Valent U.S.A. launches new soil enhancement tool to help corn growers get more out of every acre

Valent U.S.A. LLC recently announced the launch of MycoApply® EndoPrime™ for corn. MycoApply EndoPrime is applied in-furrow and uses four unique species of mycorrhizal fungi to help improve nutrient efficiency, drought tolerance and yield potential.

MycoApply EndoPrime colonizes the root system of the corn plant, and creates filaments known as hyphae that attach to root hairs, and extend into areas of the soil which are inaccessible to the roots. In addition to reaching further, the hyphae produce enzymes that release nutrients tied up in the soil and also create vesicles to store resources until they are needed by the plant. This unique activity of MycoApply EndoPrime is what allows the root system to go where it never has before and give corn growers the ability to increase yield potential.

Across 24 trials over two years, MycoApply EndoPrime demonstrated a 75% win rate versus an untreated check and an average 4.7 bushels per acre (bu/A) yield advantage.

Todd Mayhew, product development manager with Valent U.S.A., said "the key advantage of MycoApply EndoPrime is that it expands the root network versus other methods that attempt to enhance what already exists in the plant, such as a plant growth regulator. This allows the plant to go beyond what is already available, and reach further into the soil to use what is there, but previously inaccessible."

Upper Midwest growers evaluated MycoApply EndoPrime in their cornfields as part of a 2017 national trial demonstration and the advantages were significant: 57% of growers saw a fuller/bigger root mass compared to untreated corn.  

When drought conditions were present, MycoApply EndoPrime demonstrated a strong advantage:  "We had about a 15-bushel yield increase on the MycoApply EndoPrime treated side versus the untreated side, so that's an exciting thing," said Matt Polpeter, a retailer from Wever, Iowa
Mike Mammele, a retailer and grower from Dawson, MN said: "I would recommend this product because when you apply it to corn, and have that larger root mass, if you go through a stressful period, the plant could still absorb more moisture and nutrients due to the larger root mass."

For spring of 2018, Valent has developed an optimized formulation of MycoApply EndoPrime that will pre-slurry more easily than the pre-launch formulation.  For more information on MycoApply EndoPrime, visit www.valent.com/endoprime or contact your local Valent sales representative.

Valent to discuss MycoApply EndoPrime at Commodity Classic 2018:
Be sure to attend the 'What's New' session, Leverage your Soil—Build a Stronger Root system with a New Technology, on Wednesday February 28th at Commodity Classic in Anaheim, California. A panel of experts and users will discuss how MycoApply EndoPrime works to improve nutrient efficiency, drought tolerance and yield potential for the corn crop.

EndoPrime is a trademark and MycoApply is a registered trademark of Mycorrhizal Applications, LLC.