Nitrogen fixation in crops that don’t fix nitrogen naturally took another step toward reality. Corteva Agriscience announced it intends to market Utrisha N nutrient efficiency optimizer. It contains an endophytic bacterium that works with the plant to secure nitrogen from the atmosphere.

Corteva obtained rights to sell the product through a multiple-year agreement with a company you’ve likely never head of: Symborg, based in Spain. Symborg coined the phrase “BlueN technology” for its line of products. Visit corteva.com and symborg.com.  

Meanwhile, PureAcre, a startup innovation company in Texas, seeks registration for Augere as a soil amendment that increases nutrient assimilation when added to UAN and starter fertilizer. The company claims increased uptake of nutrients in corn, wheat, soybeans, rice and cotton. Augere also reduces nitrate leaching. Return on investment is projected to be as high as 4-to-1. Visit pure-acre.com.

Also, Loveland Products, a proprietary product line of Nutrien Ag Solutions, introduces what it calls C² Technology. Spokespersons say it is a unique nutrient management platform that drives nutrient-use efficiency while improving soil health. The company describes it as a library of various carbon compounds, which boost biological activity in the soil and help the soil hold more water and nutrients. Expect to see their fertilizer products labeled as “powered by C² Technology.” Learn more at lovelandproducts.com or nutrienagsolutions.com.  

More biologicals

Two more companies that are not household names, Meristem Crop Performance Group LLC and Planet Earth Agronomy LLC, have announced a product development alliance to bring innovative biological products to your farm. Their goal is to develop a research and development pipeline that pumps out biologicals and biostimulants at a price point that delivers a positive ROI for you. See meristemag.com.

Ceradis, a Dutch company, and WinField United teamed up to distribute DuraMax. It’s billed as a biofungicide seed treatment that prevents soilborne fungal diseases including rhizoctonia and sudden death syndrome in soybeans. EPA recently agreed to expand the label beyond soybeans to corn and wheat. The active ingredient is natamycin. See ceradis.com.

Fungicides, insecticides

Perhaps corn you plant in 2022 will be treated with Vayantis, a new fungicide seed treatment from Syngenta just approved by EPA. It contains picarbutrazox, with a novel mode of action against pythium in corn. Visit syngentaus.com/Vayantis.

Corteva recently named two “green chemistries” it intends to bring to the market. Qalcova contains spinosad and Jemvelva is powered by spinetoram. Both are naturally derived active ingredients from a proprietary fermentation process. Spokespersons claim effective insect control for more than 250 crops worldwide, including soybeans and rice.

And Vestaron, a Michigan-based company claiming to lead a revolution in peptide crop protection products, recently submitted materials to the EPA for Basin, which would be a new family of products active on the nicotinic acetylcholine receptor site in proteins. The goal is to bring out another line of products to help fight insect resistance. Vestaron introduced its first line, Spear, in 2019. Visit vestaron.com.

Herbicide news

If you grow LibertyLink corn and want help on waterhemp, Palmer amaranth and ragweed, check out Sinate from Amvac. New this year, it’s designed to work with glufosinate on the toughest weeds. The company also introduced Impact Core as a postemergence product to control tough weeds and grasses in corn. See amvac.com.