GrainsWest Winter 2020

Winter 2020 Grains West 26 FEATURE BY TREVOR BACQUE • LEAD PHOTO: iSTOCK Seed add-ons, specialty fertilizers flood the marketplace, but are they any good? The websites of specialty fertilizer companies now often resemble a love letter to the periodic table of elements. Boron, zinc, manganese, ohmy! Each shiny product is designed to sell farmers a nutrient they either didn’t know they needed or simply cannot live without. It’s part of a growing trend seenmore and more when it comes time for a farmer to evaluate their soil biology and determine what additives are needed. It’s suggested they back off on traditional fertilizer rates and insert a unique product in its place to drive either modest or substantial yields. Likewise, various seed-applied coatings also promise worth and improved tilth. All claimnet returns nomatter how small. So, can it all be worthwhile? How does a farmer avoid stepping over a dollar to pick up a dime with somany options? SOW WHAT?