With Ignacio Crippa #
At BrettYoung, we’re excited about how our powerful new inoculant, Signum Soybean, is helping soybean growers across Western Canada produce better, higher-yielding crops.
What makes Signum Soybean Distinct by Design, and what sets it apart from other products on the market, are two novel technologies that provide a significant boost in on-seed and liquid inoculant performance.
These technologies are developed by Rizobacter – BrettYoung’s partner in biologicals.
Ignacio Crippa is the international Technical Service Leader for Rizobacter, overseeing trials and providing technical support in the 40-plus countries where Rizobacter products are sold. In our last Distinct by Design article, Crippa walked us through Osmo Protector Technology – one of the two novel technologies that power Signum Soybean. Now, he’s here to tell us about the second: Bio-Inducer Technology.
Bio-Inducer Technology #
Crippa explains that Bio-inducer Technology accelerates the communication between the plant and rhizobia, resulting in earlier and more efficient nodulation and nitrogen fixation.
Signum Soybean inoculant contains Bio-Induced rhizobia which are produced using chemical compounds to mimic the chemical signals plant roots release in the soil. This activates the bacteria to begin the nodulation process, shortening the time needed to start forming nodules.
Higher Nitrogen, Higher Yields #
Crippa notes that the early presence of these nodulation determinants, not only accelerates nodule production but also improves nodulation on the plant’s crown and primary roots, where nodules are most effective.
“These [optimally located] nodules are significantly more efficient at fixing nitrogen than the secondary nodules,” Crippa says, adding that nodule location on the root system is more important than secondary factors such as nodule size and number when it comes to effectively fixing nitrogen. Soybean plants that fix nitrogen faster and more efficiently perform better under all conditions and produce higher yields.
“Having earlier nodulation will give you much more nitrogen, and the correlation between nitrogen and yield is very high,” he explains. “So, the more nitrogen the soybean plant has, the more yield potential there will be.”
Crippa says soybeans treated with Signum Soybean yielded 2.9% better than those treated with a liquid inoculant from the competition in Rizobacter trials held in Western Canada in 2019 and 2020.
Osmo Protector Technology #
Producers who use our Signum Soybean inoculant additionally benefit from Osmo Protector Technology, another Rizobacter innovation that you’ll also find in our Osmium Pea/Lentil and Osmium Chickpea inoculant products.
With Osmo Protector Technology, the bacteria in Signum Soybean are produced through a longer, stress-inducing manufacturing process that strengthens their cell walls. This makes them stronger and able to survive longer on-seed. They’re also better equipped to withstand chemical stresses from seed treatment and environmental challenges, like the temperature extremes and drought conditions which are occurring more frequently on the Canadian Prairies.
Expert in Soybean Agronomics #
Crippa grew up on a soybean farm in Argentina, and he continues to run the family farm today. He also has a PhD in agricultural science and worked for Dupont Pioneer and INDEAR, a leading soybean R&D firm in Argentina, before joining Rizobacter in 2019.
As Technical Service Leader for Rizobacter’s International Sector, Crippa has the opportunity to meet a lot of interesting people from around the world.
Crippa considers Canada, where he’s visited on vacation as well as for business, very beautiful, and he says Canadians are among the nicest people he’s met.
“I love to be in contact with agronomists and farmers around the globe. I have learned a lot about different technologies that farmers use, and about different crops beside the classic crops that we have here in Argentina,” Crippa says. “I also enjoy being in contact with different cultures where you can learn different points of view and open your mind.”
At BrettYoung, we value international perspectives, like those of Crippa and Rizobacter, and consider this collaborative approach key to developing new and innovative products for our customers.
To see if Signum Soybean is a good fit for your farm, contact your local BrettYoung Regional Account Manager.
