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40 SEEDWORLD.COM JUNE 2016 A part of early seed devel- opment is getting a good root system in place. Taking Root This is especially critical in corn says Doug Kirkbride a product development agron- omy manager at Syngenta who says the focus should still be nitrogen phosphorus and potassium and then sulfur manganese and calcium. Its important for growers to use a good seed treat- ment to protect the seed from insects diseases and nema- todes so the plant can have maximum nutrient uptake. Kirkbride says Syngentas Avicta Complete Corn and Clariva Complete Beans are good options. Any time the root is damaged it limits uptake and efficiency. He explains that greater than 90 percent of the plants nutrients are taken up through the roots the roots act as a super highway bringing up water and nutrients. Thats why early season develop- ment is so critical he says. Phosphorus plays a pivotal role in root development. The first root system is the seminal root system of which water uptake is 98 percent of its function. Between the V3 stage when the plant has three leaf collars and the V5 stage it switches from getting nutrients from the seminal system and the seed to get- ting them from the nodal system. For this reason Kirkbride prefers a 2x2 application put- ting the nutrients 2 inches from the seed and 2 inches deep. This puts the nutrients a little farther away from the seed reducing the risk of seedling damage he says. You dont want to exceed 70 pounds of nitrogen plus potash in that type of environment or it can become too salty. Yet you get a quicker response compared to a general broad- cast application. Kirkbride says that by the time the plant switches from the seminal system to the nodal system the roots are long enough to be in that 2x2 zone right where those nutri- ents are located. This will give the seed an overall nutrient benefit instead of trying to build the soil he says. Have you ever seen a crop look stagnant Thats an indicator that those roots are looking for nutrients. With regard to zinc and manganese growers only need about nine-tenths of a pound of zinc and one-half pound of manganese to get 300 bushel per acre corn Kirkbride says. Its such a small amount that a seed treatment is a good option he notes. Some farm- ers are adding it in-furrow. It all comes back to man- agement styles and nutrient availability. Keep in mind this all takes time some farmers choose to manage nutrients up front while others choose to get the crop in the ground and then manage nutrients. Managing for Todays Environment Given the low commodity prices farmers see today many are looking for ways to decrease input costs. We know how much it takes for 300 bushel per acre corn and 100 bushel per acre soybeans Kirkbride says. Anytime farmers cut back they might not be hitting the bare minimum. Farmers have to hit the base. If a farmer is looking for ways to decrease their costs Kirkbride recommends encouraging them to look at when and how those nutrients are applied. With a 2x2 application those nutrients are right there and more available to the plant which reduces the amount needed he says. Additionally encourage them to seek out alternative nutrient sources such as livestock producers who have poultry litter or swine manure. But before all of this Kirkbride says soil pH and liming practices must be in line. If this is wrong it can be more detrimental to the crop he says. Farmers can apply all the nutrients they want but the soil can tie it up and make it unavailable to the plant. The experts agree overall early season nutrition is highly important. Early season is not the time when the plant takes up the most nutrients but its the most important because the plant is putting down its root system Kirkbride says. SW Doug Kirkbride Syngenta product development agronomy manager Josh Krenz Vivid Life Sciences CEO and strategic counsel