Koch Agronomic Services’ nutritional solution PROTIVATE provides crops greater growth from the start

Date:08-03-2022

Growers looking to provide the critical nutrition needed for early crop establishment can now turn to PROTIVATE™ nutritional seed enhancer from Koch Agronomic Services (KAS). With proprietary blends of nutrients applied directly to the seed, PROTIVATE is tailored to provide early season nutrition needed to maximize emergence and resilience for a variety of crops, from corn and soybean to cotton, wheat, canola, alfalfa and more.

″Growers need every advantage they can get to combat the limiting factors that are out of their control,″ said Tim Laatsch, the North America director of agronomy at KAS. ″PROTIVATE is a tool in a grower’s toolbox to alleviate post-planting uncertainties surrounding nutrient availability. At planting, we often encounter cold and wet soils — factors which restrict the access of critical nutrients and cause poor emergence.″

With limiting factors hindering the potential of young plants, growers can use field-proven products to help during the vital early growth stages. PROTIVATE, previously sold under the name ROCKET SEEDS^®, offers growers that advantage.

″Young plants need nutrition early on to get the right start,″ said Bud Price, a grower in Dillon, S.C. ″PROTIVATE gives me the confidence and peace of mind that I’m giving my crop the nutrition needed to help succeed throughout the growing season. It’s a good choice that helps provide my crop with the strongest possible start.″

THREE FORMULATIONS FOR MORE FLEXIBILITY

The PROTIVATE portfolio features three formulations and application methods that can fit the equipment available for growers or retailers. This provides flexible, highly efficient ways to put nutrition right where the crop needs it.

Each formulation contains phosphate, manganese and zinc, which support shoot and root growth during crop establishment, photosynthesis and driving the metabolic reactions needed for a plant to reach optimum growth and yield potential.

In addition, NU4-DRI also contains nitrogen, which is a critical component for capturing sunlight energy through photosynthesis. This formulation is grower-applied directly in the planter.

Specially formulated for use in soybean and pulse crops, NU5-DRI and NU5-LUX also contain iron and molybdenum, contributing to an improved metabolic process, supporting proper nodulation development and efficient nitrogen fixation. While NU5-DRI can be applied at the planter, NU5-LUX is used in downstream/retailer applications and contains an added shine component.

TALC REPLACEMENT

As a highly concentrated source of nutrition for young crops, the PROTIVATE portfolio also boasts an additional operational advantage as a talc replacement. PROTIVATE works as a seed-drying source, even in high humidity conditions. This encourages better seed singulation, helping to avoid costly skips and doubles during planting.

″Growers will like the seed nutrition provided by PROTIVATE as well as the lubricity it offers, eliminating the need for talc,″ said Will Rice, assistant manager of Carolina Eastern. ″As a flow agent, it will give them confidence the seed is planting as it should be while providing the early season nutrition crops need.″

4R NUTRIENT STEWARDSHIP

The 4R Nutrient Stewardship initiative provides a framework for growers to effectively manage their nutrient inputs. With it, growers can optimize their nutrient management practices and potentially improve for higher yields. PROTIVATE supports the 4R Nutrient Stewardship framework, so crops get the nutrition they need from the right source, at the right rate and time, in the right place.