b'Got Adverse Weather? Heres How to Prepare.ROBIN OMARA EVERYONE KNOWS OVERthe past three years, the Midwest has been PRESIDENT, hit by some vastly different weather every summer. Starting with flooding OMARA AG SERVICESin 2019, heavy rainfall in 2020 and drought and heatwave in 2021.romara60@msn.comomara-ag.com Immediately, my mind jumps to the customers and whats happening in their fields. Crops arent the only thing in their field, you knowextreme weather, especially heat, can affect all the microorganisms living in their fields soil. A question I get asked often is: How do I prepare, when I dont know what the weather will be like this year?Well, to start: just be aware. Weve had adverse conditions in the past, so be aware that it might happen again this upcoming growing season. And second: give your crops a boost with a biological to help them and the soil be protected against those adverse conditions. An inoculant is a rhizobium product that creates a naturally symbiosis relationship with the plant to help take nitrogen out of the air supply to the plant. In turn, the plant gives that rhizobium a place to live. Unobtainium One thing to keep in mind, though, is rhizobium are extremely fragile. We make sure these products are all manufactured in the same year, and we take into account that they might not be stored in ideal conditions. Freshness is really important for customers, so we have a defined expira-LAST SUMMER, MYhome central air con- tion date to ensure the product is viable. ditioner had been out for around two weeks.But, its imperative to know youre buying a product that contains Hottest part of the year, wouldnt ya know. enough rhizobium to actually get the job done in worst case scenarios. This new A.C. system that I had put in just aMost people think, if I have a flood, all my rhizobium will die. In reality: few years ago has a small electronics board thatthats probably not the case. Its more likely to become displaced in the is made of unobtainium. It may be days, it maysoil. Its important to remember about your rhizobium during droughtbe weeks, we dont know yet, but we just cantdry soils are tough and detrimental to soil life. get the part During these conditions, you might need a little extra boost from a Windows open and fans on at my house arerhizobium to keep your soil healthy and keep your crops growing well. the workaround, and just like I remember it onDuring these times, a single rate of a product isnt the farm.probably going to be recommended. Instead, We are finding many things these days inthere might be a double applicate rate rec-our business that follow along these same lines.ommended to make sure your rhizobium What was once on the shelf might now be sixsurvives and reduces any fail factor in the to 12 weeks lead time, not to mention the pricesoil. might have doubled. No one wants extreme weather to It is tough topromise delivery dates and lockhappenbut with a little prepara-in prices when the supply chain is all bound up.tion, we can all make it through them These have been hot topics of discussion withtogether. our leadership team. Im sure you have seen some disruption in your business as well. What workaround do you have to help you through?Maybe one should just order two of eve-rything, just to make sure you get at least oneVINCE WERTMANsolution that works? Hopefully the thing thatTECHNICAL SERVICES DIRECTOR AND REGIONAL SALES you need is not made of unobtainium, or atMANAGER, ABM/AGRAUXINE BY least you have a workaround in mind for when itLESAFFREbreaks. vincewertman@abm1st.comabm1st.comJANUARY 2022SEEDWORLD.COM /19'