Don’t Forget Fall Hydra-Hume Applications

In much of the Northern Plains, fall is a great time to do field work, including fertilizer applications for the 2017 cropping season. Making Hydra-Hume® a part of these important applications can help you get the most from your fertilizer investment.  There have been many field trials showing that Hydra-Hume DG can return more money to the grower than just fertilizer alone.  Hydra-Hume has been a consistent performer with most trials showing a 3-10 fold ROI on the year of that application. Hydra-Hume has also shown it can enhance the plant uptake of the fertilizer and may help release bound nutrients in the soil.  Hydra-Hume will also help retain nitrate nitrogen in the soil for less leaching while improving soil moisture retention and aeration.

Hydra-Hume has valuable soil amending properties.  Its organic components are known to flocculate soil particles leading to the formation of water-stable soil aggregates.  This will result in better soil structure with a more desirable seed bed the following spring.  With improved water penetration, early root development will drastically increase. However, possibly the most important piece of a fall Hydra-Hume application could be soil microbial activity and residue breakdown.

The organic acids in Hydra-Hume help provide ideal soil conditions for soil microbes to thrive.  There are also low molecular weight components that stimulate greater overall activity of the most beneficial microorganisms.  When growers are looking to break down wheat stubble, as well as get some nutrients back into the soil, this application can help put those microbes in overdrive.  Ask your local Helena representative how Hydra-Hume can help your crops start strong by improving fertilizer efficiency.

- Joe Janecke, Northwest Division Product Manager