EVALUATION OF TORQUE AND VITAZYME AS CORN STARTER FERTILIZER ADDITIVES
Agronomy & Pest Management
Michael Rethwisch
Farm Advisor - Crop Production and Entomology
University of California Cooperative Extension
Blythe
Abstract
EVALUATION OF TORQUETM AND VITAZYME® AS CORN STARTER FERTILIZER ADDITIVES\r\nRethwisch, M.D. \r\nExtension Educator - Crops, University of Nebraska-Lincoln Extension, Butler County, David City, NE 68632-1666\r\n Few detailed comparative data exist for biostimulant products under Nebraska production conditions. Two products containing different biostimulants (TorqueTM, lipochitooligo saccaride (LCO) Promoter Technology; Vitazyme®, which contains brassinosteroids and numerous other biostimulants) were included with starter fertilizers for corn production and were evaluated with each other and compared to starter fertilizer alone in replicated 2010 trials on both silt loam and sandy soils. Biostimulant products increased chlorophyll levels, plant growth and stalk diameters at most locations, however yields were inconsistent with these measurements and often slightly below fertilizer only treatment means. High soil moisture levels may have prevented deep root growth in 2010, preventing access to needed nutrients. Several locations treated with TorqueTM were noted to have significantly more nitrate (40-70 lbs./acre, p<0.001) in the top three feet of soil in August and September.
Authors: Rethwisch, M. D.
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Rethwisch, M. D. Ext. Educator, University Of Nebraska, Nebraska, 68632