We’re committed to regenerative ag. We also use every tool available to help our clients succeed. One of those tools is nanotechnology. We partner with Aqua-Yield to bring you success with their nanoparticle technology.

Only Use Those Nano Products Your Ag Operation Needs

We know every farm or ranch is unique. Soils, climate, and cropping systems all determine input needs. Fertilizers and crop protectants are part of most modern farm operations. 

But with the cost of inputs rising, the question is how to get the most nutrient into your crop for your money. Nanoparticle technology increases the absorption of inputs into the plant structure. That means less leaching. It’s saving you money while protecting the environment.

A bonus of nanotechnology is the decrease in salt levels across the board. Fertilizers are salts. Every time you apply fertilizer you’re adding salt, in some form, to your fields. Because nanotechnology makes fertilizer use more efficient you can decrease your application rate by 10-20% and maintain yield.

At ST Biologicals we use a number of products formulated by Aqua-Yield for better nutrient absorption. Here is a brief explanation of each product and why we recommend it to many of our clients. 

Phosphorus for Higher Crop Quality and Quantity

Phosphorus (P) is known as the “quality nutrient.” It needs to not just be in the soil but be in an available form for plant uptake. Plants with the correct amount of phosphorus are more resilient to drought, disease, and insect pressures. 

You can have too little or too much phosphorus. Both situations decrease yield and plant health. To make your phosphorus fertilizer applications efficient NanoPhos is the nano product we recommend. 

It’s effective when used with your current fertility program as a foliar spray mid-season. Phosphorus activates plant enzymes that control photosynthesis and respiration. NanoPhos puts the P right where it’s needed on the leaf so it’s readily absorbed. 

NanoPhos is also an effective in-furrow addition to your fertilizer. Because the nanoparticles attract nutrient anions and cations they are able to deliver phosphorus to the plants’ roots before it becomes tied up in soil chemical reactions.

Phosphorus in plant cells makes them stronger, mitigates drought stress, and regulates water. With NanoPhos you get stronger, thicker plant leaves and stems that are less appealing to insects or disease. 

More Efficient Macronutrient Absorption with Nanoparticles

When plants are stressed by either abiotic or biotic pressures they aren’t able to develop a robust system. NanoStress is a product that delivers phosphorus (P) and potassium (K) to plants to reduce stress. 

Incorporating NanoStress into your regular fertilization program means you’ll use less fertilizer. When you get greater absorption your fertilizer bills go down. The usual application rate of NanoStress nanoparticles is 2-6 ounces/acre when added to your spray tank fertilizer mix. You can cut your fertilizer costs by 10-20% and get better yields. 

 Abiotic stress causes many nutrient deficiencies in crops. NanoStress is only one product to counteract abiotic stresses. Another is NanoCalSi.

Drought and Saline Soil Conditions Impact Nutrient Uptake

If there are too many nutrients in the soil, especially potassium and magnesium, they will block calcium uptake in plants’ roots. Saline soils have high levels of chlorides of sodium, calcium, and magnesium. 

Salinity issues are compounded by drought. Most fertilizers will just sit in the soil without enough moisture. Plants receive nutrients whenever they take up water.

With water being hoarded by salts in the soil or lack of rainfall regular fertilizers are ineffective. NanoCalSi is used as either a foliar spray or in-furrow to boost the efficiency of your calcium fertilizer.

This product has a unique silica formulation that improves soil health while feeding your plants. We’ve seen an overall improvement in crop health and yields using NanoCalSi on saline soils.

The macronutrients are important but a fertilization program that doesn’t include micronutrients leads to a lack of balance in the soil. Whenever there’s too much, or too little, of any nutrient all nutrients are affected.

Without Iron – Nitrogen Nodule Formation Decreases

Iron (Fe) deficiency results in nitrogen deficiency. For legumes such as soybeans that means less nitrogen nodulation. In a corn/soybean rotation, corn will have less available nitrogen, and you’ll have to add more nitrogen fertilizer than desired.

On a farm, the nutrient retention one year impacts the following year. We recommend NanoFe to boost chelated iron as either an in-furrow or foliar application. 

Soil testing will give you a good indication of the available Fe in your fields. When there is a balance of iron and other nutrients in your soil all nutrients are more plant-available. 

Iron is critical for plant respiration, photosynthesis, chlorophyll formation, and the all-important nitrogen nodule formation. If soil testing indicates a deficiency in iron NanoFe can be incorporated into your regular fertilization program at planting.

Iron isn’t the only micronutrient necessary for optimum plant growth. Just because a plant needs only a small amount of a nutrient doesn’t mean it will thrive, or even survive, without it. 

Micronutrients are especially critical as we experience more growing seasons of extreme conditions.

Micronutrients are Critical for Crop Resilience

Plants need the correct quantity of micronutrients for critical functions. A full spectrum of nutrients is necessary for plant health. As higher-yield crop genetics increase the yield per acre they also increase the quantity of micronutrients removed from the field. 

The application of manures creates a circular system but it isn’t enough. Crops used for biofuels or other off-farm end-uses remove the nutrients completely. This chart shows the results of a study by Heckman, J. R., et al. The macro and micronutrients removed by a 300-bushel/acre high-yielding hybrid corn crop are considerable.

If your soil is sandy or low in organic matter you’ll lose even more micronutrients each year due to leaching or pH that is either too high or low, making micronutrients unavailable for plant uptake.

NanoPack supplies sulfur, copper, iron, manganese, and zinc through in-furrow or foliar applications. Nanotechnology increases the efficiency of your micronutrient applications. We recommend application rates of 2-6 ounces/acre of NanoPack nanoliquid to the liquid fertilizer solution in your spray tank. 

For many crops, the window is short to apply nutrients for a better harvest. NanoPack gets the vital micronutrients into the plant structure to benefit plant health, fruit set, and insect control.

A Healthy Plant is Resilient with a Higher Nutrient Profile

A healthy plant isn’t as attractive to insects or pathogens. The leaves are tough and the plant develops a strong defense mechanism. Nanotechnology and farming practices that promote soil health decrease the need for fertilizer inputs. 

Although converting your conventional ag acres to regenerative ag practices sounds daunting, you’re probably already using many of the principles. If you’re stewarding your land and trying to get more organic matter into your soil you’re halfway there.

Regenerative ag practices are farm or ranch-specific. They’re even often field-specific. Crop rotations are one of the practices. The others are 

• Disturb the soil as little as possible.
• Use cover crops.
• Use as few synthetic chemicals as possible.
• Integrate livestock into crop rotations.

It’s more profitable to use fewer inputs. A study conducted in 2018 (when input prices were lower) found regenerative corn production was 78% more profitable than traditional production. And insect pressure was less!

This brief overview of nanotechnology and regenerative ag is meant to increase your interest. Our team at ST Biologicals is committed to restoring the value of your farmland. It’s all about the soil. Soil speaks, we listen.