One of the challenges of a traditional nitrogen application is maintaining plant nutrition throughout the growing season, without risking losing nutrients through leaching or volatilization. Crops need the right amount of nutrition, at the right time, to perform their best. Utrisha N, an in-season foliar applied biostimulant, helps reduce the plant’s dependence on a single source of nitrogen.
“Conventional nitrogen remains critical for plant growth,” says Kirsten Ratzlaff, Portfolio Marketing Manager, Seed Applied Technology with Corteva. “It’s a necessary part of growing crops, but where its limits are is where Utrisha N fits in. Utrisha N is stable in the plant through its life cycle, which makes it a predictable source of plant nutrition through the latter parts of the season.”
Utrisha N is a natural biostimulant that fixes nitrogen from the atmosphere and converts it into a usable form for the plant. It is sprayed onto the leaves, where it enters the plant through the stomata and colonizes in leaf cells. It then converts nitrogen from the air into ammonia, providing a sustainable source of nitrogen that helps enhance plant growth and resilience by improving nitrogen availability throughout the growing season.
”As growers continue to talk about best practices for fertilizer application to achieve high-yielding crops, Utrisha N should be an important part of that conversation.”
Nicole Philp, Commercial Launch Specialist with Corteva
“Utrisha N offers growers the opportunity to diversify their nitrogen program,” says Ratzlaff. “Utrisha N does not release any greenhouse gas emissions so it’s a sustainable way to add nitrogen to help increase a crop’s productivity.”
Utrisha N requires no plant energy to work. A natural by-product of plant growth is methanol, required by the bacteria in Utrisha N in order to multiply and survive. So, while the plants are growing, Utrisha N is working in the background, providing them with nitrogen as a separate function.
Applied later in the season
“This is a supplemental source of nitrogen that works alongside traditional nitrogen applications,” says Nicole Philp, Commercial Launch Specialist with Corteva. “In order for it to be successful it needs to establish itself on a healthy growing crop, so it is applied later in the season than traditional fertilizer, and has access to the crop in ways traditional fertilizer doesn’t.”
Philp says “that includes very dry conditions where traditional fertilizer can’t get into the roots, or when things are very wet and fertilizer uptake is limited. In both situations, Utrisha N stays on the plant and can remain stable as it functions.”
Utrisha N is applied using standard spraying equipment at a rate of 135 grams per acre, once per season. For canola, Utrisha N should be applied at the four-leaf to rosette stage, before stem elongation. For all types of cereals, optimal timing is the four-leaf jointing stage. For soybean and corn, Utrisha N should be applied at the V4-V8 stage.
The powder formulation should be mixed with water that has chlorine levels less than 1 ppm, with a pH of between pH5-pH8 to allow for optimal bacteria growth.
Utrisha N also has flexible storage options. It is a living organism, so growers should ensure proper, temperature-controlled storage. When stored correctly, Utrisha N can be stored for more than a year.
Yield for 2022
The 2022 growing season was the first the product was commercially available. While registration trials were completed in 2021, they were conducted during a dry and challenging growing season, limiting yield data collection. Philp says they are looking forward to seeing the yields from this year’s field-scale trials in the coming months.
“On drone and satellite imagery we were able to see some significant differences in the biomass on the crops where Utrisha N was applied. We’re anticipating some really exciting results from what we have been hearing from our customers and from our field reps.”
Philp says this past season they have had many inquiries from farmers looking to manage input costs, as well as those who were dealing with a shortage of some products.
“There has been increasing discussion about determining the optimal amount of nutrients for crop needs. Because Utrisha N doesn’t contribute to nutrient loss, it addresses some of those concerns. As growers continue to talk about best practices for fertilizer application to achieve high-yielding crops, Utrisha N should be an important part of that conversation.”
“Utrisha N is the first product in the new portfolio of biologicals from Corteva,” says Ratzlaff. “Its success demonstrates Corteva’s commitment to biologicals as a credible option for growers. We are determined to bring a full portfolio of sustainably advantaged solutions to this growing market.”
For more information on Utrisha N and how it fits your farm, contact your local retailer or talk to your local Corteva representative.
