It’s critical your plants have sufficient nodulation for you to have a successful soybean/pulse crop. That’s why it’s important to use an inoculant. But it’s also important your inoculant is compatible with other seed applied products like seed treatment and fertilizer so they can perform at their best.
Rizobacter, our inoculant partner, is continuously working to improve inoculants’ performance. One way they do that is with compatibility testing. Their robust compatibility testing process includes on-seed rhizobia counts and plant grow outs to evaluate the size and position of nodules on roots. This helps to better evaluate inoculant performance in combination with seed treatments and fertilizers.
“Rizobacter’s research consistently shows that high numbers of rhizobia per seed do not always result in effective nodulation,” said Thomas Thiessen, Senior Product Manager for BrettYoung. “But that size number and position of nodules on roots are significant determinants of crop performance in the field.”
Improved nodulation on the plant’s roots provides more effective and efficient nodulation. Tap roots are the main plant arteries, conveying water and nutrients from the soil to the plant and energy from photosynthesis to the roots. Nodules on the tap root are typically a direct result of seed-applied inoculants. Rizobacter inoculants are designed to enhance nodulation on the crown and tap roots thanks to Osmo Protector Technology and Bio Inducer Technology.
Osmo Protector Technology strengthens the cell walls of rhizobia bacteria through a longer, stress-inducing manufacturing process. This ultimately results in tougher, high-performance bacteria with industry leading on-seed survival. They are also better equipped to withstand Prairie conditions like hot, dry soils and survive exposure to chemical seed treatments, meaning excellent compatibility with many seed-applied fungicides and insecticides.
Bio Inducer Technology comes with our soybean inoculants. It accelerates nodulation by introducing rhizobia to plant-based signaling compounds during the manufacturing process, which in turn stimulates earlier production of certain nodulation determinants. That speeds up the nodulation process in the soil and improves nodulation on the plant’s crown and primary roots, where nodules are the most effective. In the end, this maximizes nitrogen fixation and yield potential, delivering consistent performance under all conditions.
Rizobacter’s compatibility testing process in conjunction with Osmo Protector Technology and Bio Inducer Technology provides growers with industry leading on-seed life and seed treatment compatibility, which gives you unmatched performance and flexibility. This ensures Rizobacter inoculants will perform in the challenging conditions Western Canadian growers face each spring, giving you a peace of mind that your crop will not be limited by its ability to fix nitrogen.
Thiessen said it’s important to always check your inoculant compatibility with any other seed-applied products you might be using. Go to brettyoung.ca/compatibility or contact your BrettYoung Regional Account Manager (RAM) for more information on seed treatment and fertilizer compatibility and planting window information.
