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The Evolution of WOLF TRAX™ DDP™ Micronutrients and What It Means for Growers

Originally formulated to work even in the most challenging soil conditions, WOLF TRAX features EvenCoat technology to uniformly coat dry fertilizer granules with micronutrients. This allows for even distribution across the field, helping crops receive the nutrients they need when and where they need them.

Since acquiring WOLF TRAX in 2021, Koch Agronomic Services (KAS) has remained committed to enhancing the nutrient management solution based on decades of grower and retailer feedback. Mark Goodwin, technical manager at KAS, highlights three key areas where WOLF TRAX continues to deliver benefits.

Increasing operational efficiencies

Retailers today face increasing demands on storage, labor and blending efficiency. The unique design of WOLF TRAX helps streamline storage, transport and application, allowing retailers to maximize operational efficiency.

“We recently worked with retailers in three states to see how much time they were saving by switching from hauling bulky granules around the yard versus pressing a button to apply their micros,” detailed Goodwin. “The time savings ranged up to five-man-hours per day by going to WOLF TRAX. That time adds up when you are struggling with personnel shortages or have a line of trucks waiting.”

Goodwin stated that in the initial years of the product, retailers had to manage dust during the blending process due to limited equipment solutions. With improved equipment and optimized application rates, dust control has significantly improved.

“KAS has a dedicated product service team to help retailers adapt their existing equipment for blending WOLF TRAX,” said Goodwin.

The benefit of the right rate for maximum impact

Micronutrients are becoming a standard part of fertility programs, but precise application rates are connected to performance. Traditional micronutrient granules often led to overapplication, sparse distribution and inefficiencies.

Goodwin explains, “In the past, some retailers applied more WOLF TRAX than necessary, which caused excess dust. By optimizing application rates, we’ve improved handling and ensured that blending time remains the same, whether retailers add one, two or three WOLF TRAX products.”

For growers, micronutrients are becoming more of a standard practice. However, there is still a misconception about what the right rate of micronutrients is.

Historically, key dry micronutrients such as zinc, boron, manganese or copper were available only in granule form, resulting in more standardized, benchmark rate recommendations that were not tailored to specific crop requirements. This often led to sparse distribution, lack of efficiency and wasted inputs.

“What many people didn't realize is that the five-pound elemental rate of zinc or the one-pound elemental rate of boron are many, many times more than what the crop actually needs,” Goodwin said. “The WOLF TRAX rates are attuned to crop requirement — making sure your micronutrients get to the crop at the right rate and as early as possible in the season.”

Identifying the right rate based on crop requirements also provides growers with a customized approach based on crop removal rates and yield goals. For example, farmers in regions where corn gets an average yield of 250 bu/acre yield will need more micronutrients than those with an average of 150 bu/acre. With WOLF TRAX DDP, growers can ensure their crops get the right amounts of micronutrients they need, at the right time and place.

Balancing micronutrient availability – the efficacy of oxides

While conventional soil science suggests that oxide forms of micronutrients are less available to plants, WOLF TRAX DDP has changed that narrative by using a dual-action approach.

“In our formulation, we purposefully included two forms of each nutrient,” explained Goodwin. “Research shows that when finely divided oxides are placed in an acidic environment, they provide a continuous nutrient supply to the crop as they gradually become available."

An example of this is WOLF TRAX Zinc DDP, which combines zinc oxide and zinc sulfate. The sulfate form is immediately available, while the oxide form becomes available over time as the natural acidity of the fertilizer granule breaks it down.

“The speed of nutrient availability is key,” Goodwin adds. “With WOLF TRAX DDP, some nutrients are available immediately, while others continue to support the crop throughout the season — ensuring early and sustained access to micronutrients.”

The benefit of this availability timing is that crops have early and continuous access to micronutrients throughout the crop’s growth cycle, providing growers with a balanced and efficient nutrient management strategy.

Set crops up for success with WOLF TRAX DDP

¹The underlying data was provided by Compass Minerals. Neither these institutions, nor the individual references, endorse or recommend any product or service.

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