FEBRUARY 2018 SEEDWORLD.COM / 43 KEY TO ANY growth enhancer applied as a seed treatment is that it impacts plant metabolism at a very basic level. Farmers are very aware that excessive application of N fertilizer hurts their profit margins. They also understand that yield penalties associated with inadequate nitrogen can be much larger. A balance between these two sides means that plants must become increasingly efficient in nitrogen assimilation. The idea is that stimulating a plant’s nitrogen uptake will result in faster seedling growth, healthier plants and larger yields. There are a number of ways to impact plant metabolism and every- one approaches the issue of enhance- ment differently. In this case, Nufarm is targeting the base nitrogen cycle with Sembolite™, a nutrient management additive developed to optimize nitrogen utilization. Sembolite works inside the plant, resulting in increased activity in the plant’s physiological glutamic pathway. This pathway is present in all plants. It is responsible for regulating the uptake of nitrogen as well as impacting other essential metabolic functions. This stimulation results in accelerated absorption of nitrogen from the soil and its incorporation into amino acids and pro- teins, building blocks necessary for grain production. This process is complimentary to applied nutrients, nitrogen fixers and Seed Coating Enhances Nitrogen Assimilation TOM KROLL TECHNICAL AND PRODUCT MANAGER, NUFARM AMERICAS, INC. tom.kroll@nufarm.com • nufarm.com/USST biological stimulants. For example, studies have illustrated an increase in nodulation when Sembolite is used in combination with root nodulation bacteria. Also key for its use as growth enhancer is that it be safe to the seed, physically compatible with the other com- ponents in the treatment, can be used at a relatively low rate, and stable both in the mix and on the seed. While many growth enhancers do some of these things, Sembolite has all these attributes. Sembolite nutrient management addi- tive is labeled as a seed treatment for use on barley, canola, corn, cotton, soybeans, sugar beets, rice, rye and wheat. IF YOU’VE EVER run into trouble with a product you’ve purchased, be it a piece of equipment or computer software, the first place we now instinctively go is online. It’s what we’ve been trained to do. Here, we expect to find answers through FAQ pages, online forums or a customer service chat function. As com- panies have been able to put more infor- mation online, they’ve cut back on direct customer support services. Some compa- nies bury their customer support phone number; others require you to go through a series of steps online before they give you a number to call; and others don’t post a customer support number at all. Why? Maybe it’s an inferior prod- uct. Maybe they don’t have sufficient resources? Maybe it was poor planning. Regardless of the reason, too many com- panies use the Internet to “hide” from a direct connection with clients. I can tell you from personal experi- ence, there’s nothing more frustrating than searching and not finding an answer, wasting valuable time for something that should be a quick fix, and not being able to get the help you need. That’s not an experience we want our customers to have and is one of the rea- sons we have invested in Client Relations. If a customer has a question or needs help, we want them to call us. We enjoy and crave that personal connection with our clients. Having those support con- versations with customers helps direct us when it comes to product improvements or adding information to our training courses and Learning Center. Our support staff includes two former plant breeders, which makes us ideally suited to know what our clients want and need — our staff have literally “walked in the shoes” of our customers. One of the things I’ve come to under- stand is that it’s not a product that makes a company successful, but a company’s customers. You can have a great prod- uct, but if you don’t have the customer support to keep customers happy, they likely won’t return. We value our clients and strive to serve them to the highest standards, and that means talking directly with them when they need it. Hey Client! Don’t Be a Stranger CHRIS LEONARD PRESIDENT, AGRONOMIX SOFTWARE INC. @Agronomix • leonard@agronomix.com • agronomix.com