Better Emergence, Increased Yield

Farmers take a lot of pride in their fields from emergence through harvest.  Having the right crop nutrients in place all season matters. When Seth Mangels saw a lack of early season plant development, he needed to take his crop nutrition to the next level and add seed nutrition to his program.

Mangels is a third-generation farmer who’s always looking to make improvements and try new things. After making some changes to his fertilizer practices and noticing signs of deficiency, Mangels sought out alternatives to efficiently get the nutrients his crop needed.

He started researching online, came across PROTIVATE™ seed enhancer and quickly recognized the potential the product provided for his dry-land farm in northeast Nebraska. 

“For us it’s about better emergence, which leads to a better stand, which leads to increased yield,” said Mangels. “And PROTIVATE provided all of that.” 

It was also important to Mangels that the product work well for his operational set up and with his planter. Planting with PROTIVATE went smoothly and Mangels quickly saw the emergence he was hoping for. 

“We completely replaced our graphite with PROTIVATE and got the added benefit of nutrients placed right on the seed,” said Mangels. “PROTIVATE provides the nutrients in an environment where they are accessible to the plant.”

Mangels and his family ran their own production trial. First, they flagged seedlings for day of emergence. At the end of the season, they counted rows and kernels on all the ears and weighed out yield. 

“We saw more plants emerging from the PROTIVATE treated corn plot on Day 1 and continuing on Days 2 and 3 compared to the untreated,” said Mangels. “At the end of the season there was a huge difference between the Day 1 and Day 3 ears.” 

His Koch Agronomic Services territory business manager also came out to do a root dig that showed the root mass was larger on the PROTIVATE rows. 

“Seeing the increased root mass was a surprise to me, but it just shows that having the right nutrients in the right place allows the plant to grow quickly,” said Mangels. 

At the end of the season, Mangels ultimately saw increased yields, but the improved emergence was what made him decide to use PROTIVATE on all his corn and soybean acres this next crop year. 

“We had a positive financial return the first year we used it,” said Mangels. “It's an economical, easy-to-use enhancement to what we are already doing.”

Now, his neighbors driving by might be asking him what’s making his crop look so good from start to finish.

Is PROTIVATE right for your farm?

PROTIVATE nutritional seed enhancer gives young plants the nutrients they need while eliminating the need for talc and/or graphite. The blend of macro and micronutrients in PROTIVATE supports germination and uniform emergence — helping farmers get healthier, more robust plants and higher potential yields. It’s success at every stage. 

To learn more about PROTIVATE, visit ProtivateSeedNutrition.com or contact a local KAS sales representative.