AgroLiquid Winter 2019 Newsletter

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Understanding Phosphorus and Potassium in your Fertility Program

Why We Do What We Do

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Why We Do What We Do Nick Bancroft

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How We Do It AgroLiquid

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Understanding Phosphorus and Potassium in your Fertility Program Dylan Rogers

Focus on Phosphorus Dr. Jerry Wilhm

**Pro-Germinatorr is sold d as PrG in the state off California. Pro-Germinatorr is nott available in California. **LiberateCa is sold d as microLinkk Ca in Canada. LiberateCa is nott available in Canada.

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What We Do

By Nick Bancroft Vice President of Planning and Operations

SOWING THE SEEDS Ourr Heritage and Future AgroLiquid is proud to be a part of the ag industry.

Proud to be a part of your business, to be a valued partner and to have an impact on your operation.

It is truly our pleasure to serve farmers and growers who work hard every day caring for crops and livestock, to work alongside retailers who bring new ideas, and have a small part in shaping the rural communities that provide food, ďŹ ber and fuel for the world.

This past year, AgroLiquid revised and updated our Core Values. When I look at these guiding principals from a distance, they really reect the fundamental beliefs of generations of farm families. I appreciate that alignment for many reasons; ďŹ rst and foremost, much like those family

farms, AgroLiquid is a family business. Second, our company mission is ‘To Prosper The Farmer.’ This has been the embodiment of the AgroLiquid way since our inception. We aim to ďŹ nd the need, and provide solutions that beneďŹ t the grower in a meaningful way.

AN EYE ON THE HORIZON The Sustainabilityy off Agriculture In agriculture, improved management practices have to make economic sense. Sustainable agriculture means stewardship of the land, air, and water – but it also means doing this in a way that is proďŹ table over the long-term. Sustaining, and further improving crop yield, is the best objective of soil health. AgroLiquid pursues this objective through three overarching ideas:

PEOPLE 1. Ag A ro oLi L quid qu uid d exi xist stts in i man ny wa w ys to ed educ ucat uc ate. at e.

Wee havve pe p op ople sprrea ead d th thro roug ro ug gho out No ortth Am merricca wh who o ha have ve a gre reat at dep epth th h off kn no owl wled e ge ed g in nu ume mero ro ous sub ubje ject je cts. ct s Jus s. ustt a valluaabl as b e as boo ookk kn know owle ow ledg le dge, dg e, the here re are hu und n re reds ds of pe peop ople op lee wit ith h ex expe peri pe rien ri ence en cess in ce a ro ag rono nomy no omy and d bus usin sin ines esss wh who o ar aree ab able le to s arre th sh hos o e th thro hroug rougho ro ug gho hout ut a bro road ad geo ogr grap aphy ap hyy. hy.

2. Th T e re resu s lt of ed su duccatio attio ion, n tra n, rain inin in in ing, ng, g and a valu va luelu e-ad eadde ad ded de d saale less pr proc oces oc esss iss rel es elat a io at ions nshi ns hips hi p. ps I ha have ve per erso sona so nallllllyy ha na had d th thee op oppo port po rtun rt un nitty to o m et hun me u dr dred e s of peo ed e pl plee wh who o I wo woul uld ul d ha have ve neve ne veer co c nn nnec ecte ec t d wi te w th out utsi siide of a co comm mmon mm o on miss mi miss s io ion “TTo Pr ion P os o pe perr th thee Fa Farm rm merr.””

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Part rtne rt neri ne r ng is an ri n imp porta or ta or tant nt par artt of whaat Agro Ag roLi ro L qu Li quid id doees as a a com ompa pany pa ny.. Ag ny Agro ro roLi oLi L qu quid id’s ’ss staf st afff off tra af rain in ined ned agr gron onom on omis om ists is ts and n sal a es prof pr offesssi ofes s on nal a s ro rout utin ut in nel elyy en enga gage ga ge in be best sttmana ma naage geme ment me n -p nt -pra ract ra ctic ct icces tra rain in inin nin ng with with wi h gro rowe w rs we a d re an reta tailililer ta ers. er s. Agr s. groL oLiq oL iqui iq uiid al u a so o hossts lea earn rn nin ing g op ppo p rtun rttunit unit un itie iees att our ur Cor orpo pora po rate ra te and Res esea earc ea rch rc h faci fa cilililiti ci t es. ti es. Beest es st Man nag agem em emen men e t Pr Prac acti ac tice ti cee info in form fo rmat rm atio at ion io on iss ava v iillab able le for ag grron onom omic om ics, ic s, equi eq uipm ui ipm p en entt seetu up an and nd ma main in nteenaanc n e, faccililit itty desi de sign si gn, co gn cont ntai nt ainm ai n en nm ent, t, env nvir irron onme m n me nttal reespon sp pon onsi s bi si bililility tyy and mat ater eria er iall ha ia hand ndlililing nd ng.. ng

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PLANET 1 Re 1.

Redu duce du ced ce d ov over eral er alll appl al ap ppl plic iccat atio io ons n ; pu utt ttin ing in g le less sss poun po unds un ds of nu n tr trie ient ie ntss do nt down wn n per acre crre wh whililie achi ac hiev hi evin ev ing in g op opti tima ti mall re ma resu sult su ltss us lt uses es les esss re reso sour so urce ur cess ce thro th roug ro ug gho hout ut the sup uppl plyy ch pl chai ain. ai n. Fro rom m th thee m ne mi n sit itee to o the soi oill or pla lant nt app pplililca cati tion ti on,, on Agro Ag roLi ro Liqu Li quid qu id pro rodu duct du cts’ ct s’ low ower er use rat ates es redu re duce du ce the amo moun untt of ene un n rg rgy, y, wat ater er,, an er and d o he ot herr re reso sour so urce ur cess ne ce need eded ed ed to prrod o u ucce an n acre ac re’s re ’s wor o th of feertil rttililit itty. ity. y 2 Ag 2.

Agro ro roLi oLi Liqu q id hass pro qu r ve ven n in i man anyy di diff f er ff eren entt en w ys tha wa hatt bo b th the red duc uced ed d rat atee st stru ru uct c ur ue and an d th thee fo form rmul rm u at ul atio ions io ns of th thee pr po od duccts t ressul ultt in n les esss of o fssitte mo m ve veme meent nt.. The Th he pr p oduc od ducct st stay ayss ay wher wh eree itt is pl er p ac a ed and get e s in into to the pla lant nt.. nt 3. Ag Agro roLi ro Liqu Li quid qu id d’s man anuf ufac uf actu ac turi tu ring ri ng g fac acilililit ittiees arre deesi s gn gned ed wit ith h grreaat at atte teenttio on to t en nvi v ro onm men enta taal caare re. Ou O r fa faci ciliiti ci ties ess boa o stt in ndu dust sttry-l ryy- eadi eaad ng tan nk st s or orag age co age c nt n ai a nm meen nt syst sy sttem ms, sur urfa face fa c wat ce a er e man a aag gem emen ent, n disa di sast sa stter and n reccovver eryy pl p an ans, s, and tra rain ined in ed p rsson pe o ne nell to o han a dl d e pr prod od duccts t in an a effe ef fect fe cttivve waay. y

AUTHENTIC: s and organizations.

Used to build trust between individual PASSIONATELY ENGAGED: gs happen and solve issues.

Have the grit and resolve to make thin SERVANT LEADER: e environment.

Foster growth and encourage a positiv COMMITTED TO GREATNESS: ement. Good is never good enough.

Relentlessly pursue continuous improv HUMBLY CONFIDENT: le bilities, strengths, and worthiness whi a , s t n e l a t e t a t s y l t n e d ďŹ n o c d n a y l l u f Truth and more ways to grow. also recognizing there is much to learn

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PROFIT 1. Reduced handling is a benefit to the customer, retail partner and AgroLiquid (and it could be argued for the planet, as well). Whether it be transporting less volume, making fewer applications, or requiring less on-farm and retail storage, we often forget the benefits of reduced application rates.

2. Better effectiveness of the product – “It doesn’t matter what you put on, but if what you put on has a positive effect.”

(Again, this concept has a play in the planet section).

3. We often are hesitant to boast about our abilities to boost profit. The crop management systems we work with are increasingly complex. This makes quantifying the benefits more difficult. If you assign a value to each change you make to your system, based on the input from all of the people and companies you work with, I think you will find that evaluation process is just as important as good products. Good people and trusted advisers making recommendations of both product and practice increase prosperity.

Much of AgroLiquid’s fundamental focus remains unchanged from our beginnings. We now work with a much larger network of growers, retail partners, and employees, which allows us the opportunity to grow new concepts and ideas into the next generation. But, our drive is still to develop innovative products and economic practices that will ensure the sustainability of our company, as well as the future of agriculture.

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t I o D e W How Personalized, field-by-field recommendations using your needs, goals and budget Our family-owned company remains focused on providing environmental stewardship along with cost-effective crop nutrition. But, we can’t do it without the best team in the industry, supporting our products. Along with our outstanding retail partners, our sales and agronomy teams use their knowledge and experience to provide personalized recommendations for your field, grove or orchard – on your soils – for your crops.

Beyond our experts in the field, AgroLiquid takes customer service very seriously, from the way we manufacture and deliver our products right down to making sure you get the performance you expect and the yields you deserve. From our manufacturing team, using the highest quality raw materials and innovative techniques to manufacture pure, clean finished goods, to our transportation team, devoted to making timely deliveries. Our entire AgroLiquid family strives to provide exceptional service in everything we do.

In the field; agronomic expertise AgroLiquid’s sales, agronomy and research teams are eager to help. Our business does not exist without financially healthy growers. We want you to succeed. And, we would like the opportunity to help overcome the challenges you face. If we can assist in finding a way to marry agronomics to economics on your farm, then we feel you’ll appreciate the advice and results enough to become a loyal customer. We all have to look longterm; managing through the short-term challenges will help everyone become better.

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We have many people active in the field, just looking for growers to visit with and help. So don’t be shy. The time has come to boldly ask us to earn our pay and put our skills to use on your farm. Sound agronomic advice combined with our trusted crop nutrients can provide a balanced fertilizer program that gives your crop a chance to keep you profitable.

Removing barriers through programs We believe that great ideas can come from anywhere. That’s why we strive to connect with and support those who are passionate about discovering innovative solutions for agricultural efficiency and productivity. Through the investment of time, treasure and knowledge in our retail and farmer customers, we do our best to ensure stakeholders have everything they need to Prosper the Farmer, with partnerships designed for the long-term – not a day, a month or a season, but for the future.

Through offers such as our planter conversion program or on-farm storage program, we work to enable growers to adjust their fertility program to provide what the plant needs, when it needs it. AgroLiquid’s diverse and innovative portfolio of liquid fertilizer products are scientifically researched to work in real-life conditions to improve plant and soil health, enhance the farmer’s flexibility and efficiency, and ultimately increase yields and profitability. Working together through these programs, and with the added benefit of agronomic expertise of our field staff, we will help maximize the nutrient dollar and profitability.

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Product technology and research For over 35 years AgroLiquid has been on a mission to engineer the best plant nutrition products while safeguarding your crops, the soil, and the environment. This has required a relentless passion for research and innovation.

By investing in research, AgroLiquid removes the guesswork innately involved in producing a crop.

With a private research facility of over 750 tillable acres, many contract research opportunities, and local, on-farm product experiences, AgroLiquid continuously tests our products against other liquid and dry industrial standard fertilizer products, enabling us to produce more yield with less applied fertilizer. Armed with the knowledge and conďŹ dence achieved through this extensive research, our agronomists make scientiďŹ cally based recommendations to sustainably optimize yield potential.

Part of the magic that makes AgroLiquid products safe, efďŹ cient and effective is our Flavonol Polymer Technology. Of course, it isn’t really magic at all – rather a technology developed to protect our crop nutrients from tie-up in the soil while allowing better plant utilization. AgroLiquid uses plant-derived polymers in our Flavonol Polymer Technology for a number of uses, including: slowly releasing nitrogen to the crop, encapsulating

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polyphosphate to prevent tie-up, and chelating nutrients to allow for better crop uptake. This proprietary technology allows us to chelate micronutrients within the ‘sweet spot’ - not too loosely but not too tightly - providing the plant a consistent source of nutrients over an extended period of time.

Since our chelation is derived from natural sources, it can (1) be broken down over time by soil biology without the worry of adverse effects in soil applications, and (2) be quickly broken down by the plant and used as other metabolites in foliar applications.

) ƒ ƒ Š We believe in continuous improvement. So, not only are we constantly working on researching and developing, but we also work toward improving our quality, our accountability, our knowledge, our understanding, and our commitment to providing our customers with the best there is to offer in both products and service.

We know what keeps you up at night and the thrill of every abundant harvest. We’ve been there, and we’re with you in the next big thing to come your way. When prices are low and input costs are high, AgroLiquid works with you to keep your nutrient applications efďŹ cient. Get more with less whatever rates you apply.

Understanding PHOSPHORUS

and POTASSIUM

in your Fertility Program

By Dylan Rogers AgroLiquid Sales Account Manager In agriculture, there are always a few factors that are out of our control - speciďŹ cally Mother Nature.

This proved to be true in 2019 with widespread o ood din ng and n ext xtre reme re me tem mpe p ra ratu ure ress - bot o h hig ghs h and an d low o s. s. Foc ocus ussin ng on the facto accto tors r we can rs an con o tr t ol o wiilll ens w n urre we mak ake the he bes est st possi osssi sib blllee crro op, p,

regardless of what Mother Nature throws our way. Understanding how phosphorus and potassium fertilizers interact with other inputs a d elemeentts in the soil will hellp growers decide an wh hic ich inp nput uts ts and nd ap pp plil ca cati tion ti n tim min ings g bes e t suiit theeir paartic rttic icu ullaarr ope peraattiio ion on.

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Phosphorus (P) Phosphorus orus (P) is an essential plant nutrient and very imp portant for numerous plant processes and crop pro oduction. It is a vital component of DNA and RNA A , the building blocks of proteins and protein synthesis. The adenosine triphosphate moleculee (ATP) is responsible for storing and transferrring all of the energy produced and needed by the plant. At the core of this ATP molecule are phosphaates, responsible for all of the activity of ATP. Pho osphorus also plays a major role in the stimulation of new root growth.

from the atmosphere, an important aspect of photosynthesis. Potassium is also responsible for the translocation of sugars within the phloem phloem, and other nutrients and water within the xylem.

Potassium must be in adequate supply for the plant to function properly and produce the best crop possible.

“Tie up”” within the soil is the primary concern with phospho orus fertilizers. In acidic soil conditions, P d to get tied up by iron, aluminum, and will tend mangan nese. In basic soil conditions, calcium will be the major component of phosphorus tie up. orus is most available to the plant in a soil Phospho pH range of 6.3-6.8. Common liquid fertilizers, such as ammonium polyphosphate (10-34-0) and orthoph hosphate (9-18-9), applied in the early spring will also have a likely chance of being tied up if a gypsum application was made in the fall.

Choosing a phosphorus fertilizer that is protected from tie up will ensure that you get the most out of your fertilizer investment and that your crop will receive the required amount of P needed.

Potassium (K) Potassium (K) is also an essential plant nutrient responsible for many vital processes within the plant. It plays a major role in plant water relations and photosynthesis. K regulates the opening and closing of the stomata, in turn regulating the uptake of Carbon dioxide (CO2)

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Potassium and sodium have a unique relationship that is many times overlooked. The use of poorquality, well water in many areas has caused sodium levels to build up in the soil. In these situations, the soil solution will contain more sodium ions than potassium ions. These two ions are “look alike” ions and the plant will not discriminate against which one it takes up. An excess of sodium in the soil solution will tend to induce a potassium deficiency in the plant. This is an important aspect to address in your growing operation.

It is also important to understand the solubility of potassium fertilizers. For example, Sulfate of potash (SOP) is a great tool, often used in California for building soil potassium levels.

However, it is important to recognize how much is actually going to be available to the crop. For example, dry SOP has a solubility of around 6%. A 500-pound application of 0-0-50 will deliver 250 pounds of K20, so at 6% solubility, only about 15 pounds of K20 will be immediately available to the crop. Over time, with precipitation or irrigation, more of the K20 will become available.

Supplementing this with an in-season, highly soluble, liquid potassium fertilizer is a great way to ensure your crop will get the large amount of potassium it requires. Of course, not all liquid potassium sources are created equal. Some

potassium fertilizers are high in chlorides and other salts that can be toxic to plant health. Growers will want to choose a potassium source that is free of chlorides.

Having a better understanding of how phosphorus and potassium fertilizers interact in the soil and with other inputs will help growers get more out of their fertilizer investment this coming season.

Choosing a phosphorus fertilizer that is protected from tie up and a potassium fertilizer that is highly soluble and free of chlorides will ensure healthier plants to achieve 2020 yield goals.

Sure-K and Kalibrate Sure-K K® and Kalibrate® are clean, chlorideand hydroxide-free potassium solutions.

Each can be applied in combination with other crop production or protection products and present a very low risk of crop injury. The unique formulations of these products provide increased crop utilization, allowing lower total product application volume to produce the same results as other conventional potassium fertility products when applied at typical rates. Contact your AgroLiquid representative to find out which is right for your situation.

Pro-Germinator / PrG Pro-Germinator® is used primarily for the application of phosphorus, but is partnered with nitrogen, potassium, and micronutrients for maximum performance. Pro-Germinator, through Flavonol Polymer Technology, contains both orthophosphate and carbon-protected polymer phosphate to provide readily available and controlled-release phosphorus with minimal danger of tie up in the soil.

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FOCUS on Phosphorus

By Dr. Jerry Wilhm Senior Research Manager Clearly, phosphorus is important for growing crops, as discussed in Dylan’s article in this newsletter. It is involved in many functions within a plant like energy storage and transfer (ATP/ADP), protein synthesis, photosynthesis, nucleic acid (DNA/RNA) synthesis, nutrient movement through cell walls and many more processes. Therefore, it pays to make sure phosphorus does not become deficient in plants.

Applying phosphorus as a crop nutrient can be tricky.

Like all nutrients, phosphorus must be managed. In other words, just because phosphorus was applied to the soil does not mean that it is doing what you want it to do: feed the plant! AgroLiquid founder, Douglas Cook, was known to say that all applied fertilizer is available, but not all applied fertilizer is usable. Sounds funny, but it’s true. What’s the difference? All fertilizer is available to plants -- it’s right there for the taking. But it may not be usable.

In order for a nutrient to be usable, it must be close to the roots and it must be in a form that the plant can absorb. Nutrients like nitrogen can be lost to leaching or volatility before absorption. Potassium can be strongly held by clay in the soil and not able to be taken up by roots since it is not in the soil solution. Phosphorus too can become unusable.

Phosphate is negatively charged and can react with, or be fixed, by positively charged elements in the soil (cations). Plants cannot take up these compounds of calcium phosphate, aluminum phosphate or iron phosphate. Estimates are that the crop will utilize only around 20% of applied conventional phosphate fertilizer during the season after application, and in

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following years, the amount becomes progressively less as it reverts to mineral forms. Again, the nutrients are there and available, but they are not always usable.

This may not be a concern to growers because you cannot actually see the fate of phosphate molecules in the soil. If only a small percentage of your planted seed came up, you would probably be upset because you can see that loss. Similarly, only a small percentage of the applied phosphate is usable.

However, you cannot see this, so it is not a concern.

But it should be.

Phosphate fertilizer loss is comparable to only a small percentage of planted seed that comes up. We can see the seed loss, but we cannot see phosphate loss.

increases crop safety and can be effective at lower rates than those of conventional fertilizer like 1034-0. In this experiment from the North Central Research Station, the lower rate of Pro-Germinator enabled a higher corn yield than that with the higher rate of 10-34-0. Closer inspection shows larger ear size and the darker yellow corn indicates advanced maturity. In fact, the corn treated with Pro-Germinator in this experiment yielded more than seven bushels per acre more than the corn treated with 10-34-0.

Phosphate fertilizer works best if it is placed close In-furrow placement of Pro-Germinator to the seed at planting.

In the picture phosphorus above, it is fertilizer enabled earlier and placement advanced maturity apparent that phosphateuptake fertilizer is vs 2x2 placement and No Fertilizer (as you would hope). affecting growth. Five rows of the plot had 5 gal/A

In order for phosphorus fertilizer to be most effective, it needs to be usable. Usability is increased by placement close to the seed row and protection from fixation losses. Pro-Germinator is the only fertilizer that does both.

5 gal Pro-Germinator in furrow

13 gal 10-34-0 2x2

Phosphate fertilizer works best if it is placed close to the seed at planting. In the picture above, it is apparent that phosphate fertilizer placement is affecting growth. Five rows of the plot had 5 gal/A of Pro-Germinator® applied through the planter, and the sixth row had no planter fertilizer.

The rows with the in-furrow placement are tasseling, whereas the 2x2 placement has yet to tassel. Close inspection shows that the corn with the 2x2 placement is taller than the row with no fertilizer, but it is behind the rows with the infurrow placement. This shows that phosphorus placement for earliest root access affects plant maturity and yield. Additional testing at the North Central Research Station has shown that in-furrow placement can out-yield 2x2 placement by almost 5 bu/A. Pro-Germinator has carbon encapsulation for protection against fixation losses that affect other forms of phosphate fertilizer. This is the Flavonol Polymer Technology that AgroLiquid developed to prevent fixation losses and enable extended nutrient release into the growing season. This also

Pro-Germinator has carbon encapsulation, which enables greater crop safety, fixation protection and extended phosphate release. Together this can result in a higher yield at lower applied rates.

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10% Total Recycled Fiber

No matter when you apply fertilizer, no matter how, AgroLiquid has the experts and products to move you closer to your target. Learn more at agroliquid.com Š2019 AgroLiquid. All Rights Reserved. 02.2019.55865