The US corn crop is in trouble, and each year the problems seem to increase. Bio Minerals Technologies has introduced a Healthy To Harvest program that can help reduce many of these problems, providing corn farmers with harvests of up to 300 and potentially 400 bushels per acre, without significant disease or pest losses. Best of all, we can do it naturally to help you reduce your chemical dependence and chemical inputs (not to mention chemical bills).
Watch the video below for an introduction and overview of our Healthy to Harvest program. The details of the program are outlined below the video.
HEALTHY TO HARVEST Program Outline
Shooting for 300 or even 400 Bu/A of nutrient dense corn.
Soil and plant health does matter and is crucial to success.
‘Let your food be your medicine.’- Hippocrates
In order to maximize your crop yield, it is important to understand the plant's nutritional needs. As you can see from the chart below, different elements are required in varying amounts throughout the corn growing cycle.
In order to fill those nutrient requirements, you have two options:
1. You can use synthetic inputs and try to boost your output artificially by forcing nutrients into the soil solution. The higher the target yield, the higher the cost of your program. And no matter how hard you try, you will not be able to provide all the nutrients in the right amounts at the right times, so a significant portion of your expense will be wasted, leached, or unused.
2. You can use the Bio Minerals Technologies biological methods to build and enhance your soil's natural microbial populations and the microbes will feed your crop the right amount of nutrients at the right time, with no waste. Depending on the soil test results, there may still be some mineral supplementation (focused on natural minerals, where possible), but it will be significantly less in volume and much more effective than the full synthetic approach.
The table below provides a quick outline of the Healthy to Harvest program with greater detail in the following sections.
Preplant | Planting | V3-V5 | V8-V10 | 1 Week Pretassel | Harvest Residue |
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Test soil compaction (<300 psi)
Soil testing
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Dry seed treatment (biology & minerals) Starter
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Biological Foliar
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1st Micronutrient Foliar
Scout for disease
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V12-V17 Ear Length Determined
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2nd Micronutrient Foliar
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Harvest Late Sept - Early Oct
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Fall application of El Sulfur, Soft Rock Phosphate, or other natural soil amendments (based on need) Residue decomposition (Microbial Mineral Tea applied on residue with light till) Cover Crops Apply compost or Bio-augmented manures |
Preplant (Fall/Spring)
- Test soil compaction with penetrometer: above 300 psi roots are restricted, test during the fall season.
- Ameliorate with inline deep tillage to needed depth; adding biology w/food into the soil will increase soils porosity, tilth and reduce re-compaction. Microbes need oxygen as well as a carbon-based food source. Microbial Mineral Tea is a great soil reconditioning tool.
- Apply Gypsum if the Mg base Saturation percentage is greater than 15% (KAS test).
- Plant cereal rye or multiple species cover crops to increase soil porosity and increase microbial species and populations (planting is typically the fall before; termination cover crop is spring).
- Update old soil tests; include Base Saturation levels and micro-nutrient levels. Determine the best methods of application.
- Designate several representative fields for soil analysis using the Haney Test or Biological test (Earth Fortification Labs – Corvallis, OR).
Another sophisticated test is that of PLFA or poly lipid fatty acid. This types the microbes into different categories. (ie: ciliates, flagellates, amoeba).
- Designate several representative fields for soil analysis using the Haney Test or Biological test (Earth Fortification Labs – Corvallis, OR).
- Brew and apply 15-20 gallons/acre of Microbial Mineral Tea on the fall field residue. Till lightly to push residue and microbes down into the soil.
- The Microbial Mineral Tea provides significant numbers of fungi that will go to work on the residue and quickly break it down, releasing the nutrients back into the soil for the next crop. It also helps to open up and restructure your soil, creating a much healthier environment, better water and air penetration, and greater nutrient capabilities.
- The microbial activity resulting from the decomposition also increases the CO2 production which will stimulate and improve the growth of the young plants in the new crop.
- Microbial Mineral Tea can also be applied throughout the growing season. It can be injected through irrigation, streamed on, used as a foliar base, and multiple other application methods. The additional biology and nutrition provided through the tea are all beneficial and will do nothing but improve your soils and their performance.
- Brew and apply another 15-20 gallons/acre of Microbial Mineral Tea in the spring, prior to planting, to give the soil biology another boost. If you apply any herbicides, be sure to apply the tea after the herbicides have had a chance to fade. The tea will help the soil to recover from the biological damage inflicted by the herbicide.
Planting
- Apply Bio Minerals Technologies Dry Seed Treatment. Our Seed Treatment contains 12 groups of highly beneficial microbes such as Azotobacter than fix N, mycorrhizal that fix P and many other nutrients, pseudomonas, bacillus, trichodermas that fights pathogens and many more; includes 75 or more micronized minerals for better germination. Application rate is 1 oz per acre (20-25# of seed).
- If Corn Root Worm is a problem in your soils, include Beauveria Bassiana in the dry seed treatment.
- Apply in-furrow products at planting:
- Apply 1 gallon Bio Release per acre
- Apply 1 gallon FLC per acre.
- Apply 2 oz Mo/ acre.
- Apply 2-4 gallons 10-34-0 or equivalent starter for early phosphate
The Bio Release extracts nutrients from the soil, neutralizing them and holding them available for the plants and the biology through the season. The FLC is a microbial stimulant, greatly increasing the reproduction of the microbes from both the seed treatment and the preplant tea application. The phosphate and other minerals in the starter fertilizer are neutralized by the Bio Release, holding them available in the soil for early needs by the growing plants, especially while the soils are still cooler and biological activity is lower. - Plant when soil temps are on the rise and are near 55 degrees or higher. Make sure the soils are dry enough to allow traffic without causing more soil compaction.
Post Emergence
V3 – V5
- Herbicide compensation
- If you use a post-emergent herbicide (glyphosate based), you will need to compensate for the glyphosate-induced mineral loss by applying some Foliar Micro Boost. The Foliar Micro Boost is already chelated, so the glyphosate will not touch it, allowing it to move into the plant and replace what has been taken away. Use 32 oz Foliar Micro Boost with 16 oz of Bio Release per acre, mixed into the glyphosate application. Doing so will eliminate the plant-stunting effect of the glyphosate application on your young corn plants.
- Biological Folair
- Applying Foliar Biology Boost to the young plant leaves will populate the surfaces with beneficial bacteria. These microbes will harvest nutrients from the air, particularly nitrogen (azotobacter), but also other nutrients they may have access to. The beneficial bacteria also out-compete the pathogens, protecting the plant from infections. As the leaf surface expands with the growing plant, the beneficial bacterial will colonize the additional surfaces as well.
- Make sure you do not apply herbicides after the biological foliar as they will kill the beneficial biology.
V8 – V12
- First Nutrient Foliar:
- If early dying corn has been common or you see caramel colored lesions on the lower stalk apply 32 oz/ac of Bio Empruv for Goss’s Wilt.
Note: You can also use Bio Empruv G2 which combines Goss's Wilt and fungal protection into a single application. - Apply Foliar Micro Boost at V8-V12 at 32 oz/ac with 16 oz/ac of Bio Release. Be sure Co is included plus Mo.
- If early dying corn has been common or you see caramel colored lesions on the lower stalk apply 32 oz/ac of Bio Empruv for Goss’s Wilt.
- Scout for insects (corn borer, corn root worm)
- Scout fields for insect damage. Fields planted to conventional hybrids need to scouted for ECB by an examination for shotholing of unfurling leaves with the first brood. The second brood typically reaches higher numbers and is detected by scouting for the small fish scale appearing egg masses on the underside of the five middle leaves next to the midrib. Spray if the infestation reached the published treatment thresholds: If 25% of plants show shotholes from the first brood in mid-June; Second brood, in late July to mid August, treatment is needed if 15 to 20% of the plants hold egg masses.
- If plants show indications of significant insect damage, apply 16 oz of Nemasan with your Nutrient Foliar.
V15 – V18 (Pre-tassel)
- Apply foliar one week before tasseling to add energy to the plants for pollination and fertilization.
- Apply Foliar Micro Boost at 32 oz/ac with 16 oz/ac of Bio Release. Be sure Co is included plus Mo.
- Apply 16 oz of O2-YS (or O1-YS if organic) with your foliar to protect against fungal pathogens and to reinforce systemic insect protection. O2-YS protection will extend for 4-6 weeks, which will carry most crops through to harvest.
Note: If you used Bio Empruv G2 in the first foliar, the O2-YS is optional here, depending on your plants' needs and outside disease pressure.
Post Harvest
Consider adding some elemental sulfur and/or soft rock phosphate to the fields to boost availability and production for the following year (based on soil tests). Apply Microbial Mineral Tea to the corn residue and give it a light till to push it down into the soil for decomposition through the winter.
Plant any cover crops, as desired or needed.