Agri-View, a leading agricultural newspaper in Wisconsin, featured an article by Ronaldo Knychala, Senior Carbon Field Activities Manager for BiOWiSH Technologies.
Climate-smart agricultural programs, often referred to as regenerative programs, are gaining momentum through various methods like carbon capture, no-till, cover cropping, biologicals and other greenhouse-gas-reducing practices. But selecting a program can be challenging because many often require a shift in management practices. That involves greater degrees of intensity, investment or financial risk – leaving farm managers feeling exposed and apprehensive. But not all programs and practices need to be that way.
Bio-enhanced fertilizers, are a first step toward a more-regenerative farm because they often require minimal investment and little or no changes to current farm management practices. That makes a new product easier to implement.
Some bio-enhanced fertilizers are an opportunity for growers to mitigate the risk of other more-intensive transitional regenerative practices. Cover-cropping is generally understood to be good for long-term soil health and biodiversity. But the potential risk of short-term yield loss can be prohibitive enough to keep farmers from taking the leap. A recent study conducted by Iowa State University suggests that bio-enhanced fertilizer helped reduce the impact of yield loss in a first-year cover-crop system. That will be an on-going area of study but certainly suggests that bio-enhanced fertilizers can be a valuable tool for overcoming challenges associated with the adoption of innovative farming practices.
Bio-enhanced fertilizers, specifically those using endophytic microbes, help enable the release of bound nutrients from the soil. That improves the efficiency of fertilizer applications and optimizes yield potential by improved nutrient uptake. With variable input prices squeezing profit margins, it’s an obvious win when farmers can make more-efficient use of fertilizer-input investments.
Ronaldo Knychala is a Senior Carbon Field Activities Manager with BiOWiSH Technologies. He’s a seasoned agronomist with more than 14 years of international experience in agronomy field operations across various crops and environments. During the past five years he’s specialized in sustainable agriculture and carbon markets, actively working to advance sustainable practices and explore new opportunities.
Agri-View, a brand of Lee Agri-MEDIA, is a publication represented by J.L. Farmakis, Inc. and goes out weekly to more than 28,000 subscribers in the Midwest.