According to the University of Kentucky College of Agriculture, Food and Environment, a record $6.5 billion in agricultural cash receipts was reached for Kentucky in 2014. Yet, while wheat is a staple for Kentucky farmers, profitability remains challenging.

Alltech Crop Science has conducted trials on 82 crops in 34 countries, but they also believe in working with local universities to provide cutting-edge technology for the state’s grain crops.  The challenges faced with wheat in particular represented an opportunity for research to deliver practical solutions. Therefore, Chelsea Jacobson, Alltech Crop Science research coordinator, recently conducted a nearly yearlong trial in partnership with the University of Kentucky to study the effect of amino acids on soft red winter wheat production.

The research focused on the foliar application of nitrogen (25–75 percent protein) in the form of amino acids at two key stages:

1. Late tillering (Feekes Growth Scale 3–4)
2. Early boot (Feekes 7–9)

The timing of the first application was important for several reasons, said Jacobson.

“Tillering begins in fall and will not be complete until early spring,” she said. “Head size is determined during this stage, as well as the number of spikelets per spike.”

Both of these play a key role in grain yield.

It’s important for producers to take measures to improve yield before Feekes 5, Jacobson noted, as the wheat plants emerge from the cold period of weather. The second application, at early boot stage, is just as critical.

“It’s important to protect the flag leaf from disease and other stressors during this time,” added Jacobson. “This supports grain fill and is crucial to high yield.”

The study showed a numerical increase in grain yield and test weight for the treated wheat compared to the control, reported Jacobson. One amino acid treatment showed a yield advantage of 4 bushels per acre.

Another benefit was a numerical decrease in grain moisture at maturity.

“This can help farmers get into their fields quicker and get their crops harvested,” noted Jacobson.  

Organic nitrogen delivered to the plant in the form of amino acids provides a source of organic carbon to encourage soil microbial populations.

“Plants must synthesize their own amino acids,” reported Jacobson. “This technology can ultimately reduce the plant’s workload and allow for an optimized uptake of plant nutrients.”  

Alltech’s unique fermentation technology provided a nutrient-dense application. Products in the company’s nutrition portfolio have a consistent profile of 18–20 amino acids.

“Through proper nutrition, plants can reach their maximum genetic potential,” said Jacobson.  

While yield and return on investment are key to today’s commodity prices, natural nutrition can in many cases also help farmers reduce the need for synthetic inputs.

“It’s all about keeping plants healthy and taking a more natural, bioavailable approach,” concluded Jacobson. “Farmers are looking for alternatives to synthetic chemistry. This new research shows the benefits of amino acid technology.”

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Course condition makes or breaks the experience for golfers, determining their club loyalty. The critical task of top turf management literally starts at the ground level, taking into account plant health and protection.

“Turfgrass health and uniformity all start with nutrition,” said Kwame Duffy, Alltech Crop Science sales manager.

Duffy has been working with several turf managers to incorporate natural biological products into their management programs.

Nitrogen and potassium are two key components for high-quality turf. Turfgrass diseases can stem from either excessive or low levels of nitrogen as well as climate conditions that could be favorable to disease development. Having the ability to adjust nutritional imbalances directly and on an as-needed basis can provide the ability to combat turf disease.

By maintaining a healthy nutritional balance through the addition of biologicals, the potential for pest and disease pressure can be inhibited. Foliar nutrient applications and slow release nitrogen can provide for healthy plant growth.

Duffy gave an example with bentgrass.

“Bentgrass can be tricky to maintain, especially for courses located in the southern states,” he said.

During the recent hot months, bentgrass would normally be stressed. On a golf course that recently incorporated biologicals, the grass grew well and established new roots during June and July, said Duffy.

“The turf was 10 times healthier than if it had been untreated,” he said.

Pesticide use was cut by 30–40 percent and fungicide use was cut in half.

“It’s pretty impressive,” stated Duffy. “The addition of biologicals helped the plants defend themselves naturally. It’s the only thing the golf course superintendents did differently, and they are getting these great results.”  

In the future, Duffy believes some of the courses may be able to completely eliminate fungicides because of the results they are seeing.

Strategies for a future with increasing pesticide regulation

“The most important shot in golf is the next one.” – Ben Hogan

The turf industry is facing a future similar to that of the agriculture industry, with increasing regulation regarding pesticide use. Natural biologicals to protect turf from pests and disease will play a key role in this future.

“With these new management programs, we’ve seen more efficient application and a complete redirect of every dollar spent toward improved disease resistance,” said Duffy.

Ultimately, golf course superintendents are managing all course inputs for the best return on their investment, whether their budget is $30,000, $200,000 or $1 million, he said.

The importance of finding the best turf management strategies can’t be downplayed.

“Your horticulture practices are key to whether you have a golf course or not,” said Duffy.

The corn earworm is considered one of the costliest pests for crops in North America. Alonna Wright hopes to find a cure that can stop the menace and keep farmers around the U.S. happy.

Wright, a rising senior at the University of Kentucky (UK), won the 2016 undergraduate Alltech Young Scientist (AYS) award with her research on the biological control of agricultural pests.

“Winning the AYS award was a very surreal experience, and one of the most memorable of my life,” said Wright.

Wright said she entered the competition just hoping to get an honorable mention to put on a resume. She never imagined winning.

“It means so much to me personally, but also to be able to share my research on a global platform and bring awareness to this problem, which costs our farmers billions of dollars in damage each year, is a privilege that some scientists may not ever be able to have, and one that I don't take for granted,” she said.

Fighting corn earworm with a nudivirus

Wright conducted her research at Paratechs, a privately held biotech company in Kentucky

“Virology is a field that continues to captivate me with each new thing I learn about it,” she said.

Virology is a branch of science that deals with the studies of viruses and viral diseases. According to Wright, viruses are very important to study and continue to study “in order to prevent harmful viruses and utilize the capabilities of other viruses to benefit the greater good.”

Wright’s research specifically dealt with the Heliothis zea nudivirus.

“This virus affects some populations of the corn earworm, or Helicoverpa zea, which is an agricultural pest that causes billions of dollars in damage to the crops they feed on; they feed on 123 known hosts,” she said.

In nature, the virus causes approximately one-third of the corn earworm population to become sterile.

“What we have done here at ParaTechs is we have mutated the virus to cause 100 percent sterility in the population,” said Wright.

“My specific project was determining the interaction between those viruses, using a superinfection research model, to determine if the presence of the wild-type virus would prevent our mutant virus from causing the high rate of sterility that we expect,” continued Wright. “Our results showed that presence of the wild-type virus would not decrease the rate of sterility in the insects due to our mutant virus.”

With this research, Wright hopes to market this mutant virus as a substitute to some pesticides used for corn earworm control and to supplement the Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) plants that are currently on the market.

What’s next for Wright

Wright, who is an agricultural biotechnology student at the UK College of Agriculture, Food and Environment with minors in psychology and microbiology, believes agriculture is very important for the future.

“Agriculture is a very prevalent field of study in America, especially in Kentucky,” said Wright.

She believes that “home-grown” pride has brought agriculture back into the spotlight, and she encourages the younger generation to pursue a career in agriculture.

Wright’s plans are to utilize the full funding that she received from Alltech as part of her AYS award to complete her Ph.D. in a genetics-related program. Afterward, she plans on working in the industry on cutting-edge technology to help advance agricultural products and techniques. 

Wright’s dream would be to work as a research scientist in a research company.

“I really enjoy being in a lab and the thrill that molecular research can bring on a daily basis, and I'd love to be able to do what I enjoy every day when I go into work,” said Wright.

Are you looking to improve soil health and your area’s water quality? Kentucky farmer Jim Wade believes you should look no further than the addition of cover crops to your farm operation.

Cover crops can help with nutrient trapping, erosion prevention and weed reduction.

Nutrient trapping and erosion prevention

Wade plants three- and four-way mixes/combinations of various seeds with cereal rye. The use of a cover crop mixture that contains two or more species is often more effective than a planting of single species cover crop. Wade has experimented with cover crop combinations that include red clover, crimson, vetch and Austrian winter peas.

His cover crops provide extremely good winter cover and help prevent soil erosion. The cereal rye has deep roots, Wade noted, making the soil more porous and increasing its water-holding capability.

“My fields planted with cover crops don’t have brown runoff,” said Wade. “I measure for compaction and never find any.” 

Building soil health is very important. Over time, a cover crop regimen increases soil organic matter, leading to improvements in soil structure, stability and increased moisture and nutrient-holding capacity for plant growth.

Cover crops also add organic, living matter to the soil with the degradation of their roots, explained Chuck McKenna, Alltech Crop Science territory sales manager. McKenna cited a research demonstration by the University of Kentucky in which one field plot has been no-tilled for more than 30 years.

“There is nearly a difference of 10 inches in soil height between that and the rest of the area,” he noted, referring to the building of organic matter.

No-till is almost a requirement when incorporating cover crops, added Wade. On his farm — where he raises corn, soybeans and wheat — he has been practicing no-till on 100 percent of his acres for more than 10 years.

Weed reduction

Another issue led Wade to experiment with cover crops: weed resistance.

“The first thing I noticed after trying cover crops was that I no longer had a horseweed (marestail) problem,” said Wade.

This year, he has a split test on corn acres.

“The test looks to be very definitive,” he said, in favor of those with cover crops.

With reduced weed pressure, Wade has been able to cut his herbicides cost in half.

Additional return on investment

Although today’s commodity prices are low, this is not the time to cut back on exploring cover crops, suggested McKenna.

“Many farmers think they can’t afford to plant cover crops or think they don’t have the time to incorporate them into their operations,” he added. “If they put a pencil to it, they would see that they can’t afford not to!”

Wade is one of many farmers participating in the Conservation Stewardship Program (CSP). He has enrolled 600 of his 1,000 acres in the cost-sharing program.

In 2016, the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Natural Resources Conservation Service is making $150 million available for agricultural producers through the CSP. It is estimated this will help add 10 million acres to the USDA’s largest conservation program.

With yield being the main way to increase profit, Wade happily reported that he believes he will see a 10 percent yield increase in his soybean fields this year.

Local adaption

As with any early adopter, Wade has had to adapt current technology to keep up with changing needs. With a background including training in engineering, he has modified his equipment to fit his cover crop strategy.

Crimpers are a good idea, Wade suggested. He has also custom built a 60-foot planter for planting into cover crops.

“It’s heavier than it used to be, and I use as much down pressure as I can get,” he said.

To plant the cover crops, Wade has a Hagie highboy sprayer that has been modified for broadcast seeding.

In conclusion, McKenna believes the addition of cover crops are a win-win for producers.

“They fit into an overall plant and soil health scheme,” he said. “They can complement — not replace —conventional programs.” 

Have a question or comment? 

As China’s middle class continues to grow and to migrate to urban areas, it is demanding healthier, safer and more nutritious food. To help meet this demand at a local level, Dr. Mark Lyons moved to China four years ago to lead Alltech’s efforts and serves as global vice president and head of Greater China.

The company established Alltech Crop Science China, and Dr. Xue Kai serves as its technical and product manager. Dr. Steven Borst, general manager for Alltech Crop Science, is responsible for global product registration. These three experts shared their insights on how the company is helping local producers increase production efficiency in a sustainable way.
 

Why is there an emphasis on China?

Dr. Lyons: Globally, China is the second largest producer of potatoes, wheat, corn and other commodities. For years, there has been much discussion about who will feed China. The answer is: China will feed China.

As Chinese consumers travel globally, they are becoming aware of cutting-edge technology and expect that same level of knowledge in China. Alltech is committed to providing technology at a local level to meet growing global needs and will provide the best staff to support local producers.

Which crop science products will help serve this market?

Dr. Kai: Alltech Crop Science China has worked to gain product approval for two of the company’s natural plant and soil activators. The company is now finalizing registration of its unique products, designed to streamline processes for optimal performance and help revitalize soils.

The excellent results from the registration and demonstration trials conducted thus far make us extremely excited about the future of this technology in China and the role Alltech can play to support the development of new agricultural practices in this country.
 

How is Alltech supporting other efforts in China?
 

Dr. Lyons: Alltech’s China Now program is a strategic five-year plan and includes numerous educational and research initiatives in China. The company has been operating in China for 22 years and has recently partnered with Nestlé in the creation of a world-class training center, the Dairy Farming Institute in Shuangcheng, Heilongjiang province. In addition, 10 of the company’s 30 research alliances are focused on providing local support for this growing region.
 

What are future challenges and opportunities in China?
 

Dr. Borst: As Chinese producers work on continued production efficiency, they are also awakening to the same issues we are successfully addressing in the U.S. and Brazil. Common issues include addressing nutrient management needs not only for soil health, but as part of integrated crop and livestock systems.

Across the globe, farmers are working to become more precise with nutrient management. With our global expertise, we can share best practices with producers and others involved in Chinese agribusiness.

Consumers and producers alike are demanding more natural alternatives and products that fit into sustainable management systems. We are focused on providing new solutions that meet environmental sustainability and food safety standards.
 

Have a question or comment?

Amino acids — the basic building blocks of every organism — are important for plant growth, development and metabolism. Plants must synthesize amino acids in order to grow, develop and perform all routine metabolic functions.

While animals must obtain amino acids through their diets, plants can synthesize their own. However, in order to conduct this process in the most efficient manner, plants must have an adequate and continuous supply of beneficial nutrients. Water and sunlight availability are also key in order for plants to perform these functions.

Building from a strong technology base

As a leader in chelation technology for animals, Alltech is now applying the same technology principles to plants for the benefit of crop producers. Alltech Crop Science has focused on the principles of complexing to support and improve plant nutrient uptake.

How? The inherent complexing nature of amino acids is used to deliver a balanced source of essential nutrients in a uniquely bioavailable form.

Improving efficiency through precision application

“With foliar-applied micronutrients, complexed minerals are easily and quickly absorbed and their uptake is optimized,” said Nicolas Body, agronomist and European technical manager for Alltech Crop Science.

This can aid in production efficiency.

“There is basically zero waste,” added Body. “Rapid absorption by leaves, combined with targeted application, can provide plants with immediate access to essential nutrients.”

Plant-based solutions for a sustainable future

Alltech has the ability to “grow” these natural microorganisms at company facilities for amino acid extraction. In fact, 18 of 20 amino acids can be extracted from yeast, which is Alltech’s core competency. With one of the largest yeast facilities in the world, Alltech has a bountiful supply of raw materials utilized for the production and extraction of these naturally occurring amino acids.

“We are finding in nature the tools to help producers with nutrient management as well as crop protection and performance,” said Body. “Today, it is now possible to use natural organic acids to do the job of synthetic chemicals.”

This technology will help growers and consumers promote environmental sustainability without compromising quality and yield. Maintaining plant health through proper nutrition can reduce the need for synthetic inputs that can cause consumer concerns and pose environmental risks.

The following essential plant micronutrients have successfully been complexed with amino acid technology and can promote efficiency with each of the following functions:

Copper: Essential for chlorophyll formation and reactions involved in photosynthesis. Sandy, high-pH soils are most prone to copper deficiency.

Manganese: Aids in germination, maturity and availability of other nutrients. Waterlogged, high-pH organic soils are most prone to manganese deficiency. Herbicide stress is also a common contributing factor to manganese deficiency.

Zinc: Essential for growth, zinc plays a role in building growth hormones and in photosynthesis. Zinc deficiency is common with cool, wet weather and appears as stunted growth and shortening of internodes.

Have a question or comment?

With only 12 percent of land on Earth suitable for crop farming, both water efficiency  and soil health are of equal importance. The world’s precious soil hosts more than a quarter of the planet’s biodiversity.

“However, as soils are continually treated with pesticides and fungicides, hundreds of ecosystems and billions of microbes are being destroyed,” said Robert Walker, global general manager for Alltech Crop Science, at ONE: The Alltech Ideas Conference.

This leads to imbalances that destroy crops, sometimes not just for a season, but for the foreseeable future.

According to the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), 20 to 25 percent of soils worldwide have already been degraded through modern agriculture practices. In fact, an additional area the size of Austria is degraded each year.¹ The world’s growing population, with an increasing demand for food production, has brought new attention to soil degradation.

“Unless new approaches are adopted, the global amount of arable and productive land per person in 2050 will be only a quarter of the level that was available in 1960,” said Walker, citing the FAO report.

Time is of the essence in finding new solutions, as it takes 1,000 years for 3 centimeters of new topsoil to be generated.  Where can answers be found for application today? Walker sees opportunities in organic farming, precision agriculture and beneath our feet, in the soil itself. 

Answers rooted in the soil: Microbes at work

“Proper soil nutrition should be our first line of defense,” said Walker on the topic of saving the soil and helping producers increase their crop production.

“Only 2 percent of all microbes in soil have been identified. What if we were to harness the other unidentified 98 percent?”

Microbes can help support plant health in the following ways:

• Increasing nutrient availability
• Enhancing root growth
• Neutralizing toxic compounds in soils
• Providing disease suppression
• Increasing plant immunity and boosting resistance against environmental extremes

One success story can be found in Costa Rica, where microbial technology is being successfully deployed to help banana producers fight disease and reduce the use of synthetic fungicides.

By incorporating new microbial technologies with soil management methods such as conservation tillage, producers have ONE big opportunity, Walker predicts. While synthetic chemistries have helped with feeding a growing population, weed resistance and limited productivity challenge current systems.

“It’s time to develop a new system of agriculture based on natural principles for crop and soil health and productivity,” said Walker.

An additional benefit of integrating microbial technology with conservation tillage applies to water use.

“With each 1 percent increase in organic matter, there is the ability for the soil to hold an additional 20,000 gallons of water per acre,” concluded Walker.

He encourages producers worldwide to adopt ONE new technology to conserve soil vitality.

To read more about soil, which is “our silent ally in food production” according to the United Nations, and Alltech’s microbial research, click here.

Source 1: Institute for Advanced Sustainability Studies, “Soil Atlas 2015.”

Robbie Walker was a presenter at ONE: The Alltech Ideas Conference. Audio recordings of most talks from ONE will be made available on the Alltech Idea Lab by mid-June 2016. For access, click on the button below.

Mission-driven companies are often viewed as places where employees feel their work contributes to a higher purpose. When it comes to “mission-driven agriculture,” the industry is now responding to consumers who are looking for their food/diet to serve a higher purpose, said Rebecca Noble, Alltech Crop Science business development executive.

“Consumers’ perceptions of their diet have changed,” added Noble. “Food and nutrition are now seen as a gateway to health. It’s not just about weight loss and body image.”

A 2015 Nielsen report asserts that, globally, 80 percent of consumers are choosing foods for their diet as a means to forestall health issues and medical conditions. Consumers are also increasingly factoring agricultural production methods into their food purchasing decisions.

“Their decisions are now based on beliefs and convictions that go far beyond cost and convenience,” said Noble. “Awareness about the social and environmental impacts of farming is also fueling their decisions.”

Agriculture is being called upon to reinvent itself and further propel human advancement.

“The industry is now being transformed into a mission-driven industry,” she said.

Who is in the driver seat?

Perhaps in no other industry are the needs and desires of consumers being felt so profoundly than in food production, commented Noble.

“Mission-driven consumers are flooding the marketplace with greater capacity and purchasing power each year,” she said.  

Believing that the right food choices will lead to better health, 25 percent of consumers are willing to pay a premium for products, with the following five categories being key:

• All natural
• GMO-free
• Low/no fat
• Gluten-free
• Organic

The organic category continues to be the largest segment for attracting premiums in store aisles. In 2014, organic sales in the U.S. reached $40 billion, and global sales are projected to reach $1 trillion by next year.

Grocery stores are reporting that new food perceptions are especially concentrated in younger generations, with millennials driving the organic category. Adding to the momentum is Generation Z, aged 20 and under, as many of them head to college and make independent food purchases for the first time.

With growing demand, retailers are working creatively to keep their organic supplies steady. One big box store is even lending money to farmers to help them secure land for organic production.

What’s ahead on the journey?

Sales of foods grown locally could eclipse sales of organic food. Grocery chains and big box retailers are aggressively expanding and marketing their locally grown offerings for sale. Retailers are finding themselves reinventing their stores to provide high quality, locally produced food that is also affordable.

Demands on conventional farming are the next frontier, as consumers continue to want to know more about the way in which their food is produced, explained Noble.

 “Mission-driven producers are working carefully to not just change their agricultural practices to respond to consumer demands,” she said. “They are helping to tell the story — creating new narratives — surrounding food production.”

Likewise, some large retailers are creating consumer-facing campaigns. They are educating shoppers beyond health and wellness issues to producers’ management and land practices, water use, farm worker safety and energy consumption.

Within a mission-driven agriculture system, Noble described symbiotic relationships forming between both retailers and consumers and retailers and producers.

“Consumers are no longer just simply eating,” said Noble. “Retailers are no longer simply just buying and selling. Producers are no longer being asked to just simply produce. Things have been put into overdrive.”

Metaphorically, we’re all in the car together, concluded Noble. This will call for true collaboration, especially between retailers and producers, to realistically and systematically take us to the next frontier.

 “Consumers and retailers are influencing each other, and more and more producers are taking their business, their mission and how they are perceived in the market into their own hands,” Noble concluded.

Finally, market competition will play a key role in keeping mission-driven dreams balanced, attainable and accessible for all.

Rebecca Noble was a presenter at ONE: The Alltech Ideas Conference. Audio recordings of most talks from ONE will be made available on the Alltech Idea Lab by mid-June 2016. For access, click on the button below.

Nowadays, fewer people are living in rural areas and even fewer are becoming farmers. While agriculture is being forced to compete with sprawling urban settlements for land and water, it will also be required to serve on other major fronts: adapting to and contributing to the mitigation of climate change, helping preserve natural habitats and maintaining a high level of biodiversity while continuing to feed the world.

New and traditional demands continue to grow for agricultural products, thus putting pressure on an already scarce resource. As our global population is expected to reach 9 billion by 2050, the question must be asked: How can we feed the world with a finite amount of land?

In order to visualize the world in 2050, Alltech created a virtual experience entitled ONE Vision. ONE Vision will allow attendees to experience a planet of plenty, where technology and science align in order to produce nutritious food. Attendees will be guided through a 10,000-square-foot virtual planet, where they can witness a world in harmony with its three essential elements: land, air and water. Attendees will also find themselves in sub-Saharan Africa, where advanced soil management solutions have tripled crop production, and in Asia’s paddy fields, where upland planting is producing sustainable harvests in flood-prone areas. Across the globe, the farms of the future are thriving as their animals achieve their genetic potential, producing more with less, all while reversing soil degradation and reducing water use, waste and emissions. Attendees can also interact with reaction tables, allowing them to understand the effects of today’s choices on the agriculture industry and future of our planet. 

By drawing back the curtain on the future and allowing attendees to glimpse what’s possible, Alltech hopes to encourage individuals to make the right choices today for their future tomorrow and thereafter. A future of plenty in agriculture is ours if we harness the power of technology, conserve resources and encourage innovation.