Sugar beet growers next to benefit from Meristem’s BIO-CAPSULE Technology™

Date:01-05-2024

Keeping microbes alive and vigorous is bringing big benefits to corn and soybean growers this year, and Meristem Crop Performance^® has announced a best-in-class formulation for sugar beet growers.

″Massive roots, more nutrients, higher yields – farmers saw great results this past season with REVLINE^® HOPPER THROTTLE™ powered by the BIO-CAPSULE™ Technology microbial delivery system,″ said Mitch Eviston, Meristem’s Founder and CEO. ″Now sugar beet farmers will be able to gain the advantage of delivering a full load of vigorous microbes and micronutrients directly to the point of impact.″

REVLINE HOPPER THROTTLE SUGARBEET is specially formulated to build stronger, healthier plants faster and drive early-season N-fixation. Each five-pound pail will treat 10 boxes (80 acres) of sugar beet seed and carries a base product of iron, manganese and IONLOCK™ Zinc in a best-in-class 80/20 talc/graphite seed fluency agent.

Four unique BIO-CAPSULES are held inside the pail to be activated at planting. Each represents an additive specially formulated for sugar beets:

Terrasym 401. A mesophilic, pink-pigmented, strictly aerobic, gram-negative, nitrogen-fixing bacillus. Forms a season long partnership with targeted crop for benefits from planting to harvest.

Microbial 9 Pack. A first-of-its-kind biological consortia containing four nitrogen-fixing Azotobacter species along with five plant growth promoting rhizobacteria (PGRP’s) to get the sugar beet crop off to a healthy and rigorous start.

Active Carbon. Naturally occurring mixture of biologically active compounds selected for aggressive activity. Active Carbon enhances germination and root growth and feeds and energizes microbial communities.

Inceptive^® Biological Nematicide. An EPA-registered biochemical pesticide seed treatment that suppresses nematode egg production, increases plant stamina, and improves yield potential. It enhances the plant’s natural defense system against parasitic nematodes with no effect on beneficial species of nematodes.

In-field research in corn and soybeans has demonstrated up to 10-times the number of live microbes can be delivered through the BIO-CAPSULE to the seed through the planter box when compared to seed treatment or liquid starter. The benefit is fast emergence, a strong stand, and better plant health all season-long.

″Having a way to effectively deliver biologicals to the sugar beet acre has been a challenge for producers,″ explains Izaak Rathke, Meristem’s North Country Sales Director. ″Seed treatments have been kind of hit-or-miss, but now farmers will be able to see the benefits of biologicals while gaining more flexibility and convenience at planting time with the BIO-CAPSULE delivery system.″

Rathke says farmers should note that the IONLOCK Zinc in the pail is specially formulated to effectively deliver much more zinc to each of those seeds through the planter box than through other means. ″It’s produced to go easier on the microbes,″ he says, ″and it’s a really good way to deliver nutrition that will benefit the plant all season long.″

Chris Thrasher, Meristem’s Director of Innovation and Product Management, says the BIO-CAPSULE is a true game-changer in bringing fertility to the soil through biologicals. ″Now we are able to bring the proper load of bios and micros to the crop and put them, safely, right where they need to be,″ Thrasher explains. ″As an industry, we’ve tried to put more on the seed through seed treatment, but available space on the seed is limited. Now we can adhere to the seed in a high enough concentration to change the effectiveness of biologicals.″

Thrasher adds that BIO-CAPSULE TECHNOLOGY also provides a path forward for other biological companies and start-ups who’ve discovered beneficial microbes that face the same challenge of formulation, transportation, and field delivery. ″I am really excited about the results we are seeing not only for yield response but with the higher microbe survival, we are seeing more results on biological effectiveness on targeted response. This is going to build more confidence in the power of biologicals.″