Broadcasting fertilizer is a practice commonly used to maximize soil fertility, with advantages for managing the seeding operation early in the spring. However, this practice is detrimental to the efficiency of phosphorus, as it exposes it to either run-off in wet springs or, early tie-up or both. In this post we will examine the factors that can impair or improve phosphorus availability for uptake by plants.

Although it may appear to be revolutionary, the concept of using plant growth-promoting rhizobacteria, or PGPR, has been with us for over 30 years. In the rhizosphere, the space immediately surrounding the roots of a plant, a complex series of interactions between the plant, microorganisms and the soil is in place. This unique environment supports a microflora that includes both beneficial and pathogenic microorganisms and exerts a significant influence on the growth and productivity of plants.

As the world’s food demand grows, agricultural food production is also on the rise. This comes with the related challenges of poor yield, drought, pests and weeds that can negatively impact both productivity and the environment.

While fertilizers and pesticides play a significant role in attempting to overcome some of these obstacles, agricultural biologicals can make a crucial contribution toward the goal of making intensive agricultural production more successful and sustainable.

Safe for the environment, biologicals make crops healthier, with improved defenses against diseases and pests, and better able to withstand abiotic stress. The crop is well-prepared for early season growth and has a good vigor, with enriched root and shoot biomass and improved nutrient uptake and use.