20 Story Idea? Email Paul.Nolan@Farms.com Better Farming | August 2024 BENEFICIAL BIOLOGICALS One thing that is always constant in agriculture is change. That’s what I love about this industry. Agriculture is constantly evolving to meet the needs of the producer. In this article, I will review the fascinating world of biologicals and explore where some opportunities lie. With biologicals – or naturals, as some people call them – there is the opportunity to take yields to the next level. It is reported that over 400 companies are acting in this space, with over 1,000 products that growers can look at for their farm operations. Biologicals are non-synthetic crop production inputs. They can include things like beneficial insects, microorganisms, and plant extracts. Biologicals can further be categorized into specific types, including bio-stimulants, biopesticides, biofertilizers and pheromones. Within the bio-stimulants category are products that help control plant hormones. Peter Davies, former professor of plant physiology at Cornell University, has defined plant hormones as “a group of naturally occurring, organic substances which influence physiological processes at low concentrations.” Key hormones include auxin, cytokinin, gibberellin, ethylene, and abscisic acid. Each play a specific role within the plant. In simple terms, they help control shoot and root growth when ratios within the plant are ideal. Growers need to realize that biologicals are not a silver bullet to fix every problem from a crop management standpoint. They work in conjunction with sound agronomy practices to take yields to the next level. In past articles, I have talked about the yield pyramid. The Pioneer Yield KEEPING THE YIELD NEEDLE MOVING ONWARD & UPWARD. BIOLOGICALS: THE NEXT FRONTIER By PAUL HERMANS Paul Hermans photo
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