Grainswest - Winter 2023

Winter 2023 Grains West 34 FEATURE Shand ensured the farmer did not tank mix the product with herbicides, as he wanted to eliminate possible detrimental effects to its living components. Because it was a drought year, wheat yields were lower than expected. Visually speaking, there were no differences between the treated and untreated crop right through the season. Tissue samples taken from both treated and untreated field areas also showed no significant differences. However, when Shand pulled the calibrated yield data from the combines and layered it with the as-applied data from the sprayer, the Utrisha N treatment did 55.3 bu/ac and the untreated did 51.2 bu/ac acre—a 4.1 bu/ac bump. There was no significant difference in protein between treated and untreated grain samples. In 2022, two of Shand's clients applied Envita on 80 acres and Utrisha N on 40 acres, alongside untreated checks, one in canola and one in CWRS. No visible differences were observed in canola, although yield data has yet to be analyzed. The Envita wheat trial, however, produced intriguing results. According to Shand, within two weeks of application there were visible differences between the treated and untreated plots. “The [Envita treated] crop was greener, and it was slightly taller and lusher than the untreated check,” said Shand. There were no visible differences in the plants treated with Utrisha N, though Shand has not yet analyzed the yield data. “Like everybody else you’re talking to, I’m skeptical,” he said. “We’re going to have to look at more trials and more data before we make decisions on whether this is something our clients are going to implement on their farms. But it’s something we’re looking at with great interest.” Gurbir Dhillon, a research scientist with Farming Smarter, is wrapping up a three-year trial in which he compared traditional fertilizer inputs based on soil test recommendations with supplementary biostimulant packages that included Alpine, ATP, Penergetic and Stoller. Treatments were evaluated for their effect on crop growth and yield in wheat, field pea and canola. A further treatment included application of seed treatment, plant growth regulators and fungicide along with traditional fertilizer inputs. Experimental trials were conducted at Lethbridge (Farming Smarter), Falher (SARDA Ag Research) and Forestburg (Battle River Research Group) locations across brown, grey and black soil zones in Alberta. Six site years of data were obtained for each crop in 2020 and 2021. Data was collected for various growth and yield parameters and is now being compiled for statistical analysis. In the first two years, Dhillon saw a three- to five-bu yield increase in peas. At two of the sites, 2022 data shows a significant 10- to 15-bu yield increase in peas with an Alpine treatment. Penergetic and Stoller plots also saw a yield boost, but not as high as Alpine. Yield increase in wheat was only observed in one of the six site years. HOW IT WORKS When applied to seed or soil, biostimulants containing beneficial bacteria may improve plant tolerance to environmental stress. Foliar applied products are intended to colonize the plant with nitrogen-fixing bacteria that will provide a portion of the plant’s nutrient requirements.