not: An Overview of the Nitrogen that Withstands Mother Nature

Watch as Andrew McCrea, a farmer/rancher and a Farm Journal TV and radio personality, interviews Ernie Sanders, vice-president of product development for Pivot Bio. Sanders gives an overview on how Pivot Bio PROVEN™ adds nitrogen to your corn and the best way to use it for your operation. Pivot Bio PROVEN™ … a winner … weather or not.

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A Proven Nitrogen Source, No Matter the Weather

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The nitrogen that stays put. The innovation farmers have been waiting for.

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A Winner. Weather or Not.