Don’t Forget the Z
Mar 07, 2022
Starter fertilizers, applied in-furrow or 2 x 2, are the fuel for new seedlings as they germinate and establish good roots. And while the liquid starters – 10-34-0 or 6-24-6 – do a good job in the macronutrient department (N, P, and K), they lack a key micronutrient that significantly benefits the young plants:
Zinc.
Federated recommends USA500 as a universal starter additive to provide the extra dose (6%) of the zinc (Z) your crop needs. (It also adds another 5% boost of N, but the Z is critical.)
Applied at a rate of 48 oz./ac., USA500 helps protect yield potential while also promoting healthy roots and overall plant structure. It “enhances and protects nutritional components of applied starter fertilizers” (see fact sheet).
The EDTA chelated zinc in USA500 can help young plants weather – literally – the cool springs typical of Federated’s service areas. The cool soils and air temps are “a stressful time for the corn seed to be emerging,” said Don Lamker, Federated agronomy sales rep for the Ogilvie and Rush City locations.
“Putting on a little starter additive gets [the plants] off to a better start. You can see the difference visually – it greens up quicker,” he said. Without the additive, plants take longer to catch up, and “if it’s taking longer to get going, it’s subject to other factors, such as disease,” he said. Factors you can’t predict.
The cold soils of spring make USA500 a solid recommendation for your fields in 2022. Talk to your Federated Agronomist to get your corn crop off to a stronger start with USA500 starter additive.
Zinc.
Federated recommends USA500 as a universal starter additive to provide the extra dose (6%) of the zinc (Z) your crop needs. (It also adds another 5% boost of N, but the Z is critical.)
Applied at a rate of 48 oz./ac., USA500 helps protect yield potential while also promoting healthy roots and overall plant structure. It “enhances and protects nutritional components of applied starter fertilizers” (see fact sheet).
The EDTA chelated zinc in USA500 can help young plants weather – literally – the cool springs typical of Federated’s service areas. The cool soils and air temps are “a stressful time for the corn seed to be emerging,” said Don Lamker, Federated agronomy sales rep for the Ogilvie and Rush City locations.
“Putting on a little starter additive gets [the plants] off to a better start. You can see the difference visually – it greens up quicker,” he said. Without the additive, plants take longer to catch up, and “if it’s taking longer to get going, it’s subject to other factors, such as disease,” he said. Factors you can’t predict.
The cold soils of spring make USA500 a solid recommendation for your fields in 2022. Talk to your Federated Agronomist to get your corn crop off to a stronger start with USA500 starter additive.