AgroLiquid’s Carrington, North Dakota facility supplies crop nutrition products to customers across the region. Led by site manager Jared Volk, this operation is continually adapting to the seasonal demands and increasing growth of the industry.

• Opened: 2015
• Acres: 12
• Staff: 3

Distribution and manufacturing

The main role of the Carrington facility is for distribution and small-scale, large volume manufacturing. This site serves a large territory, including customers in North Dakota, South Dakota, Manitoba, Saskatchewan, and parts of Minnesota and Montana.

“Our site is kind of unique,” said Volk. “We do a lot of material offloading. We can offload 11 rail cars at one time, and then we load out by truck. But we also do small-scale, large volume manufacturing, making two of our main products here – High NRG-N and Pro-Germinator.”

The Carrington facility has expanded rapidly. When Volk started in 2015, the site was only a half million gallon tank. They added the first building in 2017 and installed a two-million gallon tank in 2019. Today, the facility sits on 12 acres.

Efficient team

Three people run the entire facility. Working alongside Volk are Hunter Rindy and Marcus Kollman. Rindy has been at Carrington for five years, and Kollman has been there for three years.

“We’re all pretty versatile in what we do,” Volk said. “We all know each other’s job pretty well, and we can fill in for each other when needed.

Rindy primarily runs load out and organizes transportation, and Kollman manages manufacturing, railcars, and truck offloads. Volk plans, organizes, and manages, and helps with all jobs when it’s busy.

“The team is very versatile,” Volk said. “They can go from offloading rail cars to loading trucks to performing maintenance on a pump without missing a beat. They’re good workers, always coming up with new ideas, discussing solutions, and we really work well together as a team.”

The team members collaborate well in their group of three, plus they try to be as self-sufficient as possible.

“They always look for ways to improve and challenges to take on,” Volk said. “Both are mechanically gifted, so we do a lot of self-service maintenance and can figure a lot of things out before we have to hire out.”

Seasonal changes

Due to the weather and seasonality of fertilizer products, the facility does encounter some challenges.

“Winter can be really hard and can put some pressure on what we can do and when we can do it,” Volk said. “Our facility ships 5.5 million gallons of product annually, and 60% of that will go out in a 10-week period. When it hits, it’s all hands on deck.”

Depending on when the snow melts, the busiest time for the facility is from March to May or June.

“Both of the guys are great, so it takes a lot of pressure off me to guide everything,” Volk said. “I was by myself the first few years, and I helped set up a lot of things to be handled by one person. Two is better, and three is great. Everyone does a great job taking turns, especially when we have long days. Sometimes it feels like we don’t leave, but we know the push is short lived.”

Like all weather-related jobs, the team has to remain flexible when trying to plan.

“Living here, one of the challenges is you never know when winter is going to start or finish, so you make a plan with 15 contingencies just in case,” Volk said. “It’s always a little more difficult when there are blizzards, and you have to get railcars shoveled out in a short amount of time. North Dakota is actually a tropical paradise – don’t let the secret out. We try and hide that from everyone.”

The team consistently gets a lot of work done in a small amount of time.

“Overall, I’m really proud of both of them, the effort they put in, what we’ve been able to achieve, and the plant itself,” Volk said. ”When I first drove onto the site and it was only a half million gallon tank, to seeing it now – it’s a point of pride for me. I’m happy with where Carrington is today and how it has grown.”

See our other facility spotlights.

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AgroLiquid has a manufacturing and distribution plant in Williams, Iowa. They ship products over a large area, supplying locations from Minnesota to Louisiana. Their biggest products are Pro-Germinator and High NRG-N, but they also work with the full AgroLiquid product line. The team at Williams manufactures most of the goods they ship, and they both supply raw materials and receive finished materials from other AgroLiquid facilities.

• Opened: 2004
• Acres: 29.75
• Staff: 9

Lee Gudith took over as site manager in March of 2023.

“In the simplest terms, I oversee the manufacture and distribution of fertilizer,” he said. “I manage both logistics and production. I have a team of logistics associates who are the customer-facing entity, handling calls and scheduling the loads. The production team in the back is manufacturing, loading trucks, and loading rail cars. It’s a job with a lot of moving parts, so I  help make sure everyone has the tools and information needed to do their jobs effectively, efficiently, and safely.”

Flexibility

Gudith didn’t arrive with a fertilizer background, and he was glad to start at the busiest time of the year.

“It was probably the best thing for me to be thrown into the fire, since I was immersed in it and could learn everything fairly quickly,” Gudith said. “The team was great. We currently have three people who have been here longer than I have, and they were all helpful in making suggestions, letting me know if I didn’t have the full picture, and getting me up to speed through that season.”

The Williams team is made up of nine team members, and cross training plays a big role.

“We have the flexibility to move people around to different areas,” he said. “If someone is gone in production, someone can move to containment. Like last week some people were out on vacation and some dry vans came in to deliver raw materials, Dusty Schutt, my supervisor, or I can jump on a forklift and help unload freight. Everyone is happy to jump in and help out. Everything works a lot better if everyone isn’t afraid to jump in there and get your hands dirty.”

Gudith also has a weekly operations meeting with the site managers at the other AgroLiquid plants.

“Not only do we meet, but anything something comes up, the other site managers are great resources for answering questions,” he said.

Improvements

In the summer of 2025, they installed all new production equipment, purchased four new trailers, and made other smaller upgrades.

“Along with the bigger projects, we made small in-house changes that didn’t require a lot of investment,” he said. “This made it easier for everyone to do their job – plus be even more productive.”

For the future, they are planning more facility upgrades, more projects, and recognizing where they have deficiencies and fixing them.

“The sales team does a great job of adding new customers, so we’re always looking for our gallons to grow,” he said.

Culture

At the Williams site, Gudith is appreciative of the atmosphere that makes success possible.

“I’m really proud of not just the projects and equipment, but the culture we’ve built,” he said. “People here enjoy coming to work, they enjoy working together, and everybody is quick to jump in and help – late, early, even on weekends. I think it is a really great place to work with a great group of people.”

Gudith attributed the high morale in the workplace to the AgroLiquid mindset.

“It’s not telling people to do something because I said so,” he said. “Everyone is involved in the input, and everyone has an opportunity to get involved and have a say in what goes on. Because someone can have a vision how something works, but no one knows better than the person actually doing it.”

As a team member, he also knows that a lot goes into doing a good job.

“I recognize that a lot of hard work goes into what we do – day in and day out,” he said. “It’s a gratitude mentality, and I’m thankful for my team.”

The post AgroLiquid in Williams, Iowa: Growing gallons appeared first on AgroLiquid.

We know potassium is important, but why? Potassium is a macronutrient that plays a large role in a plant’s success. AgroLiquid offers high-efficiency liquid potassium products designed to deliver this nutrient effectively and safely – Sure-K and Kalibrate.

Why potassium is important for crops

Potassium isn’t a building block like nitrogen or phosphorus. Instead, it’s considered a regulator that drives many of the plant’s processes.

Roles where potassium helps:

• Water management: Potassium regulates the opening and closing of stomata, which controls the plant’s water use and helps it resist drought and wilting.
• Nutrient and sugar transport: It helps in the movement of water, nutrients, and carbohydrates (sugars and starches) throughout the plant, from roots to leaves and into developing fruit or grain.
• Enzyme activation: Potassium activates over 60 different plant enzymes, which are needed for processes like protein synthesis and energy production.
• Stress and disease resistance: Potassium strengthens cell walls and helps the plant withstand environmental stress, disease, and pests.

The AgroLiquid advantage: Sure-K and Kalibrate

Commodity potassium fertilizers often require high application rates because a large percentage of the nutrient can quickly become unavailable in the soil. AgroLiquid’s use of proprietary Nutriq® Technology meets this challenge, since it protects the potassium so it remains plant-available longer. As a result, this allows growers to achieve the same or better results with lower concentrations.

In addition, both Sure-K and Kalibrate are chloride- and hydroxide-free, which prevents the long-term soil health damage sometimes associated with conventional potash sources.

Sure-K flexibility

Sure-K is a high-efficiency soluble potash designed to provide sustained potassium at important reproductive stages. It stimulates the growth of fruit, seeds, and tubers, leading to higher quality and greater yields.

• Sustained nutrition: It’s engineered to keep potassium available through budding, blooming, and production, making sure the plant has the potassium it needs when demand is highest.
• Application versatility: Sure-K can be applied in numerous ways, including foliar, fertigation, and side-dress applications, and is compatible with most other nutrients and crop protection products.
• Learn more about Sure-K.

Kalibrate features

Kalibrate is a full-season liquid potassium source that also delivers sulfur. It’s specifically engineered for effective application at planting.

Sulfur is needed for crops because it is a structural component for synthesizing sulfur-containing amino acids. It drives nitrogen use efficiency, since without adequate sulfur, the plant cannot efficiently convert absorbed nitrogen into usable protein. Plus, sulfur is necessary for chlorophyll formation and directly impacts the quality of the final harvest.

• Early-season delivery: Kalibrate provides plants with nutritional support from the moment they start growing.
• Sulfur: Sulfur is important for amino acid, protein, and oil formation. Kalibrate’s inclusion of crop-available sulfur helps, especially in sandy soils or high-rainfall areas where sulfur can more easily leach away.
• Freeze resistance: Kalibrate is formulated to resist freezing, making it an ideal choice for fall or early-spring delivery in northern climates.

Learn more about potassium.

Choosing your potassium source

The decision between Sure-K and Kalibrate often comes down to timing and the need for sulfur. Kalibrate is an excellent choice for application during planting where early potassium and sulfur are needed. Sure-K provides a highly flexible solution for in-season application to support reproductive development and late-season needs.

But you don’t really need to choose. Both potassium products deliver the high-efficiency potassium your crops need to be successful, and you get the most out of every acre while promoting soil health over the long term.

To learn more about Sure-K, Kalibrate, and other AgroLiquid solutions, visit www.agroliquid.com.

~

Stephanie Zelinko is an agronomist for AgroLiquid.

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AgroLiquid has several facilities across the United States for manufacturing, distribution, and research. The first one we’re going to feature is in Ashley, Michigan. The Ashley facility is a manufacturing and distribution center for the company’s liquid plant nutrition products.

• Opened: 2011
• Acres: 14
• Staff: 15

The facility, managed by Tom Hoten since 2011, is a manufacturing and distribution center that helps AgroLiquid deliver high-quality plant nutrition.

Manufacturing and research

The Ashley facility is also the birthplace of new ideas and products for the entire company.

“The research and development products are made here,” Tom said. “We then send them out to various locations throughout the country.”

Once manufactured and tested, the final products are shipped out to the dealer network in a variety of sizes to meet every customer’s need.

“For example, everything leaves here as a liquid in 2.5-gallon container, 275-gallon cage tote, semi-tanker, or a rail car,” he said.

Every season has different challenges, like recognizing the right indicators to make decisions to help stay in front of demand curves. Weather is always a big factor, and it involves paying attention to what’s going on in the regions, and this helps decide where to heavily apply resources, and where to pull back. For the facility leaders, it’s a lot of constantly observing, tweaking, and making decisions along the way.

“It’s challenging but fun, and that’s what I like about it,” Tom said. “It’s never monotonous. It’s the same task, but you have to go about it differently to be successful at it.”

Efficient

The entire operation is powered by 15 people. According to Tom, this structure is by design.

“We run a pretty lean crew,” he said. “It’s intentional because of the seasonality of the business – spring is the busiest, late summer is the slowest, and this way it works well. We’re very efficient.”

This efficiency depends on communication and versatility. The Ashley team uses a collaborative and all-hands-on-deck approach.

“It requires a lot of communication because there’s a lot of moving parts with the day-to-day operation,” Tom said. “Everyone knows how to do everything here so when someone is sick or takes time off, someone can just slide over and pick up the slack.”

Growth

Since 2011, the facility has seen significant growth. For instance, last year they added one million more gallons of storage to the facility. As for infrastructure, they plan on updating and upgrading their fleet. They do all their own transportation and work to meet customer demand and needs with fresh, current, and clean trucks.

Looking ahead, their goal is to continue to perform at a high level, evaluate current processes, and see if they fit their needs as a growing company.

“What might fit today might not tomorrow,” Tom said. “We’re focusing on continuous improvement, making sure we have the right people in the right places, and making sure everyone has the right resources to be successful.”

Ultimately, the success of the Ashley facility comes down to its people, and Tom likes the way his team works together.

“I’m proud of my team’s commitment to the company,” he said. “They step up to the tasks and make things happen.”

The post AgroLiquid in Ashley, Michigan: Stepping up appeared first on AgroLiquid.

We know N, P, and K don’t work in isolation, and nutrients in your soil are in a constant state of interaction. They have relationships – some beneficial, some competitive. Understanding and managing these relationships is the next step in fine-tuning your crop nutrition strategy.

Nutrient interactions

When one nutrient influences the uptake and use of another, it’s called a nutrient interaction. This affects your crop’s health and final yield. These interactions are usually in two categories. These include:

• Synergistic

A synergistic relationship is when two nutrients work together to produce a yield response that is greater than the sum of their individual effects. They amplify each other’s strengths.

• Antagonistic

Antagonism is the opposite. This happens when a high concentration of one nutrient hinders the uptake or use of another. Even if a nutrient is present in the soil, an antagonistic interaction can create a deficiency in the plant, which limits yield.

On your farm

Of course, this is happening in our fields every season. Most macronutrients have synergistic relationships. For example, N and K work together to improve plant health and growth. This synergy means that a balanced application of N and K can improve the efficiency of your nitrogen, which can help you achieve the same yield with less N.

Of course, there’s also the antagonist side. The most common antagonistic relationships happen between micronutrients that are cations (positively charged ions), like zinc, copper, iron, and magnesium. Basically, plants have doorways into them, and the cations with the same charge are all trying to get through the same ones. If you flood the entrance with an excess of one nutrient, it can physically block the others from getting in. For instance, an excessive amount of zinc can compete with copper, preventing the plant from absorbing enough even when it’s present in the soil.

Management strategies

Knowing these interactions exist is the first step – and using it to make a profit is the next one! Consider:

1. Prioritize balance: The first step in a fertility program is a soil test and analysis. Trying to avoid too much application of any nutrient helps reduce antagonistic competition from the start.
2. Use advanced formulations: How your fertilizer is formulated matters. This can mean combining synergistic nutrients in one application for the most benefit, or it can mean using chelated nutrients that prevent them from getting tied up in the soil – or competing with other elements – for uptake. Learn about AgroLiquid and the Nutriq difference.
3. Use multiple application routes: If you know you have high levels of a competing cation in your soil, you can bypass the issue by getting at the root. A foliar application is a great way to deliver nutrients directly to the plant tissue. This way, you can be sure it gets what it needs during important growth states.

Avoiding negative interactions while promoting positive ones is a great way to increase your yield. By thinking about not just what you apply, but how nutrients work together, you can help your crop get the full benefit of your fertility investment.

What’s next

Explore our resources to learn more!

• See our years of AgroLiquid research.
• Watch our video series Back 2 Basics.
• Have a crop problem you’re trying to solve? Ask an agronomist.

The post Nutrient interactions in the soil: How can you help? appeared first on AgroLiquid.

It’s easy to focus just on getting the crop out of the field. It’s the most exciting time of the year! However, the groundwork for a profitable next season starts now. By using the final weeks as an evaluation period, you can use this year’s crop to make better decisions for next time.

How can you build a better plan for the 2026 season? We spoke with AgroLiquid sales agronomist Stephanie Zelinko about what growers can do.

Why plan now
According to Stephanie, it’s important to start planning now, before harvest is over. Evaluating your existing crop at the end of the season is a great way to get started on the coming year’s crop. Walking fields now, as the crop is finishing up its lifecycle, allows you see where your nutrient program may have run short.

“Did you have enough nitrogen and potassium to finish the crop, or were deficiencies starting to show up?” Stephanie asked. “How do your corn ears look, and are your soybeans full pod to the top? Your crops communicate – all you have to do is watch. Then you take that information to help build a better program for next season.”

Pest damage and future influence
Growers need to take note about weeds, diseases, or insect damage that could influence decisions for next season, since a plant’s ability to handle stress impacts your final yield. By combining a pest management strategy with a nutrition program, you can help create a more resilient crop. Plus, planning ahead for threats like these helps you respond quickly if they do happen.

“Any stress will limit yield, and controlling pests will reduce the stress load on the crop,” Stephanie said. “From the nutrition side, having a healthy plant will help them through periods of stress. Potassium plays in key role in stress management, and foliar applications applied with your crop protection will help the plant recover quicker.”

The value of data
To get a complete picture, there is definite value in taking late-season plant tissue samples and soil samples. Soil, tissue and sap samples are all good ways to see how your soil and plant are doing and can help connect the dots once yield results come in. Looking over all this information can help improve outcomes for the next year. Once growers have data – notes, yield maps, soil tests – they can turn it into a plan. Since there is a lot of information, it’s helpful finding someone to put it all together.

“The more data you can get from the field the better decisions you can make,” Stephanie said.

Looking ahead: The biggest challenge for 2026
Based on what Stephanie is seeing in the fields and economic climate this year, she shared what change she thinks many growers will need to make for 2026.

“I think the biggest challenge this year and will continue into 2026 is the overall ag economy,” she said. “I think growers are doing a good job overall managing through this time. However, as we continue to see this in another season growers should be conscious on where they are cutting back. Growing a crop off of ‘banked’ nutrients can be a short-term solution, however, as the economic state continues this bank will need to be replenished.”

Before harvest, look at your crop and your data, set a budget, and work through that information so you can spend your dollars to best serve the crop and your farm. Here’s to a great harvest, and an even better kickoff to next season!

The post How to prepare for the 2026 season – before harvest appeared first on AgroLiquid.

Another day, another chance to grow!

Bill Spiegel hosted agronomic experts Stephanie Zelinko of AgroLiquid and Layne Miles of XtremeAg. They discussed how to look at your own operation through the lens of its collected data and adapt your crop nutrition plan to your fields’ exact needs.

Of course – every farmer is looking at every other farmers’ field. While it’s tempting to adopt practices on neighboring farms, the reality is that each field is different. Testing and data help growers make the best decisions, yield, and profit.

How can growers use data in crop nutrition management? Let’s explore:

Specific land qualities

Stephanie and Layne emphasized that what works for one farm might not work for another due to variations in historical management practices, soil types, and environmental conditions. Stephanie gave a specific example of a farmer who purchased land adjacent to his, which he thought would have similar qualities. However, the soil test results were dramatically different due to past management.

“Again, you don’t know those management practices of all your neighbors, and so if you don’t know what they’re doing, it’s really hard …you need to make sure you know what’s working and test it yourself before you make those decisions,” Stephanie said.

Soil testing

Stephanie emphasized that a current and complete soil test is the best starting point for any crop nutrition program. It provides a baseline understanding of what nutrients are present and what might be needed for the best crop performance.

On-farm research

Both experts suggest that conducting on-farm trials lets growers see for themselves how different approaches perform under their specific conditions. Layne shared his practice of testing new ideas on a limited acreage using replicated strips to account for field variations.

“If it’s something new, I don’t like to go out and do 200 or 300 acres without knowing what I’m spending,” he said. He explained that you can understand your standard practice costs and returns, know what you spend on the new practice, and therefore can calculate your actual ROI.

Stephanie agreed, suggesting that new practices be tried on 20 acres – enough to get a good yield reading, but not devastating if it doesn’t perform as well as the grower wants.

ROI

The most important measure of a successful nutrition program is its return on investment. Stephanie pointed out that while a practice might increase yield, growers need to determine if the added cost justifies the gain.

“When you farm you know it’s going to come down to that return on investment,” Stephanie said. “So fertility programs are a big portion of a grower’s budget – anywhere between 16 and 22 percent of the anticipated income typically goes to a fertility program. Growers have to manage a lot of things in their operation, and fertility is just one piece of that.”

Yield maps and other data

Yield maps provide valuable end-of-season data, but they should be considered alongside other information like soil tests and tissue samples. Stephanie warned that a single year’s yield data might be influenced by unusual weather patterns and suggested growers gather several seasons of data collection. Layne explained how he overlays application maps with yield maps to analyze how specific treatments perform.

Win rates

Stephanie explained win rates, which involves creating a database of research data across different environments to determine the likelihood of a positive yield and economic return from specific nutrient applications or practices. This helps growers make more confident decisions about what to test on their own farms.

“This allows a grower to help make better decisions for his operation, so when looking at a specific nutrient or variable, you can take all those data points you collected across the country and figure out when you’re going to see a return,” she said.

Information sharing

Layne highlighted the value of communication between farmers on XtremeAg, encouraging farmers to ask questions and share their experiences. Stephanie offered AgroLiquid’s website and contact information for anyone looking for farming resources.

What works for the farm next door might not work for you, so what really makes a difference in crop nutrition is using data that’s specific to your operation. When growers perform soil tests, track results through on-farm trials, and calculate ROI, they’re making decisions based on solid facts. Combining that data with even more tools – like yield maps and win rate trends – helps build a nutrition plan that fits the land. This plan leads to better yields, higher profits, and more success each season.

See the discussion for yourself: Data that works for you

Visit XtremeAg.farm

Contact AgroLiquid crop experts

The post Data that works for you: What do the experts say? appeared first on AgroLiquid.

Side dress is a way to apply inputs between the rows of already-growing crops. Instead of broadcasting the application over the entire field, a side dress places nutrients close to the roots.

As growers, what do we need to know about side dress? Consider these three points:

1. Timing is everything

Like so many things in life, the timing of the side dress matters! Side dressing works for nutrient adjustment during the growing season, so crops can get what they need in the times they need it. This is particularly important for nitrogen, which can often be lost through leaching, volatilization, and runoff.

By watching the growth and performing soil tests, growers can find the right timing and rate of application. By doing it carefully, this approach reduces waste and maximizes nutrient uptake by the crop. At AgroLiquid, we’re happy to help you look at your soil test results and see what products would work best for your specific needs.

Check out our study Fertilizer Programs for Corn Silage. This trial evaluated a corn silage nutrition program developed based on soil test reports and grower yield goals, compared to a grower standard program.

2. Placement matters

Side dressing places nutrients close to the active root zone, which helps with absorption and reduces loss. This is always important, but it’s even more important during periods of fast growth when the nutrient demand is high. Though broadcasting sometimes doesn’t cause problems, side dress applications puts nutrients in a localized area, making them completely available to the crop. Picture spraying a hose over a garden vs. watering each plant at the base. It’s a specific, precise application. AgroLiquid products work well with side dress applications, since the liquid can provide a uniform nutrient distribution.

See our research: Nitrogen Product and Enhancement Comparison. This study evaluated the effectiveness of AgroLiquid’s High NRG-N compared to 28% UAN, and also examined the impact of adding accesS to UAN in corn.

3. Get flexible

Weather and market conditions are always changing…and so can farming practices. Side dress application provides the flexibility to adjust nutrient inputs based on your current needs. Maybe you’re looking at nitrogen deficiencies after a heavy rain, or you’re supplementing potassium during a growth stage – in many situations, side dress application lets you quickly respond. Plus, when side dress application is paired with soil testing, it is an even more precise way to manage nutrients. nutrient management.

In our High Management Corn Nutritional study, we evaluated the yield and economic impact of a corn liquid starter fertilizer and foliar
nutritional program in an irrigated environment.

Side dress application is an approach that uses timing, strategic placement, and management that can adapt to variable conditions. By tailoring nutrient application to crop needs, growers can deliver inputs directly to the root – while still remaining flexible in response to changing conditions. Backed by AgroLiquid’s research and support, these three points help growers improve their crop performance.

For more resources, see:

• AgroLiquid side dress research – See all our studies that involve a side dress application.
• Answers for your crop questions – Contact the experts! They are happy to talk with you about how best to meet your crop goals.
• Back 2 Basics – This video series works through how to create a crop fertility plan based on a complete soil analysis.

The post Three points to know about side dress application appeared first on AgroLiquid.

AgroLiquid wants growers to get more juice for the squeeze. Comparing different programs and the varying results is the best way to see what works for citrus farmers.

Let’s look at comparing different aspects of citrus programs.

AgroLiquid Citrus Trial Brix, Yield, and Size of Fruit
This study compared two fertilizer programs:
• Grower standard: Nitrogen (180 lbs), 10-34-0 (140 lbs), Potassium (160 lbs), and Thiosulfate.
• AgroLiquid: Nitrogen (154 lbs), PrG (90 lbs), and Kalibrate (140 lbs).

Findings
• Brix: The AgroLiquid program resulted in a significantly higher Brix level (5.9) compared to the grower standard program (5.6). This shows the fruit from the AgroLiquid program had a higher sugar content, which is important for fruit quality and taste.
• Fruit size: The AgroLiquid program produced larger fruit. The combined percentage of large and jumbo-sized fruit was 65% in the AgroLiquid program, compared to 60% in the Grower standard program. Larger fruit can have an economic advantage for growers, since larger sizes usually get higher prices.
• Yield: The overall yield difference between the two programs was reported as “very small,” suggesting that both programs were comparable in terms of total fruit production.

Conclusions
The AgroLiquid program’s ability to increase Brix levels indicates improved fruit quality. Plus, the higher percentage of large and jumbo size fruit in the AgroLiquid program is an economic advantage.

The AgroLiquid program demonstrated a clear advantage in improving both the Brix level and the size of fruit. While the overall yield was similar to the grower’s standard, the improved fruit quality and the larger fruit shows the AgroLiquid program could offer growers an opportunity to increase their profits.

AgroLiquid Citrus Trial Comparing ROI GS vs AgroLiquid
This compared AgroLiquid to a grower’s standard program, specifically focusing on the ROI in a mandarin crop.
• Grower standard: This program consisted of Nitrogen (180 lbs), 10-34-0 (140 lbs), Potassium (160 lbs), and Thiosulfate.
• AgroLiquid: The AgroLiquid program used Nitrogen (154 lbs), PrG (90 lbs), and Kalibrate (140 lbs).

The goal was to evaluate the impact of each program on the profitability for the grower.

Findings:
– ROI: The AgroLiquid program generated an impressive $720 more profit per acre compared to the grower standard program.
– Savings: The AgroLiquid program saved $74.25 per acre for the grower compared to the traditional approach. This lower input cost directly contributes to a higher profit.
– Value per pound: The AgroLiquid program yielded $0.02 more per pound compared to the grower standard.
– Size: AgroLiquid produced 5% more large and jumbo fruit compared to the grower standard.

Conclusions
The results of this trial show a strong economic advantage for mandarin growers using AgroLiquid. The combination of reduced input costs and increased revenue – driven by improved fruit size and quality – can lead to an increase in profit.

AgroLiquid Citrus Trial Comparing Yield and Gross Income
This compared a grower standard fertilizer program to an AgroLiquid program where phosphorus and potassium sources were replaced with AgroLiquid’s PrG and Kalibrate in a mandarin crop. The study focused on the impact on yield and gross income per acre.

• Grower standard (GS): Nitrogen (180 lbs), 10-34-0 (140 lbs), Potassium (160 lbs), and Thiosulfate.
• AgroLiquid (AL): Nitrogen (154 lbs), PrG (90 lbs), and Kalibrate (140 lbs).

Findings
• Yield: The grower standard produced 34,762 lbs/acre, and the AgroLiquid program yielded 34,879 lbs/acre, which is very similar.
• Gross income: Despite the comparable yields, compared to the grower standard, the AgroLiquid treatment significantly increased the gross income per acre by $646. The AgroLiquid program generated a gross income of $9,578.21 per acre, and the grower standard was $8,932.12 per acre.
• Fruit size: The difference in gross income was due to the AgroLiquid program producing bigger fruit size and a greater quantity of fruit. This suggests that while the total weight of harvested fruit was similar, the AgroLiquid program yielded more valuable, larger fruit.
• Performance: The trial showed AgroLiquid PrG and Kalibrate provided better yield quality and sizing compared to the grower standard.

Conclusions
This shows that focusing only on total yield might not fully capture the financial benefits of a fertilizer program. While both programs produced a similar amount of fruit by weight, the AgroLiquid program’s fruit size added to the gross income. The $646 per acre increase is a financial advantage for growers using AgroLiquid. This trail shows that using AgroLiquid products like PrG and Kalibrate can lead to a more valuable harvest, even without a significant increase in yield.

Across this study, there’s a common theme: AgroLiquid programs offer benefits that can lead to increased profits. While the overall yield may be similar to traditional programs, AgroLiquid consistently demonstrates advantages in fruit quality, fruit size, and ROI per acre. And what does ROI translate into? A juicer squeeze.

Get started on improving your citrus crop today:

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As a result, wheat that hits a specific protein threshold receives a premium price on the market. This is an obvious economic incentive for growers to manage crops to get the highest protein levels possible.

How can nutrient management best increase protein levels in wheat, and how can AgroLiquid help? Let’s explore.

Wheat characteristics
Genetic selection and agronomic practices play important roles in protein content, but there is also a direct impact from nutrients, particularly nitrogen and sulfur.

For nitrogen, growers have a few options for helping wheat reach its full potential:

• Base nitrogen applications
  First, growers can begin with soil testing to understand existing nutrient levels. While considering the region and economics, it’s helpful to set realistic yield goals and protein targets. Then, use the nitrogen application that works best with these targets.
• Split applications
  With split applications, growers can divide nitrogen applications to match the crop’s needs throughout the growing season. An initial amount supports early growth and establishment, while later applications can be timed to improve the accumulation of protein in the grain.
• Late-season nitrogen
  Also, consider late-season nitrogen application. Foliar nitrogen applications around flag leaf, anthesis (flowering), or post-anthesis can be effective for increasing grain protein. Also, make sure that the foundational nitrogen needs for yield have already been met, and carefully manage foliar applications to prevent leaf burn.

The role of sulfur
While nitrogen gets the most attention for protein improvement, Sulfur also plays a large role. In fact, sulfur is increasingly recognized as a support for both wheat yield and quality, including protein content.

An adequate supply of sulfur is needed for the plant to synthesize complete proteins, and it’s also important for the formation of chlorophyll and photosynthetic processes.

Plus, sufficient sulfur is needed for the plant to effectively convert nitrogen into protein. It’s helpful to watch for signs of sulfur deficiency, like the yellowing of new leaves. Soil tests can determine the need for sulfur fertilization, especially when using high nitrogen rates or in soils known to be sulfur-deficient.

Products that can help
Focusing on nitrogen and sulfur helps elevate protein levels in wheat, and AgroLiquid offers two products that can be integrated into nutrient management plans to achieve these goals: NResponse and Micro 500.

NResponse
NResponse is designed to address the nutrient needs for protein development. It delivers a balanced supply of nitrogen and sulfur, the two drivers of protein accumulation.

• Nitrogen – The nitrogen in NResponse fuels the synthesis of amino acids, which are the building blocks of protein in the wheat kernel. By providing available nitrogen, especially when applied through split or late-season applications, NResponse contributes to higher grain protein concentrations.
• Sulfur – The sulfur component in NResponse plays a role in helping the plant efficiently use the applied nitrogen. Sulfur is needed for the formation of certain amino acids that are components of gluten proteins. Ensuring adequate sulfur availability through NResponse allows the wheat plant to convert nitrogen into protein more effectively.

Growers can use NResponse as part of their nitrogen management program. For instance, incorporating NResponse into a late-season foliar application can provide the readily available nitrogen and sulfur needed to push protein levels higher during grain fill, when protein accumulation is most active.

Micro 500
Micro 500 offers a blend of micronutrients – zinc, manganese, iron, copper, and boron – that play a supporting role in achieving high protein wheat.

• Plant health – These micronutrients help with enzyme activation, chlorophyll production, and nutrient uptake. Making sure these micronutrients are not limiting allows the wheat plant to function at its best and use the applied nitrogen and sulfur for protein synthesis.
• Nitrogen metabolism – Adequate levels of zinc and manganese help plants convert absorbed nitrogen into protein.

Micro 500 can be integrated into the nutrient management plan through soil or foliar applications, depending on soil test results and plant tissue analysis. By helping with a balanced supply of all essential micronutrients, Micro 500 helps create an environment where the wheat plant can maximize its genetic potential for protein production in response to nitrogen and sulfur applications.

AgroLiquid support
By strategically using NResponse and Micro 500, growers can create a comprehensive nutrient management program that directly targets the nutritional requirements for high protein wheat. The crop, the yield, and the economic benefits will follow. Or in other words, more bread for your bread.

Ready to get started? We’d love to talk. Contact us at AgroLiquid today.

The post More bread for your bread: How nutrient management can increase protein levels in wheat appeared first on AgroLiquid.