Alltech Pennsylvania serves the states of Pennsylvania, Ohio, Michigan, Maryland and New Jersey. Alltech Pennsylvania works with all species, specifically focusing on dairy, poultry, beef and swine operations. The Pennsylvania team is dedicated to the agricultural community, providing support and solutions to strengthen your operation.  

Alltech North Carolina was established in 2006 and serves the states of North Carolina, Virginia, West Virginia and South Carolina. The main focus is on poultry and swine, including some very intensive production operations. Growth is expected in both species in the future.

Alltech New Mexico serves the states of Texas, Oklahoma, New Mexico, Colorado and Kansas. This region is one of the largest beef and dairy producing areas and contains some leading states in the production areas of wheat, cotton, nuts and vegetables.

Alltech Missouri Region serves the states of Missouri, Arkansas, Indiana and southern Illinois. The main focus is on poultry, dairy and beef. Poultry operations are integrated and are responding to increasing global demand. Dairy and beef farms are generally small to medium.

Alltech Idaho opened in 2005 and serves Idaho, Utah, Washington and Oregon.

Idaho produces more than potatoes. It ranks top ten in the nation for over 26 different crops. Idaho has risen to a leading dairy state, and in 2012 welcomed Chobani’s yogurt production facility.

Utah sets in the Intermountain West region of the U.S. The high desert makes it ideal for cow and calf ranches. The beef industry accounts for approximately 60% of Utah’s cash receipts.

Alltech Georgia serves the states of Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Mississippi and Louisiana. Alltech Georgia works with all species, specifically focusing on poultry, beef, and dairy to improve efficiency, performance and sustainability for our customers. With an efficient and passionate team the territory strives to be cohesive and strategic in taking Alltech’s solutions directly to our farming community to make you more profitable.

Excessive plant growth can reflect hormonal imbalance

Contrary to popular belief, plant growth is not directly linked to an increase in yield. For example, in beans, excessive vegetative development can lead to self-shading, a condition in which the lower leaves, where the productive areas of the plant are located, do not receive sunlight. This impedes photosynthesis, decreasing the productivity of the plant.

According to agronomist Fransérgio Batista, grain specialist and technical manager for Alltech Crop Science, this occurrence signifies a hormonal imbalance in the plant.

“There is a plant hormone, auxin, which is responsible for plant growth,” explained Batista. “When the plant develops excessively, it’s because there is too much of this hormone acting on the plant. This also inhibits the production of other hormones that are important to the plant.”

Intent on improving the balance of his bean crop, Joel Ragagnin, a grower from Jataí, in the state of Goiás, Brazil, added natural products that are based on plant extracts, nutrients and amino acids to his management practices. This combination aids the crop in balanced plant development.

“By having better control over plant growth, we can improve the productivity indexes on the farm,” said Ragagnin.

According to Batista, because photosynthesis is vital to the plant, keeping leaves green and healthy should be a prime objective of crop management.

“There are leaves from the lower to the upper parts of the plant,” said Batista. “A plant that produces is a plant that photosynthesizes in all its leaves. This is a key process for the plant.“

In addition to the use of crop inputs that contribute to the hormonal balance of the plant, the agronomist noted the importance of plant nutrition, the availability of water during the entire growth cycle and the control of pests and diseases for attaining adequate crop development.

“Through these methods, it’s possible for the producer to have an even more significant response,” concluded Batista.

Biostimulants enhance nutrient assimilation and plant development. They are becoming a popular crop input in many countries around the world for several reasons.

Benefits to using biostimulants on your farm

1. Biostimulants assist in combating the effects of environmental stresses.

Biostimulants promote enhanced germination and root development, leading to increased vigor and greater stress resistance. An enhanced root system promotes more efficient nutrient and water uptake and translocation throughout the growing season.

2. Biostimulants increase grain fill and quality.

Promoting growth and improvinga plant’s metabolism can benefit overall plant growth and health. In addition, providing a catalyst at specific developmental stages can lead to increased yield, improved uniformity and overall crop quality.

3. Biostimulants encourage plant growth.

Biostimulants generally operate through different mechanisms than standard fertilizers and provide essential nutrients for plant metabolism that stimulate plant growth. These metabolic pathways upregulate gene expression that can have an effect on cell division and sizing, root and shoot growth, and reproductive development and timing.

Your agronomist or crop advisor can give you more information on incorporating biostimulants into your current crop management program.

When scouting for disease in your crops, it is important to remember that sometimes the cause of the symptoms is not obvious. Diseases can be caused by a variety of factors, such as environmental stressors, reactions to various fertilizers or herbicides, nutritional deficiencies or soil problems. Therefore, it can be difficult to pinpoint the cause of the disease and determine an appropriate treatment.

When scouting your crops for disease, pay particular attention to these three plant parts:

1. Examine the roots

“Windshield scouting” while driving the fields doesn’t work because disease is not always easily visible to the human eye. To ensure you are catching any sign of disease before it progresses, it is important to get into the field and dig up a few plants to examine the roots. Look for unhealthy roots that may have lesions. To get a better look, try washing the roots with water and then cutting them up the middle to examine for any sign of internal infection.

2. Examine the leaves

Especially during flowering, make sure to look at the leaves and sheaths on each plant. Pay attention to lesions, which will help you determine the amount of leaf infection.

3. Examine the stem and heads

When examining the stems, heads and pods of plants, be sure to split them apart for a closer look at the inside, observing any discoloration that could be caused by fungi or bacteria. Also, check the outside of the stems, heads and pods of the plants for signs of fungal material or lesions.

Scouting for disease is critical to ensure early intervention. Samples should be taken of all suspect crops and submitted to a trusted lab, such as Quantum Genetix, that can test for disease.
 

How does Dan Donavan of Murphy and Sons increase yields and improve the quality of his tomatoes which are destined for restaurants like Subway, and What-A-Burger? He looks under the soil at root structure, of course, and that’s where Alltech Crop Science comes in.