Bigger, Stronger, Faster: Understanding PROTIVATE™ and Its Role in Crop Success

Let’s start with the easiest question: What is PROTIVATE?

PROTIVATE is a dual-purpose seed enhancement product. It replaces seed flow agents such as talc and graphite while supplying nutrients directly to the seed, similar to a pop-up fertilizer. It comes in various formulations, all including nitrogen, phosphate, manganese and zinc. Then we have one formulation with molybdenum that benefits soybeans and one with a shine component that is utilized as a seed finisher.

What are farmers looking for or replacing when they find this product?

Honestly, I would say that a farmer considering PROTIVATE is looking for what’s next in increasing their success. They’re already buying a talc and/or graphite product. PROTIVATE is for the progressive-thinking farmer looking for a product that can take them to the next level and give them an early-season edge. That will be done via the nutrients we apply directly on the seed. PROTIVATE provides some of the highest nutrient loads of any similar product in the marketplace.

It also solves the problem of varied emergence caused by micronutrient shortages.

What sets PROTIVATE apart?

The most significant benefit is that we are bridging an early gap. In its earliest stages, the seed has to live off what's in the seed before it has exploratory roots, mining for those other things we applied to the soil, such as starter fertilizers or any other soil amendment we are intending on for the season.

Our product has a decent load of available phosphate, which is essential for early growth – especially for those early shoots and roots. However, we strongly emphasize the micronutrient side, which is where there tends to be a lack of other products on the market. From the start, PROTIVATE can provide a significant percentage of the micronutrients the plant needs in season.

For many farmers, replenishing their nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium is front of mind, but soil amendments of micros like zinc, manganese and molybdenum have been less common. This means that with every crop, we’re mining these plant essential nutrients, making them less and less available and accessible. The fact that we can add these back in at the same step as adding a seed flow agent to the box makes using PROTIVATE much more manageable for farmers. 

What can farmers who choose PROTIVATE expect to see in their fields? 

We consistently see an improved early growth – faster germination, faster emergence and just as notably, even, consistent emergence. In season, farmers who use PROTIVATE see plants that grow bigger, stronger and faster, thanks to that solid foundation we’ve built. At harvest, they should see improved yields as part of the improved plant health and growth throughout the season.

Why is early season growth so significant in crop success? 

There's actually quite a bit of peer-reviewed research that talks about even emergence and how a late-emerged plant acts more like a weed – pulling resources from the plant without any benefit at the end of the season. We eliminate that competition by getting the seeds up and going earlier and consistently, even in cool, wet conditions. 

During the season, the bigger, stronger, faster growth means greater biomass and less susceptibility to snap and other early and mid-season weather events. All that together sets farmers up for the best possible scenario for yield success at harvest. As we all know, Mother Nature has to be a little compliant for maximum yields, but we have a lot of data that shows the yield success connected with PROTIVATE no matter the weather. 

What crops can PROTIVATE be applied to? 

At the end of the day, PROTIVATE is a fertilizer, so there is a lot of opportunity. The different formulations of PROTIVATE are labeled for specific crops – anything from wheat and cereal grains to dry edible beans and a lot in between. 

These products shine across the board, especially in the corn, soybean and specialty crop markets. The biggest thing we always want to emphasize is for farmers to respect those 4Rs of Nutrient Stewardship — applying the right fertilizer source at the right rate, the right time and the right place. The biggest watch out would be ensuring that a crop with a particular sensitivity gets plenty of what it needs and none of what it doesn't.

Learn more

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