Primers in Action
In spring of 2015, growers Connie Matson and Bernie Hullman were getting a late start to their canola seeding (May 19) and dealing with very dry conditions. I had the opportunity to work with them on a nutrient plan to get their canola crop off to the best possible start under those less than ideal conditions. As part of the nutrient plan, I recommended Primer Canola. With the help of Primer Canola, Matson said it wasn’t long before robust canola seedlings were emerging in their field.
Matson said that by June 15, their canola had caught up with their neighbours’ crops that were planted a week to 10 days earlier. According to Matson, they saw impressive root development of their canola crop. She says that their crop’s roots grew deeper into the ground than their neighbour’s crops, an achievement she credits to their use of Primer Canola.
Primer Canola includes high concentrations of phosphorus, potassium, zinc and other essential micronutrients specifically formulated for canola. Our research has shown that this combination can have a very positive effect on canola germination and emergence.
My colleague Rob Hinton had the pleasure of working with Larry Lamb of Purity Seeds Limited in Emo, Ontario during the 2016 growing season, when Lamb entered a local soybean yields challenge. Hinton recommended that Lamb use OMEX’s Soybean Primer to give his crop a boost for the competition. At 59 bushels per acre, Lamb’s crop bested the competition, with the next closest yield measuring 40 bushels per acre. Lamb used a full nutrient management plan from OMEX, of which high-performance primer played a key role in triggering an explosive start, despite the wet conditions he faced throughout the growing season.
OMEX’s Soybean Primer is formulated with a high concentration of calcium for improved root growth and establishment. Access to this additional calcium helps promote early seedling emergence, a better stand and more efficient nitrogen use for soybeans. This primer is Rhizobium-friendly and is safe for use with all commercially available liquid and dry inoculants in Canada.
Seeds that are sown into less than ideal soil conditions or nutrient deficient soils can suffer from delayed emergence and poor seedling vigour. Placing nutrients as close to the seed as possible can help correct deficiencies early on and can help the seed handle common early-season stressors.
If your soil tests have indicated a nutrient deficiency or you’re facing other stressful conditions, consider using a high-performance primer to give your crop a boost right out of the gate. OMEX offers a line of seven primers, each expertly developed to meet the specific nutritional needs of crops like cereals, oilseeds, soybeans and pulses, with unique blends of micro and macronutrients. Give us a call today to find out more about selecting the right OMEX primer to get your crops off to a great start this season.