When you’ve farmed for awhile, you’ve heard it all (and probably tried a lot) when it comes to raising higher yields. What if you’re not moving the needle as much as you’d like?
Dale Viktora knows the feeling. “In the last five or six years, I’ve been looking for new ways to try to increase crop yields,” says Viktora, who raises corn and soybeans near Geneva, Minnesota. “Biological farming and beneficial microbes intrigue me.”
Viktora started discussing this with Dr. Jim Ladlie, founder and owner of ProfitProAG in nearby Albert Lea, Minnesota. “I knew Jim and his team focus on putting the biology back in the soil and feeding the crop throughout the season,” Viktora said. “I asked him, ‘If I want to try just one product from ProfitProAG, what would you suggest?’”
Ladlie recommended BioEnergy™ +. This foliar feeding system includes a unique blend of fourteen plant health stimulation ingredients, providing nutrition and energy to help keep the plant healthy, season long. All this boosts the plants’ ability to overcome in-season stresses and maximize the crop’s genetic potential (both yield and quality).
Viktora tried BioEnergy+ for the first time in 2022, trying it on both corn and soybeans. He applied BioEnergy+ on the corn via a y-drop system with 32% liquid nitrogen. He applied BioEnergy+ via foliar feeding to his soybeans around the R1 growth stage. He also incorporated side-by-side test strips to compare how the product worked on his acres.
At harvest, Viktora saw an average soybean yield advantage of 6 bushels per acre where he applied BioEnergy+. Areas where he applied BioEnergy+ in his corn(y-drop application) showed a 2-bushel per acre yield advantage.
Viktora reported a great response with silage corn, too. “The areas BioEnergy+ produced some of the best silage corn we’ve ever raised,” said Viktora, whose brother raises cattle. “It was north of 30 tons per acre.”
Putting products like BioEnergy+ to the test is important. “We do a lot of trials,” said Viktora, who’s also an agronomist with Beck’s Hybrids in southern Minnesota. “BioEnergy+ has a lot of good stuff in it. When you get the beneficial microbes working for you, everything works better.”
Creating a customized Recipe for Success
Going forward, Viktora is looking forward to working with ProfitProAG to create a “Recipe for Success” tailored to his specific needs. This 3-step process can be customized to:
Unlock valuable crop nutrients from the residue in your fields. This starts in the fall with proper residue management after harvest. Viktora is using a biological-based residue management product from ProfitProAG to break down crop residue on his conventional tillage acres and no-till acres. The product helps unlock valuable nutrients contained in the residue. (Think free fertilizer!) “It will be fun to see what happens,” Viktora said.
Get your crop off to a strong start next spring for early-season plant health and vigor. Seed treatments and other options help set your crop up for success.
Help your crop stay green to the finish for maximum yield potential. That’s where products like BioEnergy+ come in.
Another key component of BioEnergy+ is chitosan, a non-toxic, biodegradable product derived from one of the most abundant organic polymers in nature. Chitosan targets chitin, the main component of insects’ exoskeletons. Harmful fungi and disease pathogens also contain chitin. Chitosan helps break down chitin for greater insect and disease suppression, which promotes healthier crops.
BioEnergy+ can be a valuable tool to manage tar spot. “If we know your crops are susceptible to tar spot, BioEnergy+, along with a mix of micronutrients, can be important to boost your crop’s ‘immune system’,” said Dennis Klockenga, a crops specialist with ProfitProAG.
Viktora looks forward to seeing what’s possible with ProfitProAG’s “Recipe for Success”. “My philosophy? Let’s try something different and pay attention to the microbes,” said Viktora, who only recommends products to other farmers after he knows they work.
“Science can get us there.”